The Kansas City Chiefs have made the annual battle for the AFC West title into a lopsided series in recent years—eight of them to be exact. And they begin their quest for a ninth consecutive divisional title in Week 4 with their first game against a rival in '24 when they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers.
And with the way things look now, the start of their division title defense could be quite a bit easier than expected.
The Chargers came into this season with the hopes that they'd laid the foundation for long-term success with the hiring of a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh this winter, fresh off of a national championship at the University of Michigan. So far, Harbaugh has been able to find ways to win at the pro level, too, with a 2-0 record through the first two games of the season.
The Chargers are scheduled to host the Chiefs in Week 4 for the first divisional contest of the season for K.C.
However, heading into Week 3, star quarterback Justin Herbert was nursing an ankle sprain and was designated as questionable to play. It was a game-time decision for the Chargers and then they allowed him to go ahead and start. That decision failed to pay off as Herbert has now exited the game due to the injury.
Backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke has taken over for the Chargers and a high-ankle sprain isn't something that goes away in a matter of a few days. It's quite possible that Herbert could be out through Week 4 as well.
That's hardly the only injury to watch, however. Right tackle Rashawn Slater was designated as questonable to return due to a pectoral injury. Pass rusher Joey Bosa was downgraded to out against the Steelers in Week 3 with a hip problem. And as of press time, rookie tackle Joe Alt was just seeking medical attention on the sideline.
Imagine if the Chiefs lost Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, Joe Thuney, and Trey Smith all in the same game and you'll get an idea of how Chargers fans are feeling right now. (Although let's be honest and call it a familiar feeling given how cursed the franchise has felt with injuries in years past.)
We have no idea how many of these injuries will linger into Week 4 but it stands to reason that some of them will. Given the Chiefs' dominance in the division for the last eight years, it seems year nine is starting out lopsided already.