Micah Parsons has given Kansas City Chiefs fans plenty of bulletin-board material heading into the 2026 NFL season.
During an appearance with Bleacher Report, the Green Bay Packers star shared his AFC division predictions and placed the Denver Broncos at the top of the AFC West. He also picked the Los Angeles Chargers to finish second, leaving the Chiefs in the third place.
The prediction quickly caught the attention of Chiefs Kingdom, with fans pushing back on Parsons’ assessment.
Micah Parsons’ AFC West Take Draws Backlash
Parsons believes Denver has what it takes to win the division, particularly after adding wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. He sees the Chargers as another team capable of finishing ahead of Kansas City.
His biggest concern with the Chiefs is the amount of talent they have lost during the offseason.
“I do not think Kansas City put enough around Patrick Mahomes to win the AFC West and go pick another title run. They let go of every bit of their talent pretty much. Trent McDuffie left. You just don’t let those type of players left. It’s just hard for me to say that they’re ready to win… You kind of got an older Kelce who’s a Hall of Famer, but you can’t bank on him to win [games single-handedly] anymore,” Parsons said.
The prediction immediately drew a response from Chiefs fans on X.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
Ryan was confident that the criticism could end up motivating Kansas City rather than hurting them: “There’s been so many dumb takes like this that the general public has to know what’s coming. The Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl and Mahomes is going to win MVP at this rate.”
There’s been so many dumb takes like this that the general public has to know what’s coming.
The Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl and Mahomes is going to win MVP at this rate. https://t.co/gVZjmYLanT
— Ryan (@Rut23KC) August 18, 2026
The KCSN channel took a more humorous approach, editing Parsons’ image with a Joker nose in response to his prediction.
https://t.co/ZLN0HFX9yk pic.twitter.com/FCSdeJrO7s
— Kansas City Chiefs on KCSN (@chiefs_kcsn) August 18, 2026
Josh Chavis also welcomed the criticism, viewing it as extra motivation for Kansas City: “I love it. Keep giving these boys ammunition.”
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
Allen Conway, meanwhile, dismissed Parsons’ prediction altogether: “Who cares what he thinks, I mean really.”
Who cares what he thinks, I mean really. https://t.co/qWQoQB6ryj
— Allen Conway (@Al_Conway) August 17, 2026
Parsons’ prediction is not without some logic. Kansas City has undergone significant changes, and questions remain about its depth, receiving options, and defensive personnel.
However, Chiefs fans have seen Mahomes prove doubters wrong before. The team’s track record under Andy Reid also makes it difficult to dismiss Kansas City from the AFC West race before the season even begins.
For now, Parsons has put Denver and Los Angeles ahead of Kansas City.
The Chiefs will get their chance to respond on the field, and if Mahomes leads Kansas City to the top of the division, Parsons’ third-place prediction could become one of the season’s biggest pieces of bulletin-board material.
