The LA Chargers have to go through the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West, let alone contend for the Lombardi Trophy. But what if the Chargers could steal one player from the Chiefs in order to make that quest easier?

It’s officially the dog days of summer in the NFL world and as such, it’s time to have fun with our sports content. The Chargers are already a legitimate playoff contender and one could argue they are one key piece away from actually winning a Super Bowl.

So what if we ignored salary-cap implications, trade rules, and overall NFL logic and pinpointed the one player from various NFL teams that would make the Chargers a Super Bowl contender? That feels like fun July NFL content, and with the Chiefs specifically, it’s not who you would ever guess.

Chiefs’ Chris Jones would make the Chargers a Super Bowl favorite

Bet you were expecting Patrick Mahomes. It’s hard to blame you, Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league and is the sole reason why the Chiefs have three Super Bowls to begin with.

That being said, the Chargers are in a rare position where replacing their quarterback with Patrick Mahomes wouldn’t make a revolutionary difference. Don’t get us wrong, Mahomes is rightfully ahead of Justin Herbert in the NFL hierarchy. But the difference between the No. 5 QB in the NFL and the No. 1 QB in the NFL is not the same as the different that Chris Jones would make.

The Chargers are projecting to be a run-heavy team that relies on Herbert when it has to. For that to work, the team needs good running backs (which is seemingly has) and a defense that can stand up to other offenses.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter did a great job turning the unit around in 2024 and the arrow is only pointing up in 2025. That being said, the one area the team may have gotten worse is at nose tackle. Despite the coaching staff’s hopes, it’s going to be hard to replace Poona Ford next season.

So what if we could theoretically replace Ford with arguably the best defensive tackle in the sport? Jones has been in First-Team All-Pro three years in a row and is the epitome of an every-down defensive tackle who can stuff the run and get after the quarterback.

Imagine a defensive line where Jones is flanked by Khalil Mack. That violence that would ensue on that defensive line would be must-watch TV. With Tuli Tuipulotu and other key standouts on the defensive line, the Chargers would instantly have one of the best front sevens in the sport.

And as the Philadelphia Eagles showed everyone in the Super Bowl, that alone can win championships. Adding Mahomes in place of Herbert would certainly make the Chargers a better team, but having Jones alongside Mack would make the Chargers look even more like the Philadelphia Eagles.