Who made the better trade: Broncos and Russell Wilson or Chargers and Khalil Mack?

It’s been a big week for the AFC West with the Broncos and Chargers executing huge trades for Russell Wilson and Khalil Mack. Who got the best deal?

There NFL decided to drop as many major developments as possible into one week with Aaron Rodgers staying with the Packers, Russell Wilson moving to the Broncos and the Chargers countering by picking up Khalil Mack from the Bears.

The trades in the AFC West, already the home of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, should make that division one of the most fascinating in all of football in 2021.

Which team “won” the week?

Broncos’ Russell Wilson trade

Chargers’ Khalil Mack trade

Did the Broncos or Chargers get the better deal?

The Broncos and Chargers both got better through their trades in obviously different ways.

Denver needed to sort out their quarterback position and they made the move that settles that question.

Wilson is a clear upgrade on every quarterback they have had since Peyton Manning. If he lives up to his years with the Seahawks, he could be the best quarterback the franchise has had this century (recognizing Manning’s age by the time he joined). He’s as close to a sure thing as they were going to get outside of Rodgers.

With Wilson joining the Broncos, the AFC West has the most formidable lineup of quarterbacks in the league. The fact that Derek Carr might be the worst QB in the division says a whole lot about the level of competition.

So what’s the best way to neutralize the threat of an opposing quarterback? To get in his face on every down.

That’s what the Mack acquisition will help LA do. Teams won’t be able to double-team Joey Bosa, who still managed to get 10.5 sacks in 2021, without also accounting for Mack on the other side.

Taking on Mack’s contract is no joke, but giving up a second and sixth-round pick for that level of player is well worth it on paper.

Potential hiccups come from Mack’s injury trouble in 2021 and his age at 31 years old. Will he be healthy enough to help? Has his decline already begun?

The Chargers just watched Von Miller positively impact the Rams defense after a trade when he was 32. So, again, rewards can definitely outweigh risks.

Speaking of risks, the Broncos did give up a ton to get Wilson, including two first rounders and two second rounders, plus starters like tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris. The fact that he’s coming off the worst season of his career might be unnerving.

For both sides, the proof will come in what they manage to achieve now that they’ve made these blockbuster moves.

So who made the better trade?

Right now, it’s the Chargers, who were in a better position to contend before the trade and made a move to directly deal with the gains made by other teams around them without giving up huge assets.

Having said that, Wilson is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and they don’t grow on trees.

The winner of this wild trade week will be the team that brings home a Super Bowl trophy.