NFL Power Rankings 2025 — Super Bowl

Seattle just stamped the league with a “welcome to the new era” title run. The defense set the temperature in Super Bowl LX, but the real separator all season was how clean the Seahawks played when the pressure spiked—turnover-free postseason football is basically a cheat code. Even with key injuries (Charbonnet, and JSN briefly in the Super Bowl), they kept winning with structure, balance, and a ruthless ability to close games.

If anyone was trading punches with Seattle, it was L.A. The margins in those matchups were razor-thin, and now the Rams get the offseason boost every contender wants: Stafford’s back after an MVP season. Add in real draft capital and projected cap flexibility, and you can see the path—reload fast and take another swing. The NFC West is a problem.

New England earned the Super Bowl trip, but the ending was a reality check. The roster is young, talented, and not fully hardened yet—and the late-season wobble exposed the biggest priority: keep Drake Maye upright and consistent. Vrabel’s next step matters more than the last one; getting back won’t be “cute story” easy next time.

The “what if” is obvious with Bo Nix banged up, but Denver can’t live there. This is still an AFC heavyweight build: defense close to elite, foundation solid, ceiling high. The leap is offensive discipline—fewer self-inflicted wounds, more reliable skill production, and a sharper, steadier Nix.

The Joe Brady promotion changes the headline, but the underrated story is the defense. Jim Leonhard brings a different personality—more aggression, different fronts, and more stress on protections. Buffalo’s offseason is about fitting pieces to that approach quickly, because the AFC East is right there for the taking if they hit.

Houston looks like the kind of team that can drag opponents into ugly games and still win—exactly the blueprint Seattle just validated. The swing factor is Stroud: the flashes are real, but the biggest moments weren’t. If he stabilizes, Houston can absolutely be playing deep into January again.

Record says “third in the division,” roster says “still terrifying.” The veteran core screams “one more run,” but the margin is health and speed. If they can keep the top-end guys available and add juice where they’ve gotten slower, the Niners can absolutely punch back at Seattle and L.A.

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Chicago made football fun again—and that matters. Caleb Williams + Ben Johnson gave them real weekly offensive answers, but the next step is sustainability: reinforce the defense, stabilize the offense around the QB, and survive a NFC North that’s not getting any softer. They’re close, not complete.

The Jags climbed from “interesting” to “expected,” and that’s a different kind of pressure. Lawrence showed enough highs to keep belief alive, the defense exceeded the hype, and now the offseason focus is balance—especially making sure the run game doesn’t fade when games get heavy.

Losing Minter hurts, but the McDaniel addition is a real offensive upgrade—especially for Herbert. The Chargers’ reality check is roster math: they need starting-caliber help up front, and the draft ammo is limited. Still, if they protect the QB, the ceiling stays high.

Back-to-back division titles is real, but repeating again means navigating turbulence: coordinator change, key free agents, and the A.J. Brown conversation hovering. This is the part of the year where Howie usually cooks, but the roster has more moving pieces than it did a year ago.

The Rodgers/McCarthy rumors are the short-term buzz, but the franchise question is longer: who’s next at quarterback? They still need more weapons, line help, and to keep key contributors in-house. The Steelers are “dangerous,” but not yet “built to finish.”

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Green Bay’s in that tricky tier: good roster, big questions. Jordan Love has flashes of “can,” but not enough week-to-week dominance yet. The fix list is clear—more pass rush, better corner play, deeper defense—because the NFC North is going to test every weakness.

Detroit’s offseason started on offense, but the real mission is defense. Injuries exposed depth, the secondary got strained, and the rush opposite Hutchinson wasn’t consistent enough. The nucleus still works; the supporting cast has to catch up.

New staff, same high-end potential—if Lamar’s availability returns. When he’s limited, the whole identity tilts. If he’s healthy and the defense stays sharp, Baltimore can pop back into contender territory fast.

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Winning the South is a step, but the scoring profile is a warning sign. Carolina needs more reliable offense, better coverage flexibility, and real pass-rush help. Bryce Young extension talks will heat up, but they need to be sure the foundation is stable first.

The record’s ugly, but the rebound ingredients are still there. Mahomes’ health, Kelce’s decision, and cap hits (like Jawaan Taylor) shape the chessboard. With a top-10 pick, KC has a real chance to inject impact talent—especially pass rush—fast.

Indy went all-in for Sauce Gardner and now has to live with the invoice: fewer high picks, key free-agent questions, and QB uncertainty with Daniel Jones heading out and Riley Leonard’s Achilles timeline. The range of outcomes is massive.

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The Mike Evans decision is the headline, but the defense is the story. The sack drop-off late was dramatic, and the unit needs a tone-setter up front. One big swing at edge could change their whole 2026 outlook.

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Keeping George Pickens (tag or otherwise) preserves the offense’s ceiling, but the defense was a weekly emergency. With low cap flexibility and missing mid-round picks, Dallas has to get creative—scheme, development, and hitting on value adds.

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Minnesota’s offseason is messy: cap pressure, GM uncertainty, and a QB room that can’t enter 2026 without competition. The talent is real, Flores’ defense helps, but the decisions are heavy and the margin for error is thin.

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If Penix returns right, the offense has a path. The defense was quietly strong, but the Pearce situation casts a major shadow, and the lack of cap/draft flexibility limits how much they can “fix” in one offseason. They feel better than their record—but still boxed in.

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This is a pivot point. If Tua’s exit is coming, Miami has to reshape the entire roster and cap plan around that reality, and moving Tyreek is part of the same conversation. Malik Willis as a bridge makes sense on paper, but the roster has to be rebuilt to match the vision.

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Tyler Shough gave the Saints something most teams spend years searching for: hope at QB. The question is direction—are they rebuilding or retooling? Decisions on veteran leaders will reveal how close they believe they are.

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The Hendrickson tag-and-trade talk screams “reset the pass rush,” but replacing elite pressure production is never simple. The defense needs upgrades across the board, not just one spot, because the offense can only carry you so far when tackling and coverage break down.

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This is the NFL in fast-forward: from 12-5 to 5-12 just like that. Washington has needs everywhere—pass rush, corners, OL, RB, WR—and older offensive pieces may not match the next build. They need a sharper team-building plan, not quick fixes.

Tennessee’s setup is loud: premium pick + huge cap space. The mission is simple—build a real environment for Cam Ward with protection and a true WR1-caliber threat. They can spend; now they have to spend well.

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John Harbaugh raises the floor instantly—culture, trenches, accountability. The Giants have pieces, but not enough line dominance yet. If they win the trenches, they can climb quicker than people think.

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If Kyler’s exit is imminent, Arizona’s offseason becomes a franchise fork in the road. They also have aging decisions (Conner) and a defense that needs more consistency. Even with assets, the NFC West makes “rebuild patiently” feel like a luxury.

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Klint Kubiak brings instant offensive credibility, and the idea is clear: build a run-first identity that makes life easier for whoever’s at QB next. But the roster still needs a lot of work—this is more “new direction” than “instant contender.”

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The Browns have real draft ammo, but the ceiling is capped until QB is solved. Monken has to inject stability and points without breaking what’s been working defensively. If they nail the draft again, they can move fast—but QB dictates everything.

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The Jets have resources (cap + picks), but also too many holes to patch with one offseason. The QB situation is still the anchor issue, and the roster feels less talented than it did a year ago. They can improve, but it’s a longer climb.