Arrowhead Pride
3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson may have overshadowed Mahomes at times last season, but he still reached the Super Bowl for the fifth time in seven seasons. And a porous offensive line and injury-riddled receiving unit may have cost Mahomes and the Chiefs the first three-peat in the modern era of pro football. But don’t be fooled: Mahomes remains the best player in the league. A load of motivation, an upgraded offensive line and a healthy wide receiver corps have him positioned to rebound in a mighty way. Is a third MVP crown and fourth Lombardi trophy in his immediate future?
Kansas City Chiefs
Over 11.5 (+110) | Under 11.5 (-130)
Dubin: Over 11.5. Kansas City has won 12-plus games in six of Patrick Mahomes‘ seven seasons as the starter. I continue to list the Over for the Chiefs as my favorite bet in this exercise, basically every year. It’s like they’re giving money away.
NFL team previews 2025: Predictions, rankings, depth charts | ESPN
Chances to make the playoffs: 74.8%
Chances to win division: 46.8%
Projected wins: 10.3
Strength of schedule: 11th hardest (tie)
2024 record: 15-2Biggest strength: The Chiefs have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, which is still the best coach-quarterback combination in the league. Mahomes was excellent in camp and has worked to improve his deep-ball passing. Reid and Mahomes are capable of adjusting during a game or the middle of the season to always give the Chiefs a chance to win. — Nate Taylor
Biggest concern: The Chiefs plan to protect the blind side of Mahomes with a rookie and a second-year player switching to a new position. Josh Simmons, the first-round pick, hasn’t played a game since October, when he sustained a season-ending torn patella in his last year at Ohio State. Kingsley Suamataia is the new left guard and has played one NFL game at the position. How Simmons and Suamataia perform this season will determine much of the Chiefs’ success on offense. — Taylor
QB stat to know: If Mahomes reaches the AFC Championship Game for an eighth consecutive season, he would match Tom Brady (2011-18) for the longest streak of conference championship starts since the 1970 merger. — ESPN Research
2025 NFL playoff predictions: Picks for 8 division winners, 6 wild cards | NFL.com
(20 votes: Abdoo, Baca, Band, Battista, Bhanpuri, Carr, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Florio, Gonzales, Gordon, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Koplowitz-Fleming, Kownack, Parr, Reuter, Rosenthal, Ross, Shook.)
Denver Broncos (+250) | 8 votes: Andrade, Bergman, Blair, Edholm, Filice, Okada, Patra, Rank.
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