Sportsnaut
Now that the bulk of the NFL offseason is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take a new look at some NFL playoff predictions for 2025.
We have our typical Super Bowl favorites and long shots, but there are also a few surprises thrown in to impact a competitive playoff picture. Below, we dive into our early playoff predictions for the 2025-26 football season, going division by division, complete with our predicted Super Bowl outcome.
Who will be the Super Bowl 2025 winner? Check out Sportsnaut’s predictions, which are updated each week during the regular season.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings
The Kansas City Chiefs fell short of their aspirations to become the first team to threepeat as Super Bowl winners, but now that they’re not reigning champions, they’re no longer at the center of the spotlight. We fully expect Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to be at their best in 2025, likely going deep into the postseason again.
As great as the Chiefs have been, the Los Angeles Chargers took a sizable leap forward under Jim Harbaugh last year. Justin Herbert is one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the league, and as we saw in the Wild Card Round when he threw four interceptions, he still has more room for growth. Armed with more pieces on offense plus returning an elite defense, expect the Chargers to return to the playoffs too.
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Like the Chargers, the Denver Broncos are expected to return with one of the NFL’s best defenses. The offense should improve too as Bo Nix settles into his second season as the starter. Yet, there’s always the chance that the Broncos’ young QB experiences a bit of a sophomore slump while the rest of the division takes a step forward.
The Las Vegas Raiders finally have a franchise quarterback again and after overhauling the coaching staff and adding Ashton Jeanty, this team should be much-improved. Yet, there are still issues defensively, and aside from Brock Bowers, the Raiders still don’t have enough high quality pass-catchers.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft
With two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson leading the way, the Baltimore Ravens will return as top contenders. Their defense may even take a step forward as defensive coordinator Zach Orr heads into his second season as the play caller.
The jury is still out on whether the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense is improved. If not, we could see a similar story as last year. If Cincinnati’s defense is better, then Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins should have no trouble snatching a playoff spot in 2025.
We’re assuming Aaron Rodgers arrives as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting...
