Arrowhead Pride
Which teams will provide the greatest challenge to Kansas City’s pursuit of a fourth-straight AFC championship?
Now that the NFL’s teams have largely finished building their rosters for the coming season, let’s consider which AFC teams will be the biggest threats to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.
Fun fact: as of June 1, the Browns are going into 2026 with just 19 players under contract — while starting that offseason over the salary cap. Following their contract with quarterback Deshaun Watson, it will be years before they can again field a competitive team.
This is one of my boldest takes for 2025: the Dolphins will be terrible. The roster is a shell of what it was a few years ago. The offensive line is still non-functional. Tyreek Hill doesn’t have the same impact. The defense has lost pieces — and Jalen Ramsey is about to leave, too. Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are coming off major injuries. I think they’ll start the season slowly and never recover.
I’m pretty optimistic Cam Ward becomes a top-12 quarterback. The Titans added free agents to the offensive line and drafted a variety of weapons. Those moves will put Ward in a solid environment. But this kept them from investing in their defense, which will be too poor for them to compete.
I think the Jaguars’ offense will be really good — especially if rookie Travis Hunter plays wide receiver — but the defense is a total train wreck. There’s an argument that it will be the NFL’s worst defensive unit.
After the Aaron Rodgers era, I believe the Jets have done a good job of clearing the building. I love their pick of the Armand Membou. New York will be an elite rushing team — and I expect the defense to play better, too — but the passing game will be too limited to win consistently. Still, the team has made the right moves for a new coaching staff.
New England had a great draft, but I’m skeptical about the rest of its offseason; aside from Milton Williams, I’m not impressed with most of the team’s signings. I’m not sold on head coach Mike Vrabel, either — and I don’t love the team’s hiring of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator. Vrabel will give them a better floor, but it’s still a young team with a long way to go.
For the most part, the Indianapolis roster is good — but I think the quarterback situation puts a big damper on the situation. Neither Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson will be able to make a playoff push. While I really like the Colts’ collection of weapons, it won’t matter without competent quarterback play.
The Raiders are a weird team. I think the combination of Geno Smith, Ashton Jeanty...
