Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. In today's installment, he examines the cream of the crop in 2025 and beyond ...
After watching the Philadelphia Eagles take a confetti shower and puff cigars to celebrate their empathic Super Bowl LIX triumph, the football world is already focused on which teams have a chance to reach the winner's circle at the end of the 2025 campaign. Executives, scouts and coaches are working on their blueprints to prevail in Super Bowl LX next February in Santa Clara, California.
Although the start of the league year is a few weeks away, it is never too early to assess which franchises are poised to be serious contenders. With free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft providing the opportunity for roster refurbishment, here are the eight teams with the biggest Super Bowl windows right now.
The ultra-talented roster assembled by general manager Howie Roseman could keep the Eagles in title contention for the next half-decade. The aggressive talent evaluator has stockpiled blue-chippers at marquee positions while also providing the coaching staff with a collection of developmental prospects owning the potential to emerge as key contributors down the road.
Offensively, Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley will once again anchor an offense featuring an explosive trio of playmakers (A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert) in the passing game. The Eagles' dominant offensive line will continue to impose its will on overmatched opponents, as Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson spearhead a unit specializing in bullying defenders at the point of attack.
After earning his first Pro Bowl berth (as well as second-team All-Pro honors), Jalen Carter could make a real push for Defensive Player of the Year, with Nolan Smith and Jordan Davis supporting his efforts on the front line. With Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and C.J. Gardner-Johnson poised to play even better with more reps in Vic Fangio's system, it is hard to imagine the Eagles failing to seriously contend for another Lombardi Trophy with a loaded roster that is the undisputed gold standard of the league.
Despite the losses of a pair of exceptional play-callers (Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn), the Lions should be squarely in the Super Bowl mix on the strength of a roster loaded with blue-chip playmakers. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have assembled a gritty group of competitors with outstanding skills and big-play ability. From Jared Goff to a quintet of outstanding weapons (Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta) and an ensemble of bullies up front (headlined by Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow), the Lions are built to win utilizing force or finesse in 2025 and beyond.
While the loss of Johnson could take away some of the Lions' trademark pizzazz on offense, the re-emergence of a healthy and destructive defense under new coordinator Kelvin Sheppard could enable the team to roll through the NFC with a blue-collar approach that would serve it well in the postseason. If Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill return to form after recovering from season-ending injuries, Detroit should remain a formidable foe few teams want to face in a 60-minute affair that leaves opponents battered and bruised.
Do not let Kansas City's disappointing performance in Super Bowl LIX overshadow the team's dominance over the past six seasons. The Chiefs have appeared in five Super Bowls in that span, winning three Lombardi Trophies while transforming from a high-flying, aerial circus to a throwback squad that plays complementary football.
Given Kansas City's evolution and impressive résumé (nine straight AFC West titles, seven straight AFC Championship Game appearances), the Chiefs must be considered top-tier title contenders with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes back to avenge a humiliating defeat on football's biggest stage. Though the team must address the offensive line, upgrade the backfield and possibly replace Travis Kelce, No. 15's presence ensures the offense will find a way to score enough points to win with or without elite firepower.
Defensively, the Chiefs will return a pair of elite players (DT Chris Jones and CB Trent McDuffie) and a host of key contributors (including DE George Karlaftis and LBs Leo Chenal, and Drue Tranquill), but the team must make hard decisions on whether to bring back Nick Bolton and Justin Reid on hefty contracts. Whoever's on board, Kansas City's D will apply plenty of heat on the opposition, with blitzing guru Steve Spagnuolo at the controls.
While GM Brett Veach and Reid have navigated these roads before, the path to Super Bowl LX will be challenging with a retooled roster on the horizon.
Baltimore's talent ranks among the league's best, but John Harbaugh's squad continues to fall short of the Super Bowl. Still, the Ravens are set up to make another run at the title with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely under contract to anchor the league's most dynamic offensive attack. As a unit that can punish opponents with a ground-and-pound approach or a bombs-away attack, Todd Monken's offense is built to flourish in any kind of game. Though the Ravens must decide what to do with the left side of the line, with Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari a month from free agency, the offense should roll in 2025 with a group of blue-chip returnees intent on climbing to the top of the AFC.
On defense, the Ravens should take a leap forward in Zach Orr's second year as coordinator. With Kyle Hamilton entrenched as the designated playmaker and a host of blue-chippers by his side (SEE: Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Nnamdi Madubuike), the Ravens can overwhelm opponents with an assortment of overload blitzes featuring hard-charging defenders whipping blockers at the point of attack.
Though general manager Eric DeCosta might need to add some young talent to get over the hump, the Ravens' nucleus is good enough to challenge for the title.
The youngest team in the league is well-positioned to make an extended run as a title contender. The franchise's draft-and-develop strategy has resulted in a roster with blue-chip players in key positions. Moreover, the Packers hold their own in a fierce divisional arms race, with general managers and executives looking at the NFC North as the premier division in the league.
With Jordan Love on the verge of joining the league's elite, the Packers have a franchise quarterback with the talent and potential to transform the offense into a juggernaut. Flanked by an All-Pro-caliber running back in Josh Jacobs, a fleet of dynamic pass catchers and a stout offensive line, Love spearheads a unit that can compete with anybody in a shootout or grind-it-out affair. While a true WR1 would take the offense to another level, the playmaker-by-committee approach has worked pretty well for Matt LaFleur's squad.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has put the puzzle pieces together on a unit that featured seven former first-rounders (Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Quay Walker, Jaire Alexander, Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt and Eric Stokes) in the rotation in 2024. Though Alexander apparently could be on his way out of Green Bay and Stokes is an impeding free agent, the Packers' developmental plan enables them to move on with young players promoted into prominent roles when veterans depart.
As one of the league's banner teams when it comes to talent identification, acquisition and development, Green Bay is built to compete at a championship level for the next few seasons.
In Jim Harbaugh's debut campaign with the franchise, the Chargers won 11 games and earned a playoff berth. Over the next few seasons, the Bolts should take a quantum leap as the former NFL quarterback continues to put his stamp on the program. The Chargers' commitment to old-school football enabled them to win with limited star power in 2024. If they can boost the roster further, they should have even more success in 2025.
Adding a WR1/WR2 to complement Ladd McConkey should be a top priority for an offense that needs to upgrade the weapons around Justin Herbert. L.A. will also have to figure out how to replace J.K. Dobbins if the veteran running back lands elsewhere in free agency. Still, provided they can build up a more explosive aerial attack around a rugged rushing attack, the Chargers should have more answers to the aggressive tactics used to stymie their throwback offense.
Defensively, Pro Bowler Khalil Mack is headed for the market, while Joey Bosa, who has missed time in each of the past three seasons while averaging fewer than five sacks per season, is set to count for $36.5 million against the cap in 2025. The Chargers will have to weigh the futures of both pass rushers while adding the next collection of disruptors at the point of attack. In the back end, the team must revamp a unit that could lose Asante Samuel Jr., Elijah Molden and Kristian Fulton to free agency. If the Chargers can address those needs with more blue-chip talent, Harbaugh could help his team climb in the AFC West and emerge as a force to be reckoned with in the conference.
The presence of the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year gives the Commanders a puncher's chance against any opponent. Though Jayden Daniels' magical debut season and run to the NFC title game must be kept in perspective, the Washington star undeniably showed he is a playmaking wizard with the talent and tools to elevate the team around him.
With $75 million of projected salary-cap space at the Commanders' disposal, Daniels could enter 2025 with a more dynamic supporting cast. Washington can morph from a surprising upstart into an NFC heavyweight by adding speed and explosiveness on the perimeter and bringing in bullies at the point of attack.
The veteran-laden defense flourished in Dan Quinn's first season, but the unit needs reinforcements to upgrade the speed and athleticism along the front seven. Veterans -- and pending free agents -- Dante Fowler Jr. and Bobby Wagner were essential to the team's playoff run in 2024. Still, the Commanders could climb higher on the ladder of contention with an upgraded roster.
Despite C.J. Stroud's sophomore slump in 2024, the Texans remain in the mix as title contenders due to Stroud's talent and potential as a franchise quarterback. The 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year is a pinpoint passer with limitless range and outstanding anticipation. Nico Collins is coming off his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign and posted the sixth-best yards-per-catch mark (15.6) in the NFL over the past two seasons. He gives Stroud a catch-and-run specialist to target on the perimeter. Meanwhile, with Joe Mixon serving as a steady option in the backfield, the Texans have the firepower to hold their own in a shootout.
Impending personnel upgrades and a change at coordinator (Nick Caley replaced Bobby Slowik) could boost the offense's performance and production. As general manager Nick Caserio contemplates how to retool a leaky offensive line that kept Stroud on the run in the hopes of reigniting the attack, he must also determine whether Stefon Diggs -- headed for free agency after a torn ACL limited his debut season in Houston to eight games -- is a fit as a WR2/WR3. Tank Dell's status is an unknown following the devastating knee injury he suffered in December.
The defense is loaded with premier pass rushers (Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter), punishers (Azeez Al-Shaair, Christian Harris and Henry To'oTo'o) and playmakers (Derek Stingley Jr., Jalen Pitre and Kamari Lassiter), but Houston must still add talent behind the first team to compete with the AFC's powerful heavyweights. Knowing the Texans routinely attack the offseason with a detailed plan, they should be penciled in as contenders for the next few seasons.
