The 2025 NFL season is finally here! After covering the biggest stories of the offseason, spending a whole week looking back at the past 25 years and ranking the 60 people who will most influence Super Bowl LX, it’s time for our writers and editors to make our picks for the upcoming season.
Check below for The MMQB’s staff predictions for award winners and full playoff brackets, including Super Bowl champions and MVPs. Plus, each of our writers and editors give one bold prediction, covering everything from rookies, to trades to surprise playoff teams and the Super Bowl halftime show.
Albert Breer
Super Bowl: Bills 34, Rams 27; Josh Allen MVP
MVP: Joe Burrow
OPOY: Bijan Robinson
DPOY: Jared Verse
OROY: Ashton Jeanty
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Lane Johnson
Comeback: Aidan Hutchinson
Coach: Raheem Morris
Parity is overrated—I’m predicting a trend-breaker, in that there’s just one new team in each conference bracket. And to me, that would just be a further manifestation of the way the league’s been trending for quite some time.
Last year, in fact, six of eight division champions were repeat winners, and the two that weren’t (the Eagles and Rams) qualified for the 2023 playoffs as wild cards. The Chiefs have won nine consecutive AFC West titles. The Bills are at five straight in the AFC East. The Buccaneers have won the NFC South four years in a row. The Ravens have won the AFC North in four of seven years, and made the playoffs in six of those seasons.
And I think there’s a reason for that. The advantage of having a great quarterback has never been more pronounced—the rules favor the passing game, and are designed to keep the best guys at the position healthy and productive. So if you have a real one, like the Bills, Chiefs and Ravens do (and the Bengals, too), or you have a combination of high-level guys at the position, like Tampa has, you go into every season playing with a lead.
So I have 12 of 14 playoff teams returning, and in the Super Bowl, I have one team that’s been in the playoffs in seven of the past eight years and in two conference title games in that span (the Bills), and another (the Rams) that’s been to two Super Bowl in that timeframe.
With all that in mind, give me the Bills to win the whole thing. Again, they’ve been knocking on the door forever. When I was at their camp, things looked like they’ve really slowed down for Josh Allen, even more than before. So in Santa Clara, the Bills can exorcise the demons of the ’90s and the more recent past, and close venerable Highmark Stadium in style with Western New York’s first major-league sports championship.
Bold prediction: All six of the NFL’s second-year quarterbacks will play well. I know that sounds a little wild, and maybe it is—because generally you can count on half of a single draft class’s first-round quarterbacks turning into busts. But the 2024 group’s got a chance to be rare.
We already have a pretty good idea of what Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are. The Falcons are very confident in where they are with Michael Penix Jr. Drake Maye has an improved situation around him, for sure, with Mike Vrabel in charge in New England. Caleb Williams looked like he was coming on by the end of the preseason and—this is key—seems to have started playing faster within Ben Johnson’s offense (talent’s never been the issue). And in Minnesota, J.J. McCarthy has the best situation around him of any of these guys.
I’d say all six will be top-half-of-the-league quarterbacks this year, which is saying a lot.
Conor Orr
Super Bowl: Bills 35, Eagles 32; Josh Allen MVP
MVP: Joe Burrow
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: T.J. Watt
OROY: TreVeyon Henderson
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Jordan Mailata
Comeback: Christian McCaffrey
Coach: Shane Steichen
While I do not have the Colts in the playoffs, I am playing a bit of a hedge by offering Shane Steichen as a Coach of the Year candidate if he, indeed, gets Indianapolis to the postseason with Daniel Jones at quarterback. I feel like the rest of this layout is relentlessly chalky.
The only surprise may be that I am higher on the Buccaneers than others, though I see the Eagles ultimately as a team that is more experienced and would be able to grind out a close victory in the conference title game.
As always, the AFC will come down to some combination of the Bills, Ravens and Chiefs, with my nod going to Buffalo this year for no other reason than I would be highly entertained to see the Bills in the Super Bowl. Joe Burrow is an obvious MVP candidate because the Bengals have no running game or defense to speak of but can still make the playoffs, and Abdul Carter is my pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year, assuming we are able to look past a lack of sacks and toward some of his other major areas of strength, such as run defense. Christian McCaffrey, as just about the only healthy body on the 49ers’ roster, is a shoo-in for Comeback Player of the Year, so long as he finishes with close to 17 games and a representative McCaffrey season.
Bold prediction: If you would like 100 of them feel free to click here. One more, you ask? Well O.K. Bill Croskey-Merritt will gain more than 1,000 all-purpose yards for the Commanders in 2025. After clearing out the rest of the backfield, he will become the galvanizing force behind a Washington team that struggles but ultimately succeeds in the face of a brutal prime-time schedule.
Gilberto Manzano
Super Bowl: Lions 34, Ravens 31; Amon-Ra St. Brown MVP
MVP: Lamar Jackson
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Will Anderson Jr.
OROY: Tetairoa McMillan
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Joe Alt
Comeback: Aidan Hutchinson
Coach: Dan Campbell
The Lions aren’t getting as much attention as last year because they lost coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. But stressing over those departures takes away from what coach Dan Campbell and GM Brad Holmes have built the past four years. Detroit will be fine with its loaded roster that has plenty of ascending talent under 25. The Eagles also took a hit with several starters leaving in free agency, but once again GM Howie Roseman planned ahead by prioritizing the defense in the past few drafts. Don’t be surprised if Philly’s young defense, not the offense, carries this team through another lengthy playoff run.
I didn’t like that I had nearly the same divisional round teams from last year. I’m all about surprises and upsets, but I just couldn’t get behind a divisional round appearance for Arizona and Carolina. Having the Cardinals, not the Rams, win the NFC West was bold enough. As for the Panthers, I had them as my NFC South champions in May after the schedule was released, but there’s too much to like about the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield’s offense is stacked with weapons and the defense reloaded in the offseason. Go ahead and call me a coward for downgrading the Panthers a bit, but I did have two NFC South teams in the playoffs and only one from the NFC North.
Over in the AFC, I’m going with the usual suspects for my division winners. It wasn’t easy finding a surprise team with all the QB star power in this conference. Sorry, Joe Burrow. The Bengals failed you in the offseason by ignoring the defensive issues. I went with the Patriots over the Bengals and Steelers for my final spot in the AFC. I’d rather predict a potential breakout year from Drake Maye than from Aaron Rodgers joining a new team in his 40s.
There’s been plenty of chatter about whether the Broncos’ Super Bowl hype is real. I don’t think they’ll get that far, but that defense should be the best in the league. They’ll make noise in the conference, even if Bo Nix doesn’t become a superstar as Sean Payton predicted. Still, the AFC will come down to the big three of the Bills, Ravens and Chiefs. Josh Allen will get his revenge against Kansas City, but it will be Lamar Jackson who makes his first Super Bowl appearance.
Bold prediction: The Dolphins will trade Tyreek Hill well before the league’s trade deadline in November. It’s starting to become obvious that his teammates are tired of his antics. I can’t recall a player saying publicly that a current teammate shouldn’t get the ball on third down, which Hill did when he mentioned that De’Von Achane isn’t a good option for short-yardage situations. If this trade occurs, the Dolphins will be better off, delivering four consecutive wins late in the season to push for a wild-card spot. As for another bold take, Tua Tagovailoa will play all 17 games and not shed a tear when Hill is gone.
Matt Verderame
Super Bowl: Chiefs 30, Rams 20; Patrick Mahomes MVP
MVP: Jayden Daniels
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Jalen Carter
OROY: Ashton Jeanty
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Lane Johnson
Comeback: Aidan Hutchinson
Coach: Mike Vrabel
Why would I pick against the Chiefs? Kansas City has been to the Super Bowl five of the past six years, won three championships and projects to be even better this year with the addition of first-round left tackle Josh Simmons and the return of star receiver Rashee Rice from a knee injury (though he will miss six games due to a suspension).
While the Chiefs have legitimate company in the AFC with the Ravens and Bills, we’ve seen the story time and again. Baltimore needs to prove it won’t forget how to play football come January, while Buffalo has to finally beat Kansas City in the playoffs. So far, the Bills are 0–4 in the Josh Allen era against Patrick Mahomes in those spots, including a 2023 divisional round loss at home.
In the NFC, much of what happens could rest on whether the 37-year-old back of Matthew Stafford holds up in Los Angeles. It’s a risky bet taking the Rams considering Stafford hasn’t practiced this summer while undergoing injections, but if Stafford can remain upright, Sean McVay’s group is loaded with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams on the perimeter.
Of course, the defending-champion Eagles will have plenty to say after authoring one of the most dominant Super Bowl runs we’ve seen. The questions, though, are whether Saquon Barkley can do anything like what we saw in 2024 with his 2,005 rushing yards, and if the defense takes a sizable step back after losing starters such as Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, among others. In the case of Barkley, nobody has ever rushed for even 1,500 yards after going for 2,000 the year prior.
As for MVP, give me Jayden Daniels. He was special as a rookie, carrying the Commanders to the NFC title game by amassing 4,459 total yards and 31 total touchdowns. Looking at Washington’s roster, he’ll have to be phenomenal again if it’s going to be a real threat in the NFC, as the offense still lacks true firepower beyond receiver Terry McLaurin.
Bold prediction: The Patriots will make the playoffs. New England did more to rebuild than any other team this offseason, adding a quality coaching staff with Mike Vrabel taking over, and Josh McDaniels running the offense once again in Foxborough. The roster also got a serious infusion of talent with the signings of defensive tackle Milton Williams, corner Carlton Davis III, receiver Stefon Diggs and right tackle Morgan Moses.
In the draft, general manager Eliot Wolf did a tremendous job, perhaps landing four immediate offensive starters with his first four picks. OT Will Campbell should lock down the left side while former Georgia center Jared Wilson should find himself starting at left guard. Factor in receiver Kyle Williams and running back TreVeyon Henderson, and this is a new offense around a talented second-year quarterback in Drake Maye.
Don’t be surprised if New England ends up earning a wild-card berth in the crowded AFC playoff picture.
Greg Bishop
Super Bowl: Ravens 31, Vikings 27; Lamar Jackson MVP
MVP: Lamar Jackson
OPOY: Justin Jefferson
DPOY: Myles Garrett
OROY: Tetairoa McMillan
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: J.J. McCarthy
Coach: John Harbaugh
The NFC, in particular, is fascinating this year. In the AFC, there are the established contenders (Kansas City, albeit after a Super Bowl lashing, Buffalo and Baltimore), a few teams I see as a year at least from truly contending for a championship and what appears to be a lot of steaming, hot garbage football ahead. The Texans, Bengals and Broncos land in the second tier of the NFL’s best teams for me, while much of the rest of that conference falls toward the bottom. Here’s an exercise: Put the usual suspects at the top. Then put the bulk of the AFC near the end. The NFC starts after the powerhouse trio and makes up most of the back-end of the top tier and most of the middle tiers, period. Within that, there are incredibly strong and well-balanced divisions with clear favorites, multiple—looking at you, NFC East, NFC North, NFC West. This made it difficult to sort the NFC, because who wins the East and the North in particular will dictate what happens with the playoff bracket.
I like the Vikings. Kevin O’Connell is one of football’s brightest offensive minds. Minnesota’s roster is deep, balanced and absent an obvious concern—outside of the most obvious one. The bet here is that O’Connell will shape J.J. McCarthy’s debut do-over and Justin Jefferson will seize the NFL’s top wideout slot en route to a season few see coming. The Chiefs, because of their makeup, will upend the typical Super Bowl hangover. But the decimation that was in New Orleans—along with so many recent seasons with extra games, injuries, travel, etc.—will finally dent K.C. before another Super Bowl. The Chiefs will still extend the Bills’ misery against them in the playoffs, only to run into Lamar Jackson and another Ravens team primed to win a Super Bowl. This time, that’ll happen. The bet here isn’t too reliant on who Baltimore added or retained this offseason, although Derrick Henry and Ronnie Stanley extensions don’t hurt, nor does rookie edge rusher Mike Green. No, this is about a franchise that built around its quarterback, that advanced in postseasons and still failed, that kept getting up and reconfiguring around No. 8, and that, ultimately, will find the ultimate payoff in 2025.
Michael Rosenberg
Super Bowl: Ravens 28, Lions 27; Derrick Henry MVP
MVP: Josh Allen
OPOY: Penei Sewell
DPOY: Myles Garrett
OROY: Ashton Jeanty
DROY: Jalon Walker
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: J.J. McCarthy
Coach: Dave Canales
Fun fact: In each of their two championship seasons, the Ravens won one home playoff game. Now I have them winning none. I did not make this prediction because history repeats itself, but because once I unilaterally decided the Ravens would not win their division, I realized they might be better off not winning it. A shift from playoff favorite to underdog full of pluck would probably be good for them.
The Lions will enter the playoffs as a lower seed than last year, when they were No. 1 in the NFC, but with a better chance to win the Super Bowl. They have to be healthier than they were last January, when they tried to stop Washington with nine defensive backs and a pair of canoe paddles.
Nobody has repeated as NFC East champions since, I believe, 1927, when the division did not exist yet and NFL Films awarded the title retroactively to the Cowboys, who also did not exist yet. This is the year, people. The Eagles are head, shoulders and half a pectoral muscle above the Giants and Cowboys, and the Commanders will be a bit distracted by trying to design their new stadium in such a way that from the sky, it looks like Jayden Daniels.
Timing is everything in life and, like most things, even more important in the NFL, where success is sometimes determined by the schedule. The Broncos have a sneaky tough one. They play road games at Philly (on short rest!), Washington, and Houston in addition to their division slate. They have a quick turnaround before playing at Kansas City on Christmas, while the Chiefs have an off week before visiting Denver. Even when the Broncos get extra rest, so does their opponent: The Commanders are off the week before they host the Broncos. Denver has only seven road games because it plays the Jets in London, but that game is a week after the Broncos visit Philly. Still, it will mark the end of a stretch when they play five games in five weeks in five different time zones. If Bo Nix falls asleep on the Tube on his way to the Jets game, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Bold Prediction: I picked the Panthers to make the playoffs, the Chiefs not to win their division and a lineman to win Offensive Player of the Year. Are those not bold enough for you? O.K., fine: I predict that by midseason, we will be talking about the NFC possibly being the better conference. The AFC was much better a year ago and looks much better today. But life moves fast in the NFL. The 49ers will be healthier and better. The Cowboys get their quarterback back. The Lions looked like the best team in the NFL before injuries decimated their defense. The Bears hired the best possible coach (Ben Johnson) for Caleb Williams, and so now, the Bears, Vikings, Commanders, Panthers and Falcons could all potentially have good quarterbacks on rookie deals. I even think the Giants will improve from awful to … um, a bit better than awful. Plus, let’s face it: We get bored and change narratives to entertain ourselves. Let’s change this one.
Andrew Brandt
Super Bowl: Eagles 31 Ravens 17; Jalen Hurts MVP
MVP: Jordan Love
OPOY: Saquon Barkley
DPOY: Jared Verse
OROY: Ashton Jeanty
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Lane Johnson
Comeback: Aidan Hutchinson
Coach: Matt LaFleur
The last I left you on the prediction front was calling a Super Bowl rout, with the Eagles manhandling the Chiefs in drubbing. That one turned out to be O.K., and I haven’t left the Eagles’ bandwagon since. I thought then and think now that they are a juggernaut, superior to every team in the NFL in personnel and better than many teams at every single position on the field.
Speaking of things remaining the same, I think the NFC North will continue to be the best division in football, with three playoff teams and the Bears not being the usual doormat that they have been (although still finishing last). No surprise here: I like the Packers to emerge, and the Lions and Vikings to regress some from last year, although not a lot.
Speaking of regressing, I think the Chiefs are more than due. They won a lot of games last year that they should not have won, whether through Mahomes’s magic or some other fluke late in games. That will not happen this year. Of course, they will be a playoff team, but not a top playoff team. It is time for the Bills or the Ravens and, in flipping a coin, I went with the Ravens as the team that will be the next Super Bowl runner-up to the Eagles.
Bold prediction: My bold prediction is that the NFL’s two West divisions will be won by the Broncos and Cardinals. Not the Chiefs in the AFC, not the 49ers or Rams in the NFC.
The Broncos had a top-tier defense last year and added good players imported from the 49ers in Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga. Bo Nix seems like a perfect, low-risk quarterback and has improvements at tight end (Evan Engram) and running back (RJ Harvey, J.K. Dobbins). They will unseat the Chiefs.
The Cardinals, to me, have been a contender waiting to break out. I like the coach (Jonathan Gannon) and I like the early schedule: Saints, Panthers, 49ers, Seahawks, Titans, Colts. They could be 6–0 facing the Packers, and on their way to the playoffs after that.
The Wests will be won differently in 2025.
John Pluym
Super Bowl: Bills 28, Eagles 24; Josh Allen MVP
MVP: Josh Allen
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Myles Garrett
OROY: Ashton Jeanty
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Trent Williams
Comeback: Aidan Hutchinson
Coach: Liam Coen
I watched the Jim Kelly–Marv Levy Bills lose four consecutive Super Bowls. I even bet a significant amount of money on the Bills to beat the Cowboys in their first matchup in Pasadena. I won’t be betting on the Bills this time (I’m not much of a gambler unless it’s pull tabs), but they’re the best team in the league this year. Sorry, Chiefs fans. Patrick Mahomes is awesome, but the Super Bowl will finally elude the Chiefs after this season. As for Buffalo, everything is in place for this team to finally get it done and win the big one in Santa Clara. I have Josh Allen winning his second consecutive MVP, and James Cook will have an even bigger year than last. Yes, beating the Ravens and a hungry Lamar Jackson will be a massive challenge for Buffalo. But Jackson & Co. will have to wait another season for their Lombardi opportunity. My biggest surprise in the AFC is the Jaguars winning the South. Trevor Lawrence is going to have a big year under new coach Liam Coen.
In the NFC, it’s all about the defending Super Bowl champions. Nick Sirianni and his crew will want to put to rest any thoughts that the Commanders are the rising team in the conference under Jayden Daniels. I’m expecting Jalen Hurts to have a big year and become a more complete passer. The Eagles will earn their trip to the championship game by taking down Kevin O’Connell and J.J. McCarthy in the championship game. Minnesota will become more of a running team this season, but won’t have enough firepower to dethrone the Eagles. And after an injury-riddled 2024 season, the 49ers are back and will take down the Rams in the West. We’re going to see a heavy dose of Jimmy Garoppolo if Matthew Stafford’s back doesn’t heal quickly.
Bold prediction: They finished 4–13 last year. Their quarterback was injured during the season. Their head coach was fired after it. Despite all the adversity the Jaguars faced in 2024, I like them to win the AFC South over the Texans. Jacksonville lost 10 one-score games in 2024. The Jags were competitive throughout the season. Now with Coen taking over for Doug Pederson, I expect Trevor Lawrence to finally live up to his $50 million per year contract. I also expect Travis Hunter to have a massive impact on offense and defense. I’m putting a lot of eggs in the Coen basket. He fixed Baker Mayfield in Tampa, and I expect him to do the same with Lawrence and win the AFC South.
Mitch Goldich
Super Bowl: Ravens 27, Lions 23; Lamar Jackson MVP
MVP: Joe Burrow
OPOY: Lamar Jackson
DPOY: Myles Garrett
OROY: Emeka Egbuka
DROY: Malaki Starks
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: Aidan Hutchinson
Coach: Mike Macdonald
For the third time in four years, I’m picking the Ravens to win the Super Bowl. You can’t stop me, and clearly I can’t stop myself.
My toxic trait is I’m going to keep picking the Lamar Jackson era Ravens to win the Super Bowl until they finally do it.
— Mitch Goldich 🐙 (@mitchgoldich) January 5, 2025
I just think they are so obviously talented on both sides of the ball. They have a smart and stable organization that I trust. I watch them and just have to believe they will get one eventually in the Lamar Jackson era. Nothing that happened last season gives me a reason to feel otherwise, in fact I feel even more bullish after seeing their first season with Derrick Henry. Sorry if that comes off as really simplistic, but we’ve been watching the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens for years and what’s left to say about them besides that it’ll come down to who wins a close game in January?
I typically hate picking Super Bowl teams (winners or losers) to get back to the game, so this year I don’t. Of course, the Chiefs have made that principle look silly the past two years. I have Baltimore getting out of the AFC the hard way, finally beating Kansas City in a home game and then going into Buffalo and shutting down Highmark Stadium in what will be remembered as the game of the year.
Over in the NFC, I think the Lions were the best team in the conference for most of last season, and I predict that the return of their laundry list of injured players will be more important than the departure of their two coordinators. Overall, my picks are pretty chalky for reasons Albert basically explained above, though I’m forecasting a surprising year in the NFC West.
Some award notes: Last season the league’s voters split the baby by giving Josh Allen the MVP and Lamar Jackson first-team All-Pro. This year, the voters will give Joe Burrow his first MVP and Jackson the OPOY. And I have the Seahawks winning the NFC West, in which case Mike Macdonald would win Coach of the Year, which never goes to the best coach but goes to a team that exceeds expectations.
Bold prediction: Emeka Egbuka will break the rookie receiving yards record, currently held by Puka Nacua, who had 1,486 yards in 2023 (which broke a record Bill Groman had somehow held for 63 years). Pencil in the rookie out of Ohio State for at least 1,487.
I think the No. 19 pick in the draft is a stud, and every report about him out of camp has confirmed it. I also think yards will be up for grabs in the Buccaneers’ offense. Baker Mayfield somehow ran up 4,500 yards last season, even though Mike Evans led the team with 1,004 yards and Cade Otton was second with 600 on the nose. Even without Liam Coen, this offense will be productive through the air. Chris Godwin is unlikely to play before October, which means Egbuka will get a chance to establish his role right away, and he’ll get to play opposite Evans and without a tight end who’s prolific in the passing game. He’ll get off to a hot start and there won’t be any looking back.
And if Egbuka is anywhere close to the record toward the end of the season, we know from watching the Bucs extend Evans’s 1,000-yard season streak that they’ll feed him to make history.
Clare Brennan
Super Bowl: Lions 27, Ravens 24; Jared Goff MVP
MVP: Lamar Jackson
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Aidan Hutchinson
OROY: Ashton Jeanty
DROY: Abdul Carter
Protector: Lane Johnson
Comeback: Christian McCaffrey
Coach: Mike Vrabel
Come February, Jared Goff will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Levi’s Stadium, just 70 miles from where he was raised in Novato, Calif., delivering Detroit its first Super Bowl. The setting is too poetic, and the storyline is too tantalizing not to go with the Lions to win it all in 2025. This year is win-or-bust for Dan Campbell’s team after being plagued by injuries and coming up short last season in the divisional round. Yes, Detroit lost both its coordinators (Ben Johnson to the Bears and Aaron Glenn to the Jets), and yes, the Lions have a tough schedule, but they have a stacked roster. Hutchinson is set to return after sustaining a season-ending injury last year, and his presence on the field can’t be understated, with the 25-year-old an early Defensive Player of the Year favorite. On the other side of the ball, Jahmyr Gibbs looks poised to build on a prolific season and likely will get a greater snap share, even with his backfield partner in crime, David Montgomery, back from injury. The chips may be stacked against the Lions, but they have the talent (should their stars stay healthy) to lift them over the hump.
Over in the AFC, it’s shaping up to be the Ravens’ year. Baltimore used the offseason to fortify holes, including its special teams unit, signing Jake Hummel to a one-year deal in free agency. The Ravens’ ground game is nearly unstoppable with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry leading the charge, and there don’t really seem to be any glaring deficiencies across the roster. The question remains whether the Ravens can step up when it matters and deliver during the postseason. A narrow loss to the Bills in last year’s divisional round may be enough motivation for Baltimore not to leave anything on the table.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NFL Predictions: Super Bowl, Playoffs and Award Winners From MMQB Staff.
