The Buccaneers went from out of the NFL Playoffs to winning the Super Bowl, so which NFL teams could make a big leap to challenge for a title next season?
With the Super Bowl now behind us, we’re now in the frame of mind to start looking ahead to next season, the 2021 NFL campaign that will lead to the 2022 Super Bowl. But it’s worth looking at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their path from outside the playoffs one season to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Of course, the franchise was able to sign Tom Brady, which made all the difference in the world. But if you remove the aura of a now-seven-time Super Bowl champion, what the Bucs were able to do was get a player under center who allowed a well-constructed roster to fully reach their potential.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five NFL teams who come into the 2021 offseason with the opportunity to make a big leap and viably compete for a Super Bowl next February. To be clear, these aren’t any of the favorites such as the Chiefs, Bills, Packers or Rams, among others, but are teams who will need to make a big leap from where they were this past season and are capable of doing so.
Super Bowl 2022 dark-horse NFL contender No. 5: San Francisco 49ers
After representing the NFC in Super Bowl LIV, many had the San Francisco 49ers pegged as one of the favorites to return. Instead, they fought an onslaught of injuries on both sides of the ball, most notably to the likes of Nick Bosa and Jimmy Garoppolo, and ended up with a sub-.500 record. Not exactly the year fans were hoping for.
Based solely on probability, though, the 49ers should be in line for a tremendous uptick in the 2021 regular season. Having Bosa and Dee Ford return to the mix for the 49ers will be massively important, especially with former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh now in New York. But they also have a top-15 draft pick at their disposal.
What truly makes the 49ers a fascinating case, though, is the potential they currently have to upgrade the offense, specifically at quarterback. They’re a team that has been consistently connected to Deshaun Watson. But even if they don’t trade with the Texans, they could still move up in the draft for a top-tier prospect.
We’ve seen that this team at full strength is close enough to winning a championship. The looming possible upgrade at quarterback after an injury-plagued year could vault the 49ers into being a viable favorite.