We have said this for months now, but it is still true - there is a ton of parity in the NFL this year, and it's going to make for a very entertaining postseason here in a month and change. There are some shocking teams in the division lead, and those teams could end up winning their respective divisions.
Both conferences could have a handful of teams have a strong argument to make the Super Bowl this year, and it feels like as many as 10 different teams could win it all this year. One thing that is going to be true is that some teams that made the playoffs last year will miss them this year.
Let's talk about the three most notable teams very likely missing the playoffs this year.
These playoff teams from 2024 are set to miss the playoffs this year
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are now 6-7 on the season after a brutal primetime loss at home to the Houston Texans. Folks, the Chiefs are 6-7 for a reason - the roster isn't good, and the coaches clearly can't adjust.
The Chiefs need a bit of a reset, as this current era and dynasty is over. They have an uphill battle to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team, as they are now mathematically eliminated from the AFC West title. Kansas City also likely isn't capable of winning out if they needed to.
For the first time in over a decade, the Chiefs are likely missing the playoffs.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are broken, and even if they were to get into the playoffs, they would go one-and-done. Lamar Jackson looks flustered out there, and the roster needs a refresh. Still alive to win the AFC North and earn a top-four seed, the Ravens lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 and are bottoming out. This team started out 1-5 this year but did get back into the thick of things.
However, it's clear that the Ravens are far from a playoff team.
Minnesota Vikings
Winning 14 games last year, the Minnesota Vikings could win out this year and only hit nine wins. They would need to win out and get a ton of help to make the playoffs, but that simply is not going to happen, as this team dug itself too deep of a hole to dig out of, as the QB room has been a disaster, and it seems like the move to let Sam Darnold leave in free agency was the wrong one, and de-facto rookie QB JJ McCarthy has largely looked horrendous, so it's going to be a crucial offseason for Minnesota in 2026.