Last year's Super Bowl was not a game that many predicted, as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks had both missed the playoffs in the prior season, so both clubs kind of game out of nowhere. If nothing else, Seattle had actually won 10 games in 2024 and were the only double-digit win team that did not get into the postseason.
If the same thing happens in 2026, there will be two non-playoff teams from 2025 that represent each conference in the Super Bowl, but with the NFL, anything can happen, and it makes for an always-competitive product.
Now that we're about one month away from training camp, and OTAs and minicamp are in the books, let's roll out a fresh power rankings of the most likely Super Bowl matchups for the 2026 season.
Ranking the most likely Super Bowl matchups following minicamp
6. Baltimore Ravens vs. Los Angeles Rams
This could be a fun matchup. It's not a stretch to see the Los Angeles Rams making the Super Bowl this year, as they obviously made a ton of all-in moves this offseason, notably trading for Myles Garrett to beef up an already elite defensive line.
But that came after shoring up the cornerback room with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, two No. 1 cornerbacks. The Baltimore Ravens parted with former head coach John Harbaugh this offseason. Harbaugh had actually not won multiple games in a postseason since winning the Super Bowl back in 2012, so a head coaching change could be all this team needed, especially with how loaded the roster is.
5. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Detroit Lions
The Cincinnati Bengals did make it to the Super Bowl and came out of nowhere in the 2021 NFL Season, and I am getting 2021 vibes from this 2026 NFL Offseason that the Bengals have underwent. The defense got a total, much-needed makeover, including the key additions of Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook, an underrated safety.
Health will be a big thing for Joe Burrow, but with an improved defense, Burrow and the offense may not have to strain themselves as much as prior seasons. As for the Detroit Lions, this roster is elite, and we have seen this team in the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, notably earning the No. 1 playoff seed in 2024, the last time this team got into the postseason.
Quarterback Jared Goff has started a Super Bowl before, so the Lions making a Super Bowl push would not be an unlikely scenario. This potential matchup is No. 5 in our power rankings.
4. Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are our No. 5 Super Bowl matchup. Buffalo has won double-digit games and made the playoffs every year since 2019, advancing to the AFC Championship Game two times during that time period.
The 49ers were in the Super Bowl as recently as 2023, and also made it back in 2019. Both Buffalo and San Francisco are not strangers to the playoffs, but the big question mark here is if the Bills can finally get this massive thing lifted off their shoulders and make a Super Bowl run.
You would think being in the playoffs so often would eventually lead to a Super Bowl berth, right? They changed head coaches and promoted Joe Brady to that role, so, like Baltimore, perhaps it was a head coaching issue.
3. Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks
In what could be a rematch of Super Bowl 48, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are No. 3 in our power rankings. This likely would have been this year's Super Bowl had Bo Nix not broken his ankle in the Divisional Round, so while you may not think this would be a top potential matchup, it did nearly happen.
Denver has the best roster in the AFC, and if Seattle can prevent a Super Bowl hangover from happening, they could win the NFC for a second year in a row, but with how loaded the Rams are, it's going to be a brand-new challenge for the Seahawks to get over that hump in 2026.
2. Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams
Two teams already on this list, the Bills and Rams is a potential Super Bowl matchup that has been floating around for years now, as Buffalo and Los Angeles have been two of the more winningest teams in the league for a while.
The Rams getting to the big game seems much more likely that the Bills, but, again, perhaps all Buffalo needed to slay this dragon was to move on from Sean McDermott. This would likely come down to which quarterback is able to make more plays, as both teams are quarterback-driven right now.
1. Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Broncos and Rams feel like the most likely Super Bowl matchup for the 2026 season. Both teams were the title game losers in 2025, but as we saw last season, those games could have easily swayed in the other direction.
With the Rams adding Garrett, and the Broncos adding Jaylen Waddle, both players could end up being the necessary, missing pieces to each team getting over the hump and winning one more game. In a battle of the two most talented rosters in the NFL, Denver and Los Angeles top our Super Bowl power rankings.