There could be some new faces emerging as Super Bowl contenders in the 2025 NFL Season. Which teams could do this? Besides the known commodities in teams like the Eagles, 49ers, Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens, could other teams join them?
Getting into Super Bowl contention is just other-worldly-difficult for teams, as there are over 50 players on an active roster, and the more players, the more chances of things going wrong. Well, we're not going to talk about the known contenders at this point.
Instead, we'll outline three new teams who are ready to contend for the Super Bowl in 2025.
These teams are on the cusp of Super Bowl contention
Denver Broncos
Fielding the best defense on paper in the NFL, the Denver Broncos have everything it takes to emerge as a contender in 2025. Bo Nix proved a ton of people wrong in 2024 and was actually on a 45-touchdown pace over the final eight games in the regular season. If Nix takes that desired sophomore year leap and the defense remains elite, what would the Broncos be missing? Why couldn't they emerge as a contender? This is as logical a team as any to make that leap, but a regression could easily be argued as well.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans overhauled their offensive line this offseason in an effort to fix what was broken in the 2024 NFL Season, and Houston is honestly a lot like Denver - both teams are fielding top-tier defenses on paper and boast a strong pass rush, but the one unknown is how good the offense can be. For the Texans, their offensive line truly just has to be average, as they've got enough weapons around CJ Stroud to runaway with the AFC South title and contend in the AFC.
Minnesota Vikings
While I have been lower on the Minnesota Vikings this year because of the unknown with JJ McCarthy, on the other side of this coin is a de-facto rookie QB who does outperform expectations and keeps the Vikings atop the NFC. On paper, McCarthy might have the best overall situation of an QB in the NFL. The offensive line is strong, the backfield is strong; he's got the best wide receiver in the NFL on his side, and he's got a top-tier, QB-minded head coach in Kevin O'Connell.
While I truly do not believe we'll see McCarthy play like Bo Nix or Jayden Daniels did in 2024, there is absolutely a world where the young QB, still just 22 years old, grabs this team by the horns and doesn't look back.