17. San Francisco 49ers
With the easiest schedule in the NFL this year, it's hard to imagine the San Francisco 49ers again only winning six games. While they do not feel like a contender at this point, a modest 10 or 11-win season and a playoff appearance could do wonders for this franchise. Brock Purdy got his contract extension and other players like Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle should return fully healthy.
16. Cincinnati Bengals
Now that Shemar Stewart is signed, the Cincinnati Bengals can surely get a deal done with Trey Hendrickson, right? Offense isn't the concern with this team, and as long as their defense isn't bottom-five this year, they should vault back into the playoffs. However, they haven't been to the postseason since 2022.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
Adding Aaron Rodgers, Darius Slay, and Jalen Ramsey would be awesome if it was 2020, but it feels like Pittsburgh is banking on a lot of unlikely things lining up for success in the 2025 NFL Season. They should still be able to eek out nine wins and continue their streak of non-losing seasons, but what is that going to do for them at this point?
Pittsburgh is likely to be in the same spot they were after the 2024 NFL Season, and until they invest in a legitimate quarterback and rebuild that way, they'll continue to be average and irrelevant.
14. Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota starting JJ McCarthy does push them down this list a bit, and it's really only because McCarthy is an unknown player until he proves himself worthy or not. If he is a franchise QB, Minnesota will shoot up our power rankings, but if not, they could tumble down ever farther. The Vikings are 14th in our latest power rankings as training camps roll on but can be very good in 2025.