When the NFL has 16 teams with 9 wins or better, some decent teams are bound to get left out of the playoffs. And a number of teams that ended up making the playoffs are ready to take the next step in 2025.
The AFC is a loaded conference, not just based on what we saw last year, but what we're projecting in 2025. The Kansas City Chiefs are almost being slept on with teams like Buffalo and Baltimore reloaded and ready for a run.
But it's not just teams like the Bills and Ravens that will be after the Chiefs' AFC crown in 2025. Which AFC teams are the biggest threats to the reigning division champions in each division?
NFL Predictions: Biggest threats to steal division titles in the AFC
1. Denver Broncos - AFC West
The Denver Broncos won 10 games last season, nine of them by nine or more points. It was an impressive year for Sean Payton's crew, especially considering the Broncos were dealing with $90 million in dead cap thanks to the Russell Wilson debacle.
The Broncos have reloaded this offseason and look like they will have an even better defense than the one that finished third in points allowed last season. This is a team expecting big things for the first time in really 10 years, when they won Super Bowl 50. The Broncos had the Chiefs on the ropes last year, and that loss should still be fueling them to this day. It was a picture of where they were as a team last year: Close, but not close enough.
2. Cincinnati Bengals - AFC North
I don't really believe anyone is a true threat to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, but it's going to take a team like the Bengals to score 35 points a game to even make them look over their shoulder.
And the Bengals can do that.
Joe Burrow is on another plane as a quarterback these days, and he got both of his superstar weapons back with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins getting big contracts. We also saw the Bengals retain Mike Gesicki and bring in Noah Fant to fortify the tight end position.
The defense will be a major question mark for this team, but if they can be even competent compared to last year, this team could contend for a division title in the North.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars - AFC South
There are a lot of nice pieces in place for Liam Coen in his first year as Jaguars head coach. The Jags are seemingly playing with house money this year as the new brain trust of Coen and GM James Gladstone take over the operation, and without the pressure on them, it feels like they could do a little something.
I'm not saying the Jaguars will catch the Houston Texans napping, but it's not impossible to think that this Jags team could upend the Texans this year if Houston sputters to just 10 wins.
The addition of Travis Hunter to pair with Brian Thomas Jr. at receiver is fascinating, and the Jags saw some nice progression from core defensive players on the roster last year. The cupboard wasn't bare, here.
4. Miami Dolphins - AFC East
I will do something I haven't really done all offseason. While the Patriots are everyone's pick to be a surprise team in the AFC East, the Dolphins might simultaneously be one of the most slept on teams in the AFC right now.
Yes, there are question marks -- and big ones, at that -- with the secondary. The cornerback position looks rough on paper. But let's not forget that this Dolphins offense is capable of getting on the board a ton, and they have so many different players on the roster that can carry the load on a week-to-week basis.
Tua Tagovailoa's availability is critical for this team, and it just doesn't feel like his availability is ever a certainty. Maybe that's the source of the widespread pessimism for this Dolphins' team, but if they get some good luck health-wise, they should be able to keep pace for at least half the year, if not more.