Let's get negative for a second and highlight one worst-case scenario for each AFC team in the 2025 NFL Season. We can also be positive and talk about best-case scenarios, but that isn't what this exercise is for.
The worst-case scenario is probably something every single NFL fan has thought of with their favorite team, and we've identified the correct worst-case scenarios right here. The regular season kicks off in about three weeks, so we're getting closer.
Let's get into the worst-case scenario for every single AFC team in the 2025 NFL Season.
Worst-case scenarios for each AFC team in the 2025 NFL Season
Baltimore Ravens - Lamar Jackson endures an injury-riddled year and Ravens miss the postseason
Lamar Jackson loves using his legs, and that has sometimes come back to bite him, as he takes more hits than normal. Jackson enduring more injuries and the Ravens missing the playoffs is the team's worst-case scenario.
Cincinnati Bengals - No deal happens for Trey Hendrickson, holdout lasts into the regular season
No deal for Trey Hendrickson and no sight of him in the regular season is the worst-case scenario for the Bengals, and them missing the playoffs can be included in this as well.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Aaron Rodgers officially hits a wall and regresses big-time
Aaron Rodgers could be a ticking time bomb to be honest. What if the 2025 NFL Season is when things really fall off the rails?
Cleveland Browns - Both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel somehow don't see the field at all
It would be malpractice if neither rookie QB saw regular season action, but I would not put that past the Cleveland Browns this year.
Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward is more raw than origianlly thought
Cam Ward is a raw prospect and is going to take some time, but what if he takes more time than anticipated or is simply a bust?
Houston Texans - Offseason offensive line moves go south as Houston loses the division
The Houston Texans really overhauled their offensive line this offseason, but that doesn't guarantee success.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Liam Coen is all bark, no bite, as the Jaguars endure a Nathaniel Hackett-Broncos type of dysfunction
What if Liam Coen is cut from the same cloth as Nathaniel Hackett; a bad, jazzy, first-time head coach with absolutely no idea how to be one?
Indianapolis Colts - Both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones are not viable options as Colts crater
This is honestly pretty likely if you ask me...
Buffalo Bills - Buffalo overcompensates and gets in their own way, barely captures AFC East title and go one-and-done in the playoffs
Buffalo does get in their own way sometimes and simply lose games they shouldn't. With an easier schedule in 2025, that could very much happen in a disastrous season.
New York Jets - Justin Fields is unthinkably bad and Aaron Glenn can't find any rhythm in year one
Justin Fields isn't a starting-caliber QB in the NFL, and there is no guarantee that Aaron Glenn is head coach worthy, either. It could all come apart for the Jets in 2025.
Miami Dolphins - Miami wins eight or nine games and can't make up their minds
This would honestly be terrible for the franchise - the team isn't good enough to make the playoffs but not bad enough to be among the worst teams in the NFL and land a top-tier draft prospect in 2026.
New England Patriots - Drake Maye regresses with all the change as New England limps to a few wins
Drake Maye has seen a ton of change and newness around him. What if that overwhelms the young QB and he reverts back a season?
Denver Broncos - Bo Nix is maxed out as the team fails to make a leap forward
This might be the primary concern with Bo Nix. Some argued from the beginning that Nix was a finished product and had a lower ceiling in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs' margin for error evaporates as they win 10-ish games and lose the division
They won all of their one-score games in the 2024 NFL Season, and that surely won't happen again. What if things really go sideways and KC loses the division?
Los Angeles Chargers - Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers hit a ceiling, stay the same or regress, and don't move the needle in 2025
Jim Harbaugh knows how to coach, but does he know how to take this Los Angeles Chargers' team to the next level?
Las Vegas Raiders - Geno Smith and Pete Carroll can't establish much in the AFC as Las Vegas wins five games or fewer
I would personally predict this, as Geno Smith isn't a very good QB and far from being a top QB in the AFC. It could be another long season for the Raiders.