NFL power rankings 2025: Offseason outlook for all 32 teams after Super Bowl LIX

The New Orleans Saints should be one of the worst NFL teams for the next two years. That’s if, after hiring Kellen Moore as head coach, this franchise finally takes its medicine after years of kicking salary-cap issues down the road. Father Time and some awful drafting by general manager Mickey Loomis led to the rapid deterioration of this roster, there are no quick fixes. We are pleading with the Saints, for the sake of Who Dat Nation having a team worth rooting for in the future, to take these next two seasons to just slowly turn over the roster. We’re just skeptical Loomis will do that, instead trying band-aid fixes and eventually leaving even bigger problems for his eventual replacement.

If you take the Tennessee Titans roster and draft capital, there’s an argument to be made for them to be a spot or two higher in our NFL power rankings. However, ownership once again decided to have a head coach and general manager who weren’t hired at the same time. It’s also not as if Brian Callahan demonstrated anything in his first season as a head coach to merit keeping his job while Ran Carthon was fired. At the very least, it would be unwise for Tennessee to throw a rookie quarterback into this situation, especially with the added weight of being the No. 1 overall pick. Tennessee should either trade down or draft Travis Hunter, then sign a veteran QB to start in 2025.

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Myles Garrett wants out but every signal from the Cleveland Browns suggests the thought of a trade won’t even be considered. So, that should set up a very ugly situation this summer when the team could have its first training camp in several years without Deshaun Watson lingering over the situation. We know many see the Browns as a potential rebound candidate in 2025, citing how well this team played two years ago with Joe Flacco under center. However, this offensive line has aged and the supporting cast isn’t even league-average. Good luck to whichever veteran quarterback (Kirk Cousins?) walks into this situation.

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It’s inexplicable how New York Giants owner John Mara could see his team ridiculed nationally, with Saquon Barkley almost carrying the rival Philadelphia Eagles, and keeping the GM who wanted Barkley out of the building. Now Schoen, who probably won’t last past 2026, gets to reach for a rookie quarterback atop the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the head coach who is 9-25 in the last two seasons, seemingly alienated previous assistant coaches, is facing some calls to give up play-calling. This is not a stable or functional duo at the top.

This is a shame because there’s a lot of young talent on the Giants roster – Malik Nabers, Tyrone Tracy Jr, Theo Johnson, Andrew Thomas, Tyler Nubin and Bobby Okereke – is an excellent foundation. We want to love the Giants’ future, that’s just difficult to do when there are issues at the four most important positions (owner, GM, HC and QB) in a franchise).

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The Las Vegas Raiders organization wasted the 2024 season on Antonio Pierce, a year that could’ve been used as part of a multi-season retooling. That’s not Pierce’s fault, the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of owner Mark Davis for listening to the Raiders locker room (Maxx Crosby). Now, Las Vegas at least has brought in Pete Carroll to bring NFL-caliber procedures to this team again.

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With that said, the Raiders probably won’t be good enough in time for Crosby to stick around as he’s already hinted at a trade demand twice. Quite frankly, it might be worth accelerating that timeline because neither Shedeur Sanders nor Russell Wilson will fix this offense. One thing Raider Nation can feel good about; general manager John Spytek is the right guy to start building this roster.

The New England Patriots future is bright. Drake Maye looked like a franchise-caliber quarterback in what might’ve been the worst ecosystem for success we’ve seen for a rookie in years. Now, the Patriots have an NFL-caliber coaching staff with more than $100 million in cap space. That means New England can devote significant resources to overhauling the offensive line, finding a No. 1 receiver opponents fear and using some of its premium draft picks to add depth at wideout.

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We would, however, encourage the Patriots to use that first-round pick on a defensive standout to give Mike Vrabel a unit with Christian Gonzalez, Keion White, Jabrill Peppers and one of Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter. Do that, this team will take off quickly.

The New York Jets didn’t deserve Aaron Glenn, but they got him. A strong comparison made to the hire is what DeMeco Ryans did for the Houston Texans. Glenn’s defensive mind speaks for itself and will immediately help turn the Jets’ defense around in 2025. Most importantly, the reason to be fairly confident he can succeed as a head coach, he might be one of the best leaders in the coaching world. That time spent with Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions can also help rebuild the Jets’ culture.

Unfortunately, Woody Johnson is still around and Glenn is also stuck between a rock and a hard place at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers proved late in 2024 that he can still be an above-average starter, but that ability is weighed down by everything else he brings. If New York moves on from him, which might be the best thing for the team culture, it’s QB purgatory for New York in 2025.

Everything changed for the Carolina Panthers in November 2024. Through his first six games, split in-between a benching, Bryce Young had a 60.16% completion rate, 3-6 TD-INT lien and 63.1 QB rating. He seemed destined to be one of the all-time draft busts, putting Carolina in a position of having a bottom-three roster with no stability at quarterback. The next 8 games turned everything around.

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In his final eight starts, Young recorded a 12-3 TD-INT ratio with 5 rushing touchdowns and had a 91.7 QB rating. More than just the numbers, he showed poise in the pocket, accuracy under pressure and he handled the blitz really well. It all just suddenly clicked. It’s too small of a sample size to say he can be a franchise-caliber player, but the turnaround means the Panthers offseason can be focused on improving the supporting cast. It also spoke volumes about head coach Dave Canales. There’s hope for Carolina, finally.

Through his first two NFL seasons, Anthony Richardson – 50.6% completion rate, 11-13 TD-INT, 67.8 QB rating – has been one of the worst quarterbacks in modern history. It’s also not as if his supporting cast is to blame. Shane Steichen is a quality play-caller, 2023 demonstrated that, and the offensive weaponry of Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs is better than several other young quarterbacks have right now.

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Indianapolis needs a viable starting-caliber quarterback behind Richardson in 2025, both due to his struggles and also his durability issues. A breakout year is certainly possible in his third year, especially with a healthy offseason, but the Colts’ coaching staff and front office needs an insurance plan with jobs at stake in 2025. Speaking of jobs, it’s unbelievable a GM with one playoff win since 2019 is still employed.

The process of cleaning house is the epitome of everything that’s wrong with the Jacksonville Jaguars organization, or to be more precise, ownership. The Khan family didn’t want to go through the hassle of a GM search and it nearly cost them dearly. Ultimately, the end result is all that matters.

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For all the knocks on how Liam Coen handled this process and his odd tendency of hopping from job to job, his work as an offensive architect speaks for itself. Coen helped transform the Buccaneers’ ground game, making the offense as a whole even better than it was with Dave Canales. Coen can get more out of Trevor Lawrence and this new-look offense will also help Brian Thomas Jr, Evan Engram and Travis Etienne/Tank Bigsby. Plus, Jacksonville is in a winnable division and a few additions to the defense could give the Jaguars a shot at the AFC South crown in 2025.

It’s going to be a make-or-break year for Kyler Murray. The Arizona Cardinals’ offensive line is far from perfect, but it’s good enough to sustain a functional passing game. Arizona also provided Murray with an outstanding running back in James Conner, an All-Pro-caliber tight end in Trey McBride and we still believe Marvin Harrison Jr. can become a No. 1 receiver.

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Murray is the question mark. From Weeks 9-17, he only had an 85.3 QB rating with a 6-8 TD-INT ratio and he averaged just 25.8 rushing yards per game. If Murray can even become a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback again, the Cardinals are an NFC West threat. Otherwise, a very difficult conversation will need to be had in Arizona’s front office a year from now.

Even if Tua Tagovailoa is healthy in 2025, it’s difficult to trust the Miami Dolphins as a bonafide contender with upside. Entering 2025, Miami have a 1-11 record in their last 12 games against teams with a winning record. Whether it’s Tagovailoa, the offensive line, or Mike McDaniel’s system, Miami consistently falls well short against quality competition. On the bright side, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is sticking around after he did great work on that side of the ball despite season-ending injuries at edge rusher.

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The Chicago Bears hire the proverbial golden boy of coaching candidates this winter, landing former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Making the hire even better, Johnson landed Dennis Allen as the Bears defensive coordinator. Coaching continuity is a critical component of sustained success (see the Kansas City Chiefs) and the Bears might have that if Johnson proves to be a good head coach. Of course, there’s still plenty of work to be done.

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The Bears offensive line still needs to be overhauled, largely the interior, and Allen is going to need more pass rushers with Montez Sweat (5.5 sacks in 16 games) coming off a quiet season. What matters is that Chicago might finally have the coaching staff and franchise QB in place for long-term success.

At the very least, the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff outside of first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer offers some reason for optimism. It’s also important to remember that the Cowboys roster still boasts plenty of elite talent at the top, with an All-Pro quarterback and receiver tandem along with arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL. At a minimum, if everyone stays healthy, a winning record is possible. With that said, there’s also very little ceiling with this team. Holes on the offensive line and in the middle of the defense are major concerns. Given Jerry Jones’ preference for spending as little money as possible to improve the team, expectations shouldn’t be high.

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The 2025 NFL season is certainly much sooner than anyone expected Michael Penix Jr to become the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback, but that’s the situation. Fortunately, Penix Jr. looked good in a three-game test run as the starter and he’s got a great supporting cast to work with offensively. If Atlanta wants to win the NFC South, though, significant resources must be invested into the defense this offseason. Otherwise, the absolute best-case scenario is a one-and-done playoff team that everyone knows will be knocked out in the Wild Card Round regardless of the matchup.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are sticking by Mike Tomlin, which makes sense if the organization’s goal is to be a good but not great team every year. Tomlin isn’t the Steelers’ biggest problem by any means, but he reflects a franchise that has been unwilling to make big moves and is just fine with complacency. Whether it’s Russell Willson or Justin Fields operating as the Steelers starting quarterback in 2025, the ceiling is a league-average offense that will be depending on a very good but not elite defense to keep games close. At some point, a reset is needed, but the Steelers aren’t willing to entertain that thought right now and it’s to their long-term detriment.

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As long as Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Chase Brown are healthy, the Cincinnati Bengals offense should be excellent in 2025. The question becomes whether they pay Tee Higgins $30-plus million per season or use that money to make desperately needed investments on defense. Re-signing Higgins feels likelier than ever, putting pressure on the Bengals front office to start hitting more consistently on top draft picks. At the very least, the new defensive system should yield slight improvements and that is enough for Burrow to put the Bengals in the playoff hunt with a winning record.

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Fans are rightfully excited about the reunion with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and the return of a healthy San Francisco 49ers roster this summer. However, the offensive line has multiple holes that must be addressed and the NFC West is getting stronger. San Francisco shouldn’t be as snake-bitten injury-wise next season, but the talent and depth on this roster isn’t close to what this team had during its Super Bowl window. For now, the 49ers don’t look like a top-five NFC team.

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It’s another year with a new offensive coordinator for Baker Mayfield. The source of hope is that first-year play-caller Josh Gizzard was the architect of the best third-down offense in the NFL last season. However, hitting on three consecutive OC hires is pretty rare. Thankfully, Tampa Bay already has the QB, offensive line and run game in place to at least sustain an above-average offense in 2025. If the Buccaneers’ defense improves – with additions at edge rusher and cornerback – Tampa Bay is the team to beat in the NFC South next season.

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The Denver Broncos and Sean Payton blew past everyone’s expectations in 2025. What makes this situation even better for long-term success is the Broncos offensive line and defense, giving Nix the essential elements for a young QB to thrive. Denver also ate a majority of the Russell Wilson cap hit last year, creating plenty of financial flexibility to improve the run game and receiving corps this offseason. While second-year regression is certainly on the table for Denver, we think a more realistic outcome is a well-coached team that can potentially reach the Divisional Round as long as the right offseason moves are made.

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This was just the beginning for the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz used the first season as an evaluation year, determining which players on the Chargers roster are building blocks and who needed to be replaced. This offseason is truly the start of the team-building process, with Harbaugh and Hortiz likely to emphasize the receiving corps and defense for improvement. Los Angeles already has the franchise QB, an offensive line it can feel great about and a top-10 coaching staff. Now, it’s time to put the supporting cast together for sustained success.

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As beloved as Cooper Kupp is in that Los Angeles Rams locker room, moving on from the injury-prone veteran wideout just makes sense. Los Angeles can use the cap savings to upgrade the defense, specifically a secondary that was carried by a standout defensive line this past season. The Rams have key difference-makers in place on both sides of the ball with system continuity, ensuring that there shouldn’t be a regression from either unit next season. As long as upgrades are made in the secondary and potentially at left tackle, there’s no reason to think that Los Angeles can’t be a threat to make a playoff run next season. However, now might also be a smart time to find Matt Stafford’s successor.

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The Green Bay Packers have the foundational pieces to be a perennial playoff contender. Quality coaching, a strong offensive line, a dominant run game and a top-12 defense. With the right moves in NFL free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft – finding a No. 1 receiver and No. 1 edge rusher – this can be one of the best teams in 2025. However, quarterback Jordan Love really showed no significant signs of improvement in his second full year as the starter and Green Bay could be passive in the offseason once again. This is a very good team, but Love puts a ceiling on the Packers right now.

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In his first year as head coach, Mike Macdonald led a defensive turnaround even faster than expected. A big part of that was Seattle finding a short-term solution (Ernest Jones) at off-ball linebacker and they’ll likely find the long-term fix this offseason. We also like the playmakers on the Seahawks offense – Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba – but this offensive line doesn’t allow Geno Smith to take advantage of this strong supporting cast.

For the Seahawks to take a step forward in 2025, becoming the clear-cut top team in the NFC West, the front office must adequately address the interior offensive line through the NFL Draft and free agency. Unfortunately, fans have been pleading for that to happen for years without much luck, so expectations will be tempered.

The final two games from Sam Darnold demonstrated two things for the Minnesota Vikings. First, this franchise should feel just fine moving forward with J.J. McCarthy. The organization is still as infatuated with his potential and fit in Kevin O’Connell’s system as they were before his injury. Second, Minnesota needs to upgrade its rushing attack which was still far too inconsistent down the stretch last season. The Vikings have a top-10 defense with an elite offensive supporting cast and a phenomenal coaching staff. All that’s left is improvements at quarterback and in the run game.

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C.J. Stroud demonstrated once again during the NFL playoffs that he’s a high-end starter who can be the face of this Houston Texans franchise. DeMeco Ryans also made the first big move of the offseason, replacing offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik with play-caller Nick Caley, which bodes well given the reports of issues between Stroud and Slowik.

We have a ton of confidence that Houston will field one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2025, especially with a healthy Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward. However, to become a Super Bowl contender, the Texans’ problems on the offensive line must be fixed and this franchise needs to find a No. 2 receiver who complements Nico Collins and diversifies this passing game for Stroud.

Jayden Daniels played like an NFL MVP who is capable of carrying his team on a deep playoff run. What’s truly remarkable about what he accomplished isn’t just the fact he was a rookie, it’s that he did it with arguably a below-average Washington Commanders roster. If he can accomplish all of this with what might be the worst supporting cast he’ll have for years to come, it’s not hard to think about what he can do next season.

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Washington has the cap space to not just improve its offensive line and find a No. 2 receiver, but it can also make significant additions defensively. What provides even more confidence in this franchise, general manager Adam Peters nailed his free-agency signings a year ago and head coach Dan Quinn made it all work. We could be just a year away from the Commanders becoming the NFC’s best team.

The 2023 Philadelphia Eagles (NFC Champions to 11-6) and 1995 San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl champions to Divisional Round exit) are examples of what can happen to a team that loses both coordinators. That has to be a major concern for the Detroit Lions. What lessens that worry is that this team was snake-bitten by injuries in 2024 and still finished 15-2. We do believe the departures of Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson will narrow the gap between the Lions and the rest of the NFC North. However, Dan Campbell still has more than enough talent and buy-in from the locker room for the Lions to remain Super Bowl contenders next season.

The Baltimore Ravens are standing in their own way of being the best team in the NFL. Time and time again in the playoffs, turnovers and drops have proved costly. Still, Lamar Jackson is coming off one of the best seasons in NFL history and this Ravens defense really turned things around down the stretch. Baltimore will likely dominate in the regular season in 2025, as it always does, but it’s reasonable at this point to be skeptical of this team making a Super Bowl run.

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After a retool of the Buffalo Bills roster, everyone would’ve understood if this team had a down year in 2024. Instead, Josh Allen rightfully won NFL MVP and paired with James Cook to nearly carry this team to the AFC Championship Game. This offseason, the Bills front office can now start improving the surrounding talent around Allen. However, until Buffalo proves it can exercise its demons in January, it doesn’t belong any higher in our NFL power rankings.

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The Kansas City Chiefs were embarrassed on Sunday. While this is still one of the best dynasties ever, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looked like they didn’t belong on the same field as the Philadelphia Eagles. Now is where things get interesting. Travis Kelce may retire and several of the top Chiefs free agents are guaranteed to leave in NFL free agency. Kansas City wanted to go all-in for a three-peat and then figure things out from there. Instead, the Chiefs imploded on the biggest stage and now the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens have a chance to close the gap in the AFC this offseason.

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The Philadelphia Eagles had the best roster in the NFL this season and they are the rightful Super Bowl champions. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio put on a clinic, Philadelphia dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball and all of that was reflected in a blowout Super Bowl victory. The best part, a majority of the Eagles roster returns in 2025 and you can bet general manager Howie Roseman will be aggressive going for the repeat. Plus, quarterback Jalen Hurts demonstrated once again that he plays at his best in the biggest playoff games.

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