From McCarthy to Nix, NFL’s next stars emerge in our 2025 Super Bowl forecast

Is this the year that Kevin O'Connell and J.J. McCarthy become the next great head coach and quarterback power couple? Record predictions for all 32 teams, plus the playoffs and individual awards.

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; A detail view as the Philadelphia Eagles lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The NFL season has finally arrived and I've looked into my crystal ball and seen the future. I can see five elite teams in the NFC and between three and five true contenders in the AFC.

When I envision confetti falling after the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, I don't see Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Jerry Jones, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen celebrating. Instead, I see new faces — likely faces of the NFL for years to come — standing tall above the rest. Here are my 2025-26 NFL predictions.

NFC standings

NFC East	NFC North	NFC South	NFC West
1. Eagles 14-3	1. Vikings 14-3	1. Buccaneers 11-6	1. Rams 13-4
2. Commanders 13-4	2. Lions 13-4	2. Panthers 5-12	2. Cardinals 9-8
3. Giants 8-9	3. Bears 8-9	3. Falcons 4-13	3. 49ers 7-10
4. Cowboys 8-9	4. Packers 4-13	4. Saints 1-16	4. Seahawks 6-11

NFC playoff seeds

1. Minnesota Vikings 14-3
2. Philadelphia Eagles 14-3
3. Los Angeles Rams 13-4
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-6
5. Washington Commanders 13-4
6. Detroit Lions 13-4
7. Arizona Cardinals 9-8

NFC Wild Card Weekend

• 7) Cardinals at 2) Eagles
• 6) Lions at 3) Rams
• 5) Commanders at 4) Buccaneers

The Eagles will blow by the Cardinals while the other two matchups provide some drama. We'll take the Lions to beat the Rams in a Goff vs. Stafford rematch, while the Commanders go into Tampa and bring Jayden Daniels within one game of the conference championship.

NFC Divisional Round and Championship

Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) before the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

• 6) Lions at 1) Vikings
• 5) Commanders at 2) Eagles

• 2) Eagles at 1) Vikings

The Vikings clip the Lions and the Eagles slow down the Commanders, setting the stage for a rematch of the 2017-18 conference championship between the Vikings and Eagles. This time, the game will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis — and Minnesota will exact revenge and head to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1977.

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AFC final standings

AFC East	AFC North	AFC South	AFC West
1. Bills 12-5	1. Ravens 14-3	1. Texans 13-4	1. Broncos 13-4
2. Dolphins 7-10	2. Bengals 13-4	2. Titans 9-8	2. Chiefs 10-7
3. Patriots 5-12	3. Steelers 10-7	3. Jaguars 6-11	3. Chargers 10-7
4. Jets 5-12	4. Browns 2-15	4. Colts 3-14	4. Raiders 2-15

AFC playoff seeds

1. Baltimore Ravens 14-3
2. Houston Texans 13-4
3. Denver Broncos 13-4
4. Buffalo Bills 12-5
5. Cincinnati Bengals 13-4
6. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-7
7. Kansas City Chiefs 10-7

AFC Wild Card Weekend

• 7) Chiefs at 2) Texans
• 6) Steelers at 3) Broncos
• 5) Bengals at 4) Bills

No one is predicting this, but I'm on board with C.J. Stroud, Bo Nix and Joe Burrow leading their teams out of the first round. That's a bit of a bold prediction since they would be sending Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen home, but that's what my crystal ball says.

AFC Divisional Round and Championship

Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) signals a first down against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

• 5) Bengals at 1) Ravens
• 3) Broncos at 2) Texans

• 3) Broncos at 1) Ravens

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are just too good to be one and done in the playoffs, and the long grind of a season will finally end for the Bengals. Meanwhile, the Broncos, led by rising star Bo Nix, leave Houston with a win and a spot in the AFC title game, where they shock the Ravens in Baltimore behind an explosive offense and stingy defense.

Super Bowl LX: Vikings vs. Broncos

Did Jamie Erdahl reveal this exact matchup in her Super Bowl prediction? She sure did, but I actually made the same prediction 24 hours earlier via our Bring Me The Sports YouTube channel. And I'm sticking with it as the Vikings play the Broncos in a game that was supposed to happen way back in 1999 until Gary Anderson missed his only field goal during Minnesota's 15-1 season and the Broncos wound up whipping the Falcons in the Super Bowl.

This time, the Vikings win the first Super Bowl in franchise history. While doing so, they exercise the 1998-99 demons, exact revenge against Bountygate coach Sean Payton, and take the first major step in Kevin O'Connell and J.J. McCarthy becoming the new head coach-quarterback power couple in the NFL.

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Individual awards

• MVP: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
• Coach of the Year: Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
• Comeback Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
• Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
• Defensive Player of the Year: Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings
• Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
• Defensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter, New York Giants