NEW ORLEANS – “You cannot be great without the greatness of others.” It’s a theme Eagles coach Nick Sirianni harped on constantly in the lead-up to Philadelphia’s dominant victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 – and what greatness these new champions have in spades. A stifling defense. A multi-faceted steamroller of an offense. Superstars, role players and rookies who played like veterans. And Sirianni and his staff were phenomenal.
These Eagles decisively separated themselves from the field in 2024 to land squarely atop the final power rankings of the season. But let’s go ahead and slot the other 31 clubs in what’s something of a postmortem, yet also a quasi-preview for the 2025 campaign (previous rank, before Week 18, in parentheses):
1. Philadelphia Eagles (5): Not only are they newly crowned champions, they ascended to the throne by throttling an organization that seemed on the cusp of becoming elite among other NFL dynasties. Instead, these Eagles have emerged as arguably one of the best single-season teams of the 21st century in light of their spectacular playoff run, which included an aggregate score of 95-45 in the NFC championship game and Super Bowl. Sirianni and QB Jalen Hurts, whose relationship was scrutinized before the season while both dealt with questions individually regarding their performances, are now certified champions who should move forward in tandem with much less noise on the periphery. Sure, Philly could lose key pieces in the offseason – OLB Josh Sweat, LB Zack Baun, DT Milton Williams and G Mekhi Becton all have expiring contracts – but no one’s done a better job of drafting and reloading in recent years than EVP/GM Howie Roseman, who should have enough cap flexibility to keep at least one of his pending free agents.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (2): Should they be derided as the least impressive 15-win team of all time? Or applauded for constantly landing in the win column despite their issues while becoming the first club to reach a Super Bowl after winning the two previous ones? We’re thinking more the latter despite their spectacular Super Sunday swan dive, the worst performance ever by a ruling dynasty. Moving forward? They still have Patrick Mahomes, which should be sufficient to win the AFC West in 2025. Beyond that, let’s see what HC Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach have up their sleeves given the apparent issues and limited cap flexibility they’re facing.
3. Buffalo Bills (1): QB Josh Allen got his MVP award, but the franchise couldn’t quite get over the Arrowhead hump as it continues to pursue its first Lombardi Trophy. The question now is whether the perennial AFC East champs can have a more productive offseason than last year’s, though the cap suggests that could again be a challenge.
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5. Washington Commanders (10): Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels guided them to their best season in more than three decades … and all signs indicate this team should only get better moving forward.
6. Detroit Lions (3): Their depleted defense combined with Daniels proved a disastrous playoff formula for a team that once seemed like it was finally poised to break its Super Bowl hex. Since the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed went down, Detroit has lost both of its coordinators to HC jobs and will have to endure, at minimum, something of an internal reset in 2025.
10. Los Angeles Rams (8): No team posed a bigger challenge to the Eagles this postseason – and in decidedly non-California conditions. But, since then, the Rams have signaled their intention to move on from WR Cooper Kupp while, in the meantime, QB Matthew Stafford’s future is also in some question. A year after losing DL Aaron Donald, could be another seismic offseason for a team that has otherwise beautifully stockpiled young talent.
13. Denver Broncos (15): The AFC’s final wild-card entry was surprisingly competitive in the regular season and unsurprisingly non-competitive in the playoffs. Regardless, quite a leap for a team that was essentially in salary cap jail after releasing QB Russell Wilson a year ago but won’t be in 2025.
14. Minnesota Vikings (4): They shockingly won 14 games with QB Sam Darnold, the most ever by a wild-card team. But significant uncertainty moving forward with Darnold, CB Byron Murphy Jr., RB Aaron Jones and S Camryn Bynum among the Vikes’ free agents, and unproven QB J.J. McCarthy, last year’s first-round pick, recovering from his knee injury in the bullpen.
15. Seattle Seahawks (14): Weird that a team that allegedly wants to run the ball and control the clock had to fire an offensive coordinator who likes to spread things out. Little doubt that the Seahawks overachieved in 2024, so let’s see how they do in 2025 if they’re more philosophically aligned with HC Mike Macdonald.
17. San Francisco 49ers (20): They have a history of quick rebounds following disappointing seasons under HC Kyle Shanahan. Having a healthy Christian McCaffrey in 2025 would solve a lot, but the Niners may be forced to shed more than WR Deebo Samuel in order to accommodate QB Brock Purdy’s long-awaited contract extension.
18. New England Patriots (25): They signed a premium head coach by bringing Mike Vrabel back to the family. With the most cap space in the league – nearly $120 million, per Over The Cap – they’ll have the ability to sign premium free agents. With the fourth pick of the draft, they can target a premium player without having to fret about the quarterback position. Plenty to suggest this team gets right at last for the first time post-Brady.
20. Dallas Cowboys (21): Will rookie HC Brian Schottenheimer balance this offense? Can he overcome his family’s legacy of postseason infamy? Who’s left to spend on assuming LB Micah Parsons finally lands his extension? QB Dak Prescott said this week, ‘It’s our turn.’ But to do what?
21. Chicago Bears (23): They’ve got the hotshot quarterback and have now signed the hotshot coach with the exotic offensive playbook that was clearly missing here last season. Might be a bit much to expect an immediate turnaround as QB Caleb Williams and HC Ben Johnson get acquainted – especially as Johnson learns all the other aspects of his new job and in the league’s toughest division – but it seems like basically all the key components are in place.
27. New York Jets (27): Hello, Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey. Goodbye, Aaron Rodgers and (almost certainly) Davante Adams. Next? How does the new regime’s greenprint for success dovetail with the copious talent already in house … though it doesn’t include, once again, an obvious answer behind center.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (26): They’ve got a new (read: old) head coach in Pete Carroll, 73, yet no guarantee that they won’t lose the annual game of quarterback musical chairs once again … and at a time when there’s a huge gulf between the Silver and Black and the rest of the AFC West.
29. Tennessee Titans (32): They’ve got the first pick in the draft, but do they take the best (‘generational?’) player or best quarterback?
30. Cleveland Browns (31): They’ve got the second pick in the draft, but do they take a replacement for QB Deshaun Watson or for DE Myles Garrett?
32. New Orleans Saints (30): They have the worst cap situation in the league. Again. With the ninth pick of the draft, they’re in something of a no man’s land. And as the last organization to hire its head coach (Kellen Moore) for 2025, they’re already behind the offseason power curve. At least the Superdome played host to the Lombardi … briefly.
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