Three NFL Teams That Could Win Super Bowl Next Year: Early 2026 Super Bowl Picks

Kansas City and Philadelphia meet in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons on Sunday, and it’s reasonable to believe these teams could face off a few more times on the game’s biggest stage in the coming years.

But before you pencil in another Chiefs-Eagles clash for 2026, let’s look at three other teams that could win it all next February.

Baltimore Ravens

A third Lombardi in Baltimore’s trophy case is long overdue. 

The Ravens have routinely played championship-caliber football during the last few regular seasons only to be undone by costly turnovers and uncharacteristic lapses in the playoffs.

It’s safe to assume Baltimore will return to the postseason in 2025, as there aren’t many weak links in a Ravens roster that should retain all of its league-leading nine Pro Bowlers from a year ago.

All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson and 1,900-yard rusher Derrick Henry will again spearhead Baltimore’s explosive offense, which last year became the first team ever to tally 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in a season. 

The Ravens’ defense is better positioned for a solid campaign after enduring some growing pains under first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Baltimore boasted the league’s top scoring defense during the final eight weeks of the regular season and should remain stout throughout 2025.

The Ravens have enough talent on both sides of the ball to beat anyone, but can they finally avoid beating themselves when it matters most?

Detroit Lions

Most of Detroit’s key new faces will be donning headsets instead of helmets next season. 

After both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn accepted head coaching positions elsewhere, the Lions will try to build on last year’s 15-win campaign with a new offensive coordinator in John Morton and a fresh defensive coordinator in Kelvin Sheppard.

Both promotees inherit a unit that should welcome back its top weapons. 

Morton will work with quarterback Jared Goff and All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to drive an offense that led the NFL with a franchise record of 564 points last year. Sheppard should benefit from the return of star lineman Aidan Hutchinson (broken leg), and he’ll take over a defense that finished seventh in points allowed per game despite its rash of injuries.

Still, Detroit’s fate in 2025 will largely hinge on Sheppard’s squad. It’s fair to chalk some of the Lions’ struggles last season to injuries, but if their core players remain healthy, there’s little excuse for Detroit’s defense to lose a game where the Lions’ offense puts up 30-plus points.

Making the playoffs shouldn’t be an issue, but much like the Ravens, the Lions will have to overcome their knack for melting down in January. If Detroit avoids committing five turnovers or blowing a 17-point lead in a playoff game, the Lions could finally claim their first Super Bowl title.

Washington Commanders

As a 23-year-old who grew up near our nation’s capital, it’s weird seeing people this excited about Washington’s football team. I can’t blame them, though.

With a sensational young quarterback in Jayden Daniels, an established coach in Dan Quinn and a competent owner in Josh Harris, the Commanders appear to be a potential problem in the NFC for years to come.

Daniels will enter his sophomore season aided by stability at key positions within the offense, as Pro Bowl receiver Terry McLaurin and running back Brian Robinson Jr. are both under contract for 2025. The team could also retain free agents Zach Ertz and Olamide Zaccheaus to give Daniels two more familiar targets in the passing game.

Washington’s defensive line is in good shape, too, as Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Dorance Armstrong are all set to return next season. 

Keeping linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Jeremy Chinn could be a challenge, but the Commanders have enough money to plug any holes with a top free agent. Spotrac projects Washington to have just over $80 million in cap space in 2025, the third-most in the league. 

The Commanders went from last place in 2023 to a game shy of the Super Bowl in 2024, and a splashy offseason signing could help deliver a title for this resurrected franchise in 2025.