One of the greatest things about the NFL is how quickly a franchise can go from the bottom of the league to suddenly being in the playoff mix. Every season, somewhere between two and four new squads make the postseason, sparking hope for those still stuck in football’s dungeon.
Last year, the Chargers, Broncos, Vikings, and Commanders all joined the playoff party after missing out in 2023. They all had something in common: they either had a relatively new coach or a brand-new quarterback, as Bo Nix, Sam Darnold, and Jayden Daniels changed lives for their franchises. Sean Payton, Dan Quinn, and Jim Harbaugh were either first or second-year coaches.
Typically, the formula involves a huge upgrade at quarterback, either from a young player, trade, or free-agent signing. If not, then usually a new coach or staff can make a big change in just one season. Rosters can also be turned over in a hurry if a team has a great draft class and lots of cap space in the off-season.
The point is, out of all of our favorite sports leagues, the NFL is the easiest to turn around a franchise within a year or two. The factors listed above, as well as injury variance, will always contribute to a few new playoff teams. Here are the 5 NFL teams that are poised to surprise everyone in 2025.
This list is based on how likely a bad team from 2024 is to be good in 2025, not how much of a jump they’re making. Honorable mentions include the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals, but they were already solid teams in 2024.
5
New York Giants: 3-14 in 2024
The New York Giants kick off this list at number five for a few reasons. Brian Daboll is fighting for his job in his fourth year, as things have gone south on New York since they won a playoff game in Daboll’s first season. However, he’s been given a much better set of tools to work with in 2025 than the last couple of campaigns.
NY moved on from Daniel Jones, signing Russell Wilson and drafting Jaxson Dart in the first round. They’ll also bring back star wide receiver Malik Nabers for his second year, who is primed for a true breakout if Wilson and/or Dart can provide competent QB play.
However, there’s one main reason that New York could finally escape the basement of the NFC East: their defensive line. After drafting Abdul Carter with the third pick, the Giants now have arguably the best D-line in football, featuring Carter, All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence, edge rusher Brian Burns, and former first-rounder Kayvon Thibodeaux.
With a fourth-place schedule that features plenty of inexperienced QB’s, New York could terrorize their opponents defensively. The offense will be a work in progress, and their division is tough. Still, the Giants will be much improved in 2025, and could potentially fight for a playoff spot.
4
Las Vegas Raiders: 4-13 in 2024
The Las Vegas Raiders were truly terrible in 2024. They won just 4 games, ranked in the bottom seven in both offense and defense, and fired their head coach. So, why will it be better in 2025 for the franchise that has forever seemed hopeless?
Well, LV hired veteran head coach Pete Carroll to run the show in Vegas, as well as trading for QB Geno Smith, who Carroll worked with in Seattle for two seasons. While both Carroll and Smith have yet to prove they can win at an elite level in the NFL, they certainly bring competency to the operation that Vegas has lacked in their circus show of a football team.
Vegas re-signed stud pass rusher Maxx Crosby to a three-year, $106.5M deal in the off-season as well as drafting Ashton Jeanty in the first round. Brock Bowers is arguably already the top tight end in football, and Amari Cooper rounds out a group of weapons that is better than people think.
Yes, the AFC West is one of the best divisions in football. However, with a fourth-place schedule, upgraded talent, and a new coach and quarterback, Las Vegas could be much better than expected in 2025.
3
Chicago Bears: 5-12 in 2024
Placing the Chicago Bears at third is a bet on two very talented men: Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. Williams, who had an uneven season in many ways in 2024 after being selected first overall, is poised to have a huge sophomore year under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Johnson was the mastermind behind the explosive Detroit Lions offense in 2024, leading them to 33.2 PPG and a 15-2 record. His creativity in playcalling jumped off the screen, as we hadn’t seen someone experiment so often and effectively with a contending team.
However, we don’t know how Johnson will handle the transition from offensive playcalling to leading the entire football team, as the responsibilities are completely different. He certainly is downgrading in talent from Detroit to Chicago, although the Bears have a solid group of weapons featuring Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and DJ Moore.
Chicago brings a good defense, improved offensive line, and a whole new coaching staff to the 2025 season. If Johnson can maximize Williams’ talent, the Bears could be a fringe Super Bowl contender. Unfortunately, their division is difficult, and just got harder with their rivals trading for Micah Parsons.
2
New England Patriots: 4-13 in 2024
The New England Patriots get the nod at second because of many factors. They have a sophomore quarterback who showed major promise in 2024 in Drake Maye, who is one of the most talented dual-threat QBs in football. NE also hired a new head coach in former Belichick assistant Mike Vrabel, who was also a part of the first three Super Bowls of the Brady dynasty.
In addition to their coach/QB tandem, New England brings an excellent defensive core to the table in 2025. Expect them to be much more well-coached and disciplined on that side of the ball than they have at any point in the 2020s, as Vrabel has proven to be one of the best coaches in the league.
However, maybe the biggest reason the Pats rank this high is because of their schedule, which ranks third to last in opponents’ winning percentage from last year. While things can change for teams in a new season, New England’s schedule truly is awful.
Their 2025 slate includes the Raiders, Dolphins (2x), Panthers, Saints, Titans, Browns, Jets (2x), and Giants. That’s 10 games against some of the worst teams in the league, and doesn’t include questionable squads like the Bengals, Steelers, and Falcons.
The Patriots’ offensive weapons certainly leave something to be desired, which shouldn’t be ignored. It will take multiple years to put a Super Bowl caliber roster around Drake Maye, but NE is still poised to have a good season.
1
San Francisco 49ers: 6-11 in 2024
Easily the top choice for 2025 sleeper teams is the San Francisco 49ers. After going to the NFC Championship Game in 2021 and 2022 before losing a heartbreaking overtime Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, San Fran suffered a brutal season in 2024. The Niners went 6-11 and missed the playoffs amidst contract drama, poor quarterback play, and a declining defense.
However, every season, there’s a squad that simply has no chance to win because of insane injury luck. Just as in 2020, the 49ers were this team in 2024, suffering serious injuries to several of their best players. Christian McCaffery missed almost all of 2024 with an Achilles malady and Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL in Week 7 after holding out for a new contract.
Trent Williams, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Jordan Mason, and Eli Mitchell all missed time and played hampered throughout the season. There are too many names to even list here, but one thing is certain: SF has an extremely talented roster that had their year hijacked by injury.
If Brock Purdy can bounce back from a banged-up, mediocre season of his own, the Niners have the talent to make the jump from worst to first. The NFC West is a difficult division, but SF should surely be in the mix for a Wild Card spot at least. They have an elite running back and tight end, solid receivers, and a defense that’s aging but still very good.
SF has only missed the playoffs twice in the past six seasons, both due to injury luck. Don’t expect it to happen again.
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