SANTA CLARA, CA − For the second time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions − and, no surprise, parked atop the final power rankings for the just-finished NFL campaign. A cohesive, talented team left no doubt Sunday, throttling the New England Patriots 29-13 to claim the Lombardi Trophy.
“It’s unbelievable. To be in this place, it’s hallowed ground,’ Seattle receiver Cooper Kupp said following his team’s Super Sunday rout.
‘We had such a connected group. Every single person to a man would say the special thing about this group is how connected we are. A belief in each other, a genuine love for each other to see the guy next to you succeed and that made all the difference in the world.”
And all the difference in the power rankings, the Seahawks lingering near the top for most of the season but never No. 1 … until now. And ‘now’ − always an odd interregnum as some teams finish up while others are other significantly moving ahead into the 2026 offseason − always makes for a compelling power rankings soup in mid-February. So here they are, with Super Bowl 60 and the 2025 season complete … and so much more set to happen soon (previous rank prior to Week 18 in parentheses):
1. Seattle Seahawks (2): They began the season ranked 14th on this list − which is to say I viewed them as playoff-caliber coming off head coach Mike Macdonald’s encouraging maiden season. But did I foresee QB Sam Darnold, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the ‘Dark Side’ defense − mostly − cruising to immortality a few months ago? Nope. That said, I caught up to Seattle quicker than most. Over the second half of the regular season, they spent six weeks ranked at No. 2 and three at No. 3. Before the playoffs began, I thought they had the best chance to win Super Bowl 60 − and they did so by beating three playoff teams that boasted a combined 44 victories. But seeing the Seahawks up close and personal in recent weeks truly illustrated what a talented, united, complementary, grounded collective this was. And while Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and playoff hero Rashid Shaheed are pending free agents − along with several members of the secondary − Seattle seems to have the salary cap space to largely run it back in 2026 and possibly improve given its quotient of young, ascending stars.
2. Los Angeles Rams (1): They’d held the top spot in the power rankings since Week 10, and I’d had them holding off the Seahawks at No. 2 since Week 16. LA was maybe a play away from securing the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed along with the bye and home-field advantage that came with it. The Rams were still maybe just a play away from winning the NFC title at Lumen Field in a captivating NFC title game − which was really the de facto Super Bowl. But though they had the league’s best offense in 2025 and its best player in MVP Matthew Stafford (called that in Week 7, btw), the Rams buckled a bit defensively down the stretch and were constantly undermined by their special teams − factors that ultimately left them that play away, and decidedly behind Seattle. But no one else was better this season.
4. Denver Broncos (6): They ended K.C.’s nine-year AFC West reign and earned the conference’s top playoff seed before being undone by QB Bo Nix’s divisional round ankle injury − and even that barely kept Denver from reaching Super Bowl 60. Some slight upgrades on offense could propel this team further in 2026.
5. New England Patriots (3): This is going to feel like hot-take territory. It’s not intended to be. But let’s be honest for a minute − a team that went 14-3 in the regular season only beat one opponent that finished with a winning record, and the Pats caught the Bills early on but ultimately split with them. And despite winning three playoff games on the way to a berth in Super Bowl 60, New England had a very favorable path that included the decimated Chargers, mistake-prone Texans and Nix-less Broncos, whom they were fortunate to survive. And the Patriots’ inability to generate virtually any offense over the past month very much caught up to them against an elite opponent like Seattle. All that said, let’s celebrate what this team accomplished, reclaiming the AFC East crown from Buffalo and becoming the first NFL team to finish a season 9-0 on the road. Also, the Pats have the capacity to make more significant roster improvements this offseason. But the bar moving forward for a team that massively exceeded expectations, similar to Washington a year ago, will be much higher in 2026 − maybe loftier than it reasonably ought to be.
6. Buffalo Bills (11): This was supposedly supposed to be their postseason − and maybe it would have been had QB Josh Allen played just a touch better in a memorable overtime loss at Denver, one that cost Buffalo its Super Bowl shot and former coach Sean McDermott his job. New boss (and former OC) Joe Brady likely won’t be afforded much margin for error, even as the rookie head coach learns the ropes of his new role − while his built-to-win-now team moves into a new stadium amid ownership’s clearly expected move closer to the organization’s first Lombardi Trophy.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (4): They’ve got some personnel issues to figure out, LB Devin Lloyd, RB Travis Etienne and most of the starting secondary headed for free agency. They also need to figure out the optimal role for WR/CB Travis Hunter after an injury-curtailed but disappointing rookie season. Still, hard not to be bullish on this squad following the quantum leap it made in Year 1 under rookie coach Liam Coen and revitalized QB Trevor Lawrence.
8. Los Angeles Chargers (9): What is this team capable of with two All-Pro-caliber offensive tackles, a healthy running back room and Mike McDaniel taking charge of QB Justin Herbert and the offense? Can’t wait to see.
9. San Francisco 49ers (5): Fantastic season from coach Kyle Shanahan and Co., their rash of injuries unable to undercut them until their resounding playoff loss at Seattle. But while you’d want to be optimistic about a squad getting LB Fred Warner and DEs Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, among others, back in 2026, when will TE George Kittle regain his form following the Achilles tear he suffered in the playoffs? And how does All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey respond from shouldering a league-high 413 touches? The Niners also remain mired in a meat grinder of a division.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (10): They’ve never missed the playoffs under coach Nick Sirianni, whose alternating pattern would suggest Philly is on track to reach Super Bowl 61. But a team that had its share of offensive drama − again − in 2025 is undergoing fundamental changes with the arrival of rookie coordinator Sean Mannion, 33, and departure of longtime O-line guru Jeff Stoutland.
12. Kansas City Chiefs (26): That team that cratered to 6-11 and lost QB Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL? So 2025. We’re looking forward to what a tarnished dynasty might manage … with an ax to grind … and a healthy Mahomes who will doubtless return with a vengeance … and maybe another year of a revitalized Travis Kelce … and a top-10 draft pick … and maybe a significant move or two in free agency … once Mahomes and the club agree to necessary recalibration of his contract.
13. Houston Texans (7): They obviously have a Super Bowl-caliber defense. But it’s very much worth wondering, as we move forward, if they have a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback.
14. Detroit Lions (18): A year ago, the overriding question was how they’d hold up after losing both of their coordinators to HC gigs. Asked and answered. But the offense should get a bounce with newly hired coordinator Drew Petzing coming aboard, and the defense should get a bounce with a healthy secondary.
15. Baltimore Ravens (14): They’ve got their new coach, and Jesse Minter was a highly coveted assistant − and one who knows this organization well. But, like Brady, Minter must adapt to the HC learning curve on the fly with a team that’s positioned to win in a significant way. And, if it’s going to get better positioned, near-term decisions need to be made financially with Pro Bowl C Tyler Linderbaum, a pending free agent, and all-universe QB Lamar Jackson, whose $74.5 million cap hits the next two years could hold Baltimore back if not redressed.
16. Cincinnati Bengals (20): Look who’s suddenly the model of stability in the AFC North, Zac Taylor the lone holdover head coach. And maybe the Bengals are about to lose free agent DE Trey Hendrickson, who didn’t contribute much in 2025 anyway, but they’re also about to have more than $50 million in cap space − and what a difference that might make to this beleaguered defense, which has been among the league’s worst during Cincy’s three-season playoff absence.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (22): Are the days when 8-9 was sufficient to win the NFC South gone? Maybe, maybe not. But the Bucs need to take a hard look in the mirror following their stunning late-season collapse.
19. Minnesota Vikings (17): They (quietly?) finished the season on a five-game winning streak − and 9-8 will get them into the playoffs if they relocate to Fort Lauderdale and that aforementioned NFC South. But they sent a loud and clear message with their belated firing of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who didn’t retain Darnold or Daniel Jones a year ago and has left a playoff-caliber team in jeopardy given the swirling questions about its not-so-easily remedied quarterback situation.
20. Dallas Cowboys (19): Expect another winter, spring (maybe) and summer (maybe?) of contractual handwringing as Jerry Jones decides what to do with WR George Pickens, RB Javonte Williams, several other pending free agents and a bloated salary cap.
21. Washington Commanders (28): It would be easy to explain away their issues due to QB Jayden Daniels’ injuries. But they were getting thumped regularly even when he was on the field late in the season. A team that made so much headway with a veteran influx in 2024 needs to take a hard look at its roster construction now.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (13): Maybe a lot of Steel City locals got their wish, but something will be lost here with Mike Tomlin’s departure. Something else also might be lost with QB Aaron Rodgers once again needing to make a decision about whether to extend his career. And, regardless, maybe Mike McCarthy is a good enough coach to keep this franchise in the playoff friend zone − which is where ownership seemingly wants to stay despite Pittsbugh’s latest postseason debacle − but a hard reset seems warranted here … even if it’s unlikely to be forthcoming.
23. New Orleans Saints (23): Spearheaded by rookie QB Tyler Shough, they were arguably the NFC South’s best team from December on despite their last-place finish (which was only two wins shy of the first-place logjam).
24. Indianapolis Colts (21): Presumably, they’ll re-sign QB Daniel Jones and try to replicate their first-half success from 2025 … which could be problematic as he rehabs from a torn Achilles and the team tries to rehab after the Jaguars and Texans blew past it.
25. Tennessee Titans (24): Looking for a team that could make a big jump in 2026? Armed with high-end draft picks, more than $100 million in cap space and, seemingly, his first franchise quarterback, new HC Robert Saleh might finally be in position to spark a franchise revival.
26. New York Giants (29): John Harbaugh underachieved in Baltimore at the end of his tenure, even his former owner admitting as much. Now under the Big Apple’s spotlight, Harbaugh had better find the other end of the spectrum in 2026 − especially with the young talent on this roster.
27. Atlanta Falcons (16): They played much better down the stretch last season … with QB Kirk Cousins in the lineup. Sure seems like he’s headed for another lineup in what could be the latest domino to fall amid the latest organizational reboot.
28. Cleveland Browns (25): Newly hired coach Todd Monken inherits a Pro Bowl quarterback. What could possibly go wrong?
29. Las Vegas Raiders (31): Newly hired coach Klint Kubiak likely inherits Heisman Trophy QB Fernando Mendoza and … uh. What could possibly go wrong?
30. New York Jets (32):Newly hired OC Frank Reich inherits … uhhh. A bounty of draft picks, cap space and a sound offensive line are nice. But these are still the quarterback-killing Jets − what could possibly go wrong?
32. Arizona Cardinals (30): Maybe they can fool the Jets into trading for QB Kyler Murray amid what’s probably going to be a tough existence in the NFC West, where the other three teams all won at least 12 games in the 2025 regular season before each adding at least one playoff victory. Good luck to (the other) Coach LaFleur.