5 NFL Teams Everyone Thinks Can Win The Super Bowl And 5 That Have No Chance
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Every NFL team enters a new season with the hopes and dreams of winning a Super Bowl and hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
While only one team will fulfill that dream, several other teams will stay in the fight for a championship late into the season or into the playoffs. Some teams will have their hopes dashed early in the new season, and a select few will start training camp knowing they have no chance.
With that being said, let’s take a look at 5 NFL teams everyone thinks are contenders and 5 that are more pretenders than contenders.
Which NFL teams are thought of as contenders and which ones aren’t?
Contenders – Seattle Seahawks
Let’s get the easiest selection out of the way first. The Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champs, so that alone puts them in the discussion to contend for another Super Bowl title. In 2025, Seattle finished with a 14-3 regular season record, clinching 1st place in the NFC West, the 1st seed in the NFC, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Seahawks accomplished that because they possess one of the most dominant and suffocating defenses in the NFL today, and their offense can run-and-gun with anyone. While the team did lose a few key contributors this offseason, most notably running back Kenneth Walker III, they still have Zach Charbonnet in the backfield and a tremendous wide receiver duo in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Rush. If any NFL team is built to withstand the loss of its starting running back and still be a top contender, it’s the Seahawks.
The biggest potential threat to this squad is Sam Darnold. The quarterback’s first 4.5 seasons as a starter wouldn’t make anyone think he’d lead a team to a Super Bowl title, but he’s seemed to put things together in the last two years. As long as plays similar to that, the Seahawks should be alright.
Pretenders – Green Bay Packers
Outside the NFC North cities of Chicago, Detroit, and Minnesota, the Packers seem well-liked. It might be because they are the only true “locally owned” team in the NFL, or because we all get a kick out of those silly cheesehead hats, or the appreciation of the history of the team and Lambeau Field, or the love of a fanbase who will sit shirtless during a game in -20 degree weather.
Regardless of the true reason, the main reason that people like the Packers is because they win, not just Super Bowls, of which they’ve won 4, but during the regular season. They are one of the most consistent teams in the NFL, earning playoff appearances in 19 out of the last 25 seasons. However, despite playoff appearances in the last 3 seasons, and most likely another in 2026, the Packers just aren’t Super Bowl-ready. The offense simply doesn’t have the ability to compete with the Big Boys.
Quarterback Jordan Love has shown himself to be good, but not great. Part of the issue is that he doesn’t have the weapons he needs. A wide receiving corps. of Christian Watson, Jaylen Reed, and Matthew Golden isn’t scaring many defenses, and at 28, starting running back Josh Jacobs has seen better days. Sorry, Green Bay, it is not your time now.
Contenders – Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a team that realistically could’ve been put in either category in our list. They are coming off a disappointing season in which they finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for just the second time in 8 years, and, as a result of that and playoff disappointment, the team also fired longtime head coach John Harbaugh. This team had the look of one in need of a makeover, but instead, the organization decided to go all in for the 2026 season and beyond.
They signed free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to bolster their defensive line and drafted several key players on the offensive line and at wide receiver. This offseason, the Ravens got younger and better, but none of that would matter without their not-so-secret weapons. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is a 2x MVP and a dual-threat under center.
He has the capability of throwing for 4,000 yards in a season while rushing for 1,000 yards in the same year; he’s actually been the team’s leading rusher 5 times. When Jackson isn’t rushing the ball, defenses have to deal with running back Derrick Henry, who is capable of barreling over opposing players. With over 13,000 career rushing yards and 122 touchdowns, Henry is a future Hall of Famer.
Any team with that pair will be able to control the ball and time of possession, grinding down opposing defenses. As long as they can do that, the Ravens are contenders in the NFL.
Pretenders – Pittsburgh Steelers
Christopher Cross once sang, “If you get lost between the moon and New York City,” and now the Pittsburgh Steelers are lost between contending and pretending, and sadly, they’re not going in the right direction. The Steelers have finished the last 3 seasons with identical 10-7 records and losses in the Wild Card round.
In fact, their last 5 playoff appearances have ended with a loss in the Wild Card round. That level of mediocrity led the organization to part ways with longtime head coach Mike Tomlin. After 19 seasons, it was time for a new voice of leadership in the locker room. (Side note: since 1969, 57 years, the Steelers have had just 3 head coaches – Chuck Noll (23 years), Bill Cowher (15 years), and Tomlin)
In addition to the coaching change, the Steelers were held hostage during free agency waiting for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to decide if he’s returning; he is. However, he is 42; he’s not going to get better, even if he can make it through the season in one piece. Besides Rodgers, they are bringing almost the same unit as last year, albeit with some minor roster tweaks. Pittsburgh wasn’t good enough last year, and they’re still not good enough this year.
Contenders – San Francisco 49ers
Much like the Ravens, the 49ers could be an NFL contender or a pretender, but the only thing holding them back is health. This team has a history of losing key players for long stretches of the season or getting hurt and being forced out of big games. It’s like this team is snakebit. Last season alone, they lost DE Nick Bosa, TE George Kittle, LB Fred Warner, WR Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and QB Brock Purdy, among other injuries that teams deal with.
That’s a lot of manpower lost across many games, yet the 49ers still finished 12-5 and reached the Divisional Round before losing to Seattle. However, if all of those players were healthy, the playoffs might have been a different story. The good news for San Francisco is that all of those players, plus star running back Christian McCaffrey, are expected to be healthy for 2026. Despite that projection, the Niners decided to bring in reinforcements by signing WRs Mike Evans and Christian Kirk.
There’s a lot to like about the 49ers heading into 2026. The team is expected to bring back almost the same roster, which allows it to grow and bond. Additionally, this team has a dominant defense and an explosive offense when they’re healthy.
Pretenders – Cincinnati Bengals
It’s been 5 years since the Bengals lost the Super Bowl to the Rams to cap off the 2021 season, and it’s been a few years since they’ve been a true championship-caliber team. Part of that falls on the shoulders of the most important player on the field. If Joe Burrow is healthy, then the Bengals are usually considered a contender as he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league… again, when healthy.
It’s basically a 50/50 proposition if Burrow will make it through a season unscathed, as he’s only done that 3 times in 6 years. Without him, the Bengals fell to 6-11 last season. Fortunately, for Burrow’s future health, the team went out and signed or drafted reinforcements for the offensive line. If Burrow stays upright and is given the time, he does have a pair of top receivers to throw to in Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
However, there are still weaknesses on the offensive line, issues on the pass rush, questions with the running backs, and, of course, health issues at quarterback. It’s been forever since the Bengals won the Super Bowl. It looks like that streak will continue for another year.
Contenders – Denver Broncos
After years of frustration, Denver finally showed life in 2024 when rookie quarterback Bo Nix led the team to its first playoff appearance in 8 years. After last season, it is more than fair to say that the Broncos have arrived.
If there was any question, it was answered with authority in 2025 when the Broncos took 1st place in the AFC West with a 14-3 record before losing 10-7 in an AFC Championship game “slugfest” to the Patriots. Had Nix been healthy enough to play, the Broncos would’ve performed better. The first factor in Denver’s favor for 2026 is that Bo Nix will once again be healthy.
In addition to Nix’s development, and to help him continue to improve, the front office brought in wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from Miami, who, in his first 5 seasons, has flashed his 1,000-yard receiving ability 3 times. Defensively, the Broncos are a ferocious unit that thrives on shutting down opposing offenses.
All of this comes together under the brilliant coaching of Sean Payton, who is one of the best in the game. The continuity of the head coach and of the roster also helps make the Broncos a true NFL contender.
Pretenders – Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota was an easy choice for the “Pretenders” list. There were years under quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Dalvin Cook, and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, when the Vikings looked like true NFL contenders. That is no longer the case.
As Cousins faded out, Minnesota transitioned to Sam Darnold and then, in 2022, went all in on J.J. McCarthy. That decision is what makes them a pretender. After one season, the Vikings moved on, for now, from McCarthy and brought in Kyler Murray, whom the Cardinals decided it would be better business to cut and endure a $35.5 million cap hit, rather than pay him to play elsewhere. Quarterback isn’t the only area of concern with the Vikings roster.
The defense is prone to being exploited by a good running game due to its poor run defense. The offensive line has health and depth concerns, and there are issues of depth up and down this lineup. At least wide receiver Justin Jefferson is a joy to watch. Sadly, the Vikings are a team whose window may have closed before it truly opened. They can crack it back open, but it won’t be this year.
Contenders – Houston Texans
I think the Texans are going to surprise a lot of people this year, to the point that they might very well make their first Super Bowl ever. After 3 straight seasons which ended with the team losing in the Divisional Round, last year it was to the Patriots, the Texans are ready for some success of their own. Since becoming a starter as a 22-year-old rookie, quarterback C.J. Stroud has grown and begun to show the leadership and physical skills needed to lead a team to the Lombardi Trophy.
The quarterback cannot win the Super Bowl by themself, they’ve got to have help, and that’s why the front office went out and rebuilt the offensive line, improved their running game by acquiring David Montgomery in a trade with the Lions. More importantly, they reworked Nico Collins’ contract to make him financially happy. Their offense isn’t their only weapon, as the Texans boast one of the top defenses as well.
Their ability to generate a successful 4-man pass rush and have cornerbacks capable of one-on-one coverage allows linebackers and safeties to roam the field, preventing offensive opportunities from arising. The Texans are no longer simply a rebuilding franchise. They have arrived.
Pretenders – Carolina Panthers
The Panthers will make the playoffs this season, but that says more about how bad their division is than about how good they are. The NFC South is one of the worst divisions in professional football. Not one of the teams in that division – the Panthers, Saints, Falcons, or Buccaneers- finished with a record above .500 last season.
Carolina snuck into the playoffs simply because that division needed a representative, and the Panthers were the best of the worst. There are good things happening with the Panthers, though. Twenty-five-year-old quarterback Bryce Young has shown enough in his first 3 years, especially last year, to convince the organization and fans that the Panthers have their franchise quarterback in-house.
The front office bolstered the offensive line through the draft and improved the defense by adding linebacker Jaelan Phillips to bolster the pass rush. The new additions are nice and help, but this squad still has weaknesses in the secondary and the defensive line, and a lack of star talent. This is a team on the rise, improving quickly, but they’re not there yet.
So, the Panthers will make the playoffs this year, and honestly, they are not a bad team. Just young, inexperienced, and still with some holes to fill before being a true contender in the NFL.
