NFL Power Rankings: Eagles reign following Super Bowl LIX statement; what's next for Chiefs?

No other way to say it: The Eagles flat out dominated a Chiefs squad pushing to make history. It was clear early Sunday night who the better team was, with Philly fueled by a terrific defense, a forceful offense and outstanding roster balance. The Eagles also figured out the coaching situation, bringing in Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio to clean up what their predecessors could not. Unfortunately, it looks like they'll have to find a replacement for Moore, who's finalizing a deal to become head coach of the Saints at publishing. On the plus side, the Eagles do have an apparent in-house candidate for that spot in passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo. Regardless of who's calling plays on offense, the Eagles absolutely will enter next season as one of the NFL's clear-cut favorites, with a chance to make it two straight titles. This roster, beautifully constructed by general manager Howie Roseman, appears built to last.

There's also no other way to say this: That was unexpected. Sure, we all knew Kansas City could lose Sunday night. But the manner in which it went down was nothing short of stunning, undercutting the incredible body of work this team put together over the course of multiple years. The Chiefs simply came out incredibly flat offensively, and they eventually lost whatever mojo they had on defense, too. Andy Reid isn't any less of a coach than he was entering the game, and let's not pretend Patrick Mahomes' legacy took some crippling hit with the loss. But it was a reminder that they're human, and neither of them were at their best. The run for three straight championships came to a halt, and they'll certainly look back at it as a huge missed opportunity. Still, there's no better pair to lead Kansas City's charge to adapt and overcome.

Josh Allen won MVP, although I believe he had a stronger case last year. There is no doubt Allen was great in 2024, but I felt like his play plateaued a bit late in the season. Some of that might have been the function of having to drag this team over the proverbial goal line many times. The defense definitely bottomed out by season's end and will need some offseason refurbishing. Allen really could use a speed threat -- and no, we're not going to retell the Xavier Worthy draft story. This team is in no worse shape than it was a year ago, when many proclaimed the Bills' window to be "closed." It wasn't then, and it isn't now. There are forces working against Buffalo, with so many quarterbacks in the AFC field at the peaks of their respective careers, but this team is still capable of making a championship run in one year.

The bloodletting of coaching talent can't be overlooked; the loss of both coordinators and a half-dozen other assistants will challenge Dan Campbell's team this offseason. The Lions' roster remains in strong shape, and you know GM Brad Holmes will seize any opportunity he can. Will the offense be able to maintain the magic it had under Ben Johnson? Can the defense reach the same peak it did under Aaron Glenn -- at least prior to being ravaged by injuries? Those are two massive questions, no matter whom Detroit adds this offseason. Speaking of additions, improving the depth on defense has to be atop the Lions' list of priorities. They can't let another promising run fall apart thanks to late-season attrition again.

A pretty great campaign on the whole reached a bitter end, with the Ravens coming up just short in the playoffs and Lamar Jackson finishing as the runner-up for MVP in spite of posting a better season than he did when he won MVP in 2023. But the signing of Derrick Henry was a success, and the offensive formula Jackson and Henry fueled figures to drive Baltimore again next fall. If you assume the defense can play more like it did in the second half of 2024, the path toward another title run isn't that hard to imagine. I could envision GM Eric DeCosta adding layers of talent to the defense, but I also would endorse helping out an offensive line that currently has two starters set to hit free agency. The Ravens have shown they understand building through the trenches as well as anyone.

The Commanders' wonderfully unexpected run concluded in a blowout loss on Championship Sunday, and now they are in a similar position to the 2024 Texans after Houston's own upstart playoff push in '23: more is expected of Washington. And more is possible, especially if you consider players might actually want to play for this previously downtrodden franchise. Jayden Daniels is certainly a big part of that appeal, but Dan Quinn deserves some credit for his work, which has burnished his reputation as a players' coach who gets his teams ready to play. Assuming GM Adam Peters takes the same smart approach (with a measure of restraint) he employed in the free-agent market last year, the Commanders should be able to improve the roster. But as the Texans showed, that doesn't always guarantee a massive step forward for the team in Year 2 of a talented quarterback's career.

Kevin O’Connell probably thought he wouldn't need to provide opaque answers about Sam Darnold's future in Minnesota until the NFL Scouting Combine at the earliest, but he's already had to publicly clarify that no decisions have been made on the impending free agent. To me, it wouldn’t be stunning if the Vikings protected themselves by applying the franchise tag to Darnold, at the very least. Even if they believe J.J. McCarthy remains their quarterback of the future, they don’t truly know what they have in the 2024 first-round pick, who is coming off the equivalent of a redshirt year after suffering a season-ending injury in August. Plus, the QB market looks tepid outside of Darnold, meaning Minnesota might be able to get something in return for him in the coming months, or sometime after that. Thanks to all of those factors, maintaining some measure of control of his rights this offseason feels like the smartest plan going forward.

Perhaps running back Josh Jacobs could have been more diplomatic when he suggested that the Packers could use a proven No. 1 receiver. But perhaps he's also right. The Packers' approach of developing their own homegrown receivers has produced a slew of complementary parts, and the hope clearly was that on any given day, either Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson or Dontayvion Wicks could play up to that No. 1 level. There's some sense in that strategy, but it hasn't quite paid off, with Watson's injuries adding up (he's missed 13 games over three NFL seasons, and thanks to a Week 18 ACL tear, he could be out for a significant chunk of 2025) and Reed and Doubs plateauing, or even, by season's end, slightly regressing. We'll see if ex-Packer and current Jet Davante Adams -- Jacobs' teammate in Vegas, by the way -- is an option via trade, or if someone else at the right price point could take that spot.

We'll see what happens with receiver Chris Godwin, who is headed for free agency after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in October, but the Bucs should return most of their offense in 2025. New offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard walks into a good situation, with Baker Mayfield, a Hall of Fame receiver and a burgeoning run game as clear strengths. Tampa might tinker a bit on that side of the ball, but the bulk of the offseason reinforcements need to come on defense. The secondary and pass rush certainly are areas that can and should be targeted, even if the Bucs are not currently flush with cap space. This team figures to be the NFC South favorite again this coming season, but can it compete for a Super Bowl? That remains to be seen.

The hiring of Nick Caley as offensive coordinator is interesting. Caley's old employers, the Rams, were a heavy 11-personnel team in 2024, whereas the Texans were in the middle of the pack in terms of that grouping usage. It almost makes you wonder whether they might consider striking a deal with L.A. for Cooper Kupp (whose strengths Caley should know well), especially given Stefon Diggs' status as a looming free agent. Nico Collins is the clear WR1 in Houston, but Tank Dell is dealing with the aftermath of a major knee injury, while John Metchie III's ceiling doesn't appear sky-high. There are also issues to address elsewhere on offense, not to mention the other side of the ball. Let's not allow a postseason victory to cloud our long-term view of the Texans, who gave up four more TDs in the regular season than they scored. Houston deserves credit for finding answers to problems late in the year and holding firm following some major injuries. But this group might also be three to four parts shy of being able to beat the AFC's heavyweights right now.

The Rams might be a little lower here than some imagined, considering how they ended the season, but again, I am looking at the big picture. Cooper Kupp is expected to go elsewhere. Matthew Stafford, who turned 37 this month, showed his age at times. The defense has some promise, especially in terms of the pass rush, but that unit had a high degree of variance in its performances last season. The NFC West also should remain tough in 2025. With Sean McVay still running the show, I wouldn't have dropped Los Angeles any lower than this, at least as long as Stafford also sticks around. But until the Rams add some more pieces, I still have my questions about them, even as they've made midseason improvements as well as any team in each of the past two years. One of these days, they're going to get burned by a cold start.

The Chargers can go big-game hunting this offseason after having to shop in the bargain aisle last offseason, when they were stricken by limited salary-cap space. This time around, they're projected to be more than $60 million under the cap. That said, the Chargers have a whopping 27 free agents they have to first consider, including Khalil Mack, Poona Ford and several others who contributed in 2024. I'll particularly be interested in what additions, if any, they make at tight end and running back. I suspect Jim Harbaugh wants more firepower at those spots, even if the defense can't be overlooked. Statistically, the Bolts' D was among the NFL's best, but there was clear late-season regression on that side.

The Broncos' pathway is clearer now that they've found Bo Nix, who rewarded Denver with a fine rookie season. While the QB's ceiling remains a question, he undoubtedly made Sean Payton's offense run more smoothly. Payton still has more issues to deal with on that side of the ball than on defense. (Denver's D feels pretty close to being a title-contending unit, outside of a few needed upgrades up the middle.) Prior to the Super Bowl, Payton suggested he wanted a "Joker" on offense -- a difference-making pass catcher at running back or tight end -- to level up that unit. Payton had some elite options at those spots in New Orleans, including Reggie Bush, Jimmy Graham, Alvin Kamara, Jeremy Shockey and Darren Sproles. He's had nothing like that with the Broncos -- not yet, anyway. This year's draft feels fairly well stocked with players who could fit this description.

The Steelers' loss in the Wild Card Round was their fifth straight defeat to end the 2024 season, and we don't know who next year's starting QB will be. Worse yet, George Pickens remains a major question mark, the offensive line still feels incomplete and the top-10 scoring defense crumbled by season's end against the league's best offenses. Slotting Pittsburgh at 14 feels quite shaky, but it was one of the best handful of teams at one point last season. And Mike Tomlin is the great equalizer, having completed his 18th straight .500-or-above campaign, even if the allure of that incredible mark likely has worn off for most Steelers fans. The last few years have felt like more of a high-wire act for Tomlin, involving an increased degree of difficulty, and it's been fairly impressive. Now we wonder if Pittsburgh will ever rise to the level of championship contenders again.

Much of the hand-wringing among Bengals backers so far has been over the fate of Tee Higgins and how the team could make it work to have Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins all signed to long-term, top-of-the-market extensions. With just the fifth-year option remaining on his rookie contract, Chase picked the best time to win the receiving triple crown, but keeping him and Higgins -- who played 2024 on the franchise tag -- likely means attrition elsewhere. Could the Bengals really entertain offers for 2024 sack king Trey Hendrickson? Doing so almost undoubtedly would set the defense back, even with the team sure to get a healthy return for its best pass rusher, who was out there going it alone for much of the season, producing at nearly heroic levels. There is a lot to figure out in Cincinnati this offseason, and it will be newsworthy no matter which direction the Bengals take.

I expect new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to build a run-heavier offense, based on personnel and Mike Macdonald's background with the Ravens -- creating sort of a Baltimore West type of team. How the Seahawks go about this offseason will tell us a lot about how they view themselves. Are they set to contend, as looked to be the case late in 2024? Or do they believe they might be caught in the hamster wheel of nominally contending but unable to compete for a Super Bowl ring? If it's the latter, that might affect the immediate future of QB Geno Smith, who is under contract for one more season and will turn 35 in October. Whether or not Smith is back, the Seahawks must upgrade their offensive line. 

There's still a lot to like about the Cardinals' trajectory under Jonathan Gannon, who doubled the team's win total from Year 1 of his tenure in Year 2. The Cards started hitting their stride in December 2023, pulling off a couple inspired road victories (in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia), and they carried over those good vibes into this past season, starting 6-4 to climb to the top of the competitive NFC West. This past December didn't go according to plan -- with four losses to competitive teams and a win over the lowly Patriots -- and Arizona dropped out of the playoff picture. Assuming James Conner has another year as the team's warhorse and Marvin Harrison Jr. can take a step up, there should be offensive growth. But for Gannon to truly elevate his team in his third season, Arizona's defense must make major strides forward. That side of the ball is his bread and butter, and the Cardinals have been more heel than loaf there over the past two years.

There's something to rally around in Miami, with Tua Tagovailoa returning to health to run the Dolphins. Mike McDaniel is 28-23 as Miami's coach; he's 25-16 when Tua starts and 3-7 when another QB starts. There's also the news that Tyreek Hill now wants to remain in South Beach, having issued Tagovailoa a "public apology" for comments at the end of the season that suggested the receiver was ready to leave the team. If the Dolphins' competitive status seems volatile, it's not hard to figure out why that's the case. With Tagovailoa and a resurgent Hill at their respective peaks, they certainly could contend, especially with the division-rival Jets and Patriots in the midst of rebuilds. But counting on both players to be at their best and most available hasn't always been a sure bet. The Dolphins somehow must find a way, bound by salary-cap restrictions, to bolster the team around Tagovailoa and Hill. That won't come easily.

The Falcons appear to be going headlong into the offseason with Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback; Kirk Cousins' future in Atlanta looks pretty dim less than a year after his arrival as a savior of sorts. The skill positions are pretty stacked on offense, with reinforcements at tackle being one of the bigger needs. Most of the personnel upgrades are likely to be on defense, where the Falcons are not bad after some tinkering but still have not found the exact right mix. It is not hard to imagine Raheem Morris focusing significantly on upgrading that side of the ball. How Atlanta will manage to do so with an extremely tight salary-cap situation and only five draft picks in their till (as of right now, anyway) is anyone's guess. Don't forget: Moving on from Cousins also would come with further cap restrictions.

If last year seemed like a big one for Anthony Richardson, his third season will trump that, likely determining whether he truly has a future in Indianapolis. The highs have been alluring, but his path has been difficult overall, and he surely must make significant progress to solidify his standing with the franchise. In addition to Richardson further attuning his game, the Colts must furnish him with more offensive weapons and better protection -- not to mention, more favorable play-calling. Indianapolis' defense isn't without warts, likely most in need of defensive backs this offseason, although the front seven isn't above reproach. Head coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard were brought back to see the team through the fog, but both certainly will enter next season with an even higher bar to cross than the .500 mark they've hovered around the past two years.

When the 49ers were seemingly dangling Brandon Aiyuk's name in trade talks last spring, some of us openly wondered if Deebo Samuel should have been the receiver the team looked to move -- and he later acknowledged his name did come up in discussions a year ago. Deebo's fate is shaping up to be one of the major offseason plot points now that the 49ers appear ready to shop Samuel for real. That suggests to me that Brock Purdy's extension is far more likely to happen than not. Losing Samuel would take some zing out of the Niners' offensive skill-position group, and it might hurt their flexibility somewhat, but they have Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall to step up and fill the void. San Francisco won't be able to keep everyone this offseason, but the core remains in place to compete again in 2025, even after the disastrous setback season of 2024 that few anticipated. 

Two of the final significant franchise events prior to the passing of the Bears' longtime owner, Virginia Halas McCaskey, were Caleb Williams leading a stirring upset of the Packers in the regular-season finale and Chicago hiring Ben Johnson as coach. If Johnson can unlock Williams' skill set -- providing more of what we saw in Week 18 -- it will be a successful hire. The exhaustive search that led the Bears to him felt endless at one point, but they snagged a candidate that other teams with a head-coaching vacancy would have loved to procure. That doesn't mean Johnson is guaranteed to succeed, especially if you've considered for a moment Chicago's recent history with coaching hires. But the Bears are entering a new era this offseason, and there's some real hope the Johnson-Williams combo can produce the magic that has escaped this franchise so often in recent years.

This organization marches to the beat of its own drum, and the Brian Schottenheimer hire was proof positive of that. No other NFL team was known to have interviewed him this offseason. But that doesn't mean it was the wrong choice. Time will tell whether the Cowboys are secret geniuses or if they're truly tilting at windmills. Jerry Jones still seems to act like a man who's shocked Dallas didn't make a Super Bowl run last season, and that Schottenheimer is the person to get the 'Boys back to that level. Perhaps he is, and Dak Prescott's injury (among others) was to blame for them going 7-10. It's not wrong to point out that this team went 36-15 over the prior three seasons leading into 2024, and Schottenheimer oversaw a very good Cowboys offense in 2023, but getting back to that level is no finger snap for the first-time head coach.

The late-season flourish from Bryce Young was the best development possible for head coach Dave Canales and GM Dan Morgan. Around midseason, it seemed reasonable to think the Panthers might head in a different direction at quarterback, but it's hard to imagine that happening now -- and that's a good thing. It allows Morgan to hone in on two problems areas: finding more playmakers for Young and fixing a defense that has backslid the past year-plus. Carolina finished last season with the worst point differential in the NFL (minus-193), but that number stood at minus-147 after eight games. Even with some tough losses down the stretch, it's hard not to see progress there. Losing by 3 points in Week 12 to the Chiefs and by 6 points two weeks later in Philadelphia certainly looks a lot better now after the Super Bowl. This might be a team to keep an eye on as a riser heading into 2025.

The signs are starting to point toward Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams not returning next season, and they would be the final pillars to fall from the Jets' failed attempt to make a Super Bowl run. New head coach Aaron Glenn brings instant respectability for what he's done as an assistant, not to mention a dash of Jets cred, having played so well for the franchise a generation ago. But his orders are tall ones. He needs to light a fire under a wayward defense and determine what direction they want to go in offensively, with needs at some of the most crucial positions on that side of the ball. Perhaps instead of going all-in with a Rodgers-like veteran addition at QB, the Jets will consider half-waying it (Justin Fields?) this year and keeping their long-term options open. No matter what the Jets do, rest assured they will be scrutinized, based on recent history, until they prove things can end differently.

I might be overplaying my hand, but hiring Mike Vrabel feels like a home run. The Patriots were not good in close games for most of the 2024 season, and the defense appeared to go downhill down the stretch. This team is well-armed to make a few big splashes this offseason; no one has more salary-cap space, and only a few teams have more draft capital. So with the coaching upgrade, Drake Maye entering Year 2 (hopefully with more offensive weaponry) and big additions likely to be made on both sides of the ball, it's not hard to grade the Patriots favorably. Last year was a disaster, and that must be reflected, but there's at least a visible path back toward respectability.

We're obviously cheating a bit by ranking the Raiders this high, factoring in some early offseason moves, but the Pete Carroll-Chip Kelly combo has put a bow on the pig and gotten my blood cooking a little bit. Maybe it falls apart, but I really think getting Carroll was a coup. The last thing the Raiders needed was an unproven "hot" assistant in the AFC West, which is stacked with a who's-who in coaching: Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh. Bringing in Harbaugh's nemesis was a fun touch, too, stirring the divisional pot for what could be a hoedown of a season. The Chiefs will still be the big dogs, of course, and the Raiders still need a quarterback to fit Kelly's system. But there's a whole lot more to be excited about with this franchise suddenly -- and I doubt Las Vegas is done with the big offseason moves.

In light of news prior to kickoff of the Super Bowl that Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was on the verge of becoming New Orleans' next head coach, Saints fans had to be pretty pleased watching Moore lead a dominant victory over the Chiefs in the Superdome. Of course, it came with a potentially nervous moment, when Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni suggested on the victors' podium that Moore should run it back, but not to fret: Our NFL Network Insiders' latest reporting is that the Saints are finalizing a deal with the 36-year-old coach. Moore should be able to put together a decent coaching staff, but the Saints have a lot to clean up this coming offseason, and they'll have to do so in spite of being in salary-cap Gehenna currently. Which will happen first: the Saints being back in the Super Bowl or the Super Bowl being back in New Orleans?

New head coach Liam Coen arrives with strong credentials as an offensive play-caller, having enjoyed success with two NFL teams and one college team over the past few years, so there's reasonable hope about his chances of getting Trevor Lawrence and Co. back on track. But Coen also has plenty of hurdles to overcome in his head-coaching debut, needing to rebuild a defense that ranked among the worst units in the league last season. The AFC South is about as good a division to land in for a first-year coach as possible, and expectations should be fairly reasonable, even with a few big pieces (e.g., Brian Thomas Jr.) for the Jags to hang their hats on. But Jacksonville still lacks a general manager after letting Trent Baalke go, and the list of offseason needs isn't short. 

As if enduring a 3-14 season didn't sting enough, Giants fans had to then watch the rival Eagles and their once beloved back, Saquon Barkley, hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Even Big Blue's former starting quarterback witnessed more success than his old team did by the end of the season, with Daniel Jones landing on the roster of the 14-3 Vikings. But that's neither here nor there now, and the Giants find themselves at a true crossroads. Coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen are back to help clean up multiple aisles, starting with how to take a step forward at quarterback. Do the Giants trust a rookie to be part of that solution? Even if they do, they currently sit in the third slot in the 2025 NFL Draft, which means they are not guaranteed to land one of the top two QB options. If they go with a veteran instead, whom might it be? It's hard to see a clear path toward a major improvement next season until that conundrum is solved, and there aren't a lot of obvious, no-questions-asked solutions readily apparent.

We'll have weeks -- maybe months -- of speculation over the Titans' offseason plans, specifically what they'll do with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they're starting to leave some breadcrumbs that might show what path they'll take. Chad Brinker indicated Tennessee won't pass up a generational talent at No. 1, which seems like a sound approach. But then NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport suggested the Titans could listen to offers for the top pick, which raises this question: Is there a player worth taking at the top in their eyes? I think they'll investigate every possible quarterback avenue they can prior to the draft, which obviously would shape their thinking significantly. If they can secure a veteran option first, it would make the draft decisions fall more easily into place.

The Titans might be picking first in the draft, but the Browns are listed last because of the vast array of issues they must address. In addition to solving their unenviable quarterback quandary, they must also deal with Myles Garrett's trade request. They might be hoping Garrett will change his tune, but they might also have to face the cold reality that they're not really close to contending, and Garrett (and others) can see it. Between the quarterback decisions, the Garrett conundrum and figuring out what to do with the No. 2 overall pick in April (which could be used on a QB), it figures to be a pretty consequential offseason in Cleveland. Even if my list doesn't match up exactly with the draft order, I had very little thought before placing the Browns here at the bottom.