Ranking the AFC Teams Heading into the 2025/26 NFL Season
The Kansas City Chiefs have been carrying the American Football Conference (AFC) of late.
You have to look back to 2018 for the last time a team from the AFC that wasn’t the Chiefs won the Super Bowl (Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in 2018).
The big picture, however, is that there is a paper’s width between the two divisions when it comes to Super Bowl titles: the AFC has 29 and the NFC 30.
What can we expect from this division this season? Which teams from the AFC are going to make deep runs? Is there another franchise other than the Chiefs that can enter the NFL annals?
We filter through the AFC teams below and lay out the pros and cons of each…
Tier 1 AFC Teams
Buffalo Bills (AFC East)
Before a ball was punted, the Bills were one of the favourites to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Their favouritism has only strengthened off the back of a sensational start to their campaign.
Much of the hype around the Bills comes as a result of the performances from reigning MVP Josh Allen.
Last year, he threw 4,269 total yards and 41 total touchdowns in the regular and postseason games.
Expect him to put up similar numbers this year, especially if he leads his team to glory. They are the front-runners of the front-runners.
Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West)
The repeaters that couldn’t three-peat haven’t had the best start to the campaign but, in Patrick Mahomes, they have one of the best to have ever played the game.
Since making his debut nearly 10 years ago, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to more regular-season wins than any other NFL team.
Andy Reid is a proven coach with a track record of doing well in the playoffs, they have lots of depth in skill positions and are experts at coming up clutch in closely-fought match-ups.
They will always be in with a shout.
LA Chargers (AFC West)
They have been shortened quite markedly in the odds for the Super Bowl winner market because of a scintillating start to the season, but most observers weren’t giving them a chance after pre-season.
Last year, they won 11 games and sealed a wildcard spot, which went disastrously with a 32-12 defeat to the Texans.
But after three straight wins to start the season the Chargers might be moving into focus for the first time.
Jim Harbaugh has coached a team to the Super Bowl game before – his San Francisco 49ers team came out the wrong side of a nailbiting 34-31 defeat to Baltimore Ravens.
Can he spring a surprise?
Baltimore Ravens (AFC North)
This is not a one-man team but Lamar Jackson has the star power to drive the Ravens to another deep run this year.
Consistently playing at an MVP level and blending dynamic playmaking with stellar passing statistics, Jackson has all the tools in the most important position on the park.
Derrick ‘King’ Henry adds a punishing dimension to the ground game. Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews provide reliable receiving threats, and the defense remains one of the league’s most disciplined, led by Roquan Smith and a relentless pass rush.
With John Harbaugh’s experience and a roster built to handle both high-scoring shootouts and defensive battles, the Ravens can count themselves as one of the favourites for the Super Bowl.
Tier 2 AFC Teams
New England Patriots (AFC East)
The Patriots have not had the start to the season that a franchise of their calibre would have wanted. But fans remain optimistic that they have the tools to challenge for a play-off berth at the very least.
A lot of the early-season wobbles are self-inflicted, with fumbles, penalty flags and turnovers proving the scourge of any optimism garnered in the pre-season.
It’s been a long time since they enjoyed the dominance of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era and they’re unlikely to be in the mix come February. But they could make the postseason.
Denver Broncos (AFC West)
Coach Sean Payton has a lot of faith in his charges.
Indeed, he tipped his side to be among the contenders for the Super Bowl in the lead-up to the curtain raiser in September.
They are hoping to build upon last season, which was brimming with promise after a surprising tilt at the playoffs.
There is a lot of expectation around Bo Nix, the talented quarterback who will need to perform better than he has in the first three games of the season.
But if he can knit together some consistent performances, the Broncos could be a dark horse.
Indianapolis Colts (AFC South)
Before the season began the Colts were mighty long shots, with some players able to back them as high as 125/1.
However, they started the season 3-0 and, in Daniel Jones, they have a genuinely enterprising quarterback who is fostering one of the great comeback tales.
The offensive line has been protecting Jones brilliantly, which means the Colts have scored 103 points in that run – making them the top-scoring offense in the entirety of the NFL at the time of writing.
They are playing themselves into Tier 1.
Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North)
Is this the year for Joe Burrow?
He was the leader in 2024 for passing yards and passing touchdowns. He believes he’s the best quarterback in the world. And based on his performances last year, it’s difficult to argue with him.
But we ask this question every year. And, every year, the Bengals don’t have the roster depth to support their main man.
They have an outside chance of the playoffs, but that’s because of Burrow.
Tier 3 AFC Teams
Tennessee Titans (AFC South)
The Titans look set for a middling year, stuck between rebuilding and competing.
Quarterback Will Levis, who was the second-round draft pick in the 2023 round, offers some promise but the offense lacks consistent firepower and the defense has regressed from its peak years.
You only have to look at their start to the 2025 season for evidence of this, with 94 points scored against them in just three matches.
With Mike Vrabel gone, a transition season feels likely as the franchise searches for its long-term direction.
Tennessee should be viewed as a team capable of pulling off upsets but unlikely to sustain a playoff push.
Las Vegas Raiders (AFC West)
The Raiders look positioned for another season of mediocrity: not quite playoff material but with enough pieces to surprise some teams.
Geno Smith brings veteran stability at QB, while rookie Ashton Jeanty could add spark to the backfield.
The offense has promise with Jakobi Meyers one of just 10 receivers with 67-plus receptions and 800-plus receiving yards in each of the past four seasons.
Rising tight end Brock Bowers is also an intriguing option but wide receiver depth is now thin after Amari Cooper’s abrupt retirement. Defensively, Maxx Crosby anchors a solid front, but the secondary still has questions.
A turgid start to the season means the Raiders will need to demonstrate patience this year.
New York Jets (AFC East)
The Jets have moved on from Aaron Rodgers and are banking on Justin Fields to stabilise at quarterback.
There’s lots to like about Fields, who has high athletic upside, but he’s shown some green characteristics, especially in high-pressure moments.
Nevertheless, he was impressive on his debut in the tight defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, completing 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown, while adding 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The offense has playmakers like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, which helps, but protection and depth remain concerns. Defensively, they’ve built around stars like Sauce Gardner, but there are gaps.
Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South)
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of four teams never to have won the Super Bowl and they have a lot of work to do to be in with a shout this season.
However, they do have some things going for them to convince the optimistic among the fanbase that this is their year.
Trevor Lawrence heads up the hope - if the prodigiously talented quarterback can lead by example under his third head coach in three years in Liam Coen, then the Jaguars may be there or thereabouts.
Tier 4 AFC Teams
Cleveland Browns (AFC North)
It doesn’t look pretty for the Browns this year..
Deshaun Watson hasn’t lived up to expectations since arriving, and his struggles leave the offense inconsistent.
In the first three games, they have managed just 46 points. Only the Texans have fared worse.
While the defense led by Myles Garrett remains elite, it can only cover so many shortcomings.
Kevin Stefanski’s seat could warm quickly if Cleveland fails to build on recent playoff trips, and a tough AFC North schedule won’t help.
Miami Dolphins (AFC East)
Miami’s explosive offense can’t mask long-term concerns.
Tua Tagovailoa’s durability is always a question and his early-season form is becoming a long-running concern. He needs to become more consistent akin to his 2022 and 2023 seasons, when he led the passer rating and passing yards metrics respectively.
The run game is inconsistent, and defensively they’ve lost impact starters. If Mike McDaniel can’t push this roster past its ‘fast start, late collapse’ pattern, the Dolphins could slip, particularly in a brutal AFC East.
Houston Texans (AFC South)
CJ Stroud’s breakout year put Houston on the map, but expectations may be running ahead of reality.
The roster is still young, and defensive depth could be exposed against stronger AFC competition.
If Stroud regresses even slightly, the Texans could fall back toward the pack, cooling DeMeco Ryans’ early shine.
That being said, they have been on the receiving end of some rough fourth-quarter drives in the early part of the season and fans might feel the team’s performances have deserved more.
Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North)
Offensively, the Steelers are adjusting to a new quarterback situation. Aaron Rodgers, entering his 21st season, has taken over as the starting quarterback.
There’s no doubting his pedigree, but can the 41-year-old mask some obvious deficiencies in the team’s defence?
In the opening three games of the season, the Steelers allowed 418 rushing yards. Only the Dolphins, Giants, Titans, and Bills allowed more.
If they don’t figure out a way to manage opposing drives, this will be another long campaign.