For all of the NFL lovers out there like me, trying to watch out for different teams can be hard based on players, coaches and even trades. Teams each year build and grow from past seasons, whether that means hiring a new head coach or even picking up veteran or rookie players in between seasons. Some teams may have stayed close to how they were in the past season, but many teams make changes that can either make or break them throughout the season. These changes can also affect division leaders and potential wildcard teams.
Now, I’m here to tell you which teams have a good chance to compete for the division or at least lock up the wildcards for potential upsets for higher seeds within the Super Bowl appearance.
The first team in the National Football Conference (NFC) is the Seattle Seahawks, led by their new head coach, Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks are a part of the NFC West division and finished the season off with a 10-7 record. Last year, the team did not make the playoffs. The Seahawks have made many changes throughout the offseason. The team traded their quarterback, Geno Smith, to the Las Vegas Raiders. They also lost two of their star wide receivers: DK Metcalf (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Tyler Lockett (Tennessee Titans).
Even though they went through major losses of players, they managed to gain what they had lost and then some. Their starting quarterback, coming from the Minnesota Vikings, is Sam Darnold. The team also picked up three new wide receivers, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Cooper Kupp. Seattle also managed to snag a defensive end, DeMarcus Lawrence, who has been with the Dallas Cowboys for 11 years. The Seattle Seahawks have made many critical decisions that may better position them for this year’s playoffs.
The second team in the NFC is the Los Angeles Rams, who have been led by coach Sean McVay. This is McVay’s ninth consecutive season for the Rams. Not only are the Rams in the same division as the Seattle Seahawks (NFC West), they also tied for the conference title last season with a record of 10-7 as well.
Although both teams tied, the Rams went on to the divisional round but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Rams dropped their star wide receiver, Cooper Kupp, to the Las Vegas Raiders during this offseason. The team still makes up for their loss by having wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams to fill his shoes. The team also kept their quarterback from the past four seasons, Matthew Stafford. Though the team has not traded or gained many players, losing Cooper Kupp may change how the team performs and cause Nacua and Adams to step up their game for a better receiver performance.
On the other side of the NFL, the first team in the American Football Conference (AFC) to watch out for is the Denver Broncos. The Broncos are a part of the AFC West division and had a 10-7 record last season, but lost to the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard weekend playoff game. This will be Sean Payton’s third consecutive year with the Broncos. Because this team has not made any major changes, the potential to heighten some of its younger players, such as Bo Nix, will really help this team to thrive.
This will be Nix’s second year in the NFL, so hopefully, their growth and development within his techniques will help improve the offensive aspects. To support Nix, they have a veteran wide receiver, Courtland Sutton, who can help him move the ball down the field. The team picked up tight end Evan Engram from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will be an asset as well to this offensive lineup. The Broncos have a chance to strengthen a young quarterback while alongside a core veteran player slotted at the tight end and wide receiver positions.
For the AFC, the second team to watch out for in the AFC West is the Las Vegas Raiders. I know what you may be thinking, 4-13 record last year and had no chance of making the playoffs, what makes this year different? Well, a lot of changes occurred this offseason for the Raiders. The biggest change is their new head coach, Pete Carroll, who coached the Seattle Seahawks for 14 consecutive seasons. This works really well in favor of the Raiders because not only did they snag the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach, they also picked up their quarterback, Geno Smith.
This duo has worked together in the past season and hopes to keep their partnership successful. The Raiders hired Chip Kelley as the new offensive coordinator. The team also gets to keep working and developing their second-year tight end, Brock Bowers. On the defensive side of the Raiders, defensive end Maxx Crosby, who was out most of the 2024-2025 season due to an ankle injury, is now well recovered and ready to perform. Another major event that took place was that former NFL quarterback Tom Brady became a minority owner of the Raiders. Though Brady will not be physically playing for the team, he is still a part of this franchise in some way. With the help of a new experienced head coach, offensive coordinator, new quarterback, second-year tight end and a defensive end who is ready to get back in action, this team is going to be very hard to beat.
We all know, or can even predict, some of the division leaders, but the wildcard and upset teams are always the teams to watch out for. These few teams are the ones that bring the heat— they light the fire under their conference teams and help bring the competition. The Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are my picks of possible teams to watch out for in this upcoming 2025-2026 NFL season. If wildcards are going to be in the Super Bowl, this might just make for an exciting year.
