The Kansas City Chiefs came closer to winning three straight Super Bowls than any other team. It just didn’t feel that way after Super Bowl LIX turned into a blowout.
Last season ended with the Chiefs losing 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the game wasn’t even that close. The Eagles had a 40-6 lead with three minutes to go, before the Chiefs scored two meaningless touchdowns. Every team starts training camp and the preseason knowing how long the road is to win a Super Bowl. The Chiefs are beginning the seemingly impossible task of trying to win three. But that path starts with just one, and showing the NFL their dynasty isn’t over by winning Super Bowl LX.
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“Now we’re here. We’re here to start over,” Mahomes said at the start of training camp. “‘How can I get better for my teammates? How can I get better for the guys beside me?’ And then go out there and attack so that we can find a way to win that last game, and not lose it.”
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The Chiefs — whose worst finish in the seven seasons since Mahomes took over as starting quarterback has been a pair of overtime losses in the AFC championship game — will be contenders again but they have company. The Eagles are loaded again. The Bills and Ravens want to break through in the AFC, and the Lions will try in the NFC. Other teams want to break through with a long playoff run, like the Commanders unexpectedly did last season.
Everyone is vying for Super Bowl LX as the season starts. Even though the Eagles had an emphatic win in last season’s Super Bowl, the biggest story in the league is still if the Chiefs’ dynasty is still going strong despite a high-profile setback.
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Here are the NFL power rankings as the preseason starts.
32. Tennessee Titans
The reports on Cam Ward have been good so far. His work ethic is already turning heads; a report said he’s at the facility at 5:30 a.m. every day. He has been making plays in camp. He has been oddly under the radar for most of the year, but that could change early in the season.
31. New Orleans Saints
The retirement of Tyrann Mathieu isn’t good news for a Saints team that comes into the season with low expectations. It’s getting even harder to see how New Orleans avoids being one of the five worst teams in the NFL this season.
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30. Cleveland Browns
Kenny Pickett’s hamstring injury probably won’t keep him out long but it has an effect on the Browns’ quarterback race. Joe Flacco seems like an even better bet to start. And it should open up more reps for rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who are battling between each other to see who opens the season higher on the depth chart.
29. Carolina Panthers
First-round draft pick Tetairoa McMillan could be in for a big rookie season. Head coach Dave Canales is already talking up the possibility of getting him the ball often, and there are some early camp highlights from McMillan. He could be a fun fit with Bryce Young.
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28. New York Jets
The Jets had a scare with Justin Fields and a toe injury, but he’s fine now. And with him healthy, this is an interesting team. It might not be a playoff team but the Jets could be far better than this initial ranking.
27. New York Giants
It seems like Jaxson Dart is improving each day early in camp, which is a good sign. It still seems like he won’t start early in the season. How he plays in practices and games through August will help set a reasonable timetable for when he takes the QB1 job from Russell Wilson.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
There have been very positive reports on Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers from Raiders camp. Both players are going to get a ton of work this season. They’ll make the Raiders a fun team to watch, which hasn’t been the case in a while.
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25. New England Patriots
ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted that among the Patriots’ receivers “notably not on the current radar” in the depth chart battle are 2024 second-round draft pick Ja’Lynn Polk and 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker. Totally whiffing on those two selections is a setback to what has otherwise been a positive rebuilding process.
24. Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson was back for the start of camp, after a scare with his shoulder earlier in the summer, and he had some impressive throws. Richardson being back allows the team to get an honest evaluation of him in his competition with Daniel Jones.
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23. Miami Dolphins
Trading Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh removes 111 targets from last season. And there aren’t many candidates to take them. The Dolphins have one of the narrowest usage trees in the NFL; Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane will each get a gigantic amount of touches.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars seem to be full speed ahead on the plan to play Travis Hunter both ways. That’s fun. You don’t trade what Jacksonville gave up to get Hunter just to use him as a receiver. It’s smart for them to give Hunter the opportunity to see if he can play offense and defense.
21. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons had enough fights early in camp, including rookie first-round draft pick James Pearce Jr., that the coaches had to publicly reprimand the players for being too intense. “We’re trying to develop a culture, a style of play, for sure,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich told the team’s site. “Part of that is the violence in which we play — aggression, urgency and all that. Today, at times, it went a little too far.” Ultimately, that attitude is probably a good thing for Atlanta.
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20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Trading for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, while giving up safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, seemed lateral. But the Steelers see higher value in Ramsey’s position and the versatility he can bring from the corner position. Ramsey is still a very good player and can make an impact.
19. Arizona Cardinals
Having first-round draft pick Walter Nolen III suffer a calf injury and miss plenty of time in training camp is a tough blow. The rookie defensive tackle was expected to play a significant role but that gets tougher to depend on. Even if he returns for Week 1, missing camp could lead to a slow start.
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18. Dallas Cowboys
The Micah Parsons drama will last for a few more weeks and then the Cowboys will make a big production out of signing him to a deal that’s the highest for a defensive player in NFL history. This is what Jerry Jones does. Let’s not be fooled again into worrying about this issue.
17. Seattle Seahawks
Keep in mind that last year there was concern that it would take a season for the Seahawks’ defense to get accustomed to Mike Macdonald’s scheme. Seattle’s defense did improve late in the season. If the Seahawks become a playoff team, it’s because their defense took a big step forward. That could happen.
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16. Houston Texans
Joe Mixon will miss time and there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready for Week 1 due to a foot injury. He has been a high-volume running back and is entering his ninth NFL season. There should be concern about Mixon going forward.
15. Chicago Bears
Chicago’s offense made mistakes early in camp, Ben Johnson got angry, but that’s not too unusual for an offense with a new head coach. It is a reminder that despite all the talent and Johnson’s brilliance, a slow start for the Bears’ offense is a real possibility. Johnson’s scheme isn’t easy to master.
14. Cincinnati Bengals
The Trey Hendrickson standoff continues, even if he’s at training camp. Maybe it gets settled in time for Hendrickson to be fully ready for Week 1, but there’s concern about that. And how is the Bengals’ defense better without the NFL’s sack leader from last season?
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13. San Francisco 49ers
The only thing that really matters through August for the 49ers is health, especially with Christian McCaffrey. All the reports on McCaffrey in his return from a mostly lost 2024 season have been positive. If McCaffrey is right, he can again be the best running back in the NFL.
12. Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford missed the start of camp with a back injury, and while it doesn’t seem to be a long-term concern yet, we have to remember Stafford is 37 years old. He finished last season well, but it can turn in a hurry once you reach your late 30s.
11. Denver Broncos
The reports on Bo Nix in camp have consistently pointed out how much more comfortable he seems in his second season. If Nix has a better understanding of Sean Payton’s offense, maybe he can improve upon his tremendous rookie season.
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10. Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin should get a new deal at some point, but the standoff has dragged into camp and that’s not great. Still, as long as McLaurin is on the field comfortably before Week 1, there shouldn’t be too much concern about him being ready to have another fine season.
9. Los Angeles Chargers
Rookie receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith was the star of the early days of Chargers camp. Sometimes that happens and then the buzz fades as camp goes on. But if Lambert-Smith, a fifth-round speedster, is the real deal then it would be a nice boost to a receiver group that lost Mike Williams, who retired at the start of camp.
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8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One of the biggest injuries to monitor across the NFL is Tristan Wirfs, who had knee surgery and will likely miss the start of the season. Wirfs is one of the NFL’s best tackles and the Buccaneers don’t have a great backup option. If he’s not himself all season, that would affect the entire Bucs offense.
7. Green Bay Packers
Maybe Jayden Reed is about to become the Packers’ true No. 1 receiver. He has had two solid seasons, had a nice spike in his yards per catch, and is the most bankable player in a deep receiving corps. Reed could have a nice third-year breakout.
6. Minnesota Vikings
Receiver Jordan Addison pleaded no contest to a lesser charge from a 2024 arrest on a DUI charge, and that sets him up to be suspended by the NFL. Missing Addison, a great running mate for Justin Jefferson, will be a blow for a Vikings team that everyone seems to believe will regress plenty this season.
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5. Buffalo Bills
The Bills still have the James Cook contract dispute looming, though Cook is practicing. He still isn’t happy, however. It’s possible a deal gets done or Cook just plays through his displeasure, but it’s a potential issue the Bills don’t want to have affect their chase to make a Super Bowl.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
The Rashee Rice suspension that should be coming soon is an issue for the Chiefs season now that his legal situation surrounding a multi-car accident in 2024 is resolved. Rice is a big part of the Chiefs’ plan for 2025. But the team has to wait to see how much of the season Rice will miss.
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3. Detroit Lions
One promising tidbit from camp is that Jameson Williams is running more routes and it seems to be a priority of new offensive coordinator John Morton to use him more. “You see the skillset,” Morton said, via the team’s site. “He’s very explosive. He’s gotten better every year. I want to take that skillset and now isolate him.”
2. Baltimore Ravens
One question the Ravens have is rookie kicker Tyler Loop, a sixth-round draft pick taking over for Justin Tucker, who was arguably the best kicker of this century. Loop has reportedly gotten off to a good start in camp, but having a rookie kicker on a Super Bowl contender is always an unsettling proposition.
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1. Philadelphia Eagles
It’s hard to keep a championship roster and coaching staff together, and while there were some player losses like Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore got New Orleans’ head-coaching job, the Eagles return enough of last season’s squad to earn the No. 1 spot.
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