Don’t look now, folks, but there are only five active quarterbacks in the National Football League who can call themselves Super Bowl champions: Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Matt Stafford (LA Rams), Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers), Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets), and Joe Flacco (Indianapolis Colts).
Only two of the teams those QBs represent can be considered legitimate contenders to win Super Bowl 59 – the Chiefs and to a much lesser degree, the Jets. With two games in every team’s rear-view, its time to adjust expectations and weigh those against the oddsmakers’ predictions.
Obvious Super Bowl Front-Runners
The Kansas City Chiefs – KC has won the last two Super Bowls and enterered this year leading the NFL futures. They’re currently 2-0 and will likely remain the odds leaders unless a catastrophic injury occurs to Patrick Mahomes.
The Houston Texans – CJ Stroud is in his second year in the league and can already be considered the most valuable quarterback outside of Mahomes. Adding Stefon Diggs on offense has delivered additional firepower, and the Texans will be pushing for a Lombardi until Stroud signs his second contract.
The San Francisco 49ers – The only remaining goal for this current 49ers team is a Super Bowl win. Like Houston, San Francisco has an elite roster surrounded by a rookie QB making peanuts. The window of opportunity may be closing for the 49ers, but they’ve been consistent winners since coach Shannahan arrived in northern California.
Franchises On The Verge Of A Lombardi
The Baltimore Ravens – Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have lost their first two games, but they’re still in play in the division due to Cincinnati’s two losses and the leading team being the Steelers. Look for Baltimore to make up ground soon and get back into the playoff picture.
The Buffalo Bills – The Bills remain strong despite several critical departures from the roster. With the Dolphins lagging and the Jets still trying to prove their worth, Buffalo is the odds-on favorite to win the AFC East again.
The Philadelphia Eagles – Philly has been unusually soft at the start of 2024-25, but with the state of the NFC East, the Eagles are still the team to beat. There’s entirely too much top-end talent aboard Philadelphia, and we expect them to deliver on that promise into the postseason.
Deep Sleepers
The Los Angeles Chargers – The acquisition of Jim Harbaugh as head coach has galvanized the Chargers, who are off to a 2-0 start. That’s the first time they’ve won their first two games since 2012, and we expect these gospel changes to continue to pay off this year.
The Indianapolis Colts – Since Anthony Richarson missed most of his rookie season, he doesn’t have time for a sophomore slump. He’s got this team on his back, and they’ve got a fighter’s chance at a Wild Card berth.
The New Orleans Saints – Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara mean business. Their offensive efforts have been coupled with stifling defensive performances, as their first two wins have been in blowout fashion. We still need a couple more games worth of evidence before we’re all in on the Saints, but they’re favored at home against the Eagles by -2.5 and are poised to go 3-0.