Last season, every division winner went at least 4-2 within their own division, with the Detroit Lions being the only team in the NFL to complete a sweep (6-0). Four teams went 5-1 while the remaining three went 4-2, proving that, even in the weakest divisions, a team should aim for at least four wins within their division - unless you're in the AFC North.
The AFC North finished back-to-back seasons (2022-2023) with a division winner that posted a 3-3 division record. The only other division to do so since 2020 was the NFC West (2021) when the Los Angeles Rams achieved a rarity - winning it with a 3-3 division record while second place (Arizona Cardinals) went 4-2.
While this is obviously not the deciding factor in predicting who will take their division this year, it's just one of many that went into the following predictions.
Before we get into the predictions, be sure to check out these other articles afterwards:
Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles game preview
10 bold predictions that will undoubtedly happen
10 players who need to prove everyone wrong
15 rookies to watch out for this season
Teams ready to turn things around
Teams destined to fall off in 2025
Now, getting back into it, here are my 2025 NFL season division winners!
AFC North
It's going to be competitive as it always has been between the top three teams in the AFC North.
The Cleveland Browns will finish last in the division, but they'll continue to remain the thorn of the AFC North as they always do. They may have gone 2-6 in the division last year, but one of those wins ultimately took away the Ravens having home-field advantage against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs last year - and we saw how that ended up.
Now, what's next is the interesting part.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had arguably the flashiest offseason of any team, but will that translate? Their offensive line has a lot of question marks. They lost James Daniels after a fantastic year. Troy Fautanu is returning from injury. Broderick Jones and Isaac Seumalo both had a rough 2024, with centre Zach Frazier being the lone bright spot.
Aaron Rodgers may be a name, but he's a shell of his prime self who will get chased down in a heartbeat the moment he tries to leave the pocket. DK Metcalf was a nice addition, but trading George Pickens weakened the wide receiver room. Pittsburgh's defence will have to carry the load in the end again.
The Baltimore Ravens somehow got even better than they were last season and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their offence intact. Cinci will have to be the league-leader in points per game, which they very well might be, if they want to win the division with the laughable defence they have, even with contract conflicts ending with reigning sack-leader Trey Hendrickson.
Baltimore never rebuild; they only reload. And they're getting ready to gun for the AFC North crown with an even better team than in 2024, if that's even possible.
AFC North winner - Baltimore Ravens
NFC North
Four of the top seven toughest schedules in the NFL this upcoming season belong to the teams in the NFC North - so that argument for it possibly determining who wins this division goes right out the window.
Sure, the Detroit Lions lost their offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, and defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn, but I think it's asinine to automatically write them off as anything less than possible division champions again because of that. They are still loaded with talent both on the field and on the sideline with the headsets.
The Chicago Bears still have a lot to figure out under a new regime, while the Minnesota Vikings are still a wild card waiting to really see how J.J. McCarthy can perform after coming back from injury - a team that could either fall or bounce back to where they were last year.
It'll undoubtedly remain one of the most competitive divisions this year, especially with the Green Bay Packers only getting that much better this offseason with the likes of Aaron Banks (OL), Matthew Golden (WR), Mecole Hardman (WR), Isaiah Simmons (LB), and Nate Hobbs (CB). Oh, and some edge rusher named Micah Parsons. While I don't think Parsons will ultimately lift the Packers to an NFC North title himself, it'll definitely help them get closer to it.
But I think we will see another repeat in the North.
NFC North winner - Detroit Lions
AFC East
Unless Josh Allen gets injured, there's honestly no other scenario in which the Buffalo Bills can lose the East.
The Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets all finished with losing records last year. However, I do think the Patriots will shock people and claim second in the division under Mike Vrabel's first season as their head coach - possibly earning a Wild Card spot.
They beefed up their team all-around this offseason and have the third-easiest schedule. So they'll definitely be a potential frontrunner for second in the division.
Ultimately, this division is the Bills' to lose as they look to contend for a Super Bowl yet again. Not much else needs to be said here.
AFC East winner - Buffalo Bills
NFC East
Very rare in NFL history that a team wins the Super Bowl and then wins their division the very next season. The Philadelphia Eagles are undoubtedly built to achieve that feat, much like the Kansas City Chiefs did in 2023 and 2024 - but will they?
The New York Giants continue their rebuild and won't be a division threat for the 2025 season. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys are coming off their worst season in a decade and just traded away one of the game's best players in Parsons because Jerry Jones wanted the mystery box. Sure, they got some nice pieces in the offseason, including wide receiver George Pickens, but it doesn't move the needle that much.
The Washington Commanders are primed and ready to make a division title run, especially after bringing in offensive line help with Laremy Tunsil and first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. After a season where quarterback Jayden Daniels was a step away from entering MVP-level play, there's no doubt someone of his caliber will only improve.
This year will determine if last year was a fluke for the Commanders or they're the real deal - I think it's the latter.
NFC East winner - Washington Commanders
AFC South
Probably the most uninteresting division in the entire league, the AFC South actually has a few reasons for fans to tune into games this season.
While the Indianapolis Colts came in second last year, who knows what'll happen with the quarterback carousel they have going on with Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren is undoubtedly the highlight of that offence, much like Brock Bowers was for the Raiders last season. But will they win a division off of an offensive unit and defensive unit that's almost practically the same, if not worse? No, more than likely not.
The Jaguars and Titans were both awful last season. But with the spotlight rookie of the wide receiver-cornerback dual threat Travis Hunter (JAX) and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward (TEN), the two teams will at least be somewhat worth a watch and will end up having better seasons.
However, I still don't see any of the latter teams taking the division crown from the Houston Texans. Not to say they're the outright dominant favourites like the Bills, but they're still, on paper, and on the field, the best of the four teams.
AFC South winner - Houston Texans
NFC South
I think the NFC South will be surprisingly more competitive this season - not to say they'll produce three teams with a winning record, though. The Carolina Panthers started to find their footing late last season and gave Bryce Young more weapons on offence, especially with rookie wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Jimmy Horn Jr.
Then, after coming off a year in which they had the second-fewest sacks (31) in all of football, the Atlanta Falcons bolstered their pass rush with drafting James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker, along with signing veteran Leonard Floyd, who has posted at least 8.5 sacks each of the past five seasons.
But with Michael Penix Jr. only having three unamusing starts last season, taking the starting QB role from veteran Kirk Cousins, the Falcons are either going to fly or face troubles at the position yet again.
And the New Orleans Saints, well, they have a long way to go and I'll keep it at that. The Bucs are still primed to run the division again, especially with Chris Godwin returning from injury.
NFC South winner - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
AFC West
As long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy, it's the Kansas City Chiefs' division to lose - just like Allen with the Bills.
The Denver Broncos are, without a doubt, going to be a lot more competitive this season. Bo Nix has shown he's ready to be a franchise quarterback and they beefed up their defence even more.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers are already getting bitten by the injury bug. Left tackle Rashawn Slater is out for the year with an Achilles injury. Starting running back Najee Harris is dealing with a nagging eye injury, despite reports saying he's ready to go Week 1. And lineman Mekhi Becton is also dealing with an injury.
The Chargers will remain competitive for a playoff spot, but not for a division title.
The Las Vegas Raiders are revamping their system from top to bottom and will no doubt be better with Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty on the offence, but they have a long way to go to be competitive in this division.
AFC West winner - Kansas City Chiefs
NFC West
I saved the biggest up-for-grabs division for last - yes, even more than the NFC North, though maybe not as entertaining.
The Los Angeles Rams brought in Devante Adams, giving them one of the top receiving duos in football. But quarterback Matthew Stafford is dealing with a back injury that has created some cause for concern, despite his renowned toughness.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks just moved their entire offence in a new direction this offseason and there is no telling if quarterback Sam Darnold will replicate what he did in Minnesota last season.
Over in the desert, the Arizona Cardinals potentially have the best young WR-CB duo in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Will Johnson and have shown that they aren't pushovers - they scored more points than any other team in the division last year and gave up the second-fewest points. Six of the nine losses the Cardinals had last season were decided by 10 points or less.
Then we have the San Francisco 49ers, who are getting back a healthy Christian McCaffrey and are somehow favorites to win the division among some sportsbooks. The problem is CMac is the only healthy running back on the team right now with Patrick Taylor, Corey Kiner, Isaac Guerendo, and Jordan James all hurt. Not to mention the ridiculous number of players they lost in the offseason.
In the end, I think Seattle takes the division within the final two weeks of the season, with Arizona giving them a run.
NFC West winner - Seattle Seahawks
