2025 NFL Bold Predictions: 3 Playoff Darkhorses; Joe Burrow for MVP?

Ben Arthur and 4 more

Wait, the Cardinals and Titans in the playoffs?

Our five national NFL reporters have assessed the league landscape and are ready to make their bold predictions for 2025. Three of them feature last-place teams from last season making the playoffs this season, none of which you’ll likely have seen anywhere else.

NFL football is back, so let’s get into our bold predictions for the 2025 regular season.

This is bold not because of some gargantuan leap that Burrow must make in 2025 — he’s already a top-five quarterback — but because of what he needs to happen around him to win the award.

The Bengals must be a playoff team for Burrow to be MVP, in spite of a defense that is expected to be terrible again. Even with the Trey Hendrickson contract drama in the rearview mirror, Cincinnati appears to have fallen short in building up the defense, which cost the team a postseason berth in 2024.

I still think the Bengals can get just enough from the defense to support Burrow, who completed more than 70% of his passes for league highs in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) in 2024, to join the likes of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes as NFL MVP winners.

If the Bengals make the playoffs, Joe Burrow will be in the thick of the MVP conversation. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Hear me out: Remember how dominant Harrison was in college? Well, we didn’t see that from him as a Cardinals rookie last year. Harrison had eight touchdown catches, a solid showing, but just 62 catches overall for 885 yards, with a lackluster catch rate of just 53%. Some of that is the connection with quarterback Kyler Murray, which didn’t take as well as it could have.

Arizona does not have much receiving depth. Trey McBride is a great tight end, but it’s unlikely he’ll match last year’s ridiculous production (111 catches for 1,146 yards). The No. 2 receiver is likely Michael Wilson, who’s probably good for about 550 yards again.

I think you’ll see the Cardinals focus much more on getting the ball to Harrison. Instead of the 116 targets he got as a rookie, give him the Malik Nabers treatment with like 180. If Harrison gets a 50 percent increase in his offensive share and improves to even a 65% catch rate, now he’s close to 1,500 yards. If you go back a year and say this about the No. 4 overall pick, it wouldn’t seem that ludicrous.

But this exact prediction is a 50-1 prop bet in Vegas right now, with 15 players with better odds to lead the league in receiving. So, if you’re like, “This is not going to happen,” I know! It’s supposed to be bold. Remember this in January.

I tossed out this idea back when the NFL released the schedule, and I’m going to double down here.

Coach Dave Canales proved his worth last year by bringing Bryce Young’s career back to life — after benching the QB. And then the Panthers went out and improved their personnel in the offseason, with a focus on supporting Young (by drafting receiver Tetairoa McMillan) and rebuilding their defense (safety Tre’von Moehrig, defensive tackles Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown III and edge rusher Patrick Jones II).

Some think Carolina is still another year away. If Young’s resurgence is real, though, the Panthers should fight their way to the top of the NFC South. That’s what I’m betting on here.

Five years ago, this wouldn’t have seemed like much of a bold prediction. Murray was on his way to becoming one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL. Since then, injuries have slowed his career and left him looking like a shell of what he could’ve been.

Last season, Murray gave us a little glimpse of his past form, throwing for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns with 572 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. He had the Cardinals looking like contenders until their late swoon started around Thanksgiving. All of this was done with Murray’s surgically repaired knee admittedly still bothering him.

Now, the former No. 1 overall pick is two years removed from surgery, which is usually when athletes get their superpowers back. He has an array of weapons, like Harrison and McBride, a hopefully improved defense and a weakened division that is there for the taking.

All Murray needs is good health to get him back into the ranks of the elite quarterbacks. Add in a few unexpected wins and a playoff berth, and national recognition will follow.

With an uptick in Marvin Harrison Jr.’s production, Kyler Murray (left) and the Cardinals could be in the playoff chase this season. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Eric D. Williams: The Titans Will Go From Worst to First in the AFC South

This prediction reflects my confidence in No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward’s potential to immediately transform Tennessee into a playoff contender in a division without a dominant team. C.J. Stroud and Houston’s defense make the Texans dangerous, but I believe that Ward’s leadership and talent will be transformational in terms of Tennessee’s ability to compete week in and week out.

With Ward under center, we’ll see a change in how this team performs. That will start Week 1 on FOX with a tough road matchup against the Denver Broncos. Like Jayden Daniels did for the Washington Commanders last year, Ward will provide a significant boost to the Titans on and off the field, and that will lead to a postseason appearance for Tennessee for the first time since 2021.

These bold predictions were made by:

NFL reporter Ben Arthur (@benyarthur)
NFL reporter Greg Auman (@gregauman)
NFL reporter Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis)
NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano)
NFL reporter Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams)

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