With the 2025 NFL regular season around the corner, here is a prediction of every division winner in the AFC. The top tier remains on top while some toss-up divisions get taken by surprise teams.
Predicting Each AFC Division Winner In 2025
AFC East: Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills will keep their stranglehold on the AFC East division in 2025. They have taken the division crown for five straight seasons, and it’s hard to see that changing in 2025. The New England Patriots are far from competing in the division, while the other two teams, the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, could fall short again.
Divisional games are always tough. No matter how good a division is, it won’t be easy, even though the Bills could dominate another division title. The Patriots might be another year away from being heavily competitive, but they did add Mike Vrabel to the fold, and another year of Drake Maye could do him well. Miami is currently going through roster changes after trading away Jalen Ramsey, but they do have big-time players such as Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Tua Tagovailoa, which will make them formidable. The Jets will have first-year coach Aaron Glenn at the helm, but despite bad offenses in recent seasons, the defense in New York has always been tough.
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens
The AFC North could be considered the toughest division in the NFL. The Top three teams in the division, the Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Pittsburgh Steelers, are as good as any top three in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns won’t exactly be looked at as contenders in 2025; however, they still give the other three teams trouble when they all play each other.
The Ravens will once again be the winners of the AFC North Division. Lamar Jackson will be in his third year of the Todd Monken system while also having Derrick Henry as a running mate after Henry rushed for over 1,900 yards in 2024. Baltimore also added DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, which will only help the Ravens’ quest for a Super Bowl this season.
AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers
In his second season as the head coach of the LA Chargers, Jim Harbaugh could do some special things in LA. While the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh, led the team to the Super Bowl, he eventually lost to his brother, John Harbaugh. Despite the loss, the growth from year one to year two under Jim was exponential. Jim Harbaugh led the Chargers to the playoffs in his first season, and he expects the Chargers to build on top of that.
The Kansas City Chiefs have won the AFC West eight straight seasons, so it will take a valiant effort from the Chargers to take the crown. However, with quarterback Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers have what it takes to make it happen. The other two teams in the AFC West feature Sean Payton and Pete Caroll as head coaches, so it will be a star-studded blood bath for the West crown.
AFC South: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars could be one of the surprise teams of the NFL this season. They hired Liam Coen to be the head coach, who will, in turn, pay dividends for the offense that features former number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence and weapons such as Brian Thomas Jr. and newly drafted Travis Hunter.
Coen comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree, which currently features coaches such as Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur, and if those coaches’ success is indicative of what’s to come from Coen, then it won’t be surprising to see the Jaguars take the south.
Jacksonville’s biggest competition will be the Houston Texans, who have won the division two straight years, but offensive line questions in Houston that could open the door for the Jaguars in 2025.
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