The 106th season the NFL is on the verge of kicking off, and there’s plenty of questions circling throughout the league. Will a new player win the AP MVP? Which rookie will make the biggest impact? And most importantly, who will win Super Bowl LX? Here’s the answer to those questions and a few more.
AP MVP
Vincent: Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
To repeat the output he had last year seems near impossible. However, for the Bengals to have success, Joe Burrow is going to have to do that. He had a historic season, leading the NFL in completions (460), pass attempts (652), passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43). His yardage placed 22nd in NFL history for a single season, with his touchdown output tying for the 10th most in a year. With his completion percentage exceeding 70.5%, Burrow ranks as the NFL leader in completion percentage. Yet, despite these marks, he placed fourth in AP MVP voting, with his team’s record seeming to be the anchor that held Burrow back. Though Cincinnati’s team success remains in the same realm as last year’s, this offense is still going to be one of the league’s best. If the Bengals could take a couple more games, Burrow will earn his first MVP award.
Reece: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
There has only ever been five players in the history of the NFL to win back-to-back MVP awards, and Josh Allen could make it six. One of Allen’s biggest negatives throughout his NFL years was his tendency of turning the ball over. From 2020 to 2023, Allen did not have a season with fewer than double-digit interceptions and faced harsh criticism, even though he surpassed the 4,000-yard mark in each of those four seasons. The critics were proven wrong by his performances during the 2024 season. Although Allen threw for 575 fewer yards in 2024, he reduced his interceptions to six, 12 fewer than the 18 picks he had in 2023. It seems that Allen may have found the recipe for success and could be knocking on the door for another NFL MVP award.
AP Offensive Player of the Year
Vincent: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Since his debut, CeeDee Lamb has been a transcendent athlete in the sport. Across each of the last four seasons, he has accrued over 1,000 yards, with each of the last three hauling in over 100 catches. Lamb’s only time earning AP OPOY votes was 2023, in which he led the league in receptions (135), while also setting personal bests in yards (1,749) and touchdowns (12). Given the lack of production that is anticipated from the running game and multiple question marks on the defensive side, Dallas’ path to success is through the passing game. In a year that will have to rely on success through the air, Lamb is in a spot for a career year and his first NFL award.
Reece: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Coming into the 2025 NFL season, Ja’Marr Chase is widely considered the best wide receiver in the National Football League. This is no shock after the Cincinnati wideout finished his 2024 campaign with the Triple Crown, this award refers to a receiver leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Chase joined a very condensed list last season, with only five other receivers in NFL history accomplishing this. Although Saquon Barkley won the OPOY award last season, even with Chase having his best season yet, all hope should not be lost. The Bengals, having a defense that ranked 25th in the NFL last season and making very minor adjustments this past offseason, may actually increase Chase’s chances. The reasoning is that Cincinnati’s offense will have to maintain the same production from last year (27.8 points per game) to compete in the AFC North. Chase had an exceptional season last year, and he may just surpass those incredible numbers in 2025.
AP Defensive Player of the Year
Vincent: Micah Parsons, LB, Green Bay Packers
In his first four seasons in the league, Micah Parsons has made a case to be the best defensive player of the 2020s. Though he was the winner of the 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, Parsons is yet to win “the big one.” In each of his first two years, Parsons was the runner-up. In 2023, he set a career best with 14 sacks, but finished third in voting. If it hadn’t been for an ankle injury sidelining him for four games last year, he was on his way to being in the conversation last year. While he did get dealt to Green Bay last week and will have to learn a new defense quickly, he is an ultra-talent that can single-handedly make the Packers’ defense a premier on in the league.
Reece: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions
If it wasn’t for Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending leg injury last year, there’s no doubt that the DPOY award would already belong to him. Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks last season, finished with 17.5 sacks. Hutchinson had 7.5 through the first five games, putting him on pace for 25.5 sacks last season. That’s three more sacks than the all-time NFL sack record, shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. The numbers speak for themselves — Hutchinson is arguably the most impactful edge rusher in the league and can prove that with a DPOY in 2025.
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Vincent: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
Across the past five seasons, the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year has gone to either a quarterback or wide receiver. In both wide receiver instances, they were among the top two receivers drafted in their respective drafts, with Chase being the top wide out off the board in 2021 and Garrett Wilson being the second receiver in 2022. Tetairoa McMillan was the consensus top receiving option in this draft and the Panthers pounced on the chance to take the University of Arizona product. Across his final two seasons, he hauled in 174 catches for 2,721 yards and 18 touchdowns. Given the anticipation for Bryce Young to be Carolina’s long-term quarterback, McMillan has the chance to be his go-to option for the foreseeable future, which could result in an AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Reece: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Ashton Jeanty is one of the most hyped-up running back prospects in recent years. Rightfully so, coming off his junior year at Boise State, where he instilled himself in the record books. Jeanty, now joining a lack-lustered offense in Las Vegas after being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has a lot on his hands as a rookie. This Raiders offense consists of a 34-year-old Geno Smith, a 31-year-old Amari Cooper and Jakobi Meyers as their WR1 is going to need much help. The only upside of this offense is the second-year sensation Brock Bowers at tight end. Coming off a 2,600-yard collegiate season, both the Raider and Jeanty will be anticipating a breakout rookie year.
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Vincent: Travis Hunter, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Not only is he possibly the most transcendent prospect in NFL history, Travis Hunter has the chance to be the first player to win both the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards. Though that most likely won’t happen, Hunter is a stellar product who will boost both the Jaguars’ passing game and secondary. His bigger impact will come on the defensive side of the ball, as Jacksonville ranked last in the league in passing yards allowed. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner walked away with seven interceptions and 16 passes defensed across his two seasons at Colorado, not to mention his stellar single season in the FCS at Jackson State.
Reece: Abdul Carter, LB, New York Giants
After Abdul Carter’s past season at Penn State, Defensive Rookie of the Year is on the horizon. I don’t know what is in the water over at PSU, but it seems that they never fail to produce players that aren’t just ready to play right away, but are immediate X-factors. We saw it a few seasons ago when Parsons entered the league and made his mark as top defender as a rookie, finishing second in DPOY. There are many holes in the New York Giants roster aside from their pass rush, which has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL. The addition of Carter to play alongside Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux could be a major difference-maker for this struggling football team. Not only does Carter have extreme upside in the pros, the pieces around him will make his job that much easier. Who knows, maybe a historical rookie campaign is in the making.
Super Bowl Winner
Vincent: Kansas City Chiefs
Despite being the AFC representative for Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs enter 2025 with the third best odds of winning the AFC and fourth for winning the Lombardi Trophy. Kansas City’s roster enters the season relatively the same, with minimal turnover on either side of the ball. Patrick Mahomes remains one of the best players in the sport. His weapons remain a stellar group in the league, like Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, following a six-game suspension. On the defensive side, the depth chart is riddled with talent. With Andy Reid still the head coach and vengeance for the embarrassment from last year’s Super Bowl, Kansas City has all the tools to continue its dynasty.
Reece: Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are this generation’s NFL dynasty, and the first since the Tom Brady-Patriots era. Even with the landslide victory by the Philadelphia Eagles over Kansas City in Superbowl LIX (40-22), the narrative is that the Chiefs will be back. Mahomes is any opposing fan’s worst nightmare, especially for the AFC. What separates the Chiefs from the rest of the NFL is their ability to perform in the playoffs each year, no matter what their roster looks like. On top of that, they are no strangers to the clutch, game-winning playoff drives. These traits help set them apart from the others that struggle to get over the hump, specifically Allen and Lamar Jackson. After seven consecutive AFC Championship appearances and three Super Bowls, this year could be the moment to bring another Lombardi Trophy back to Kansas City.
All stats from Pro Football Reference as of Sept. 3.
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