Ranking the 16 Super Bowl contenders – 49ers vs Patriots will create $220m pay gulf between star QBs

With one week to go, there’s no clear favorite in the NFL.

That’s creating a perfect playoff scenario for the richest sports league in the world, even with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs already eliminated from the postseason.

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Only one franchise can win Super Bowl LX, and a world champion will be crowned on February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

If the New England Patriots face off vs the San Francisco 49ers, Brock Purdy will take the field earning $220 million more than Drake Maye.

Some fanbases have a legitimate chance at winning Super Bowl LX as Week 18 unfolds.

Other supporters are downright delusional and they’re better off preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Below, talkSPORT ranks the top 16 Super Bowl contenders in the weekly power rankings.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9 record)

Todd Bowles could get canned if the Bucs finish 7-10.

Bowles could also win a playoff game if Tampa Bay can steal the NFC South, then rediscover some magic in time for the postseason.

The Bucs have lost four consecutive games and are guaranteed to finish the regular season with a losing record.

But thanks to the NFL’s postseason format heavily favoring division winners, Bowles’ crew can stay alive in 2026 by capturing the South on Saturday.

This is a big test for Baker Mayfield and a head coach who recently blew his top.

If the Bucs beat Carolina and receive help from the New Orleans Saints vs the Atlanta Falcons, a backward 8-9 record will create a sudden playoff reward.

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15. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1)

First, Micah Parsons was lost for the season.

Then Jordan Love suffered a concussion, and Malik Willis created a mini-quarterback controversy.

It’s not easy being a Packers fan right now.

It’s also almost impossible to picture Green Bay winning the big game.

14. Carolina Panthers (8-8)

Bryce Young is a weekly history test.

One game, he’s finally making the Panthers’ No. 1 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft look good.

Then Young is being held to 54 yards passing and posting a 45.8 rating, while the frustrating Panthers keep the Buccaneers in the playoff picture.

If Young fails to win the South, big questions will return in Carolina.

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13. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

Lamar Jackson can reaffirm his commitment to the Ravens by prying away the AFC North from Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin.

The 2025 season has been a setback, thus far, for the two-time NFL MVP.

Jackson can fix a lot of things fast by being healthy, then beating the Steelers on Sunday Night Football.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

The most pivotal game of the 2025 regular season will be the last one played.

Mike Tomlin is guaranteed another winning year.

But he must make the playoffs with Aaron Rodgers to begin to pay off on a huge offseason gamble by Pittsburgh.

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11. Buffalo Bills (11-5)

This might not be the Bills’ year for the 66th consecutive year.

Buffalo’s offense barely showed up against the defending Super Bowl champs, which ended with the Philadelphia Eagles holding on for a 13-12 road victory.

With Josh Allen aggravating a foot injury, the Bills’ uneven year needs a clean slate in the playoffs.

10. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)

This has been an impressive season for the Chargers, who will soon receive a chance to make up for last year’s playoff letdown. 

But for all of Justin Herbert‘s talent, Los Angeles still has a tendency to drop critical games.

The Chargers’ recent 20-16 home defeat to the Houston Texans was the latest reminder that Herbert needs better surrounding pieces.

9. Chicago Bears (11-5)

Caleb Williams’ sack count has dropped from 68 as a rookie to 23 as an NFL sophomore.

That’s a tremendous positive dip for the Bears, who have clinched the NFC North while Ben Johnson receives Coach of the Year consideration.

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8. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)

Los Angeles is going backward at the wrong time.

A surreal overtime defeat to Seattle was followed by a humbling loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

It’s time for Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay to reignite the Rams’ machine.

7. Houston Texans (11-5)

Thirty-one NFL teams don’t want to play the Texans in January.

The Texans’ defense is ready for Super Bowl LX.

The offense continues to be a weekly work in progress, though, and C.J. Stroud must find a way to step up in the postseason.

Winning the AFC South again will be a perfect way to answer an 0-3 start for DeMeco Ryans’ confident crew.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

The Eagles are at their best when they’re punching victories and playing the ‘Us vs Everybody’ card.

Philly reminded the NFL that it’s still the reigning world champs with a tough road win vs Buffalo in Week 17.

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5. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)

Trevor Lawrence, franchise quarterback.

It’s finally starting to look like it, as Lawrence approaches a career-best season and the Jags keep stacking up weekly wins.

Liam Coen deserves Coach of the Year votes for guiding Jacksonville the right way in 2025.

4. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

Back-to-back wins vs Indianapolis and Chicago have the 49ers suddenly standing as the cool pick to win it all in San Francisco.

A victory on Saturday vs Sam Darnold and the Seahawks will make the surging 49ers even hotter.

Kudos to Mac Jones for saving San Francisco’s season, and a nod to Brock Purdy for starting to live up to his $265 million megadeal.

Ranking the best quarterbacks in NFL history

6. John Elway (Denver Broncos)

The 1983 NFL Draft changed the league.

It also produced two of the greatest QBs in history.

Marino went to Miami at No. 27.

Elway was so talented that he went No. 1 overall in a first round that featured seven future Hall of Famers, then forced his way from the hapless Baltimore Colts to the Denver Broncos by threatening to play baseball for the New York Yankees.

One of the first dual-threat QBs, Elway possessed a rocket arm and a bruising body — he rushed for 3,407 yards and 33 TDs during his 16-year career.

Elway’s name is still linked with some of the NFL’s greatest moments (‘The Drive’) and he appeared in five Super Bowls, winning back-to-back trophies in 1997-98 before going out on top.

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3. Denver Broncos (13-3)

There can be two truths at once.

The Broncos are still at an overall position of strength, thanks to sporting the NFL’s fourth-ranked scoring defense.

But Denver’s offense continues to disappear at critical times, and that fact could ultimately undo all of the Broncos’ success this year. 

The spotlight entering the final week of the year is on an attack engineered by Sean Payton and run by Bo Nix.

2. New England Patriots (13-3)

Mike Vrabel is making Bill Belichick forgettable in New England.

The Patriots answered a tough loss to Buffalo with a tough win over Baltimore and a blowout of the New York Jets.

Get ready for a ton of Tom Brady comparisons for Drake Maye if the Pats win a couple playoff games. 

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

Sam Darnold for MVP?

Maye should be the favorite but it’s hard to deny Darnold right now.

He made Minnesota look smart and has Seattle proud of its New Jets castoff.

Throw in the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense and Darnold could soon be in the NFC Championship game with a huge trip to San Francisco on the line.

First up is beating the 49ers and locking up the NFC West.

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