Breaking down the biggest moves heading into the 2025 NFL trade deadline
USA TODAY Sports’ Prince Grimes breaks down the biggest moves leading up to the 2025 NFL trade deadline.
- Week 10 is over, and the 2025 NFL regular season has reached its halfway point.
- Who will win Super Bowl 60? Our experts make the picks.
- The Kansas City Chiefs, three-time defending AFC champions, are the most popular team in our group.
There are still nine weeks until the NFL playoff spots are solidified. The 60th Super Bowl will be held in Santa Clara, California.
But it’s never too early to think about the big game.
Week 10 is over, and the 2025 NFL regular season has reached its halfway point. There are still nine weeks until the league’s playoff picture is finalized. USA TODAY Sports staff will be at your table providing predictions and suggestions for which teams. They will win the Super Bowl this season.
teeth kansas city chiefs Is this the third time in four years that they will play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl? Will the Buffalo Bills or Detroit Lions finally break through? Or is there a sleeper team that experts believe will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February?
As the world prepares for the second half of the regular season, our staff provides predictions and team picks. They will win and cement their legacy in NFL lore.
super bowl predictions
Buffalo Bills 27, Los Angeles Rams 24
Jacob Kamenker, NFL Writer: Maybe I’m getting a little too carried away after the Bills’ recent regular-season win over the Chiefs, but Buffalo’s balanced offense and top-six pressure defense threaten to take down anyone in the AFC. Even if the Bills can’t overtake the AFC East-leading Patriots, Buffalo has the playoff experience they need to win on the road and make it through the vast AFC.
Meanwhile, the Rams got an MVP-like performance from Matthew Stafford in 2025 and, like the Bills, generated the pressure needed to shake up opposing QBs in the playoffs. With the addition of a top-tier receiver duo in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, Los Angeles could have the most explosive offense in the NFC come January.
The Bills vs. Rams Super Bowl will be an interesting matchup between teams with similar compositions, but Josh Allen’s dual-threat ability will be the difference between both teams.
Kansas City Chiefs 21, Seattle Seahawks 16
Ayrton Ostley, NFL Writer: Yes, I know the Chiefs lost to the Bills in Week 9. Yes, I know the Chiefs were terrible in their last Super Bowl trip. No, I don’t care.
This Chiefs team is much better than the one that won the AFC title last season. With Laci Rice back in the lineup, the offense has become more dynamic. The defense is playing well enough, especially against the pass, to give the offense the advantage it needs to win games.
Now for the surprising aspect of my prediction. The Seattle Seahawks’ defense is terrifying. Because they have many answers to whatever is thrown at them. They are also doing very well on the road under second-year coach Mike McDonald, going 11-1 through Week 9. They won’t be daunted by a road trip against the likes of Detroit, Philadelphia and Green Bay. Offensively, Jackson Smith-Nijiva is a superstar, and coordinator Clint Kubiak has built one of the league’s best offenses around him.
In the end, the Seahawks fell short as quarterback Sam Darnold made some critical mistakes and Patrick Mahomes earned his No. 4 Super Bowl ring.
Kansas City Chiefs 24, Philadelphia Eagles 17
Jack McKessie, NFL Writer: Chiefs vs. Eagles III ends with a return to form for the reigning AFC champions. At this point in the season, it’s easy to bet on the Chiefs coming back to the big game. They just lost to the Bills! It’s 5 to 4! If the season ended today, they wouldn’t even qualify for the playoffs!
Yeah, but at the end of the day, Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are the Chiefs. Kansas City’s defense has allowed the fourth fewest points of any team and the fewest of any team through nine games. The Chiefs’ +76 point differential is fourth-best in the league and second-best in the AFC. Their offense is so one-dimensional that while Mahomes led Kansas City in rushing yards through the first four weeks of the season, the Chiefs still rank fourth in EPA/play and completion percentage through nine weeks.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are getting stronger. Philadelphia’s offense struggled through the first six weeks of the season, unable to find a way to get the ball into the hands of all of its exceptionally talented playmakers. The Eagles ranked 21st in the league in EPA/play (0.015) and success rate (44%) during that span.
In the last three weeks, they have won both games (week 9 was a bye). In Week 7, quarterback Jalen Hurts had a perfect passer rating with over 300 yards and three touchdown passes. In Week 8, running back Saquon Barkley gained over 100 rushing yards in his first game (he had 150). Philadelphia ranks first in the league in EPA/play (0.370) and sixth in completion percentage (49.5%) over the past three weeks.
When these teams meet again on the NFL’s biggest stage, it will be the Chiefs’ superior defense that will be the difference-maker. And with wide receiver Laci Rice healthy for this matchup, Kansas City will get the most out of the Eagles’ Achilles heel: the defensive secondary.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Baltimore Ravens 27
Nick Brinkerhoff, NFL Writer: It’s up to me to step down from the board while my colleagues alternate between the Chiefs and Bills. Crazy? perhaps. genius? Time will tell. As we enter the second half of the season, the Buccaneers and Ravens are underrated teams, and it’s time for us to start acting like them.
We all know what the Ravens went through this season, but that’s not in the past. Lamar Jackson is back and Baltimore is playing in a wide-open AFC where the AFC North title is up for grabs. At 1-5 to .415, Baltimore has as much of a chance as any other team to make a trip to San Francisco in February. The defense has it back, some trade deadline additions are on the way, and Jackson is healthy – that’s the most important thing.
With plenty of winnable games ahead, the Ravens are poised to go all-out in the postseason with their two-time MVP quarterback, and what’s not to like about that?
The story would probably end with the Ravens overcoming the odds and taking on Lombardi, but things don’t work out that way. Another underrated team is being put to sleep in a much better NFC. Does anyone know that the Bucks are 6-2? Anyone? Baker Mayfield is firmly in the MVP discussion, and he’s doing this without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Bucky Irving. There are no real threats in the NFC South, meaning Tampa can pursue another division crown.
Evans could be back for the playoffs, Godwin could be back in December, and Irving’s return should come sooner rather than later. While Emeka Egbuka emerged as a star in his own right, they were one of the best teams in the league without these star players. With no more gutsy underdogs, Mayfield finally has his championship moment. You better start crowning yourself Captain Fear now.
Kansas City Chiefs 27, Detroit Lions 25
Tom Vieira, NFL Writer/Editor: The “Super Bowl runner-up” theory is an important point. In Super Bowl history, 51 of the 58 losers (87.9%) did not return the next season, and only one of the last 30 runners-up returned to the big game. In other words, history suggests that the AFC will field a new team to represent the AFC this season.
But the Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, are a team that defies adversity, and their defense has quietly allowed the fourth-fewest points per game. Kansas City will continue its historic run and win its 10th straight AFC West title. The Chargers’ offense was devastated, and Bo Nix was inconsistent. Kansas City needs to get ahead of both, but will play Denver twice and face Los Angeles at home. Perhaps the Chiefs’ toughest matchup of the second half comes in Week 11 after a walkover against the Broncos. Andy Reid has a total of 22 wins and 4 losses with a walkover.
Teams want to play their best football in December and January, and the Chiefs have a great schedule ahead of them.
Fans hoping for fresh blood in the playoffs may have to wait at least one more season, as Mahomes isn’t ready to relinquish his throne. The Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl for the sixth time in seven seasons.
The Lions have the best roster from top to bottom. Some people forget that Detroit won its first NFC North title since 1993 and hosted its first playoff game at Ford Field just two years ago. That quest ended when they fumbled a 17-point halftime lead against the 49ers in the NFC Championship. The Lions will be looking to bounce back in 2025 after being hit by injuries in 2024, but Dan Campbell will lead Detroit to its first Super Bowl appearance.
Detroit’s explosive, balanced offense averages 28.8 points per game (third-most in the league). The defensive line is characterized by impactful players. The departures of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson were difficult, but revitalized the team. Detroit’s windows remain wide open.
Mahomes started the season with the Chiefs on his back, with Laci Rice suspended for the first six weeks and Xavier Worthy missing three weeks with an injury. He’ll do the same in the playoffs, leading a Super Bowl return and winning his fourth Super Bowl MVP, and GOAT talk will dominate the summer of 2026.
When is Super Bowl 60?
- date:Sunday, February 8, 2026
- time: 6:30pm (Eastern Standard Time)
The Super Bowl will be held on the second Sunday in February since the league moved to a 17-game schedule for the 2021 NFL season.
