2025 NFL predictions: Bad Bunny, a Super Bowl rematch and Jayden Daniels’ continued ascent

NEW ORLEANS — The Philadelphia Eagles are the Super Bowl LIX champions … but we know who really won on Sunday.

Coming off a sweep of the Grammy Awards for the unofficial 2024 anthem “Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar delivered a Super Bowl halftime show performance that was arguably more captivating than the Eagles’ 40-22 win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Amid the dominance of the Eagles and Lamar, we couldn’t help but push it forward to the 2025 NFL season and Super Bowl LX in San Francisco in 2026.

Let’s get to the predictions from Andscape senior writers Martenzie Johnson, Justin Tinsley and David Dennis Jr.

Who is the most interesting Black quarterback in 2025 and why?

Johnson: Jayden Daniels. My answer was originally going to be Lamar Jackson, but after two MVP awards in seven seasons, I already know how good – playoffs aside — Jackson can be. Daniels, on the other hand, is the savior of the District. All the Commanders have known since 1999, when Daniel Snyder bought the team, is misery and despair: it was once a controversy that Snyder banned fans from walking to the stadium from non-stadium lots. But Daniels brought a joy and happiness to this place that rivals Frankie Beverly. It isn’t just that he can throw and run the ball, it’s that he’s Jayden Cool while doing it. It’ll be interesting to see whether he becomes an even better version of his 2024 self next year, or takes a step back like C.J. Stroud did this season.

Tinsley: As much as I want to say Daniels — and you wouldn’t be wrong at all by saying him — I’m going to go with Lamar Jackson. We had a similar conversation about LeBron James early in his career. James was a supremely gifted athlete, incredibly intelligent and dominated regular seasons so effortlessly with multiple MVPs that postseason supremacy felt like a given. Only it was never that easy for James, and now with Jackson. In many ways, it’s unfair to place this “Super Bowl or bust” burden on Lamar, but it’s also the consequence of living in the Patrick Mahomes Era. Every year the Baltimore Ravens don’t advance to the Super Bowl, the lights get brighter and the critique louder, primarily on Jackson who’s done everything already in his career sans the one thing he promised the night he was drafted.

Dennis: You guys are probably right here but I think we should also note the offseason Jalen Hurts is about to have. He just dethroned Mahomes. He’s a champion. Hurts was much maligned this season with people doubting how much he is the one propelling the Eagles to where they are. He entered Sunday’s game at a crossroads where, if he lost, we’d still be wondering if he could ever hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Now, he’s undeniable as a Super Bowl MVP who had a firm hold on the game from the beginning. Now he’s the one potentially building a dynasty if he can roll towards another Super Bowl. We’ll see what winning looks like for Hurts and how he carries that momentum.

Which quarterback – Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders or Jalen Milroe – is most likely to win Rookie of the Year?

Johnson: Sanders. I base this decision solely on where Sanders is drafted. If it’s at No. 3 to the Giants, as ESPN’s Mel Kiper predicts in his latest mock draft, then he is my pick for ROTY. The Giants have a good receiver, Malik Nabers, in place to make Sanders’ life easier, and a head coach in Brian Daboll who helped turn YOLO Josh Allen into present-day MVP Josh Allen. But If Sanders goes to the Browns at No. 2, as ESPN’s Jordan Reid predicts, then it’s Ward. The Browns have a perpetual stank on them – and that’s before you get to Deshaun Watson and his immovable contract. Not even Prime Time could shine up these Browns.

Tinsley: Martenzie is 100 percent right here from his selection to his reasoning. What we saw this year is the value of a competent front office and how that impacts a young quarterback. Truth be told, front offices have been making and destroying rookie quarterbacks for generations now, but it’s time accountability be placed on them just as much as the young signal callers they give the keys to the franchise to. Take last year for example. Caleb Williams was drafted into the Chicago Bears with the top overall pick — with stellar skill players on offense, mind you — but the flux of the head coach and the front office’s lack of real trust there made for a largely disappointing season. Meanwhile, Daniels seemed to have stability all around him and it led to the best season the franchise has had in over 30 years and Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year. If I’m Ward or Sanders, I’m figuring out a way to not go to Cleveland. But whoever drafts these young men, here’s hoping that the franchise has their ducks in a row and doesn’t set these quarterbacks up for failure before they can even shake Roger Goodell’s hand.

Dennis: I’m gonna go with the guy who I think has the most upside and raw talent. That’s Sanders. I think a lot of the potential suitors, including the aforementioned Giants, have either the right coaching for or pieces around him to maximize his talents in the first year. He’s going to have the most eyeballs and pressure, but he’s been used to that. So yeah, I’m going three for three of Prime Time Jr.

Where does Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett play in 2025?

Johnson: Steelers. Pittsburgh has conceded since at least 2015 that they’re sickos who prefer great defenses mixed with mediocre quarterback play when trying to compete. So why not double down and create the greatest pash rush in NFL history with Garrett and TJ Watt? I’m a firm believer in bringing back the run game in football, so what better way to make that happen than to have these two making it nearly impossible for teams to drop back and pass? He also gets the added bonus of sacking the types of bad quarterbacks the Browns have trotted out over his entire career in Cleveland.

Tinsley: The Commanders better back a Brinks truck up to Garrett’s place of residence right now. They have everything going for them. They’ve got the franchise quarterback in place. Best believe pending free agents and or guys the caliber of Garrett who can pick their next destination were wildly intrigued about playing with a guy like Daniels. The Commanders defense, which played admirably this year until Philly went ballistic on them in the NFC title game, could be completely transformed with a guy like Garrett on the edge. Most importantly, Washington is going to have serious cap space so the defense could improve in a hurry. If you’re Garrett, you have to be looking at the DMV as a serious contender for your next area to live in.

Dennis: The Lions. Why not? Injuries kept them from a deeper playoff run and destroyed their season. You know what makes up for that? A defensive unicorn who would make them unstoppable. Pair him with a healthy Aiden Hutchinson and this is a 1-2 punch as good as any in the league. Even the almighty Mahomes would have trouble against that front line. I really want to see Detroit get a healthy chance at a run and after what they endured this season they could use some good luck in the form of one of the best defensive players ever falling in their laps.

Who’s playing in Super Bowl LX in 2026?

Johnson: Chiefs and Eagles. There’s no point in betting against Mahomes making it to the Super Bowl, so why even lie to myself? Until the Ravens and Bills get serious when it matters, this is a foregone conclusion. On the other hand, Daniels was an early MVP favorite as a rookie due to the quarterback play in the NFC. The Eagles have Jalen Carter on their defense, which makes them the best by itself. And they’ll likely have all four of Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith back on offense. Sometimes the obvious is obvious.

Tinsley: Ravens and Commanders. I know, I know, I know. Picking against the Chiefs would cause any sane person to think why I even work at ESPN in the first place. You might be right, too. But here’s the thing, I’m not saying they won’t make the AFC Championship because they will. I’m saying 2026 is the year Lamar and the Ravens finally get over the hump and get to the game they’ve unsuccessfully flirted with for years. As for the Commanders, it’s difficult. I don’t want to place too much pressure on a second-year QB and a franchise getting acclimated with expectations again. But Washington will enter next season with a real hunger for more. They’ll do so after an offseason that comes with ample cap space and finally being looked at as a legitimate free agent destination too. All of this and more is why I’m predicting in 2026 we don’t see the Chiefs in the Super Bowl for the first time in four years. And it’ll be the Beltway Bowl at that! What’s the worst that could happen when betting against Mahomes? Certainly not public embarrassment!

Dennis: Chiefs and Packers. I wanna go Ravens, too. But they’re the anti-Chiefs in that while I won’t bet against the Chiefs until they lose, I’m not betting on the Ravens until they win. They’ve been the best team in the league for two years and blew it each time. So I’m not betting against Mahomes. As for the Packers, I just believe in Jordan Love’s progression and how it lines up with the rest of the team’s improvement. He had an uneven season but the talent is there. I think there might be regression with teams like the Lions and definitely the Vikings, so Green Bay might be able to sneak in this year if Love takes a leap.

Who should be the halftime performer at Super Bowl LX?

Tinsley: Whoever performs next year will have a ton to live up to after what Lamar just did on Sunday. That being said, Bad Bunny makes so much sense here because I believe the NFL may try and wait one more year and get Taylor Swift for the 2027 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. He’s far from a consolation prize though. With tens of billions of streams to his name, an international following the NFL covets as it continues to expand its reach abroad and a catalog best described as ridiculously deep — he has 113 Billboard Hot 100 hits — Bad Bunny would continue Roc Nation’s annual tradition of putting on amazing shows on the biggest stage.

Johnson: Bruno Mars. I actually rock with Justin’s choice of Bad Bunny even if Bunny only played “NUEVAYoL” on a loop for the whole performance. But the clear choice is Bruno. He’s performed twice at the Super Bowl already – in 2014 and 2016 – and both performances are top-10 all-time for the big game. Bruno is about as versatile a performer as it gets – ranging from his retro duo with Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic (whose Las Vegas residency rivaled Usher’s) to present day collaborations with Lady Gaga, K-Pop singer Rosé, and of course most recently with rapper Sexyy Redd. The NFL already allowed Lamar to insinuate that Drake is a pedophile on that stage. What harm could “Fat Juicy & Wet” possibly cause?

Dennis: Taylor Swift. It’s time. She’s been the elephant in the room every year and it seems like a matter of time before she’s on that stage. Let’s let her finally do what all the other stars of her stature are challenged to do: put together a Super Bowl halftime show for the ages. It’ll be one of the most anticipated performances yet and a massive rating.