Posted 9/24/2026
The NFL regular season has officially kicked off, so let's get those Super Bowl predictions started early, shall we? Better yet, let's predict which teams have zero chance of being the champs. Obviously, 31 of the 32 teams will not hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy—that's a given. However, some organizations stand out and can be immediately disqualified, either due to their rosters, divisions, coaching staff, ownership, or other factors.
For starters, the Las Vegas Raiders have us skeptical. Klint Kubiak made the leap to head coach after being the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks during their championship run. Even if it's possible for him to come up with fresh ideas to move the ball, Kirk Cousins is under center, and he has proven to be lackluster. There's also the fact that schemes are studied in the NFL. Sean McVay was once heralded as brilliant because of his ingenuity, but nowadays, he's held in the same regard as most coaches.
Ergo, the Rams may be out of the picture. Matthew Stafford is almost in his twilight years, possibly, with his best days behind him despite his stellar season last year. After losing offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to the Cardinals, it may be a daunting task to mount a competitive offense.
Speaking of the Cardinals, we've already mentioned Mike LaFleur took over as coach, but Jacoby Brissett will be trusted to distribute the ball following Kyler Murray's departure to the Vikings. Brissett had a decent season through 14 games with the Cardinals last year, garnering the most passing yards of his career. However, he doesn't have the track record to suggest he can take a team to the ultimate prize. Besides that, the Rams and the Cardinals are in the same division with the Seahawks and the 49ers.
It's tough to get a solid quarterback, and the Atlanta Falcons could testify to that fact, as their QB position is in turmoil. The concussion-riddled Tua Tagovailoa couldn't start the first game with an oblique injury, and neither could Michael Penix Jr. with a knee issue. The Falcons put talent everywhere except for under center. Third-string QB Cooper Rush had to make the start for the season opener while suffering from back spasms, but that's the least of their troubles. Taking over for the fired Raheem Morris is Kevin Stefanski, who is no stranger to having quarterback issues and couldn't right the ship in Cleveland.
Cleveland. Deshaun Watson has finally made his return after not having played for basically two years (693 days), effectively destroying any momentum Shedeur Sanders had built. The Browns have made a coaching change as well, hiring Todd Monken, who has his work cut out for him. Meanwhile, the New York Jets decided, for some reason, that Geno Smith was their guy. With all of the instability the Jets have faced in recent years, it's seriously doubtful that Smith and an overhauled coaching staff will have immediate success, especially a Super Bowl win.
Lastly, the Pittsburgh Steelers don't seem like a viable candidate to win it all either. The Browns and the Steelers happen to be in the same division as the Bengals and the Ravens. The Steelers have dusted Aaron Rodgers off for possibly (hopefully) his last season, and they basically need to make miracles happen. At his age, their focus may primarily be on keeping him upright, hoping he stays healthy, and praying he can deliver. Not exactly the ideal situation.
To round out the list, we're also adding the Colts, the Packers, and the Commanders to the cut. Despite the impressive flashes the Colts showed against the Chiefs, lingering roster depth issues and fierce conference competition leave these three squads too far away from true championship caliber to be taken seriously this year.
