There’s no doubt that several AFC teams were disappointing – powerhouses that were expected to compete for the conference title. Two of them were the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, who didn’t even make the playoffs. Both were affected by injuries to their quarterbacks, but their on-field performance also fell short.
For the Ravens, at the start of the season they were the big favorites in the AFC alongside the Buffalo Bills. However, they never found their rhythm, and Lamar Jackson suffered two injuries at crucial moments. Even so, they were just a field goal away from winning the North Division, but kicker Tyler Loop missed the game-winning field goal in Week 18 against the Steelers, leaving them out of the playoffs.
For their part, the Chiefs had already been raising doubts despite having played in three consecutive Super Bowls. The AFC West also showed strong competition with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. From the start, things got complicated for Kansas City, and the final blow came in Week 14 when Patrick Mahomes suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.
Lamar Jackson is poised for a spectacular 2026
Despite a disappointing 2025, mainly due to injuries, one player to watch next season is undoubtedly Lamar Jackson. A two-time MVP in his career, now with a new head coach in Jesse Minter and new coordinators, the Louisville product could dominate the NFL once again.
According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, a healthy Lamar Jackson will compete for MVP next season, ahead of Patrick Mahomes and other top quarterbacks: “With a full offseason to get healthy and a new OC in Declan Doyle, when Lamar plays a full season, he’s always in the mix,” the analyst said.
This is certainly a hard blow for Patrick Mahomes, who since arriving in the NFL – especially from his second season as a full-time starter in 2018 – has been the league’s best quarterback. But gradually, the Chiefs are no longer responding the way they used to, and the AFC West is increasingly competitive.
In fact, in the betting markets, the Chiefs are now ranked between the eighth and tenth favorite to reach the Super Bowl, when during Patrick Mahomes’ era, they were never outside the Top 3. It’s a major challenge for Kansas City, but doubting Patrick Mahomes will always be difficult – the three-time Super Bowl winner surely has something up his sleeve.
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