t’s Super Bowl season now and all the focus the next two weeks will rightfully be on the 49ers and Chiefs. But it’s never too early to start thinking about next season’s NFL futures.
Every NFL team wants to be where San Francisco and Kansas City are right now, but what 2024 teams might profile as next year’s 49ers or Chiefs? Who has the foundation in place to make the run next season?
What other teams could be next year’s Ravens or Lions — Super Bowl contenders all the way before falling just short on Championship Sunday? Who might be the 2024 version of the Cowboys, favorites all season, or the Packers, making a late-season underdog push?
Let’s take a look and get an early edge on 2025 Super Bowl futures.
Why are the 49ers in the Super Bowl? San Francisco’s offense is absolutely unstoppable when it’s rolling. The healthy 49ers led the league in both Rushing and Passing DVOA, the latter by a gulf ahead of No. 2. With Kyle Shanahan pulling the strings and everyone healthy, there’s just no defense capable of covering Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle all at once.
Enter the Dolphins.
There’s no team in the league that can match or defend all that Miami speed. Tyreek Hill is the centerpiece, the Offensive Player of the Year Award candidate a la McCaffrey, along with Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane — let alone any other speed brought in.
Head coach Mike McDaniel is literally straight off the Shanahan coaching tree. He got started with the passing a season ago, then used his run game background to ignite Miami’s rushing attack this season. This is an offense that scored 70 points in a game this season, one capable of finishing not just as the top offense in the league but the best by a noteworthy margin.
Last year’s 49ers were unstoppable late in the season before injuries waylaid the team. That was Miami’s story this season — just too many injuries late on both sides of the ball.
Can Miami get healthy next year and unleash its offense in an even more dominant fashion? Can the Dolphins defense find itself enough like this year’s 49ers defense without veteran coordinator Vic Fangio? Both defenses have plenty of weapons, and Miami should have cornerback Jalen Ramsey healthy all season.
And then, the biggest question: Can Tua Tagovailoa put together a genuinely MVP-worthy campaign and lead the NFL in all the advanced metrics a la Brock Purdy as the point guard of the best offense in the league?
