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3 Potential Surprise Teams for the 2025-26 NFL Season
The NFL season is still three months away but teams will enter training camp with hopes of becoming the new breakout team around the team.
That title belonged to CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans two years ago. Last season, Jayden Daniels led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. There are many breakout candidates this season as each team looks to build a winner right away.
Below, check out three teams that could make the big jump into the postseason and beyond.
3. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were a surprise team last year, in a way. The Niners came into the season as a Super Bowl contender but suffered injuries before falling short of the postseason. San Francisco made major changes this offseason trading Deebo Samuel to Washington while agreeing to extensions with some major players. This includes Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Fred Warner. There will not be the same hype surrounding San Francisco this season and that might work in its favor.
2. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers ended last season encouraged by the play of Bryce Young. Their young quarterback took a step forward after being benched for a few weeks. Young raised the level of the team over the final few weeks and that brings some light heading into the season. Carolina added Tet McMillan in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft while Chuba Hubbard returns in the backfield. The Panthers made some changes along the defensive line as well. This is a team that could be improved in a difficult NFC.
1. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots might be the most-improved team in the league and it begins on the sideline. Mike Vrabel was hired to be the next head coach and this is when all plans were put into motion. A busy offseason saw the Patriots land Milton Williams along the defensive line while improving the offensive line in a big way. The trenches have become a big part of New England and for good reason. The Pats improved in many ways across the board and could be the biggest contender to go from worst to first.
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