Week 17 may have been a loss for the Chicago Bears, but it served as proof of concept for general manager Ryan Poles, proving that he finally got the head coach and quarterback positions right. Caleb Williams was sensational in the Bears’ heartbreaking 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and Ben Johnson went blow for blow with one of the best offensive minds in the league in Kyle Shanahan.
This clash of titans saw Williams and Brock Purdy trading haymakers on every drive, setting an NFL record in an instant classic. Williams’ touchdown bomb to Luther Burden III in the first quarter was arguably the best throw of the year from any quarterback.
Burden BOMB 💣
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/gvXYB04AW9
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 29, 2025
With this loss, the Bears lose their chance at the No. 1 seed (though Ben Johnson confirmed that they will still play to win against his former team in Week 18) and drop down the rankings slightly. Where do they land in the final version of my 2025 NFL power rankings? Let’s dive in.
1. Seattle Seahawks: 13-3 (Last week: 1)
Handling business against a frisky Panthers team keeps the Seahawks in the top spot, but my confidence in this team is waning. That feeble first-half effort won’t cut it against the rest of the playoff field.
2. New England Patriots: 13-3 (Last week: 5)
The gaudy numbers from Week 17 looked fantastic, but let’s not get out over our skis regarding the Patriots. Demolishing a Jets team that has clearly given up isn’t terribly impressive to me, but it’s enough to get them to the No. 2 spot.
3. San Francisco 49ers: 12-4 (Last week: 10)
I have to own up to being totally wrong about the 49ers. I thought that there was no way they could overcome their rash of injuries, but outlasting the red-hot Bears in a shootout Sunday night matchup proves that they have what it takes to get back to the Super Bowl.
4. Houston Texans: 11-5 (Last week: 7)
I don’t know if there’s a more dangerous team in the AFC right now than the Texans. That defense is making even the best offenses look sheepish, and even in 2025, defense still wins championships.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: 12-4 (Last week: 6)
I have to say that I was a little disappointed in the Jaguars this week. Barely beating a Colts team in the midst of a historic implosion doesn’t inspire much confidence, not when the playoffs are right around the corner.
6. Denver Broncos: 13-3 (Last week: 8)
Sean Payton is proving that hiring the right head coach matters more than almost anything else on a football team. On paper, the Broncos shouldn’t be this good. But Payton is getting the most out of this roster, and that may eventually include a Super Bowl title.
7. Los Angeles Rams: 11-5 (Last week: 2)
I don’t want to overreact to one bad loss, but it’s too late in the season to be dropping games like that against a team like the Falcons. The Rams suddenly don’t look so invincible anymore, and Matthew Stafford’s MVP case is crumbling.
8. Chicago Bears: 11-5 (Last week: 3)
I really didn’t want to drop the Bears five spots. They gave the Niners a run for their money, after all. But that loss proved that the Bears remain a year away from being true contenders. They have a championship-caliber offense, but a defense that couldn’t stop a nosebleed.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
9. Buffalo Bills: 11-5 (Last week: 4)
Nine times out of ten, Josh Allen hits that two-point conversion attempt. Sunday just happened to be the one time he missed, and it cost the Bills a critical game. The Bills are a genuine threat to make a Super Bowl run, but the inconsistency worries me.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5 (Last week: 12)
It’s about time to have a Jalen Hurts conversation in Philly. The Eagles won, but they did so without a single completed pass in the second half. It seems to me that you could plug just about any quarterback into that offense and get the same output, and it wouldn’t cost Philly $50 million a year.
11. Los Angeles Chargers: 11-5 (Last week: 9)
What are we supposed to make of the Chargers? They have a legit Top 5 quarterback in Justin Herbert but can never seem to win the big games. Will they finally make some noise in the 2025 playoffs? Or will it be another offseason of wondering what went wrong?
12. New Orleans Saints: 6-10 (Last week:17)
This may be controversial to put a 6-10 team over playoff teams, but I love what the Saints are doing. They’ve won three games in a row now, and rookie quarterback Tyler Shough looks like the truth. Dare I say this Saints season smacks of the Lions’ 2022 season?
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13. Green Bay Packers: 9-6-1 (Last week: 11)
What a difference three weeks can make. At the start of December, the Packers looked like legit Super Bowl contenders. Now we’re not even sure if their head coach and GM will survive this season. Another one-and-done performance in the postseason could send Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst packing.
14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-8 (Last week: 15)
Even if the Ravens sneak into the playoffs, they’re not making it far. This team is in trouble.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7 (Last week: 13)
A bizarre gameplan from the Steelers cost them an easily winnable match against the previously three-win Browns and forces them into a win-or-go-home matchup with the Ravens in Week 18. But hey, at least Mike Tomlin secured another winning season.
16. Carolina Panthers: 8-8 (Last week: 14)
After a couple of entertaining games, Bryce Young came crashing back to Earth against the Seahawks. The Panthers have to find his replacement this offseason, or they’ll waste another season.
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
17. Dallas Cowboys: 7-8-1 (Last week: 18)
I really don’t know what happens to the Cowboys in 2026. They’re loaded with talent on both sides of the ball but never seem to be on the same page. I think at the very least they need a new defensive coordinator, and they’ll have to invest heavily in the trenches.
18. Minnesota Vikings: 8-8 (Last week: 20)
What’s so frustrating about the Vikings is that the roster is talented enough to be a legit contender, except they made a catastrophic mistake at the quarterback position. At the very least, they need to bring in a serious competitor for J.J. McCarthy, either in free agency or the draft.
19. Kansas City Chiefs: 6-10 (Last week: 19)
I won’t drop the Chiefs for a close loss to a good Broncos team, but this team clearly needs a year (or two) to step back and retool the roster around Patrick Mahomes. He’s still young enough to pull off the kind of second act that Tom Brady did with the Patriots, but only if they rebuild smartly.
20. Atlanta Falcons: 7-9 (Last week: 21)
Credit where credit is due: the Falcons whooped a vastly superior Rams team and are playing the role of spoiler to perfection. Still, their future is bleak, and they don’t even have their own first-round pick in 2026.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
21. Detroit Lions: 8-8 (Last week: 16)
Dan Campbell is clearly a head coach dependent on his coordinators, and 2025 was not good enough on either side of the ball. Who he hires (or retains) in 2026 will determine whether Campbell’s job is in jeopardy in 2027.
22. Cincinnati Bengals: 6-10 (Last week: 22)
If the Bengals don’t want to lose Joe Burrow, then they need to get serious about building a complete team around him in 2026. That means firing head coach Zac Taylor and bringing in a defensive guru like Green Bay’s Jeff Hafley or San Francisco’s Robert Saleh as the new head coach, and investing heavily on the defense.
23. Miami Dolphins: 7-9 (Last week: 24)
The Dolphins find themselves in a bind as the calendar turns to 2026. They’re clearly done with Tua Tagovailoa, but are unlikely to find an upgrade in either free agency or the draft. They should probably move on from head coach Mike McDaniel, but there is again no clear upgrade available. Things could be pretty dismal for quite some time in Miami.
24. New York Giants: 3-13 (Last week: 27)
Whoever the next head coach of the Giants is needs to get creative when it comes to protecting Jaxson Dart from himself. Dart is the future of this franchise, but if he continues to take unnecessary hits, that future won’t last very long.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
25. Indianapolis Colts: 8-8 (Last week: 23)
They might end up winning nine games, but make no mistake: the Colts need a total reset, similar to what the Bears did in 2022. Sell everything that isn’t nailed down and be prepared for an ugly year of football, but one that will hopefully lay the groundwork for a return to contention.
26. Tennessee Titans: 3-13 (Last week: 25)
Most teams that pick first in the draft don’t typically see much success the following year, but this Titans team was an absolute disaster. This upcoming head coach hire could very well be the most critical in the franchise’s history, given the importance of developing quarterback Cam Ward.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-9 (Last week: 26)
Is it crazy that a team one win away from the playoffs is 27th in my power rankings? Maybe a little, but that just sums up the kind of season Tampa Bay is having, and it serves as an indictment of the NFC South.
28. Arizona Cardinals: 3-13 (Last week: 28)
No team needs a fresh start more than the Cardinals. Head coach Jonathan Gannon has taken this team as far as he’s going to, and it’s not nearly good enough.
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29. Washington Commanders: 4-12 (Last week: 30)
There’s nothing interesting left to say about the Commanders. The roster needs a top-to-bottom overhaul this offseason, and they may need a change at the coordinator positions, too.
30. Cleveland Browns: 4-12 (Last week: 31)
Myles Garrett believes the Steelers were more worried about stopping him than getting the win, and he’s probably right. It’s a tremendous compliment to Garrett, but what does that say about the Browns as a team?
31. New York Jets: 3-13 (Last week: 29)
Aaron Glenn has to go. Plenty of first-year head coaches struggle, but what he’s done with this team is truly unprecedented. There’s just no excuse for a team led by a supposed defensive guru to go an entire season without one interception.
32. Las Vegas Raiders: 2-14 (Last week: 32)
That was arguably the most shameless tank job we’ve ever seen from a team, but hand it to the Raiders: they’ve certainly earned the first overall pick in 2026.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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