Super Bowl 58 has come and gone, free agency is in full swing, and the 2024 NFL Draft is right around the corner. What better time to think about Super Bowl contenders?
The Kansas City Chiefs completed their back-to-back title campaign and will be looking for the first-ever threepeat in NFL history. There are a few teams who could overtake them, notably the team they beat, the San Francisco 49ers, as well as a few AFC teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills.
Parity rules supreme in the NFL, so there are a few teams who could make the jump and overcome the long-odds while betting on the NFL.
3 Potential Super Bowl Contenders That Could Surprise
Houston Texans
Going from picking second overall to winning the AFC South and a playoff game, the Houston Texans surprised everyone. Naturally, their Cinderella run was stopped by the top-seeded Ravens.
Houston has a super star quarterback in C.J. Stroud, winner of the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Stroud has a handful of legit threats in Tank Dell and Nico Collins and the team just acquired Joe Mixon for pennies.
The Texans also have the luxury of playing in the AFC South, one of the weakest divisions in football. Last year, the team was trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars for most of the season but came in clutch down the stretch.
If Houston can draft as well as it did in 2023 this year, this Texans team will be dangerous. They’re young, cheap, and hungry. Super Bowl contenders? Very possible, if not now, soon.
Miami Dolphins
Quite possibly the most apt description of the 2023 Miami Dolphins is “paper tiger.” Despite putting up the most points in a single game in 57 years, the Dolphins imploded down the stretch, backed into the playoffs, and were easily dispatched by the eventual champs.
It could be argued that this team is a quarterback away and the high-powered offense is held back by soon-to-be-highly-paid Tua Tagovailoa. With weapons like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, and De’Von Achane, JaMarcus Russell could’ve quarterbacked this team to eight wins.
The Dolphins’ defense was an issue all year. They attempted to fix it by acquiring Bradley Chubb but they still allowed over 220 yard per game passing and 23 points per game (11th worst).
Playing in the AFC East with the Bills will always be difficult with Josh Allen at quarterback. However, if they can get a tad better on defense, this is a powder keg an offense that could go nuclear. They just could be among surprise Super Bowl contenders.
Dallas Cowboys
Finally, America’s Team. Perennially the favorites and undefeated offseason champions year in and year out, the Dallas Cowboys are, technically, outsiders when it comes to discussing Super Bowl Contenders. Whether it’s hate because they’re the Cowboys foe the fact the team chokes in the playoffs every year, Dallas isn’t a favorite.
Realistically, Dallas has a fairly complete team. Dak Prescott is still a legit quarterback and is set to get paid. CeeDee Lamb is one of the best receivers in the league. The question mark on offense will be at running back, of course.
Defensively, Micah Parsons is a generational talent who has single handedly won games for the Cowboys. Not to mention the turnover machines, Trevon Diggs and DeRon Bland, in the secondary.
If the Cowboys could get to the playoffs and avoid the Green Bay Packers, they should be okay! Regardless, despite all of the blind hatred for the franchise, the Cowboys have a solid roster and can make a serious run in 2024.
Will any of these three have what it takes to dethrone the kings? Patrick Mahomes just won another title with perhaps the worst offense he’s had. There’s a reason the league writ large are underdogs against quite possibly the most talented quarterback we’ve ever seen.
