Ranking the most likely 2022 Division winners to miss 2023 NFL Playoffs

Things can change awfully quickly in the NFL, which is what makes the sport so compelling for fans. Teams can be riding high one season, and struggling the next. We’ll rank each of the 2022 division winners in terms of their prospects of returning to the postseason. We’ll start with the most likely teams to reach the 2023 playoffs, and get to teams who may be on shaky ground this year.

Unless something catastrophic happens to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, there’s not much of a chance that Kansas City will miss out on the postseason. The Chiefs have proven that as long as they have the generational talent under center, it doesn’t really matter who else they have surrounding him on offense.

There was a time when the team that lost the Super Bowl would struggle to make it back to the postseason the following year. The Eagles might not repeat their 14-3 regular season record of a year ago, but they still have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. Philadelphia can win games in the trenches or in a shootout, which makes them a virtual lock for the postseason.

The Bengals have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, and have come a long way on defense as well. They will have to execute against some strong AFC North teams, and their status as a playoff team might come into question if quarterback Joe Burrow is forced to miss regular season action.

From top to bottom, the 49ers are one of the most well-run franchises in the NFL. Their institutional excellence overcomes a lot of pitfalls they experience. There’s a world in which tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffery miss time due to injury as they have in the past. Presumed starting quarterback Brock Purdy is also returning from an elbow ailment of his own.

The Jaguars have the excellent fortune of playing in a moribund AFC South division. Jacksonville figures to be a team on the rise, with the ascension of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It’s also fair to point out that the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts may all be in the process of rebuilding, which gives Jacksonville an edge by default.

The AFC East might be the most competitive division in the league in 2023. The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets figure to give Buffalo all they can handle this season. The Bills should still be respected, but there have been cracks that make it seem all is not well. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was unhappy with the team during the offseason due to their earlier-than-expected playoff exit.

Due to financial reasons, the Vikings had to say goodbye to two reliable players this offseason. Running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Adam Theilen are no longer in the picture, which means that other players like Alexander Mattison and Jordan Addison will need to step up. There are a lot of ifs that need to be answered before the Vikings can be considered a clear-cut favorite again.

Even though the Buccaneers sputtered to the finish line last year, they still had the benefit of relying on the greatest quarterback of all time. Without Tom Brady, Tampa Bay will look to Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask under center. Even with Brady last year, the three other teams in the NFC South all finished one game behind the Bucs, so this figures to come down to the wire once more.