With the start of training camp still a few weeks away, it’s a great time to assess the landscape of the NFL. Granted, assessing the short-term future of the league is something I do often. The question I ask myself most frequently: how many more Super Bowl titles will my Patriots win as the arc of the franchise trends downward?
Looking at the league more broadly, which franchise will define the next five years? Will it be Carson Wentz’s Philadelphia Eagles? Todd Gurley and the Los Angeles Rams? Additionally, do future Hall of Famers like Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, and Aaron Rodgers have one more Super Bowl run left in the tank?
Those answers and more as I try to accurately predict what will happen over the next five NFL seasons.
Note: playoff fields listed in order of finish; * indicates wild card team; Super Bowl host cities listed in parenthesis
Super Bowl LIII (Atlanta)
over 
SB MVP: Tom Brady, QB Patriots
Conference Championships: Patriots over Chargers Rams over Eagles
AFC Playoff Field: Patriots, Chargers, Steelers, Texans, *Jaguars, *Colts
NFC Playoff Field: Eagles, Rams, Vikings, Falcons, *Saints, *Packers
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB Packers
Time is clearly running out on the New England dynasty. But with Tom Brady, the league’s reigning MVP, returning for another season, who else in the AFC is going to knock off the Pats? Perhaps the Steelers, but since their defense is just as shaky as New England’s, I bet they bow out early to a Chargers team that I expect will surprise this season.
The NFC, meanwhile, is a total crapshoot. Philadelphia and Minnesota are solid bets to make deep playoff runs once again, but I particularly love the additions made by the LA Rams, who now boast one of the top defenses in the NFL after adding Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, and Ndamukong Suh to complement last year’s DPOY, Aaron Donald. I’ll take Sean McVay’s squad to upset the Eagles at the Linc in the NFC Championship, but fall to Brady and company — who still boast the most prolific offense in the NFL — in Super Bowl LIII.
Other developments: Aaron Rodgers will win his third MVP after leading an otherwise weak Packers team back to the playoffs…Giants rookie Saquon Barkley will take the NFL by storm, totaling over 1,800 all-purpose yards en route to winning offensive rookie of the year….Deshaun Watson and Andrew Luck will make healthy returns and lead their respective teams to playoff berths after 4-12 seasons…and the lowly Browns will win at least three games…but top overall pick Baker Mayfield will have a negligible impact.
Super Bowl LIV (Miami)
over 
SB MVP: Dalvin Cook, RB Vikings
Conference Championships: Chargers over Steelers Vikings over Packers
AFC Playoff Field: Steelers, Chargers, Jaguars, Jets, *Raiders, *Chiefs
NFC Playoff Field: Vikings, Eagles, 49ers, Saints, *Packers, *Cowboys
NFL MVP: Carson Wentz, QB Eagles
Everything will come together for the Vikings at some point over these next three years. Free agent signee Kirk Cousins has plenty of weapons with the likes of Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Dalvin Cook. More importantly, Mike Zimmer’s defense projects to be one of the most dominant in the NFL over the next couple of seasons.
Minnesota will finally claim its first Lombardi trophy by defeating another championship-starved franchise, the Chargers, who will make their second Super Bowl appearance behind a renaissance from 37-year-old Phillip Rivers and a terrific defense led by star edge rusher Joey Bosa. The Bolts will also deny Ben Roethlisberger one last title opportunity in the Pittsburgh legend’s final season.
Other developments: The big story of the 2019 offseason will be the sudden demise of the New England dynasty, which will end after Tom Brady and Bill Belichick retire after the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl LIII…Carson Wentz will win his first MVP, but for the second straight year, his Eagles will be upset in the playoffs at home…the LA Rams will take a step back after losing many key players, including star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, due to lack of cap space…this will allow Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers to win their first division title since 2012…three other young quarterbacks — Sam Darnold, Derek Carr, and Pat Mahomes — will lead their teams back to the postseason as well.
Super Bowl LV (Tampa)
over 
SB MVP: Carson Wentz, QB Eagles
Conference Championships: Texans over Jaguars Eagles over 49ers
AFC Playoff Field: Texans, Raiders, Bengals, Dolphins, *Jaguars, *Colts
NFC Playoff Field: Eagles, 49ers, Packers, Falcons, *Lions, *Seahawks
NFL MVP: Russell Wilson, QB Seahawks
The Eagles will win at least one more Super Bowl over the next five seasons. They’re extremely well-coached and well-quarterbacked. It’s as simple as that.
The imminent retirements of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers, meanwhile, will soon open up the entire AFC. The Texans should be poised to break through as long as Deshaun Watson successfully recovers from his torn ACL and returns to his sensational self (19 touchdown passes in six starts as a rookie). Jacksonville and Indianapolis are two other teams that also could be in great shape — the Jaguars because they will have the conference’s best defense and the Colts because they have Andrew Luck (and hopefully some help around him three years from now). I have reasonably high expectations for Jon Gruden’s Raiders over these next few seasons, too.
Other developments: The NFC will continue to be shaped by star veteran quarterbacks like Rodgers, Matt Ryan, and Matthew Stafford…but the one who will have the biggest year is Russell Wilson, as the elusive signal-caller will claim his first MVP award for leading Seattle back into the postseason…running backs will continue to make a resurgence as well…even though I don’t expect the Giants to be good enough to make the postseason, Saquon Barkley will narrowly win offensive player of the year over the Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott.
Super Bowl LVI (Los Angeles)
over 
SB MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB Packers
Conference Championships: Colts over Chiefs Packers over Cowboys
AFC Playoff Field: Chiefs, Jets, Colts, Browns, *Raiders, *Texans
NFC Playoff Field: Cowboys, Packers, Rams, Panthers, *Eagles, *Giants
NFL MVP: Ezekiel Elliott, RB Cowboys
Even with the terrific crop of young quarterbacks in the NFL today, there is one thing I cannot picture happening: Aaron Rodgers failing to win another Super Bowl. A part of me thinks Rodgers will want to leave Green Bay if his Packers continue to fall short to other superior teams like Philadelphia, but it’s far more likely that Green Bay’s front office refuses to let him leave as a free agent.
Not only do I expect Rodgers to win a second ring eventually, but at some point Andrew Luck will lead the Colts to a Super Bowl. Granted, there’s no guarantee that Luck will fully recover from his recent spate of injuries. But he should be back healthy by 2021, right? Hopefully. After all, Rodgers vs Luck would make for an entertaining Super Bowl at the future Los Angeles stadium.
Other developments: Ezekiel Elliott will become the first running back since Adrian Peterson to win MVP…but Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will have their hearts broken once again by Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship…more importantly, though, the Browns will finally make the playoffs!…but they’ll lose in the wild card round on a Derek Carr to Amari Cooper Hail Mary at the end of regulation…
Super Bowl LVII (Glendale)
over 
SB MVP: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB 49ers
Conference Championships: Raiders over Titans 49ers over Eagles
AFC Playoff Field: Titans, Raiders, Jets, Bengals, *Texans, *Colts
NFC Playoff Field: 49ers, Bears, Eagles, Saints, *Rams, *Packers
NFL MVP: Jimmy Garoppolo, QB 49ers
A Bay Area Super Bowl clash. It could happen. San Francisco is poised for future success thanks to Jimmy Garoppolo, who I think will become the first player since Kurt Warner to win MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season. And while Oakland is not quite as well-positioned, Derek Carr is certainly on pace to become a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. Plus, I’d love to see Jon Gruden get back to the Super Bowl.
Other developments: Sooner or later, teams like the Bears, Jets, and Browns will be relevant, especially since they project to be piloted by quality young quarterbacks…but will any of these teams win Super Bowls within the next five years?…well, in short, maybe their prospects will look a little brighter by the time I write my next five-year forecast.
