San Francisco 49ers

While some NFL teams are running out of time to win it all with their respective cores, other clubs have done a masterful job in stockpiling young talent to create a long-term title contender. Here are five NFL teams whose Super Bowl windows are rapidly closing, and five whose will open real soon. Which teams should win the Super Bowl soon, and which ones will not? Closing: Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills helmet (Denny Medley-Imagn Images) It’s not only mind-boggling that the Bills have yet to win it all in the Josh Allen era. It’s baffling that they haven’t even gotten to the Super Bowl in the first place.  Buffalo has won double-digit games every year since 2019. They’ve won the AFC East division crown five times. And yet… The Bills’ heartbreaking Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos was the final straw for GM Brandon Beane, who fired beloved head coach Sean McDermott. The Bills then promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, the latest desperation move to get this franchise over the hump. The problem is, the window in Buffalo can’t be considered wide-open anymore. Allen has entered his 30s, and it’s anybody’s guess how much longer he’ll be in his prime with his style of play. Wide receiver DJ Moore, offensive tackle Dion Dawkins, defensive tackle Ed Oliver, and edge rusher Bradley Chubb aren’t young guns, either. And while the Bills are trying to “win now,” the archrival New England Patriots have taken over as the team to beat in the AFC East. And if their rebuilds are done properly, the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins could gain ground on Buffalo in a couple of years. At this rate, the Bills’ window has no more than three years. If they can’t get it done, then it’ll be time to start over. Opening Soon: New York GiantsOct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants helmets on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images We know Giants fans haven’t had much to celebrate since their last Super Bowl triumph in the 2011 season. But for the first time since they last won it all with Eli Manning, the long-term future in New York is oozing with brightness and promise. They hit on their 2024 first-round pick of wide receiver Malik Nabers, and finally ended the failed Daniel Jones experiment. They found three potential franchise cornerstones in the 2025 NFL Draft with edge rusher Abdul Carter, quarterback Jaxson Dart, and running back Cam Skattebo. Dart showed promise in his rookie year despite season-ending injuries to Nabers and Skattebo. And decided to play behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines….with a terrible coaching staff at his side. Then something special happened for the Giants. The Baltimore Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons at the helm. So, the G-Men moved quickly to hire the future Hall of Fame head coach. And boom goes the dynamite. The Giants then aced the draft, snagging prized offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and linebacker Arvell Reese with their first two picks. So, the Giants now have one of the best coaches of the 21st century to maximize a roster loaded with offensive firepower and a ridiculous front seven featuring Carter, Reese, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.  With their three NFC East rivals all facing long-term question marks across the board, the path is there for the Giants to emerge as the new kids on the block and rule the division. Bottom line: They’re about to enter a lengthy Super Bowl championship window. Much brighter days are coming, G-Men fans. Closing: Philadelphia EaglesFeb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Detailed view of a Philadelphia Eagles helmet during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images It’s a good thing the Eagles won the Super Bowl with this very core in 2024, because there’s a high probability that the group will never get that close to tasting victory champagne again. Only could a Philadelphia sports team win a championship one year, let locker room drama affect their title defense, and seemingly have half the fanbase demand a new head coach. That’s the state of the Eagles, folks. Everyone knows about the Jalen Hurts-AJ Brown drama that never got resolved. Despite winning the NFC East with an 11-6 record, the Eagles never found their rhythm. And nobody was shocked when they were upset by a short-handed San Francisco 49ers team in the Wild Card Round. Anyway, AJ Brown is gone, and we wish Makai Lemon luck in repeating his all-world production. Jalen Hurts is maddeningly inconsistent. Saquon Barkley could slow down at any time with all that mileage. Lane Johnson is likely retiring within the next two years. Jalen Carter has yet to put it all together, and mainstays on the defense from the Super Bowl 59 championship team, like Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Darius Slay, are long gone. There are just too many question marks for us to think that Philly can compete for a Super Bowl much longer. And honestly, the Eagles will probably fire Sirianni if they don’t at least reach the NFC Championship Game next season. If that happens, good luck replacing a Super Bowl-winning head coach with a .694 winning percentage. As we said, it’s a darn good thing the Eagles won it when they had their best chance in 2024. Opening Soon: Cincinnati BengalsDec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A general view of the helmet of Cincinnati Bengals long snapper Cal Adomitis (48) during warmups before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images It feels weird putting the Bengals under this entry, yes. Their last “championship window” was seemingly wide-open three years ago. Three straight non-playoff seasons unexpectedly followed. But sometimes, a retooling phase and short-term pain are necessary. The Bengals have worked through that, and now they’ve lined up what appears to be another window of opportunity with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow, Chase, and Tee Higgins are just in the midst of their prime years. Chase Brown emerged as the new lead RB with his first 1K rushing seasons. The defense was garbage last year, but it could be much better in 2026, even if Trey Hendrickson is out. They signed Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen in free agency before making a blockbuster trade for ex-Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Cincy also got great value with Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell, a projected first-round pick who fell to them at No. 41. So, the Bengals have a top-five offense and a rebuilt D that just has to go from abhorrent to average for them to win. Why else are the Bengals on this list? Look at their AFC North rivals. The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to take a big step back. The Baltimore Ravens face major question marks with John Harbaugh gone, and with Lamar Jackson facing longevity issues. And the Cleveland Browns? Yeah, a QB room with Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel isn’t scaring anyone. Closing: Pittsburgh SteelersSteelers helmet (Photo via Eric Hartline-Imagn Images) Sticking with AFC North teams… When Mike Tomlin made the right decision by stepping down as the Steelers’ head coach, this was the perfect time for the organization to sell its fans on a necessary rebuild. But of course, the Steelers just couldn’t bring themselves to it. Rather than bring in a young, energetic, and culture-building coach, the Steelers went with Mike McCarthy, who’s hardly different from Tomlin. He won a Super Bowl more than a decade ago. His teams are always in the mushy middle. Not a bad coach, but not one to get you over the hump again. The Steelers made a win-now move by trading for ex-Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr., because an overpaid and fading DK Metcalf wasn’t enough. They’re retaining pricey and rapidly aging veteran defensive players like TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Jalen Ramsey, who aren’t the same game-breakers anymore. And oh yeah, the QB thing. It’s sad that a fading and 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is still their best option. Otherwise, yeah, Mason Rudolph isn’t saving the day. And that Super Bowl dream remains far. If you’re a Steelers fan, you should just hope for 2026 to go off the rails. That will give this organization the long-overdue wake-up call to rebuild from scratch. At some point, 10-win seasons and wild-card berths should stop being the standard in Steel City. Opening Soon: Carolina PanthersDec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Panthers helmet rests on the bench against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images If the Panthers played in any other division, they wouldn’t be on this list. Fortunately, they play in the NFC South — football’s worst division by a country mile since 2021. Carolina won the NFC South with an 8-9 record last season. They also took the heavily-favored Los Angeles Rams to the wire in their Wild Card Round matchup, narrowly losing 34-31 to Matthew Stafford’s squad. 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young finally came into his own, thanks to the emergence of wide receiver and 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year Tatairoa McMillan. Seeing that his young roster was ready to take the next step, GM Dan Morgan completed an excellent offseason that has Carolina on the path to long-term contention. He bolstered the front seven by signing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and Pro Bowl linebacker Devin Lloyd, giving Dave Canales more game-changing juice. He landed a future star in Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling at No. 19 overall, before snagging Tennessee wideout Chris Brazzell II in the third round. Morgan filled Carolina’s last few remaining roster weaknesses with an excellent offseason. If Young, McMillan, Freeling, and the other young talents take that next step forward, Carolina will be more than the best of a weak NFC South division. They should soon enter “Super Bowl contender” status. Closing: Tampa Bay BuccaneersNov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmets against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images When Tom Brady lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl 55 championship in the 2020 season? We know it’s important not to be too greedy, but it sure felt like the Buccaneers could have won another before the GOAT retired. But it never happened. In fact, the Bucs won just one more playoff game over Brady’s final two years before he retired.  Just when we all thought his retirement would destroy the team, Baker Mayfield stepped in and emerged as Tampa’s new star QB, leading them to NFC South division crowns in 2023 and 2024. But it’s all over now, folks. The Bucs just got too old and didn’t make the necessary roster upgrades to maximize their window of opportunity with Mayfield. And they’re going to be taking many steps back from here. Lavonte David retired, and Mike Evans left to sign with the 49ers. Chris Godwin, the No. 1 receiver, can’t stay healthy. The secondary has been a weak link for five years, and the Bucs have done nothing to fix it. While Tampa is built around a few aging veteran stars, their three NFC South foes have stockpiled plenty of young talent, with young QBs in place. The Bucs got their one Super Bowl with Brady, but the chance to add another in this decade has sailed away. Opening Soon: Arizona CardinalsJan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona Cardinals helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images We know this entry will surprise most of you. But do hear us out. The Cardinals just used the No. 3 pick on a can’t-miss running back prospect in Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. He joins an offense with superstar tight end Trey McBride, 1,000-yard wideout Michael Wilson, and another hopeful star in Marvin Harrison Jr., who has yet to put it all together. Josh Sweat, 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson, and 2025 first-round pick Walter Nolen headline an underrated front seven. Budda Baker is still a game-wrecker at safety, and Will Johnson has the tools to be Arizona’s next great All-Pro cornerback. So, why do we have Arizona on this list with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II leading their QB room? Because the Cardinals will probably have a top-five pick in 2027. That means getting an elite quarterback prospect like Arch Manning or Oregon’s Dante Moore. Add a young QB to that core, and the Cardinals will be ready to compete for a Super Bowl very soon. If they get Manning or Moore next year? Look out, league. Closing: San Francisco 49ersDetail view of the helmet for San Francisco 49ers (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images) Unlike the Bills, the 49ers have been to the Super Bowl with their current core. Franchise mainstays like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and George Kittle led the 49ers to big-game appearances in the 2019 and 2023 seasons, both losses to the Kansas City Chiefs. GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have done a remarkable job building up a sustainable title contender since they both came over in 2017.  But the clock is ticking on this group to win it together, which is why it’s unfortunate that they were hit hard by the injury bug in 2024 and 2025. Kittle and newcomer Mike Evans are entering their age-33 seasons in 2026. Trent Williams is 38. Christian McCaffrey is 30, which is rather ancient for a running back in this day and age. Bosa and Warner, who’ve dealt with multiple significant injuries since 2020, aren’t getting any younger, either.  Is there a time for Shanahan’s 49ers to finally break through and bring Lombardi Trophy No. 6 to the Bay Area? It has to be in 2026 or 2027. Their window will not be happening after that. Opening Soon: Chicago BearsNov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Chicago Bears helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Yes, they won the NFC North and were one play away from reaching the NFC North last season. But regression is inevitable for the Bears, who benefited from unsustainable one-score luck and improbable comebacks. Also, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions shall have better health luck next year. The Minnesota Vikings should contend as well if JJ McCarthy breaks out…or, more likely, if Kyler Murray takes over as the QB1. But folks, this would only be a temporary setback. The Bears are still set up nicely to dominate for the next half-decade-plus. Ben Johnson is the real deal as a head coach. Caleb Williams is THAT GUY. The young offensive nucleus of Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Rome Odunze is only going to get better. There’s a lot to like about a secondary of Coby Bryant, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, and rookie Dillon Thieneman. The Bears may take a temporary step back in 2026, but their long-term setup is much better than that of their division rivals. 2025 was fun and all, but these Bears are still a year or two away from hitting their ceiling and really taking off.