NFL analyst warns league against sleeper AFC team set to dethrone Chiefs in 2025

NFL analyst and former NFL player Jason McCourty believes there is a sleeper team in the AFC that will dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have won the AFC three-straight years and many expect them to continue its success in 2025.

However, McCourty thinks it won't be the Buffalo Bills nor the Baltimore Ravens that dethrone the Chiefs. Instead, he expects the Cincinnati Bengals to be the sleeper team.

"AFC, you're looking at the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills but then I think, the team that we see is the Cincinnati Bengals," McCourty said. "We watched Joe Burrow make his ploy to management of saying: 'hey, we watched the Eagles build the a-team. [0:30]

"We watched contracts restructured. He gave them the whole blueprint on how to do it and when it comes to a point where...see, Higgins in a free agent. Ja'Marr Chase is going to be up. He's trying to employ them and say: Keep our offense together and we can have a chance to do exactly what the Eagles have done."

The Bengals (9-8) can be a legit Super Bowl contender if they have a better defense. They have one of the best offenses in the NFL and they nearly snuck into the playoffs this past season with their poor defense.

There's no question the Bengals will be a legit threat in the AFC in 2025 and McCourty likes the team's chances to win the AFC.

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Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs vow to be back

Kansas City lost in the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles, ending their hopes of a three-peat. After Kansas City lost in the Super Bowl, Mahomes took to X and vowed the Chiefs would be back.

"Appreciate all the love and support from #ChiefsKingdom. I let y’all down today. I’ll always continue to work and try and learn and be better for it. Want to give thanks to God for every opportunity he has given me. We will be back," Mahomes wrote.

Mahomes and the Chiefs lost 40-22 to the Eagles in the Super Bowl.