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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Not living up to the hype: Most disappointing NFL teams in 2025

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Dec 17, 2025 8:19 AM ET

As the 2025 NFL season winds down, it's already clear which teams will have put together the most disappointing seasons across the league. While every team enters a new season with a different level of pressure and expectations, there's no debate that the fanbases of these five squads expected much more.

Kansas City Chiefs

While there's an argument the Chiefs showed signs of a decline last year, they did open up the 2025 season on the heels of their third-straight Super Bowl appearance. But the issues, most notably dropped passes and a lack of receiver depth, that forced Kansas City to win 11 close games during the 2024 regular season were even more pronounced this year.

And now after Patrick Mahomes' ACL tear, there's no telling how much worse they will look in the final weeks and if they can even contend before he returns next season.

Cincinnati Bengals

Three constants of the world remain: death, taxes and the Bengals not living up to preseason hype. For the second consecutive year, Cincinnati endured a rough start to the season thanks to an injury to star quarterback Joe Burrow.

Unlike last season when the Bengals made a playoff push all the way until the final day of the season, Burrow and company put up one of their worst performances in a 24-0 Week 15 loss to the Ravens, officially eliminating the now 4-10 Bengals from playoff contention with several games to go.

Joe Burrow on his 29th birthday: "If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it... If it's not fun, then what am I doing it for?"

Q: Is it difficult to have fun?

A: Yes, certainly.

He later said he's "just trying to have fun doing it again."

#Bengals pic.twitter.com/08Gp3zsV0M
— Kayler Smith - WDTN (@KaylerSmithTV) December 10, 2025

In addition to the offense struggling, especially when Burrow was out, the defense has ranked as one of the worst all season.

Baltimore Ravens

Staying in the AFC, a season that was once thought to be the year Lamar Jackson and the Ravens finally broke through has turned into a nightmare. A 1-5 start put the Ravens in a massive hole, one they almost dug themselves out of before losing 27-22 to Pittsburgh on Dec. 7.

Baltimore still has a shot at the postseason, but it will have to beat the Steelers in the next matchup between the rivals. Mahomes and Burrow both not making the playoffs makes 2025 feel like even more of a missed opportunity for Jackson.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have followed a 14-3 season with a 6-8 record going into Week 16 in 2025.

Minnesota's decline can be easily traced to difference in quarterback play. The Vikings went from Sam Darnold's Pro Bowl play to the inexperience of J.J. McCarthy.

Despite showing some recent signs of promise, the gamble on going all in on McCarthy didn't pay off, at least not in terms of contending this year. And to make matters worse, Darnold has Seattle poised to make a run at 11-3.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers were red hot out of the gate in 2025 but have since dropped five of their last six games and are now fighting for their playoff lives.

A propensity for mistakes and a regression in Mayfield's play has helped lead to the Buccaneers' decline. After only throwing two interceptions through his first nine games, Mayfield has five during Tampa Bay's recent 1-5 slide.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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