“Yes, I Have Them Missing the Playoffs”: Kansas City Chiefs Fans Won’t Like Jason McIntyre’s Super Bowl Contenders List

With the 2025 NFL season just a handful of days away, predictions and hot takes about the endgame seem to be flying like a Patrick Mahomes deep ball. And, few voices love making bold predictions more than Fox Sports analyst Jason McIntyre. He just unveiled his tiered list of Super Bowl contenders. While most fans expect the Kansas City Chiefs to be right at the top of such rankings, fresh off their third straight Super Bowl appearance, McIntyre’s list threw cold water on Chiefs Kingdom.

In his Tier 1 group, aka the “For Sure” group, McIntyre placed the teams he believes stand head and shoulders above the rest, namely the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Francisco 49ers. “These teams are the elite, the best of the best,” he explained, brushing aside any need for justification.

The second tier, “For Real,” included some expected names but also some surprises, as McIntyre slotted in the Green Bay Packers, [intriguingly] the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, and the Cincinnati Bengals.

According to him, these teams are legitimate threats with balanced rosters, defenses that can control games, and quarterbacks capable of making deep postseason runs.

Then came the third tier — “Contenders” — and this is where Kansas City Chiefs fans were blindsided. McIntyre placed Patrick Mahomes & Co., who have appeared in four of the last five Super Bowls, in this group. Along with the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers.

McIntyre was blunt in his assessment: “Yes, I have them missing the playoffs” because, for him, the Chiefs are not only outside his “For Sure” and “For Real” circles, but on the fringe of relevance.

And this isn’t the first time that the analyst has made this bold prediction for the Chiefs.

Earlier this month, he made the exact same assessment for them, saying, “When you make a run to the finals two, three years in a row, that following year, you’re drained. The bodies are breaking down, the players are wearing down. And it’s very, very difficult to keep that sustainability going”.

Finally, in his fourth and final category, McIntyre included the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Minnesota Vikings, teams he sees as surprise playoff threats if things break their way.

.@jasonrmcintyre unveils his Super Bowl contender tiers for this NFL season pic.twitter.com/qNa75Gc1XV

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 26, 2025

Of course, predictions are one thing, but reality is another. McIntyre’s case against the Kansas City Chiefs may be rooted in fatigue with their dominance, but it’s hard to overlook the facts.

The Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes, a seemingly rejuvenated Travis Kelce, and an offensive line anchored by Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith that looked sharper than ever this preseason.

Unlike last season, first-round pick Xavier Worthy and WR Rashee Rice are primed for bigger roles in the Chiefs’ receiving corps, while the defense, with Charles Omenihu healthy, Trent McDuffie ascending, and rookie Ashton Gillotte flashing, appears far more complete.

So while McIntyre’s tier list has certainly stirred debate, Kansas City Chiefs fans have every reason to believe their team is being underestimated … yet again. After all, betting against Mahomes and Andy Reid has rarely aged well.