NFL predictions: Ndamukong Suh picks Super Bowl contenders, dark horses, MVP and players to watch
The Sky Sports pundit has revealed his predictions for the new NFL season...
The wait is over. The NFL is back for the 2025 season and the first steps on the path to Super Bowl LX will be taken this week.
The Philadelphia Eagles return as defending champions after they crushed the Kansas City Chiefs' hopes for the three-peat with a dominant victory in New Orleans.
Both the Eagles and Chiefs are among the teams expected to get back to the big game but who are the other sides to watch? Who will end the season as MVP? Which defensive and offensive players will stand out? And who are the dark horses?
To answer all those questions, RadioTimes.com sat down with NFL legend and Sky Sports pundit Ndamukong Suh to get his predictions for the season ahead.
Ndamukong Suh's NFL 2025 predictions
Super Bowl contenders
"I think there are going to be a lot of teams that have an opportunity to win. I think the strongest conference will be the NFC but there are a couple of teams I think have an opportunity to get to the Super Bowl.
"I have to mention the Kansas City Chiefs. I would also say the Detroit Lions. I think the Washington Commanders as well. And of course, the Philadelphia Eagles seem like they're rebuilding every single year to make that hard push to get into the Super Bowl.
"Those are my kind of top four teams as of right now that I think have a legit chance to get there as of right now."
Dark horses
"I've just got a good feeling about my dark horses being the Chicago Bears. I think Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams are going to find a way to create havoc in that black and blue division of the NFC North.
"Ultimately, I mean, it's fair game for anybody and everybody. Everybody is at 00:00 today. We'll see after week one how things shape up but even then. I mean, it's so early in the season. The season, honestly, hasn't even started yet."
MVP
"My MVP for this year is Lamar Jackson. And the reason I'm picking him is I believe he and the Baltimore Ravens understand this is kind of a 'put up or shut up' year.
"He's going to have to have an MVP season to be able to dethrone the two nemeses of his career – Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs – to win that Conference (the AFC) and go from there."
Defensive player to watch
"The player I'm most excited to watch outside of my defensive tackles? That would have to be Micah Parsons.
"I think as long as he stays healthy, you're going to see a Green Bay Packers defence that is built around him to have success. I feel like they made that trade as their next version of Reggie White to come in and take them to a Super Bowl and have an opportunity to go and win it."
Offensive player to watch
"The non-quarterback to stand out this year? It's a tough one. I mean, I think my easy answer would be Saquon Barkley. I think he back doors his successful season.
"He may not have a record-breaking year, but he's still going to be a massive force to be dealt with. He's obviously the linchpin and cornerstone of the Philadelphia Eagles team and offence."
How to watch NFL on TV
NFL TV rights will be divided between Sky Sports, NFL Game Pass via DAZN and free-to-air channel 5 in 2025.
Sky Sports boasts the first pick for the 6pm and 9pm game slots each Sunday, as well as up to three more games on any given Sunday.
Sky will also show every Thursday Night, Sunday Night and Monday Night Football game. The popular NFL RedZone will also be shown on Sky platforms.
NFL Game Pass via DAZN will show every single game of the entire NFL season, including the playoffs. The two first-pick Sunday games chosen by Sky will be shown on Game Pass via a 24-hour delay.
You can sign up for NFL Game Pass via DAZN with a Weekly Pro pass from £15.99 per week, or Season Pro pass from £169.99 upfront or a monthly cost of £17.99.
Additionally, 5 will show two NFL games per week across its platforms every Sunday during the regular season.
The schedule will see one game from the 6pm UK time slot shown on 5, before a second game will be shown from 9pm on 5ACTION, which will be rebranded 5NFL on game nights. These games will also be live streamed on the 5 website.
Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
