The Minnesota Vikings are not going to win the Super Bowl this year. They were eliminated from playoff contention a few weeks ago and were forced to watch the playoffs unfold from home. But some famous former Vikings Can Win chips. These scenarios are working.
Once the Vikings’ season ends, interest will shift to familiar faces, so here’s who has a realistic path to eventually becoming a champion.
From the top eight teams with the best Super Bowl odds at sportsbooks, here are the players who could be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February.
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Former Vikings have real chance at Super Bowl title
In alphabetical order, watch these former Vikings’ playoff games.
New England Patriots center Garrett Bradbury and Ben Brown celebrate after a successful play during the second quarter against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium on December 1, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The exchange highlighted the cohesion inside, with New England relying on protection and early timing to stabilize the offense in the middle of the game. Mandatory credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images.
Garrett Bradbury|Central and Northeast
Bradbury had quite a Bradbury season in New England, finishing with a mediocre 60.6 grade pro football focus. This is his first season away from the Vikings and he’s playing well.
It helps that his quarterback, Drake Maye, may win the NFL MVP in a few weeks. Statistically, the Patriots benefit from an easy schedule and have top-8 Super Bowl odds accordingly.
Sam Darnold | QB, SEA
Darnold started the season hot and then cooled off. Here is the evidence:
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Sam Darnold,
EPA+CPOE,
2025 NFL Rankings:
Weeks 1-9: Week 1
Weeks 10-17: 21st
Still, his team’s defense is among the top two in the country, and Mike McDonald’s defense has a good chance of carrying Darnold to the Super Bowl.
Darnold and the Seahawks clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a 13-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson and Nick Wagoner wrote of Darnold’s Week 18 performance: “How to rate the quarterback performance: Darnold didn’t throw a touchdown pass, and he had a chance to pass on Seattle’s opening drive but bypassed Charbonnet on an easy pass.”
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“But Seattle’s quarterback did what he had to do — and that was not give the ball away on a night when their run game and defense had enough. He avoided a disastrous moment when he fumbled the ball after being stepped on by an offensive lineman, but Seattle recovered. Darnold was 20 of 26 for 198 yards.”
Stefon Diggs | West, Northeast
Diggs is currently dealing with some completely troubling legal charges, but the NFL doesn’t seem to be in a rush to suspend him.
He is the aforementioned Meyer’s favorite target, with 82 catches for 970 yards and four touchdowns this season. Had the NFL not suspended him for the strangulation incident, the Patriots could have been deep in the playoffs.
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Even with the odd choke test, the Patriots stood by him.
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is active during a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on December 28, 2025. The moment reflected Diggs’ emotional dominance and on-field performance as the Patriots drove momentum late in the regular season against a familiar AFC East opponent. Mandatory photo credit: Yannick Peterhans/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
New England released a statement saying: “Stephen has notified the organization and he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stephon. We will continue to gather information and fully cooperate with appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”
Danielle Hunter | Dehou
We mentioned that the Seahawks are the top two defensive teams in the sport. They’re in the top two because Houston is likely the leader. Depends on the eyes of the viewer.
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Hunter had a lot to do with it, finishing with 14 sacks, 2.5 shy of his career high. He and Will Anderson are used to wreaking havoc on Sundays, and with a little luck, quarterback C.J. Stroud can get hot and lead the Texans to their first Super Bowl appearance.
There is no doubt that Houston has enough defensive capabilities.
Ed Ingram | Mr. Hou
Remember Ed Ingram? The guy Minnesota traded to Houston for a sixth-round pick? He’s the 16th-best back in the NFL, which is impressive considering there are 64 players on the field on any Sunday.
The Vikings ultimately traded the draft pick in the Ingram trade for running back Jordan Mason, but if Ingram had continued to stay young, in hindsight, Houston would have won the deal.
Houston Texans cornerback Ed Ingram confronts Baltimore Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. The game showcased Ingram’s physical presence inside as Houston struggled to establish leverage and rhythm against a Ravens defense known for pressure and disrupting the home environment. Mandatory credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images.
The Texans’ offensive line has been known for its poor performance over the years. Guys like Ingram are helping change that reputation.
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others
Some of the players competing for the Super Bowl either didn’t play significant roles on their current teams or didn’t play long enough for the Vikings.
These are those people:
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Joshua Dobbs (Quarterback, Patriots)
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Christian Elliss (LB, Patriots)
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Vidrian Lowe (overtime, Patriots)
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David Quisenberry (OT, Rams)
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Kairis Tonga (DT, Patriots)
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K’Von Wallace (S, Texans)
Oddsmakers expect a Super Bowl game between the Seahawks and Broncos in February.
