Ideal Super Bowl 58 Matchups We'd Love to See Ahead of 2023 NFL Season
The 2023 NFL season hasn't even begun yet, but it's still fun to look ahead a few months and envision some potential matchups for Super Bowl LVIII.
Much can and will change between the start of the upcoming campaign on Sept. 7 and its finish on Feb. 11, but there are already plenty of intriguing pairings that would make for a great watch on Super Bowl Sunday.
With a lean toward realistic matchups—all but one of the teams featured here can be found within the top 12 on DraftKings' championship odds list—and factoring in the on-field product, intriguing off-field storylines and history, here's a look at five ideal showdowns we'd like to see in this year's Super Bowl.
New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers
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The New York Jets have been the darlings of the 2023 offseason thanks to their trade for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Famer's presence coupled with the appearance on HBO's Hard Knocks has excitement for this squad reaching a fever pitch ahead of the upcoming season.
While it won't be easy to deliver on the hype, Gang Green does have all the pieces in place to snap the league's longest active playoff drought and make a Super Bowl run.
Should the Jets manage to reach their second Super Bowl ever—the team hasn't been to the big game since Joe Namath delivered on his guarantee and willed his side to an upset over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969—there would be no squad more fitting for them to square off with than the Green Bay Packers.
Unlike the Jets, who have woefully underperformed in the NFL's biggest market, the Packers have been one of the most consistent and successful franchises in league history despite playing in the smallest market. Green Bay has earned its 'Titletown' moniker and continues to claim that distinction by winning more NFL championships than any other city.
Rodgers directly contributed to the organization's most recent banner, guiding the Packers past the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV to earn the lone ring of his decorated career. The 39-year-old would likely love a chance to add to his legacy while denying his former employer a record-extending 14th title.
While the Packers aren't one of the top contenders this year—DraftKings gave them +6500 odds to win it all this year, tying them with the New England Patriots, New York Giants and Washington Commanders for the 21st-best—they shouldn't be counted out just yet.
Quarterback Jordan Love should have all of the motivation he needs to succeed after sitting behind Rodgers for the last three seasons. His selection in the first round of the 2020 draft irritated his predecessor, starting off a chain of drama that ultimately led to Rodgers' departure from Green Bay this summer.
Although Love has seen only limited NFL action, he has the tools to take his young team to the promised land in his first year as Green Bay's QB1.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions
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The Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions have experienced some hard times in recent years, but both have the chance to be championship contenders in 2023. If each can navigate through their respective conference's playoff bracket and reach the Super Bowl, it would make for one of the more interesting matchups out there.
The Jaguars, who won only 15 games in the four years after reaching the AFC Championship Game following the 2017 season, has executed a quick rebuild under new head coach Doug Pederson.
After slogging through a miserable campaign under former head coach Urban Meyer—who didn't last a full season before getting canned—the team found its footing in 2022 with rising star quarterback Trevor Lawrence leading the way. Jacksonville went into its Week 11 bye with an unsightly 3-7 record, but it bounced back to win six of its last seven contests, including a Week 18 battle with the rival Tennessee Titans for the AFC South crown.
Jacksonville went into the playoffs with plenty of momentum and used that to orchestrate a stunning comeback—clawing out from a 27-0 halftime deficit to win on a last-second field goal—against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. While the Jaguars ran out of gas against the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs the following week, they're clearly well-positioned to make another run.
The Lions almost pulled off an even more impressive feat last year, coming up just short of reaching the postseason after a 1-6 start. The team won eight of its last 10 games, finishing with a winning record for the first time since 2017. While head coach Dan Campbell couldn't clinch a playoff berth in his second season at the helm, he has Detroit ready to make some noise this coming year.
The Lions offense finished in the top five in both yardage and scoring last season, and Detroit made some savvy draft picks and free-agent signings to bolster its defense this offseason. Meeting an equally thrilling and skilled squad like the Jaguars on the biggest stage would make for a great contest, even if they aren't huge markets or nationally popular franchises.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers
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The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers met in the Super Bowl twice during the 1980s and could once again duke it out with a title on the line this coming season. San Francisco won both of those prior championship tilts in closely contested battles, but it could be difficult to make it three in a row against this version of the Bengals.
Cincinnati has steadily morphed into a juggernaut following the selection of star quarterback Joe Burrow at the top of the 2020 draft. While his impressive rookie campaign was marred by a torn ACL, the young gunslinger bounced back to take his side all the way to the Super Bowl in his sophomore year. The upstart Bengals put up a great fight against a loaded, veteran-laden Los Angeles Rams squad, coming up just short after allowing a touchdown in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.
The Bengals couldn't defend their AFC championship last year—they fell by three to the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference title game—but they have a great shot to make it to Las Vegas in February. It would come as little surprise if the 49ers meet them there.
San Francisco has been borderline unstoppable when healthy in recent years. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has established himself as one of the top coaching minds in the business, and the front office has built a force around him on both sides of the ball. This combination has resulted in three NFC Championship Game berths and a Super Bowl appearance in the last four seasons.
While the Niners were embarrassed in the most recent conference title game, it's incredible that the squad even made it that far. The team lost three starting quarterbacks to injury at various points in the year.
Brock Purdy emerged as an unexpected savior for the franchise, going from an unheralded Mr. Irrelevant draft pick to winning five consecutive regular-season starts and two playoff games before suffering an injury early in the NFC Championship Game. He's now had a full offseason to prepare as the QB1 and should be brimming with confidence after he earned the team's commitment following the Trey Lance trade, a move that lifts the ceiling on an already explosive 49ers offense.
Factor in strong defensive units on both sides of this potential matchup, and you have the recipe for another great 49ers-Bengals Super Bowl. Each prior championship bout involving these teams was a one-score game, and the margins in a third would likely be razor-thin as well.
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Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys
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NFL history junkies would be ecstatic about a potential Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys matchup in Super Bowl LVIII. These two teams clashed on the biggest stage twice during the early-1990s, meeting in both Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII. While the Cowboys managed to win both games in blowout fashion, it could be time for the Bills to get their revenge and bring a long-awaited championship to western New York.
The Bills have transformed into one of the AFC's most dominant teams under head coach Sean McDermott. He ended a 17-year playoff drought after being hired in 2017 and has since guided Buffalo back to the postseason on four consecutive trips and counting.
Buffalo experienced an unprecedented string of four consecutive Super Bowl losses to open the 1990s, a stretch of failure that took decades to recover from. The club finally turned a corner after developing Josh Allen into one of the NFL's top passers, but the fanbase won't be truly satisfied until he raises the city's first-ever Lombardi Trophy.
Doing so against the Cowboys, a team that caused this organization so much pain, would be icing on the cake.
Dallas is also undeniably hungry for a title. While the Cowboys may be known as America's Team, their star has faded in recent years. The franchise hasn't been to an NFC Championship Game, let alone a Super Bowl, since winning the most recent of their five Lombardi Trophies back in 1995.
The Cowboys were among the best regular-season teams in each of the last two years, but they had both of their playoff runs cut short before the conference title game. The window appears to be closing for Dak Prescott—currently signed through the 2024 season—to deliver a championship, especially with Trey Lance now on the roster and potentially pushing for the starting job next offseason.
Super Bowl 58 would represent a chance for both of these franchises to get back on track and renew their historic rivalry. The excitement in Las Vegas with both rabid fanbases converging on the city would be electric, and the on-field product would match that energy with two of the league's most well-rounded lineups squaring off.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
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Super Bowl LVII was a riveting contest in which the Kansas City Chiefs narrowly edged out the Philadelphia Eagles to win their second Lombardi Trophy in four years. The rematch could be even better after both teams had a chance to feel one another out and made some notable personnel changes in the offseason to shore up weak points exposed in their first title tilt.
The Eagles bolstered a defense that already ranked No. 2 in the league last year in yards allowed by drafting a pair of Georgia stars fresh off back-to-back national championship runs. They selected a potential generational talent in Jalen Carter at No. 9 overall and then bolstered their linebacking corps by nabbing Nolan Smith with the penultimate pick of the first round.
Those two could help neutralize a Kansas City offense that lost its top receiver in JuJu Smith-Schuster, but is expected to rely more heavily on young wideouts Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore in addition to rookie second-rounder Rashee Rice 2023.
While each squad brought in some intriguing prospects and made minor changes in free agency, the stars of their Super Bowl rematch would remain the same. The quarterback duel would once again take center stage after it more than met expectations last season.
Jalen Hurts proved to be a worthy adversary for reigning league MVP Patrick Mahomes by making a statement in his Super Bowl debut, throwing for over 300 yards and a score while adding a whopping three touchdowns and 70 yards on 15 carries. The Eagles signal-caller should be hungry to avenge a painful loss, especially after his critical lost fumble led to a decisive Kansas City defensive touchdown.
Mahomes all but ensured his spot in Canton when he took home the game's MVP award after leading another Super Bowl comeback. He diced up Philadelphia's vaunted defense for three touchdowns while going 21-of-27 through the air. He'll be seeking to add to his legacy with another ring this season.
These teams will get a chance to feel each other out in the regular season, facing off on November 20 in what could be both a Super Bowl rematch and preview. While fans of the league's 30 other franchises may not love the idea of the same two teams playing on Super Bowl Sunday for the second year in a row, it's a great pairing that could potentially even set up a can't-miss rubber match following the 2024 campaign.
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