Rich Eisen#38 of 87 NFL pundits · Jun 26, 2025
Rich named their top five sleeper teams for 2025 — Saints, Patriots, Panthers, Raiders and, at No. 1, the 49ers — suggested Carolina could be a seven seed and the Raiders could make the playoffs, and reiterated a 15-2 Chiefs prediction with losses at Buffalo and at home to Denver while picking Kansas City to return to the Super Bowl.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Rich Eisen said
Number one on the list, the sleeper team of 2025 are the San Francisco forty niners.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Top 5 NFL Sleeper Teams Of 2025
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidJun 26, 2025
- GradedAug 13–17, 2026
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Outcome Picks | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Conference Champions | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Playoff Picks | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Season Win Totals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Surprise Team Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| All | 3 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
How each call scored
12 checkable claims — 5 surprise team calls, 3 game outcome picks, 2 playoff picks, 1 conference champion and 1 season win total — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
7 of 12 have settled so far, averaging 42.9 out of 100, against 42.9 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Game Outcome Picks2 hits · 1 missShow ▸Hide ▾
- 100Hit
100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- DEN
- score:
- 19-22
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- DEN
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- DEN
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
New Orleans Saints to beat Arizona Cardinals
“they they do have a home date to start with the Arizona Cardinals... I could see them winning week one.”
0Miss0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- ARI
- score:
- 20-13
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- NO
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- NO
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- 100Hit
100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- BUF
- score:
- 21-28
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- BUF
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- BUF
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Conference Champions1 missShow ▸Hide ▾
Kansas City Chiefs to reach the Super Bowl
“Are you taking them to win the AFC this year? I haven't thought about it. But if you're gonna put me on the spot right now, I'm sure. Yes.”
NE and SEA wonpicked KC0Miss0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- KC
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- champions:
- NE, SEA
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- last season's conference champions
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- reached the Super Bowl:
- no
- lost the conference final:
- no
Playoff Picks1 hit · 1 missShow ▸Hide ▾
Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs
“Raiders making the playoffs maybe in the same way. Could this be the version of the Broncos from last year?”
Missed the playoffs0Miss0 − 100 naive = −100 × 2 difficulty = −200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- LV
- skill:
- −200
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive guess said:
- no
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- no
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Carolina Panthers to make the playoffs
“Now this one's a real possibility to shock people, be a seven seed. Right? I'm serious.”
Made the playoffs100Hit100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- CAR
- skill:
- 200
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive guess said:
- no
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- yes
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Season Win Totals1 missShow ▸Hide ▾
Kansas City Chiefs to finish with 15 wins
“Well, behind the fifteen and two Chiefs... I gave the Chiefs two losses.”
6called 150Miss0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- KC
- naive:
- 11.75
- skill:
- 0
- what happened:
- 6
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 5
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- they said:
- 15
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Surprise Team Calls5 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
New Orleans Saints to beat expectations
“Number five, I'm gonna start with the Saints.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Carolina Panthers to beat expectations
“number three on the list, I'm staying in the NFC South. I'm I'm talking Panthers here.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
San Francisco 49ers to beat expectations
“Number one on the list, the sleeper team of 2025 are the San Francisco forty niners.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations
“Number two on the list... Pete Carroll and the Raiders, we're sleeping on them.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman expects Sean Fresch Jr. to clear waivers and return to the Broncos' practice squad, sees Riley Moss back from concussion for the Week 11 game at Las Vegas, and projects newly acquired Daiyan Henley to begin as the third inside linebacker behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad before likely moving into a starting role.Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman writes that Riley Moss may sit out the preseason finale against Minnesota but should be available for the Week 1 opener at Kansas City; they also suggest undrafted corners Sean Fresch Jr. and Brent Austin are being evaluated for practice squad spots.Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Chad Jensen · Roster Spot Calls · Jordan Turner · Miss 0
Jensen predicts Daiyan Henley's arrival will cut into Justin Strnad's snaps while Alex Singleton keeps playing virtually every down, and that Denver will return to a three-linebacker rotation after the Week 10 bye. They also expect one of Jordan Turner or Karene Reid — most likely Turner — to be waived to clear a roster spot.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks.
More surprise team calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nick Wright · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Wright expects the 49ers to handle Dallas, the Lions to beat New England, the Packers to beat Minnesota and the Chiefs to win in Atlanta, while naming the Texans again as the league's second-half surge team, picking Joe Burrow for MVP and saying Kansas City still makes the playoffs.Dan Orlovsky · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward.Bill Simmons · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch.Danny Kelly · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA.Logan Lazarczyk · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Lazarczyk argues the Raiders can still contend for the AFC's final wild-card spot, naming the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Steelers, Chiefs and Bengals as locks for the top six seeds, calling Houston a sleeper, and predicting Las Vegas can beat the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals down the stretch.Jordan Dajani · Surprise Team Calls · Pittsburgh Steelers · Waiting
Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper.