Pro Picks: Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will beat the Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch

The Eagles are going for a repeat. The Chiefs aren’t ready for the end of their dynasty.

Will they meet again in the Super Bowl for the third time in four years?

The Lions, Bills and Ravens feel they have unfinished business.

The Commanders came close last season. The Packers just got Micah Parsons.

Don’t count out the Bengals and Broncos in the AFC. Or the Vikings and Buccaneers in the NFC.

Pro Picks correctly predicted Philadelphia would defeat Kansas City in the Super Bowl last preseason.

We’re going with a rematch but taking Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid’s Chiefs to win this time around.

Pro Picks predictions per division:

There hasn’t been a repeat champion in this division since Philadelphia won four titles in a row from 2001-04. The Eagles are loaded on offense with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and a dominant offensive line. They have a young, talented defense led by Jalen Carter, cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun that has the depth to overcome key losses. Jayden Daniels and coach Dan Quinn turned the Washington Commanders into Super Bowl contenders in one season together. They added playmaker Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil on offense and key pieces on defense to help them take that next step. Dak Prescott is back healthy for the Dallas Cowboys, who are led by rookie coach Brian Schottenheimer. But Micah Parsons is gone from a defense that finished 28th in the league with a superstar pass rusher. The New York Giants are counting on Russell Wilson until they turn it over to Jaxson Dart. They have one of the league’s best defensive line units but staying competitive after a 3-14 season is the goal for Giants.

1. Eagles

2. Commanders

3. Cowboys

4. Giants

The Detroit Lions have unfinished business after setting a franchise record with 15 wins only to get knocked out of the playoffs by Washington in the divisional round. Jared Goff leads a high-powered offense that lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn also left but the Lions are getting star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson back.

The Packers won 11 games last season with the youngest team in the league and now add Parsons, who makes them a Super Bowl contender. Jordan Love is healthy after injuries plagued him last season. Once Parsons settles in, Green Bay should challenge the Lions. The Vikings won 14 games with Sam Darnold and turn to J.J. McCarthy. They’ll push the Lions and Packers in a tough division. Johnson takes over in Chicago and his top priority is developing Caleb Williams, last year’s No. 1 overall pick.

1. Lions

2. Packers

3. Vikings

4. Bears

After winning four straight division titles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want more. Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Co. are aiming for a Super Bowl title. They’ve got a stacked and balanced offense and need the defense to step up to make a January run into February. Michael Penix Jr. gets the chance to lead the Atlanta Falcons and a talented offense that will revolve around dynamic running back Bijan Robinson. Like Tampa Bay, the Falcons need their defense to improve after a bottom 10 finish last season. The Carolina Panthers showed promise in the second half last season so there’s reason for optimism behind coach Dave Canales and quarterback Bryce Young. They had a league-worst defense that has to get better to compete. Rookie coach Kellen Moore is rebuilding the Saints. Second-year pro Spencer Rattler will open as the starting quarterback and has some playmakers around him. Still, it should be a long, tough season for New Orleans.

1. Buccaneers

2. Falcons

3. Panthers

4. Saints

The 49ers were depleted by injuries to several key players last season and went from an overtime Super Bowl loss to 6-11. The reward is one of the league’s softest schedules. Despite trading Samuel away, an offense led by Brock Purdy has talent with a healthy Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall. They’ll get Brandon Aiyuk back at some point, too. If a defense that lost key players gets a boost from youngsters, San Francisco will reclaim the division. The Los Angeles Rams nearly knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs and have a young, talented defense led by Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Byron Young and Kobie Turner. But Matthew Stafford’s back problems are a concern and Sean McVay may have to turn to Jimmy Garoppolo at some point. Darnold replaces Geno Smith in Seattle, where coach Mike Macdonald won 10 games in his first season. The Arizona Cardinals have had one winning season in the past nine years. Marvin Harrison Jr. should be fun to watch catching passes from Kyler Murray in their second year together. Super Bowl star Josh Sweat boosts the defense.

1. 49ers

2. Rams

3. Seahawks

4. Cardinals

The Buffalo Bills have won the division five straight seasons but can’t get past the Chiefs in the playoffs, losing four times in that span. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen is determined to change that. He leads a balanced offense that has all its key players back plus new receiver Joshua Palmer. They may need to add more pieces at the trade deadline to help fulfill their goal of playing in February. With Mike Vrabel in charge and Drake Maye set for his second season, the New England Patriots could be the most improved team in the conference after a strong offseason. If Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy, the Miami Dolphins will be competitive. Without him, they have no chance. Aaron Glenn returns to the New York Jets to rebuild a franchise that’s trying to end the NFL’s longest active postseason drought. The Jets should be more exciting with Justin Fields. But they’re not there yet.

1. Bills

2. Patriots

3. Dolphins

4. Jets

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are seeking that elusive trip to the Super Bowl. They’ve been a dominant team in the regular season but it all comes down to January. Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf should upgrade Pittsburgh’s offense and T.J. Watt leads a ferocious defense. Mike Tomlin always wins in the regular season, but he needs a playoff victory to stave off critics. The Bengals have Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and a dynamic offense. All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is back to boost the defense. Cincinnati has to play better in September to have a chance to make a run late. The Cleveland Browns are counting on Joe Flacco to run coach Kevin Stefanski's offense efficiently. There’s a strong possibility Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will get starts before another rebuilding season ends.

1. Ravens

2. Steelers

3. Bengals

4. Browns

The two-time defending champion Houston Texans are the class of the division with C.J. Stroud, edge Will Anderson Jr. and All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. leading the way. Colts coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard are on the hot seat. They’re hoping Daniel Jones could lead them to the playoffs. The offense has some talented pieces, including running back Jonathan Taylor. New coach Liam Coen should get the most out of Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. Dynamic two-way rookie Travis Hunter gives the Jaguars one of the league’s most exciting players. With a first-year GM and rookie coach, improvement is the priority. No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is the franchise quarterback in Tennessee. The Titans need to find a way to protect him and give him the best chance to develop quickly.

1. Texans

2. Colts

3. Jaguars

4. Titans

The division goes through Kansas City, which has won nine straight titles and reached the conference championship game in each of Patrick Mahomes’ seven seasons as the starter. They have a rebuilt offensive line to protect Mahomes and playmakers to keep the offense going. On defense, the Chiefs have to stop the run better. Bo Nix led the Broncos to the playoffs as a rookie and could take a big leap in his second season. A stingy defense led by AP Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II added key players in the offseason. Jim Harbaugh turned the Chargers into a winner in his first season. Justin Herbert has a new running back in rookie Omarion Hampton but lost a protector in left tackle Rashawn Slater. Pete Carroll and Geno Smith are reunited in Las Vegas, giving the Raiders reason for optimism. They’re still a year away.

1. Chiefs

2. Broncos

3. Chargers

4. Raiders

NFC division winners: Eagles, Lions, Buccaneers, 49ers

NFC wild-card teams: Commanders, Packers, Vikings

NFC championship: Eagles over Lions

AFC division winners: Bills, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs

AFC wild-card teams: Steelers, Bengals, Broncos

AFC championship: Chiefs over Ravens

Super Bowl: Chiefs over Eagles

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes cheers from the sidelines during the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

DALLAS (AP) — Sen. John Cornyn stood in the shadow of the U.S.-Mexico border wall for a campaign event, but the Texas Republican didn’t offer the kind of diatribe about illegal immigration that stokes his party’s core and fueled Donald Trump’s rise to the White House.

Instead, Cornyn, in his courtly Houston drawl, politely thanked Trump for billions in federal dollars to reimburse Texans for work on the wall, praising “the president of the United States, to whom I am very grateful.”

Cornyn's characteristic calm and measured comments betrayed the urgency of the moment for the four-term senator. He's facing the political fight of his long career against two Republicans who claim closer ties to Trump and his MAGA movement and tend more toward fiery rhetoric. Now, Cornyn could become the first Republican Texas senator to lose renomination in a race that may reflect what GOP primary voters are looking for in their elected officials — and what it takes to survive in Trump’s Republican Party.

Some say the 73-year-old former Texas Supreme Court justice represents a bygone era in the GOP. Still, Cornyn, supporters and the Senate’s Republican leadership are fighting aggressively for an edge in the March 3 primary. They have spent tens of millions of dollars, much of it against his opponents, Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt — both self-styled Trump Republicans.

“We’ve got enough performance artists here in Washington,” Cornyn told The Associated Press, “people who think serving as a representative in the world’s most distinguished representative body — that what qualifies them — is they are loud, they are active on social media and they get a lot of attention.”

Paxton entered the race in April, having emerged from legal troubles that had shadowed his political rise, including beating a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges and reaching a deal to end a long-running securities fraud case.

The three-term attorney general has portrayed the investigations against him as persecution by the political establishment, much like Trump has. He contends Cornyn has “completely lost touch with Texas.”

Hunt is still working to raise his profile in Texas. The two-term House member often touts his early endorsement of Trump's 2024 comeback campaign.

Of Cornyn, Hunt recently said, “His moment has passed.”

Hunt's entry in the race last fall made it more likely that no candidate will win at least 50% of the primary vote, sending the top two finishers to a May runoff. The nominee would face the winner of the Democratic primary between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico.

Mike Fleming, an 80-year-old retired sales manager who attended a recent Hunt campaign event, said Cornyn is a good man but has spent “a lot of his time trying to run for head of the Senate.” Cornyn unsuccessfully ran for Senate majority leader after the 2024 elections.

“If he was the only guy, I would vote for him,” Fleming said.

Cornyn and aligned super PACs have heavily outspent Paxton and Hunt, investing more than $30 million since last summer on television advertising, much of it criticizing his rivals, according to the ad-tracking service AdImpact.

Senate Republican leaders, however, have worried that Paxton, as the nominee, would be costly to defend in the general election. Cornyn's situation is more about a shift in Republican campaign priorities and what candidates need to do to win a GOP primary.

“He plays the part of the distinguished statesman. And that’s what he’s always been,” said Wayne Hamilton, a former executive director of the Texas Republican Party. “But anymore, you have to be very loud about the opposition. And that’s just not him.”

Cornyn also fights a perception among some GOP voters that he’s a moderate.

“He hasn’t been consistent in his conservative representation in his voting,” said Robyn Richardson, 50, from suburban Dallas.

Some Texas conservatives remain angry about Cornyn's work as the GOP’s negotiator on gun restrictions in a 2022 law in the weeks after the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were killed. Democrats narrowly controlled Congress and hoped to enact major changes under President Joe Biden.

The measure didn't go as far as Democrats wanted, but the bipartisan bill was the widest-ranging gun measure passed by Congress in decades. Some Republicans wanted any bill blocked, and a week before its passage, some GOP activists booed Cornyn as he took the stage at a state convention.

Some point to Cornyn being dismissive of Trump during his 2016 campaign and before his 2024 campaign and to his dismissal of Trump's claims of widespread election fraud after he lost to Biden in 2020. Those claims by Trump were debunked.

Cornyn was even skeptical early on about the border wall he took credit for helping finance, calling Trump “naive” in proposing it before he sealed the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Paxton has pointed to that comment, portraying Cornyn as “opposing the border wall.”

The episodes certainly weren't helpful for Cornyn, who has worked to show Texas Republicans where he and Trump agree.

Cornyn aired ads featuring him with Border Patrol agents along the wall, promoting his support to secure $11 billion for Texans' work on it. Another ad promoted Cornyn's 99% support for Trump's agenda, including his three U.S. Supreme Court nominees.

But the disagreements are small compared with the broader shift Cornyn has resisted.

Vinny Minchillo, a veteran Republican consultant in the Dallas area, referred to Cornyn as “an old George W. Bush Republican, which is now a bad thing” since Trump’s rise.

Cornyn was elected attorney general in 1998, winning when a new national conservative figure was rising out of Texas, the newly reelected Gov. George W. Bush, who was elected president two years later.

The Bush name, once a three-generation fixture in Texas politics, quietly disappeared when then-Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, grandson and nephew of two presidents, lost his challenge of Paxton for attorney general in 2022.

“I think there is certainly some level of John Cornyn fatigue,” Minchillo said. “He’s been on the ballot in Texas for a long, long time.”

As of last week, Trump had endorsed dozens of Republican lawmakers in Texas. But he is not expected to endorse ahead of the Senate primary, according to people familiar with the White House thinking but who were not authorized to speak publicly.

That would leave Cornyn among only three incumbent Republican senators seeking reelection who have not received Trump's public backing, with Maine's Susan Collins and Louisiana's Bill Cassidy.

Cornyn acknowledged he's “not somebody who cries out for attention at every opportunity.”

Instead, in the final weeks of the primary campaign, he's hoping voters consider which candidate would be the most effective at getting things done — because he believes they'll support him if they do.

“Sometimes people make the distinction between a workhorse and a show horse,” he said. “And I’m happy to be a workhorse.”

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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Hanna reported from Topeka, Kan. Maya Sweedler contributed from Washington.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks through the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

FILE - Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduces Brooke Rollins during a Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee hearing on her nomination for Secretary of Agriculture, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)