By admin 
Five weeks into the 2026 NFL regular season, only three undefeated teams remain, as the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Minnesota Vikings all have goose eggs in the loss column heading into Week 6.
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But are they all legitimate Super Bowl contenders?
We’ve seen plenty of teams start strong out of the gate over the years, only to fizzle out through the middle of the season or down the stretch, failing to convert their early success into a deep postseason run and a potential championship.
From strong defense to high-end quarterback play, all three of these teams have clear strengths that have been the foundation of their undefeated starts, but are they sustainable through the entire season and into the playoffs?
Kansas City Chiefs
When you’ve got Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and Steve Spagnuolo, you’re always going to have a legit shot at a Super Bowl run.
That terrific trio is still holding things down for the Chiefs after last year’s disappointing finish, and it shouldn’t be surprising that a much healthier roster has them back in the championship conversation. The addition of Kenneth Walker III has been massive for the offense, helping Mahomes lead a truly balanced attack that keeps opposing defenses honest, and allowing them to control the game without putting everything on the quarterback’s shoulders. The return of Eric Bieniemy has also improved their offensive approach, once again giving the offense the benefit of his experience, knowledge and competitiveness.
Trying to tackle Kenneth Walker does NOT look fun pic.twitter.com/FtfvsQo2g1
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 4, 2026
The front seven is still anchored by Chris Jones in the trenches, and the addition of rookie top-10 pick Mansoor Delane has helped alleviate the offseason departures of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson at cornerback. Spags always seems to maximize whatever talent he has to work with on that side of the ball, and his scheme wizardry and play-calling prowess will continue to make this one of the best units in the league.
Barring any major injuries, reports of the Chiefs’ demise have been greatly exaggerated. They have one of the best coaching staffs in the league, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and Walker’s arrival has made their offense a dangerous unit that can beat you any way you want. It won’t be surprising if they’re competing for another Lombardi Trophy in February.
San Francisco 49ers
This is the third time the 49ers have started a season 5-0 under Kyle Shanahan, and on both of the other occasions, they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. They lost both of those games, of course, but Shanahan might have a group that can get him over the top this time.
Prior to Sunday’s shootout win over the Seattle Seahawks, Brock Purdy had been playing at an MVP level, putting up impressive numbers while avoiding turnovers. Thankfully for Purdy, he won’t have to play Mike Macdonald’s defense every week, so we shouldn’t see those same kind of giveaway numbers from him on a regular basis. Shanahan remains one of the league’s best offensive schemers/play-callers, and he already had one seemingly ageless wonder in Christian McCaffrey, but added another one in future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, who had a huge day Sunday against the Seahawks.
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MIKE. EVANS. AGAIN.@SFvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/7OlyUgWcEV
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
On the other side of the ball, having a healthy Fred Warner back on the field has had predictable results, stabilizing a unit that sorely missed his presence due to injury last season. Recent draft investments in the trenches and the secondary are paying off, making this a more complete unit.
They’re not immune to giving up yards and points, and Purdy proved Sunday that he’s still capable of costly mistakes against the league’s best defenses. They’ve got what it takes to go deep into the playoffs again if they can stay healthy, but they’ll have to prove that top competition won’t be their undoing at the end of the road like it was in both of those other Super Bowl appearances on Shanahan’s watch.
Minnesota Vikings
Easily the biggest surprise on this short list, the Vikings just keep finding a way to get the job done every week. That usually means letting Brian Flores’ defense handle their business, and doing just enough on offense to skate by with a win.
Flores remains one of the most brilliant defensive minds in the game, and his scheme/play-calling is diabolical, consistently putting opposing quarterbacks in absolute chaos. They’ve only given up more than 16 points once across these first five games, with their Week 1 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers marking the only time they’ve allowed more than one touchdown in a game so far this season. He should’ve gotten another head-coaching job before now, but until that happens, the Vikings will continue to reap the benefits of his presence.
Vikings this season:
-Offensive EPA per play: -0.15 (32nd)
-Defensive EPA per play: +0.22 (1st)
5-0
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 11, 2026
Of all the undefeated teams remaining, though, the Vikings have the biggest single question mark of the bunch, and it’s their quarterback situation. Kyler Murray has already missed some time after suffering a head injury early in the season, but even when healthy, he’s been inconsistent at best. Minnesota admitted defeat on the J.J. McCarthy experiment by trading him to the New York Giants, so their hopes of turning this impressive start into a potential Super Bowl run will rest on Murray (if he avoids further injury) or Carson Wentz.
Defense wins championships, so the presence of Flores should keep the Vikings in the conversation. But it’s incredibly hard to find sustained success in today’s NFL without at least capable and consistent quarterback play, and we’ve yet to see that from them so far. This defense is good enough to get them to the postseason and give them a fighting chance, but their championship chances will ride or die with Murray and the offense.
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 8:35 PM.