| NFC EAST |
| WASHINGTONJosh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com has some thoughts on the potential of the 2025 Commanders: Running back Austin Ekeler joined the Commanders last season, but he wasn’t the new addition that jumped off the screen when watching Washington games. Quarterback Jayden Daniels took those honors on his way to winning offensive rookie of the year and jolting life into a team that had not won a playoff game in nearly 20 years. They won two of them last season before losing to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game and that success raises the bar heading into 2025. During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Ekeler said that Daniels “definitely exceeded expectations” for a rookie because of how much is involved with learning both a new offense and how to play against professional opponents. Ekeler believes Daniels will play faster mentally with a year under his belt and that sets the stage for another step forward in Washington. “I think there’s even going to be more growth this year, which is awesome because of where we’re at with our team and have a lot of players back. A lot of playmakers, gotta get Terry [McLaurin] paid and then, man, we’re gonna look like a powerhouse out there,” Ekeler said. The McLaurin contract impasse has the potential to disrupt the team’s preparations for the 2025 season, so settling that would be a good way to ensure that the team avoids any backward steps after their unexpected rise last year. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERGreg Penner, then the new owner of the Broncos, was wise, but he let his employees act foolishly when they lavished a new contract on QB RUSSELL WILSON. That’s the conclusion of Mike Florio: The 61-page ruling (see COLLUSION below) in the collusion grievance contains plenty of fascinaring details. Several of them relate to the contract signed by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022, after the trade that brought him to Denver from Seattle. A deeper dive on the Watson negotiations and eventual deal is coming. For now, it’s important to applaud the instincts of then new-owner Greg Penner. In contemporaneous notes created by Penner at the time, he wrote this: “2 years left on contract, why not wait?” It would have been the smart move. Wilson always received new contracts with one year left on his existing deal. The Broncos could have given Wilson a year to prove that he can still cook, before burning millions on his next contract. But the Broncos didn’t wait, committing $124 million to Wilson in full guarantees from 2022 through 2024. And they cut him in March 2024, before his $37 million injury guarantee for 2025 became fully guaranteed. Still, the Broncos ultimately gave Wilson $124 million (minus the league-minimum $1.21 million he earned in Pittsburgh last year) for two seasons of so-so football. While not the same degree of disaster as the Deshaun Watson contract for the Browns, it was a very bad deal for the Broncos. And the Broncos could have avoided it, if they’d simply acted on the instincts of their new owner and waited until after the 2022 season to fashion a new contract (if any) with Wilson. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDHere is a vote for QB KENNY PICKETT emerging as the Browns starter from WR DIONTAE JOHNSON. Nick Shook of NFL.com: On the surface, the Browns’ quarterback situation is intriguing if only because there’s no telling how it will play out in 2025. Cleveland enters the new season with a grab bag of signal-callers. They acquired former Eagles backup Kenny Pickett via trade, adding the 2022 first-rounder to a room that welcomed back 2023 hero Joe Flacco and brought in two rookies in Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders this spring. None exist as an obvious starter. But another offseason addition, wide receiver Diontae Johnson, expects one to emerge as the favorite soon enough. “I think they are going to roll with Kenny (Pickett) for right now,” Johnson said during an appearance on the “Sports and Suits” podcast. While Cleveland’s active offseason created a wide-open competition that could remain unpredictable throughout training camp, most following the Browns in Berea, Ohio, projected Pickett as the team’s first choice. Logically, it makes sense. Pickett has NFL experience from his time spent as the Steelers’ starter before it became clear he wasn’t their future under center, and at 27 years old, he’s plenty young enough to be worth exploring. Flacco exists as their backup plan in a glass case ready to be broken in case of emergency. “I’ve been seeing Kenny going like right now with the ones. Then Joe (Flacco) will come in,” Johnson said. “I think they are probably going to roll with him just to see like he’s coming off a season with Philly and having a Super Bowl. So, I think they are going to stick with him through the preseason. Then you know they can live with Joe and what he brings to the table.” Emergency can take on a number of different appearances, a reality Cleveland fans know all too well. But the true intrigue resides with who the Browns drafted earlier this offseason. Sanders has attracted plenty of attention because of his name and celebrity status established long before he traded his Buffaloes uniform for Browns gear. Gabriel, meanwhile, arrived as a bit of a surprise; most didn’t expect him to be selected in the draft until Day Three, yet Cleveland traded up to take him in the third round. For now, it seems as though the Browns will let the youngsters take their reps in the shadows and give Pickett the first shot at earning the starting job. As Johnson said, Pickett “can spin it,” although doing so in practice is not nearly as challenging as it is in the fire of an NFL game. Johnson, meanwhile, isn’t spending too much time worrying about who is throwing him passes. After a tumultuous season that saw him spend time with three different teams (and infamously refuse to enter a game while with the Ravens), he’s focused on getting back on track — and he isn’t interested in making grand predictions about how he or the Browns will fare. “I don’t want to put all that out there. I just want to attack every day one day at a time,” Johnson said. “Not try to think too much about what’s ahead and just be where my feet are because if I do that, I feel like I’m going to be pressing.” |
| PITTSBURGHQB AARON RODGERS more than hints that the 2025 season with the Steelers will be his final campaign (we believe that) and then says he will fade into the sunset (not sure we believe that). Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers plans to retire after this season, and he says that once he’s done playing, he’s done being seen in public. Rodgers said in his interview with Pat McAfee that he doesn’t like being a celebrity and looks forward to being a private person when he’s done playing. “I don’t want the attention — I know that’s a narrative out there,” Rodgers said. “When this is all done, it’s Keyser Söze. You won’t see me. I won’t be in the public. I don’t want to live a public life. That’s why it’s so strange, what’s going on right now in my private life, because I don’t want to live a life in the public eye. I’m not gonna be in the public eye. When this is done, I’m done. You won’t see me, and I’m looking forward to that.” Rodgers’ comments would seem to rule out working in television or taking significant endorsement opportunities, which are among the most lucrative jobs for retired NFL players. Time will tell whether he sticks to that, or whether he finds that he does like public-facing work, and both the attention and the money that kind of work brings. Rodgers also says his new wife is so secretive she does not even want her name out (and that we are “sick” for wanting to know such a thing). Natasha Dye of People: Aaron Rodgers is pleading for his privacy. The 41-year-old NFL star, who secretly married his wife, Brittani, earlier this year, returned to the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, June 24 and slammed the “entitlement to information” about his personal life and said his wife is a “private person” who doesn’t want to be in the public eye. “It’s a sick society, isn’t it?,” Rodgers began his lengthy message on the show. The quarterback, who said he plans to play just one season with the Steelers before retiring, said he had “lived in the public eye 20 years” and experienced a “public relationship.” Likely referring to his tumultuous relationships with actress Shailene Woodley and former race car driver Danica Patrick, he then asked, “How did that work out?” The newest Pittsburgh Steeler listed off ways that he feels his privacy has been invaded by the public, including “people calling the paparazzi” and “stalking me on the beach” during his offseason. “I had people leaking my home information,” said Rodgers. “I didn’t want any of that, didn’t like any of that, and now I’m with somebody who’s private,” he added of Brittani, who “doesn’t want to be in the public eye” and “didn’t sign up to be a celebrity.” Rodgers said he wants his “personal life to be private” and asked why “entitlement to personal information” has become a “norm” in society. “It’s a norm to be able to have athletes’ addresses?,” he continued, sharing that the details of a home he purchased in Pittsburgh were posted online. “What happened to common decency about security and a personal life?,” he asked. Again, Rodgers described his wife as a “private person” who “doesn’t have social media” and said the public will only see photos of her when and if she chooses. “If and when she wants to be out, and there’s a picture, she’ll choose that and she has a right to that,” the quarterback said. Concluding his monologue, Rodgers told McAfee that once he plays his last season in the fall, he’s planning to escape from the public eye entirely. “I told you, when this is all done, I’m out. You won’t see me,” he said. “And I know that I’ve chosen to be in the public eye for one more season, but my private life is staying private. The entitlement to information about my private life is so f—ing ridiculous and embarrassing,” the NFL star continued. Why does People think her name is Brittani? So, who is Aaron Rodgers’ wife, Brittani? Here’s everything the quarterback has said about their relationship. The NFL player first went public with a new relationship during a December 2024 episode of The Pat McAfee Show, when he casually mentioned his “girlfriend Brittani.” Rodgers had been discussing his Christmas shopping habits, explaining that he now orders gifts online rather than going to a mall — which also made for some holiday stress. “There was one package left for my girlfriend Brittani that hadn’t showed up yet,” he said. “I was waiting on this to show up, it showed up today.” He called their relationship “serious” in April 2025 On April 17, a few months after Rodgers revealed his new relationship status, he returned to The Pat McAfee Show and gave a rare update about how his romance with Brittani was going. While discussing being a free agent quarterback at the moment, Rodgers explained that he has other priorities at the forefront. “I’m in a different phase of my life,” he said. “I’m 41 years old, I’m in a serious relationship. I have off the field stuff going on that requires my attention.” After he first mentioned her name, one of the co-hosts, who appeared caught off guard by Rodger’s revelation, jokingly asked, “Spears?” “Not Britney Spears, no, this is Brittani with an ‘i,’ ” Rodgers clarified, adding that his new girlfriend doesn’t watch The Pat McAfee Show and doesn’t have social media, but he “thinks” she is a fan of host Pat McAfee. This from the Daily Mail which seems to want to see “proof of life” for “Brittani.” Aaron Rodgers is facing mounting questions – and growing doubts – over his mysterious personal life after claiming he had quietly tied the knot with a mystery woman he refuses to name. The new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, 41, confirmed this week that he got married ‘a couple months ago’, following weeks of speculation after he had been spotted wearing a black wedding band on his ring finger. The news caught several members of Rodgers’s family and friends off guard and now, multiple sources have told DailyMail.com that they are beginning to question if the man the Steelers are banking on to helm them to their first Super Bowl in over a decade is actually someone’s husband. As of today, public records show no trace of a legal marriage. A clerk in the Pennsylvania county where Rodgers was rumored to have moved told DailyMail.com this week that no such marriage involving the football star has been registered. County officials in Las Vegas, a common venue for quick celebrity weddings, also confirmed that there is no record of an Aaron Rodgers getting married there this year. Friends and family close to Aaron Rodgers are beginning to question if the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback’s recent marriage bombshell is the real deal despite him wearing a black band on his ring finger Sources say Rodgers’s friends were surprised to learn he got married, recalling his aversion to marriage when he split from ex-fiancée Shailene Woodley in February 2022 What’s more, not even his closest relatives seem to know anything about the mysterious woman he now calls his wife, known only as ‘Brittani’, though given his well-documented fractured relationship with his family, that may not be too surprising. Rodgers has been embroiled in a longtime feud with his younger brother Jordan, the winner of The Bachelorette in 2016, which dates back to his appearance on the reality show. Earlier this week, DailyMail.com exclusively reported that Jordan and his wife JoJo Fletcher did not attend the former Packers star’s wedding. One insider said: ‘Jordan and JoJo didn’t go to the wedding and don’t even know anything really about Brittani. What they’ve heard is secondhand from his parents. ‘They are still angry that Aaron didn’t go to their wedding. He didn’t want to be with his brother on the biggest day of his life, so why should they twist themselves up over this wedding? But now insiders say the family is unconvinced the marriage is real – and suspect Rodgers may have had a symbolic ‘commitment ceremony’ instead of a legally binding wedding. Earlier this week, DailyMail.com revealed Aaron’s younger brother Jordan Rodgers and his wife, JoJo Fletcher, did not attend the wedding and that they ‘know nothing about her’ Friends have also pointed to Rodgers’s long-held aversion to marriage following his 2022 split from Big Little Lies actress Shailene Woodley, to whom he was briefly engaged. ‘After Shailene, Aaron used to say that he’d never get married but here we are, years later and he’s now saying he’s married,’ a source told Daily Mail. ‘Aaron is a whim follower, which is something that’s surprising when you see how successful he’s been. ‘He gets something in his mind and charges forward, really without much real consideration. This feels like one of his whims.’ Adding to the intrigue, DailyMail.com can further reveal that recent reports that the four-time MVP had purchased a $29million home in Pennsylvania have also proven false. Barstool Sports reported last week that Rodgers had purchased a mansion in the upscale town of Canonsburg – complete with a golf course and horse stables. But when contacted by DailyMail.com, the owner of the six-bedroom estate said the football player had not bought the property.– – –Earlier this week sources close to his family revealed his relatives were just as surprised by the news of the nuptials as the public. ‘Secondhand, they hear that she’s willing to stay private and that she’s not with him for his fame or money,’ the source said. The four-time MVP is pictured with ex-girlfriend, actress Olivia Munn, in 2016 ‘This is not a close family unit at all. Right now, JoJo and Jordan are getting the news about the marriage from the internet.’ Rodgers’s father, chiropractor Dr. Ed Rodgers, did not respond to requests for comment. And when asked about the wedding, the NFL star’s friend and business partner Nate Raabe, who runs private equity firm RX3 Growth Partners with Rodgers, said he couldn’t comment. Some fans have speculated that ‘Brittani’ is the model Brittani Kline. But in a December interview with sports commentator McAfee, Rodgers said ‘she doesn’t have social media,’ which would appear to rule out the America’s Next Top Model winner who has 35,000 followers on Instagram. So, and we don’t want to be labeled a conspiracy theorist, is there anyone out there who has said, “I met her, she seems nice.”- – -On the football side of things, there is this from Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t officially commit to signing with the Steelers until earlier this month, just before the team began mandatory minicamp. But Rodgers had been in contact with the organization for a while during the offseason. He visited with the club in March and stayed in touch with head coach Mike Tomlin throughout the offseason. In an interview with the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Rodgers noted that’s ultimately what led him to put pen to paper. “I had conversations with Mike T every single week,” Rodgers said, via Ross McCorkle of SteelersDepot.com. “It was really through those conversations that this became a reality. “Most people who come to the Steelers talk about one of the reasons being Mike T. I can say that was right at the top. The conversations we have, [it] felt like you were talking to an old friend.” Rodgers and Tomlin famously shared a moment during a matchup between Green Bay and Pittsburgh a few seasons ago. Now, they’re together for the coming season — which Rodgers said is likely going to be his last. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDEven after a Grade A offseason, Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com can’t get the Patriots higher than 25 in his preseason rankings: The length of time it takes to rebuild in the NFL is regularly overstated. Some teams get stuck with salary cap problems that take years to dig out of, others set themselves back by trading off too much draft capital, but typically NFL teams can turn around their fortunes fast. The demise of the New England Patriots was real. Tom Brady left. The roster had as little talent as any in the NFL by the time Bill Belichick’s unprecedented run with the Patriots was done. Last season, the Patriots suffered through a 4-13 season with a rookie head coach they obviously regretted hiring. It all seemed dire. “The last two years have been really, really difficult — the worst two years of our ownership,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. A few months after the season ended and Jerod Mayo was unceremoniously fired, the Patriots might be back. Already. At the very least their situation looks remarkably better. The Patriots lost faith in Mayo fairly quickly, and the process of firing Mayo — a former star linebacker with New England who was saddled with a bad roster — and then having sham interviews to satisfy the Rooney Rule wasn’t a great look for the team. But they got their preferred target who is a nearly perfect fit. New England landed Mike Vrabel, another former Patriots star who has an NFL Coach of the Year award. It was a fantastic hire. He inherits second-year quarterback Drake Maye, the third overall pick in 2024 who showed plenty of promise late last season. Then the offseason brought plenty of much-needed talent. They signed contracts with 15 outside free agents, mostly on the defensive side, for a combined total of more than $359 million. The top addition was defensive tackle Milton Williams, who signed for $104 million over four years. Their draft, led by offensive tackle Will Campbell at the fourth overall pick, got the best consensus grade among all NFL teams. The Patriots have a proven head coach, an exciting quarterback and just had the best offseason in the NFL. Their win total at BetMGM is 8.5, which means oddsmakers believe the Patriots could be a .500 team. They’ve won eight games the last two seasons combined. Part of that optimistic win total is a schedule that is projected to be one of the easiest in the NFL this season. A bigger part is spending a ton of money on free-agent upgrades and potentially nailing the draft. It’s not like the Patriots will be a Super Bowl contender this season. The offensive line is a big question, even if their rookie left tackle plays well. The Patriots’ longstanding ineptitude at drafting receivers means Maye’s supporting cast probably won’t be great. The defensive additions were plentiful, but they all need to fit together. The Patriots had one of the worst defenses in the NFL a season ago, so there’s a long way to go. But it seems like the miserable fall from grace after the NFL’s greatest dynasty had ended is a lot further in the rear-view mirror than it actually is. It didn’t take long for the Patriots to reinvent themselves. Offseason gradeThe Patriots might have the best free agency haul and the best draft class this offseason. Not bad. In free agency, the Patriots’ top additions were defensive tackle Milton Williams, receiver Stefon Diggs, cornerback Carlton Davis, outside linebacker Harold Landry, linebacker Robert Spillane, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and center Garrett Bradbury. All of them are projected starters. The Patriots’ Week 18 win last season — which the Buffalo Bills seemed to hand to them — cost New England the No. 1 overall pick. However, the Patriots got much-needed offensive line help with Will Campbell at No. 4 overall. They followed that up with running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round and receiver Kyle Williams in the third. The Patriots completely revamped the roster. Grade: A Quarterback reportJosh McDaniels is not NFL head coach material, but he is a very good offensive coordinator. Mike Vrabel picked McDaniels to run his offense, and that’s good news for Drake Maye. Maye had a strong rookie season despite being put in a bad situation. He was playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, without many reliable playmakers around him and with a coaching staff that ended up being one and done. Despite those roadblocks, Maye threw for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 starts, completing 66.6% of his passes while also rushing for 421 yards. Maye’s talent was evident (his wild touchdown pass with time expired against the Titans was extremely impressive), even with a mess around him. The supporting cast has questions but it has been significantly upgraded. McDaniels is another key asset in Maye’s development. BetMGM odds breakdownFrom Yahoo’s Ben Fawkes: “Year No. 2 in the Drake Maye era brings renewed hope in New England behind a strong draft and new head coach in Patriots legend Mike Vrabel. New England has a win total of 8.5 at BetMGM, nearly double its win total of 4.5 last season. And in perhaps my favorite betting nugget of the offseason, the Patriots are favored in 11 games this season, after being the only NFL team not to be favored in a single game last season. New England also plays the second-easiest schedule by opposing win totals, so expectations are reasonably higher this year in Foxboro.” Yahoo’s fantasy takeFrom Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “Drake Maye somehow kept his head above water in his rookie year despite very little help. Now he’s an interesting breakout candidate entering Year 2. “New England proactively tried to fix everything that was broken around Maye. The line will be better, the skill players have been upgraded. Josh McDaniels never worked as an NFL head coach but he’s a smart rehire at offensive coordinator. And Maye is resourceful and athletic enough to supplement his passing value with occasional running. Maye currently sits as the QB17 in early Yahoo ADP — that shows some market confidence, but still reasonable room for profit.” Stat to rememberThe Patriots haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver this decade. The last one was Julian Edelman in 2019. In fact, no Patriots receiver has gone over 866 yards since then. Last season, tight end Hunter Henry led the team with just 674 receiving yards. This is what happens when you whiff on just about every draft pick and free agent addition at receiver over many years. Even last year’s picks of Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round and Javon Baker in the fourth seem like wastes after the two combined for 99 yards last season. Even worse, the Patriots traded down with the Chargers in the second round last year, and they took Polk while the Chargers selected instant star Ladd McConkey with New England’s pick. Stefon Diggs was signed, but he’s 31 years old coming off a torn ACL and had shown signs of decline before the injury. Maybe rookie Kyle Williams will be a hit. Many draft analysts liked Williams, a third-round pick who has high-end speed and made many plays at Washington State. Overall, the Patriots didn’t succeed in finding a true No. 1 receiver, unless you buy that Diggs will find a fountain of youth. Maye won’t fully blossom until the Patriots get him some blue-chip receivers, and we’ll see if that’s still an issue going into next offseason. Burning question How much better will the defense be?The Patriots weren’t very good on defense last season. Mike Vrabel made sure there were some reinforcements. The Patriots signed defensive tackle Milton Williams, cornerback Carlton Davis, edge rusher Harold Landry and linebacker Robert Spillane to contracts that total $234.5 million. There was some talent already on the defense, like cornerback Christian Gonzalez, linebacker Christian Elliss, and safeties Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger. Suddenly the talent level doesn’t seem like an issue anymore. Vrabel is a good defensive mind and he should have a positive impact. The Patriots weren’t good on defense last season (they were 30th in DVOA) so expecting a leap into the top 10 might be asking a lot. It also doesn’t seem like a defense that will finish in the bottom 10 with so much talent and Vrabel helping run it. Best-case scenarioThe Patriots get a break with their schedule this season. Using opponents’ projected win totals to show schedule strength, New England has the second easiest schedule in the NFL via Sharp Football Analysis. Maybe that helps New England get in playoff contention. Plenty of things have to go right. The defense has to mesh. The offensive line has to be much better. The running back tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson could be very productive, and maybe Drake Maye elevates a passing game that has some interesting pieces at receiver but plenty of concerns, too. Mike Vrabel usually got the most out of his teams when he was the Titans head coach, which should transfer to the Patriots. Between Vrabel, Maye, some good running backs, major improvements on defense and a weak schedule, you can see a path for the Patriots to be a playoff contender. Given how bad New England was the last two seasons, that would be a great start to Vrabel’s tenure. Nightmare scenarioPlenty of teams have great offseasons and it doesn’t result in a great record. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel understands that. “We won March. Amazing. Which is something that’s comical,” Vrabel said. “We’re never trying to just win March, we’re trying to be ready when the season goes, and it’s a long process.” The Patriots added 10 players this offseason who are projected starters, according to Ourlads.com‘s depth charts. That doesn’t count running back TreVeyon Henderson, who will have a big role. An overhaul was needed and it looks good on paper, but that’s a lot of change in one offseason. It’s normal to look at a team that added many new players and envision everyone fitting together perfectly. How often does that happen? For example, Milton Williams had great stretches of play with the Eagles, but now he’ll need to play more snaps and he won’t be alongside a dominant player like Jalen Carter anymore. And while Drake Maye looks like the real deal, he has just 12 NFL starts. It’s hard to imagine the Patriots will be as bad as last season, but if the improvement is only a win or two it would be a disappointment. The crystal ball saysThe Patriots might be way too low in these rankings. Maybe the oddsmakers are right and New England has a huge improvement. There’s just a lot of change to account for, and the Patriots have been miserable for two straight seasons. Mike Vrabel is a very good coach and most of the players the Patriots brought in are big upgrades. Still, it’s hard to predict any team to more than double its win total from the season before. No matter how many wins the Patriots get, this will be a growth season. Vrabel will start establishing a culture. Drake Maye will continue to emerge as a franchise quarterback. The product on the field will look completely different after adding many impact players. The rebuild is practically over already; New England can move on to figuring out how to get back to AFC East dominance. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| FATAL FLAWS?Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com looks at the 10 top title contenders and identifies their potentially fatal flaws: The offseason is a time for hope around the NFL. Moves are made with the intention of immediate and/or long-term improvement. Practices are held with the intention of fine-tuning fundamentals and finalizing key position battles. Even the league’s annual schedule release becomes an annual beacon of optimism, with fans of all 32 teams scanning fall and winter calendars for potential victories and upsets. That doesn’t mean there aren’t lingering concerns for even the best of the NFL’s best. Adversity is part of the championship journey, and some of the league’s top projected contenders for 2025 have their fair share of potential weaknesses. But what, exactly, are those weaknesses? And how pressing might they be? It turns out even reigning conference champions like the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, who went to battle in Super Bowl LIX, have real questions going into the new season. With that in mind, we surveyed the NFL landscape ahead of 2025 training camps, identifying the biggest red flags for this year’s top 10 Super Bowl favorites according to FanDuel sportsbook: Buffalo Bills: Big-game defenseIt’s popular (and mostly fair) to critique the Bills for giving Josh Allen a slew of serviceable rather than spectacular pass catchers. Besides the archrival Kansas City Chiefs, however, Sean McDermott’s defense might be the biggest impediment to a long-awaited Super Bowl run. This group’s pass rush is setting up to be quite dependent on Joey Bosa, whose injury concerns have already carried over into Buffalo. And the secondary’s trajectory could hinge upon either a rookie in Maxwell Hairston or an aging familiar face in Tre’Davious White. Baltimore Ravens: Offensive line durabilityWhen everything’s clicking on Baltimore’s offense, few teams are more imposing. Lamar Jackson’s unmatched dual-threat gifts are also special enough to offset potential protection breakdowns. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s 17-game 2024 season was an anomaly, however; he missed multiple games in each of his previous five seasons. If he can’t stay on the field again, the shuffled left guard spot could also face more heat, with Patrick Mekari no longer onboard as insurance. They need the trenches to hold firm to remain AFC bullies. Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive line stabilityThe Ravens just need their front to stay healthy. The Chiefs, meanwhile, may or may not have a title-caliber line at all. That was clear as day in Super Bowl LIX, when the Philadelphia Eagles tore them to pieces, rendering Patrick Mahomes a nonfactor. Now All-Pro interior man Joe Thuney is gone, and two new faces occupy the present and/or future of left tackle, with rookie Josh Simmons and former San Francisco 49ers prospect Jaylon Moore tasked with protecting Mahomes’ blind side. That’s a fair amount of pressure for unproven blockers. Philadelphia Eagles: Defensive turnoverVic Fangio was the perfect man to oversee the Eagles defense in 2024, bringing discipline and tenacity back to a unit that had become practically lifeless. Now he’ll be charged with defending the Birds’ crown while likely overseeing new starters at every level of the lineup. Returning youngsters like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell should keep the unit abuzz, but Fangio may need veteran Band-Aids like Azeez Ojulari and Adoree’ Jackson to help keep the ship afloat early on. It’s just the cost of fielding a championship roster. Detroit Lions: Staffing shakeupsIf it were up to Dan Campbell, the Lions probably would’ve just run it back on the coaching staff. Instead, the beloved leader is set to enter 2025 without two of his right-hand men in Ben Johnson, the aggressive play-caller of Detroit’s all-star offense; and Aaron Glenn, the rah-rah spokesman for the defense; after both coordinators landed top jobs of their own. Campbell’s fiery touch is still as evident as the Lions’ enviable skill talent. But weathering such a dramatic shift in sideline personnel is easier said than done. Just ask the Eagles of 2023. Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford’s ageAge is just a number, they say. And certainly Stafford is part of that argument, given he nearly knocked off the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles ahead of his 37th birthday to close 2024. But this is a gunslinger who’s also battled real bumps and bruises over the last half-decade, to the point he’s openly contemplated retirement. Sean McVay’s offense always has a Super Bowl ceiling with No. 9’s big arm at the controls, but if Stafford can’t stay upright to feed new weapons like Davante Adams, well, there could be big trouble in Los Angeles. Washington Commanders: Injury-prone betsThe Commanders are one of the NFL’s most popular contenders thanks to Jayden Daniels’ magical 2024 debut. And general manager Adam Peters understandably wasted no time upgrading Daniels’ supporting cast by swinging trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil this offseason. The only issue is both Samuel and Tunsil, who will play vital roles in aiding and protecting Daniels, have missed extensive time due to injury in the last few years. Veteran defensive addition Javon Kinlaw falls in the same boat. Conditioning could be key in D.C. Cincinnati Bengals: Focus and preparednessTalent is not the issue here, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase make up maybe the most prolific quarterback-receiver duo in the game. Yet coach Zac Taylor has repeatedly overseen slow starts from his group, and the higher-ups haven’t necessarily helped the cause by allowing annual contract disputes to overshadow preseason preparations. A return to the big stage, which they last reached in 2021, will require a higher degree of discipline, durability and adaptability that hasn’t lately been seen in Cincy. Green Bay Packers: Depth and durabilityIt was one thing for Jordan Love to battle multiple injuries in 2024; it was another for the quarterback to lose practically his entire receiving corps to various ailments by year’s end. The Packers did their best to bolster their depth this offseason, spending not one but two early draft picks on receiver help, but at the end of the day, Matt LaFleur needs his arsenal to stay on the field to ensure his steady rate of postseason bids continues. That includes on defense, where Nate Hobbs will be tasked with filling the shoes of the also-oft-banged-up Jaire Alexander. Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback uncertaintyIt’s rare you find a team so equipped for a deep playoff run yet without so much as a morsel of certainty under center. J.J. McCarthy may have the full support of a winning staff led by Kevin O’Connell, whose chief strength besides perpetual “Minnesota Nice” optimism is maximizing his quarterbacks, but he’s still a 22-year-old with zero real NFL snaps under his belt. Facing not only a difficult schedule but inflated expectations from fans who watched Sam Darnold win 14 games a year ago, he’s at least got the weapons and staff to aid his debut. So teams not in the top 10 include – Denver, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, the Chargers and Dallas. |
| ALL-ROOKIE OFFENSEGenaro Felice of NFL.com predicts the best rookie offensive playters: OFFENSE QB Cam WardMiamiTennessee TitansDRAFTED: Round 1, No. 1 overallWard comfortably separated himself from the rest of the quarterbacks in this draft class, making him the obvious pick for Tennessee at No. 1 overall — and the no-brainer choice for this slot. Not to say he’s an undeserving selection who’s listed here by default. Rather, Ward is a very intriguing prospect. At the beginning of this decade, he was a zero-star recruit in a Wing-T offense. But during his anomalous voyage from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami to the Titans, Ward has exhibited a whippy arm and no hesitation to show it off. Now, this gets him in trouble at times; learning where to draw the line between fearless and reckless will be the most critical aspect of his NFL assimilation. Given his remarkable ascendance from football obscurity, though, Ward sure seems like a self-made man who will continue to put in the work. Asked at the conclusion of last week’s minicamp how he planned to spend his time off, the 23-year-old provided an answer that had to be music to Brian Callahan’s ears: “Just work out, stay in the playbook and throw the f— out the ball.” RB Ashton JeantyBoise StateLas Vegas RaidersDRAFTED: Round 1, No. 6 overallTravis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy this past December, and the two-way phenom was deserving of the honor, but the man he edged out was transcendent in his own right. Averaging 7.0 yards per carry and 185.8 yards per game, Jeanty fell just 28 yards shy of breaking Barry Sanders’ NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards in a season, carrying Boise State to the College Football Playoff in the process. In many years, that’s more than enough to take home college sports’ most prestigious piece of hardware. Jeanty was must-see TV every Saturday, displaying extraordinary contact balance that should translate swimmingly to Sundays. And he’s just what the doctor ordered for the Raiders, who just ranked dead last in rushing yards per carry (3.6) and per game (79.8). RB RJ HarveyUCFDenver BroncosDRAFTED: Round 2, No. 60 overallHarvey weighs 205 pounds, but his thighs appear to account for at least 100 of them. This helps explain the 5-foot-8 back’s exceptional lateral agility and burst, traits that have many comparing him to last year’s top rookie rusher, Bucky Irving. Running behind a premium offensive line and for an elite play-caller, Harvey has the opportunity to be a fantasy league winner in Year 1. Denver has a crowded running back room, especially after the free-agent signing of J.K. Dobbins, but that’s nothing new for Sean Payton. The savvy schemer consistently finds ways to get the ball to his best players, and I think Harvey could be one of those on an offense I’m extremely high on. WR Travis HunterColoradoJacksonville JaguarsDRAFTED: Round 1, No. 2 overallHunter is preparing to play both ways, but it appears as though receiver will be his primary role. With Pro Football Focus charting just four drops on his 216 targets over three college campaigns, Hunter possesses rare ball skills. And his ability to contort his body at the catch point is a sight to behold. The slighter frame would have been more of a concern in previous NFL eras, but WR size thresholds aren’t what they used to be. I ranked Brian Thomas Jr. as last season’s top rookie wideout, and it won’t be the least bit surprising if his new Jaguars teammate earns that distinction in 2025. This could immediately be one of the league’s most dynamic receiving tandems. WR Kyle WilliamsWashington StateNew England PatriotsDRAFTED: Round 3, No. 69 overallAt 5-10 5/8 and 190 pounds, Williams’ physical stature doesn’t jump off the page. But what the Los Angeles product lacks in size, he makes up for in explosiveness, playmaking ability and raw DOGness. Sounds like Steve Smith Sr. Just ask the man himself. “That’s the kid that reminds me of me,” Smith said in a laudatory film breakdown of Williams. “His demeanor — he’s gonna punch you in the mouth, he’s gonna look at you. So, I really like this kid, I really like him.” Williams is indeed a fun watch, exhibiting the kind of dynamism and swagger that lead you to believe he can make a smooth transition to the league. The 22-year-old still needs to refine the finer points of his game — eliminating concentration drops and polishing his route-running — but there’s a lot of reason to believe he could wind up as a third-round steal who significantly nurtures the growth of Drake Maye. TE Colston LovelandMichiganChicago BearsChicago BearsDRAFTED: Round 1, No. 10 overallStanding 6-6, 241 pounds, Loveland is a tight end who runs routes with the fluidity of a wideout. That’s what makes him special. And that’s what made Sam LaPorta a rookie Pro Bowler under Ben Johnson in Detroit, so it stands to reason that Johnson will get the most out of Loveland in Chicago. With Cole Kmet in place to handle traditional in-line work, Johnson can let his beautiful football mind run wild when it comes to scheming up touches for his new toy. The Bears have a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game, but I anticipate this supersized separator will get a fair share of attention from young quarterback Caleb Williams. OT Armand MembouMissouriNew York JetsDRAFTED: Round 1, No. 7 overallEntering this past April’s draft, the Jets’ offensive line boasted a capable starter at four of the five slots. So, one year after the old regime used its last first-round pick on an athletic left tackle (Olu Fashanu), the new regime used its first first-rounder on a mauler to man the right edge. At a touch over 6-4 and 332 pounds, Membou put on an impressive athletic display at the NFL Scouting Combine. But the 21-year-old’s no simple “workout warrior,” as he spent the last three years making a name for himself in the SEC. Taking over as Missouri’s right tackle midway through his true freshman season back in 2022, Membou ultimately played 36 games (with 30 starts) for the Tigers, giving up a grand total of thee sacks, including zero this past season. And in the ground game, he was a violent road-grader who routinely climbed to the second level to bury overmatched defenders — this undoubtedly caught the eyes of new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey, who are looking to build a stout rushing attack around quarterback Justin Fields. Membou could be the final piece to an extremely promising offensive line. OT Josh SimmonsOhio StateKansas City ChiefsDRAFTED: Round 1, No. 32 overallThroughout the pre-draft process, myriad analysts espoused the same take: If Josh Simmons had not torn his patellar tendon last October, he’d be the first offensive tackle selected. He has the look of a classic blind-side protector, as a smooth athlete with the requisite size and length, but the aforementioned knee injury isn’t one to be overlooked. This kind of rupture carries long-term concerns, with recovery rates varying on a case-by-case basis. That said, Simmons appears to be checking every box in his rehab, including participating in team drills this month. And his work ethic consistently draws praise from Andy Reid: “He’s one of those guys that you gotta kinda kick out of the building.” Roller-coaster RT Jawaan Taylor has one year of guaranteed money left on his deal, and Kansas City gave free-agent LT Jaylon Moore decent loot in March, but if Simmons is healthy, the rookie has the raw talent to boost the Chiefs’ bookend blocking in Year 1. OG Tyler BookerAlabamaDallas CowboysDRAFTED: Round 1, No. 12 overallA lot of people think Dallas overdrafted Booker at No. 12 overall. I disagree with that sentiment. And I could take this opportunity to remind everyone of this Cowboys regime’s sparkling track record when it comes to selecting offensive linemen in Round 1, or I could just point you to the hardest quote of the draft cycle. “Football is a child’s game,” Booker said on Bleacher Report’s draft reaction show. “So, people wake up being like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to play this football game today.’ They listen to their hype music, they take all the pre-workout, they get so excited to play football … until they come across Tyler Booker. And then when I’m going after you — quarter after quarter, play after play, series after series — and I start to see that love leave their eyes, that’s what makes me love the game.” OG Wyatt MilumWest VirginiaJacksonville JaguarsDRAFTED: Round 3, No. 89 overallWho will be this year’s Dominick Puni? Puni earned first-team All-Big 12 honors during his final season at Kansas, with the left tackle allowing zero sacks, per PFF’s charting. A third-round pick after the 49ers traded up to select him at No. 86 overall, Puni was drafted to play guard, but at this point last year, no one projected him to start in Year 1. Then the injury bug devoured San Francisco’s veteran guards over the summer, pressing Puni into immediate action. Ultimately, he started all 17 games and led the entire roster with 1,078 snaps, displaying a mature game that had a chorus of teammates and coaches singing his praises. Milum earned first-team All-Big 12 honors during his final season at West Virginia, with the left tackle allowing zero sacks, per PFF’s charting. A third-round pick after the Jaguars traded up to select him at No. 89 overall, Milum was drafted to play guard, but at this point, no one projects him to start in Year 1. So, will Milum follow in Puni’s footsteps to rookie renown? That remains to be seen, of course, but Liam Coen’s already saying nice things about him. C Tate RatledgeGeorgiaDetroit LionsDRAFTED: Round 2, No. 57 overallOK, I’m kind of cheating here, but I think it’s allowable. In the wake of Frank Ragnow’s retirement earlier this month, Detroit’s offensive line is in flux on the interior. Veteran lineman Graham Glasgow could be the initial replacement at the pivot, but the Lions were already cross-training Ratledge at guard and center before Ragnow officially decided to hang it up, so the rookie might present a longer-term replacement at this key spot. We’ll have to wait until training camp for more clarity, but Ratledge appears destined to start somewhere on the interior — and the hyper-athletic big man enters the NFL with an impressive résumé, having started at Georgia for the last three seasons, earning first-team All-SEC honors in the past two. |
| COLLUSIONThe NFLPA has a ruling in a grievance that calls the NFL out for “collusion” on aspects of player contracts. Matt Ehalt of the New York Post on how the NFL won the ruling completely, but some, like Mike Florio, are claiming they actually lost: Shady talks did happen behind closed doors. In what is being hailed as a monumental reveal, an independent arbitrator wrote there is “little question” the NFL management council, with the blessing of commissioner Roger Goodell, “encouraged” teams to reduce guarantees in NFL contracts during a 2022 owners meeting. However, the arbitrator of the 2022 lawsuit by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) alleging collusion by the league and its owners ruled there is not evidence to verify that collusion occurred. “There is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veteran’s contracts at the March 2022 annual owner’s meeting,” the ruling reads, as revealed by reporter Pablo Torre. “However, the evidence did not establish a clear preponderance that the Clubs agreed to do that or participated in such a scheme. There are many Clubs whose only connection to his proceeding is the attendance at the Owners’ meeting, and the expert evidence of aggregate and average changes in various measure of spending, guaranteed and otherwise, is not sufficient, even when considered with the other evidence presented, for the NFLPA to meet its standard of proof.” Torre, the host of the popular “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio both described the reveal of the NFL imploring its owners to act in a certain way as significant. Florio wrote that one source called it the “most significant ruling in American sports since 1994.” Another source told Torre: “It’s almost like the holy grail for the union. Here’s 61 pages of gory details about how the league really works, thanks to an independent judicial arbitrator. You should be screaming about this from the high heavens.” The lawsuit in question is from 2022, when the NFLPA alleged that the teams and league violated the collective bargaining agreement by colluding to not offer players fully guaranteed contracts following the highly controversial, fully guaranteed $230 million deal Deshaun Watson signed with the Browns in March 2022. It called for damages and for certain quarterbacks — Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray — to have their contracts voided. “The NFLPA bases its claim on the fact that no other quarterback or high-profile player signed a fully guaranteed contract after Browns’ quarterback Deshaun Watson signed his contract last March,” read a memo filed that October by Jeff Pash, currently the league’s EVP, general counsel. “The NFLPA argues that ‘[t]he expectation was that fully-guaranteed contracts would now become the competition driven norm for the players in the League, including quarterbacks, negotiating new contracts.’” The NFL and NFLPA refused to reveal the Jan. 14, 2025 ruling from arbitrator Christopher Droney, per Florio, but the 61-page document has finally been unearthed thanks to Torre. While Droney wrote how it overwhelmingly seems the NFL told its teams to act in a certain way, he did not void the contracts nor award the NFLPA money. “While the NFL Management Council encouraged the 32 members Clubs of the NFL to reduce guarantees in future contracts with prayers at the March 2022 annual meeting of the Club owners,” Droney wrote, “the Clubs did not join in such a collusive agreement and did not act in accordance with one as to the three quarterbacks named in the initial arbitration demand or to other veteran players. “Accordingly, I dismiss the arbitration demands of the NFLPA in its entirety.” |
