The dust has largely settled on the roster-building portion of the NFL offseason. Now that the NFL Draft and free agency have come and gone, the to-do list moves away from crafting the roster and more towards workouts as teams get together for the initial phases of the offseason program before OTAs, minicamp, and training camp to wrap up the summer.
With no games kicking off anytime soon, this is when every organization and fan base can be optimistic for the upcoming year. While not every team will have their hopes and dreams for the 2025 regular season realized, this period on the NFL calendar allows folks to let their minds wander to the furthest heights that they can imagine for their respective clubs.
In that spirit, we’re going to comb through every team in the NFL and pinpoint one reason for optimism as they continue to gear up for the 2025 season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t have a bad rookie season, but it also wasn’t to the level that many hoped it could be after he was selected No. 4 overall by the Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old was billed as a generational wide receiver prospect, and there’s still time for him to live up to that lofty billing. And the hype train surrounding Harrison’s sophomore campaign has already started. Earlier this offseason, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon tipped his hand in predicting a big season for Harrison, saying, “just wait until this guy plays this year.”
Revamped pass rush
The Falcons have lacked a pass rush for as long as most of us can remember. Last season, Atlanta’s 31 total sacks were the second-lowest in the entire NFL, and they registered the eighth-lowest pressure rate. Needless to say, they needed to overhaul that area of the defense, which they have done this offseason. The Falcons signed Leonard Floyd to a one-year, $10 million deal in free agency, and erupted at the NFL Draft by taking Georgia’s Jalon Walker at No. 15 overall and then traded back into the first round to select Tennessee edge rusher James Pearch Jr. at No. 26. Those pass rush issues should be a thing of the past.
For a minute, it looked as if the Ravens were going to lose arguably the biggest piece along their offensive line with starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley staring at free agency. There, he was expected to be inundated with lucrative contract offers that could’ve pried him out of Baltimore. However, Stanley instead reached an agreement on a three-year, $60 million extension with the Ravens, forgoing hitting the open market altogether. His continued presence at blindside tackle should be music to Lamar Jackson’s ears as the Ravens look to push for a Super Bowl in 2025.
If we’re talking about why teams should be optimistic about the 2025 season, a lot of the conversation will center around quarterbacks. While we’ll try to expand further than that elementary way of looking at things as we go further through this list, we can’t overlook the reigning NFL MVP. The reason Buffalo should be looking forward to the 2025 campaign is that they have arguably the best quarterback in the league, meaning their floor should be an appearance in the divisional round. Moreover, Allen will be in Buffalo for the foreseeable future after signing a new six-year contract extension with the Bills worth $330 million back in early March.
It was unsettling for Panthers fans to see C.J. Stroud light the NFL on fire and Bryce Young struggle during their respective rookie seasons in 2023 after Carolina took Young ahead of the Texans QB. While 2024 initially looked like Young would continue his free fall into the bust category, he landed on his feet. Young was stellar down the stretch for the Panthers, which gives the organization promise that he can live up to that No. 1 overall pick status. In his final three games to wrap up last season, Young registered a passer rating of 111.6, completed 64.8% of his passes, and had seven passing touchdowns with zero interceptions. He also rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns over that span. If he is remotely close to those numbers for an entire season, it’ll completely change the fortunes of the franchise. Carolina also gave Young a new weapon in wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Ben Johnson arriving as head coach
Arguably, the biggest addition throughout this entire offseason was the Chicago Bears landing Ben Johnson as head coach. In just his first offseason at the helm, you can already see his imprint on the roster with Chicago bolstering its offensive line and adding an array of weapons for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Johnson has shown us during his days as the Lions‘ offensive coordinator that he’s a tremendous play caller, and that is widely expected to translate to being a head coach. Chicago’s days in the dumps may be a thing of the past.
Wide receiver duo is intact
Despite questions of their ability to keep the band together, the Bengals were able to come out of this offseason with both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins still on the roster. While Chase’s future with the organization was never in doubt, his looming extension that ended up making him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB was thought to possibly impact Higgins’ future. However, Cincinnati came to terms on a four-year, $115 million extension. This means Joe Burrow will have his full complement of receivers as the Bengals look to thrust themselves back into the Super Bowl conversation in 2025.
It’s been a topsy-turvy offseason for the Cleveland Browns. While their quarterback situation will need to be sorted out with five signal-callers on the depth chart, one person they don’t need to worry about any longer is Myles Garrett. Despite a trade request, Garrett and the Browns were able to reconcile with a monster four-year, $160 million extension. With Garrett intact, the floor for Cleveland’s defense remains high entering 2025.
Dak Prescott returning to full health
Dallas can look forward to getting their starting quarterback back on the field and healthy. Last season, Dak Prescott was limited to just eight games due to a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve, but he is expected to be healthy for the 2025 season. While the veteran’s 2-5 playoff record casts doubt on his ability to push the Cowboys through the postseason, Prescott is 76-46 throughout his regular season career, which sets up Dallas for a rebound after a 7-10 season in 2024.
Boast arguably NFL’s top defense
While the attention will likely be paid to how Bo Nix develops in Year 2, the most exciting aspect of the Broncos in 2025 is their defense. Denver finished tied for the second-fewest yards per play (5.0) allowed last season, and surrendered the third-fewest points per game (19.0). They spent this offseason further bolstering that side of the ball, adding Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga in free agency and using their first-round pick on nickel corner Jahdae Barron.
One of the key storylines for the Lions entering 2025 will be how they deal with the blow of losing both coordinators to head coaching jobs this offseason. While that’ll certainly be an adjustment, Detroit still has one of the most talented rosters in the entire NFL and was the No. 1 seed a season ago. They did that without star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, whose season was cut short due to a fractured tibia and fibula in Week 6. Before going down, Hutchinson had piled up 7.5 sacks through five games. If he returns to form and remains that type of impact player off the edge, the Lions will continue to push for a Super Bowl berth.
For the second year in a row, Jordan Love has shown us his ability to come alive down the stretch. I think that’s a window into the peak of his powers, which Green Bay should hope comes together throughout a full season. Over the last two seasons, Love has gone 11-5 with 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions between Weeks 11 and 18. However, Love’s hot streak came to a screeching halt with a three-interception performance in a one-and-done showing against the Eagles. While that definitely leaves a sour taste, Love is flashing elite potential at times. And with first-round receiver Matthew Golden now slotted in as another weapon, it’s possible we see more of that version of the Green Bay QB.
Should continue to have top pass defense
While it was an up-and-down year for the offense, the Houston Texans’ secondary was lethal. During the regular season, they allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete just 59% of their passes and tallied 19 interceptions. That output ranked first and second in the league, respectively. In the playoffs, they continued to shut down signal-callers, demolishing the Chargers with four interceptions and just a 44% completion percentage. This offseason, the Texans worked to ensure that production continues by extending Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre. They also acquired safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. If that unit plays at the level we’ve grown accustomed to and C.J. Stroud has a bounce-back season, Houston should continue to be dangerous.
Improved secondary
Indy ranked in the bottom 10 of the league last season in passing yards per game allowed (229.4), opponents’ completion percentage (69.36), and opponents’ passer rating (95.8). Even with questions surrounding the quarterback position, this was a key area to address over the offseason, and they were able to fetch a couple of big games. In free agency, the Colts landed safety Cam Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward. Their injection into the secondary should raise the floor of the overall defense, making life less difficult for whoever is under center.
Travis Hunter will be one of the more fascinating prospects to track throughout his rookie season. The Jaguars pulled off a blockbuster trade on Draft Day to move up to the No. 2 overall pick to bring Hunter to Jacksonville. Now, it’s going to be must-see TV on how the Jags use him. At Colorado, Hunter was a star wide receiver and cornerback, and it looks like Jacksonville will give him a shot to play both ways at the NFL level. The Heisman Trophy winner addresses key needs for the Jaguars at both receiver and corner, but maybe the most exciting angle will be Hunter lining up opposite of Brian Thomas Jr. within Liam Coen’s offense.
In the same vein as Josh Allen earlier, when it comes to pinpointing a reason for optimism with the Kansas City Chiefs, it seems silly not to simply mention Mahomes. So long as he’s healthy, they are firmly in the Super Bowl mix. Fortunately for the future Hall of Famer, the Chiefs did make necessary moves this offseason to keep him upright, adding offensive tackles Jaylon Moore in free agency and Josh Simmons in the first round of the NFL Draft. If Mahomes isn’t running for his life like he was during Super Bowl LIX and is afforded just some time to throw, Kansas City will likely find itself hosting the AFC Championship.
Drastic improvement in run game
The Raiders were downright terrible running the football last season. They ran for a league-worst 1,357 yards in 2024, giving them a per-game average of 79.8 yards rushing. Those fortunes will change, however, now that Las Vegas deployed the No. 6 overall pick at the 2025 NFL Draft to bring in runner Ashton Jeanty. The Boise State star was a beast during this final collegiate season, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. That production, combined with his blend of elite traits, has earned him comparisons to LaDainian Tomlinson during the pre-draft process. Even if he’s a sliver of Tomlinson, it should be a night-and-day difference for the Raiders on the ground.
Improved backfield
Los Angeles turned its backfield on its head this offseason, effectively swapping J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards for Najee Harris and first-round rookie Omarion Hampton. That should move the Chargers further up the rushing yard ranks after posting a middling 110.7 yards per game average in 2024. Harris has rushed for 1,000 in each of his first four seasons in the league, while Hampton arrives in L.A. after totaling 3,164 rushing yards over the last two seasons at UNC (second-most in FBS).
It seemed to get pretty dicey for a moment as it relates to Matthew Stafford’s future with the Rams. The organization even allowed their Super Bowl-winning QB to speak with prospective teams in the event of a trade. In the end, however, Stafford and the Rams realized they were better together than apart and agreed to a two-year, $84 million extension. With Stafford intact under center, the Rams should continue to be a key threat in the NFC, especially after they took the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles to the brink during the playoffs last year.
Offense remains among the best in the NFL
Miami is admittedly in an odd spot entering a 2025 season that feels like a make-or-break campaign for the current core. While there are questions about how far this team can go, the thing they can continue to hang their hat on is their high-powered offense. When at full health, the Dolphins can go toe-to-toe with any unit. When Tua Tagovailoa was healthy last season, the offense averaged 24.1 points per game, which would’ve been just outside the top 10 in the entire NFL for the full year. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are entrenched as the top two receiving options, De’Von Achane is one of the more explosive backs in the league, and tight end Jonnu Smith really came on strong down the stretch. Again, so long as healthy is on their side, this offense will be able to put up points.
Perfect roster to usher in young QB
A key storyline throughout next season will be the development of Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. He was sidelined due to a meniscus injury last season, which helped pave the way for Sam Darnold to produce in the role. As McCarthy now takes the keys to the offense, there may be some level of concern/wonder about how he will fare. Well, the former Michigan quarterback does have the benefit of having the best collection of talent around him in the league. Minnesota spent the offseason bolstering the interior of the offensive line, further providing McCarthy with protection. Meanwhile, his skill position group is headlined by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones. That’s not mentioning an offensive guru, head coach Kevin O’Connell, in his ear. McCarthy is set up to thrive as he ascends to QB1.
Mike Vrabel changing the tone
New England has gone through quite the roster overhaul this offseason. After Mike Vrabel was hired as the organization’s newest head coach, the Patriots have seemingly gone out of their way to pave the way for new blood and new leadership. The club spent big in free agency, bringing in Milton Williams, Robert Spillane, and Stefon Diggs in free agency, while putting together a strong showing at the NFL Draft headlined by Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson. While new faces have come aboard, some familiar ones were shown the door. This offseason, the Patriots have parted ways with five of their six captains from 2024. This is a clear effort by Vrabel to set a new tone after back-to-back 4-13 seasons, which should be a welcome development throughout the building and region.
Offensive tackle spots secured long-term
The Saints are pegged by many to be the worst team in the NFL entering 2025. While they are closer to the bottom of the league than they are to the top, they do have a key aspect to their rebuild established. Over the last two seasons, New Orleans has deployed key draft capital to replenish their offensive line. Specifically, they now have two starting-caliber tackles to solidify the line for whoever will be under center going forward. In 2024, they selected Taliese Fuaga and then turned around this year to select Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr, who was CBS Sports NFL Draft Analyst Ryan Wilson’s No. 1 ranked prospect at the position. So long as those two live up their their draft billing, it’s a key step in the right direction for the offense.
As exciting as Abdul Carter and his injection along a defensive line that already consists of Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence is, what gives New York Giants fans hope is Jaxson Dart. The front office had enough faith in the Ole Miss product to trade back up into the first round of the draft to select him, and he is now the long-term answer at the position. Of course, it’s a question as to when we’ll actually see Dart with Russell Wilson likely the Week 1 starter, but he provides hope for a brighter tomorrow and heads to New York with a ton of raw skill.
Can Justin Fields be the latest late bloomer?
Over the last few years, we’ve seen some once highly touted quarterbacks have late career blooms like Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, and, more recently, Sam Darnold. For the Jets, they’re rolling the dice on Justin Fields potentially being the latest edition of that trend, inking the former Steelers quarterback to a two-year, $40 million contract in free agency. Last season, Fields was 4-2 as the starter for Pittsburgh, and the offense averaged 20.7 points per game. Given his relationship with former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson, there is reason to suggest that Fields could be even more productive during his tenure with New York.
Favored to go back-to-back
This one is pretty simple. The Eagles rightfully remain the betting favorite to win Super Bowl LX. If that doesn’t provide optimism, then I’ve got nothing for you. Even after Philly lost some key pieces in free agency like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, and Mekhi Becton, this is still one of the best rosters in the NFL, so they should be in the thick of contention in 2025 and threaten to go back-to-back.
Finally acquired another star WR
The Pittsburgh Steelers spent eternity trying to land another impact receiver for their offense and were constantly coming up short. At long last, they finally landed their big fish, executing a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks for two-time Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf, whom they then inked to a $150 million extension. With Metcalf now inserted into the offense, the skill position group is ready to take a step forward with George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth already established. Now, they just need a quarterback …
The San Francisco 49ers‘ season literally got off on the wrong foot on Day 1 with Christian McCaffrey being sidelined for the bulk of the year due to an Achilles injury. McCaffrey was able to return in mid-November, but then suffered a PCL injury in his right knee that put him on the shelf for the rest of the year. Looking towards 2025, McCaffrey currently has zero restrictions, so he’s all systems go at the moment, which is ideal for the Niners’ hopes of rebounding after a 6-11 season.
JSN’s rise to WR1 status
It’s a new day in the Seattle Seahawks’ wide receiver room. This offseason, the club moved on from DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, who had been the mainstays at the position. Even after Seattle added Cooper Kupp in free agency, those prior moves are a ringing endorsement of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who will now be the clear-cut WR1. Last season, Smith-Njigba had a breakout campaign where he tied a franchise record with 100 receptions to go along with 1,130 yards receiving and six touchdowns. While he’ll have a new quarterback in Sam Darnold, seeing how Smith-Njigba performs with even more of the offense revolving around him should be fun.
The Buccaneers were able to keep two key core pieces intact this offseason. First, they secured long-time linebacker Lavonte David on a one-year deal as he enters his age-35 season. Then, they lured Chris Godwin back to Tampa with a three-year, $66 million extension. While these players are a bit long in the tooth, they’ve been instrumental pieces to their string of success over the last half-decade. Keeping them in-house should go a long way in Tampa Bay, continuing to push for deep playoff runs.
The Tennessee Titans hope that they’ve found their answer at quarterback. The club selected Miami signal-caller Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2025 NFL Draft. While his selection was somewhat overlooked given the Jaguars’ trade up to get Travis Hunter and the fall of Shedeur Sanders, Ward brings Nashville the promise of a changing tide after three-straight seasons of under .500 football.
The Commanders were one of the feel-good stories from 2024 as the downtrodden franchise enjoyed a remarkable turnaround spearheaded by the arrival of Jayden Daniels, who led them to the NFC Championship. This offseason, Washington did a masterful job of continuing to build around its young QB by adding star left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel via trade. They also added offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and corner Trey Amos at the NFL Draft. All these moves seem to be solidifying the Commanders as a force in the NFC for the foreseeable future.
