What Are The ten Largest Storylines Coming into The 2025 NFL Season?

A brand new NFL season is on the horizon, bringing hope and promise to all 32 fan bases, however deep inside every lie some uncertainty and questions on how nicely their group will carry out in 2025. 

After all, a few of these unanswered questions are greater than the others, and the solutions to lots of these burning questions will go a great distance in figuring out who wins Tremendous Bowl LX subsequent February.

That mentioned, which storylines are the largest getting into the 2025 season? We have rounded up probably the most notable.

10 Largest Storylines Coming into The 2025 NFL Season

10. How will Jayden Daniels observe up his historic rookie season?

Jayden Daniels is seeking to repeat the success from his rookie season. (Photograph by Mitchell Leff/Getty Pictures)

For the primary time in many years, Daniels has given Washington Commanders followers hope. His historic rookie season not solely gained him Offensive Rookie of the Yr, however he additionally led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Recreation. A profitable Yr 2 would virtually actually show that final 12 months was no fluke. However what if Daniels experiences a sophomore hunch? He wouldn’t be in jeopardy of dropping his job by any means, however he would enter 2026 dealing with a great deal of strain.

Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen had been the final two quarterbacks to win MVP. (Photograph by Brett Carlsen/Getty Pictures)

Mahomes, Allen and Jackson have established themselves because the cream of the present quarterback crop. They’re the final three quarterbacks to win an MVP and have every constantly been the most effective gamers at their place over the previous 5 years or so. If Mahomes, Allen or Jackson win MVP once more in 2025, the group would additional set up themselves because the three most elite quarterbacks within the league.

8. Will the Bears win a playoff recreation this 12 months?

Caleb Williams and the Bears want to bounce again in 2025. (Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures)

As soon as once more, the Bears enter a brand new 12 months with excessive expectations. And whereas we’ve mentioned this many occasions up to now, this 12 months is likely to be completely different. They acquired the most well liked commodity within the teaching market in Ben Johnson, who would possibly be capable of unlock quarterback Caleb Williams’ full potential after a shaky rookie season. Chicago additionally added a number of veterans throughout the trenches to bolster its offensive and defensive traces, which ought to pair nicely with the expertise it has on the skin at extensive receiver and alongside the sting on protection. However Bears followers will solely know the hype is for actual when their group begins successful video games, particularly massive ones. That’s the one method Williams and Johnson can push away strain to carry out in 2026, as a result of in the event that they fall in need of expectations in 2025, their seats will flip sizzling within the offseason. 

7. Will the Bengals make the playoffs this 12 months?

Joe Burrow was one of many NFL’s high passers in 2024. (Photograph by Joe Sargent/Getty Pictures)

Not many groups have as a lot elite expertise because the Bengals. Joe Burrow was the NFL’s main passer in 2024, whereas Ja’Marr Chase gained the receiving triple crown and Trey Hendrickson led the league in sacks. However that wasn’t sufficient for them to make the postseason, because the Bengals missed the playoffs for the second straight 12 months after going 9-8 within the common season and dealing with a number of excruciating losses. The Bengals had been capable of make most of their high expertise blissful over the offseason, extending Chase and fellow wideout Tee Higgins. Nevertheless, Hendrickson stays and not using a long-term deal and is holding in. If Hendrickson continues to push the difficulty, that might be a catastrophic loss for a protection that was already one of many worst within the league and additional slimming their margin of error. If that finally ends up being the distinction between a 3rd straight season with out making the playoffs or not, the scenario in Cincinnati would possibly change into uncomfortable.

6. Can Brock Purdy lead the 49ers again to dominance?

Brock Purdy and the 49ers struggled in 2024 with many gamers lacking time resulting from damage. (Photograph by Ezra Shaw/Getty Pictures)

The 49ers had been struck by the Tremendous Bowl hangover final 12 months, coping with a mess of accidents to key gamers and total regression en path to a 6-11 season. Although there have been a variety of departures over the offseason, there are causes for optimism within the Bay Space getting into 2025. Christian McCaffrey is coming back from damage, whereas their defensive position has some promise after spending their first two draft picks there (Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins). In addition they have the league’s best energy of schedule. Nonetheless, Purdy will finally be tasked with main the 49ers again to the postseason. He put up a good stat line in 2024 (3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 interceptions), however these numbers had been a drop-off from his 2023 season. The 49ers nonetheless gave Purdy one of many largest contracts for a quarterback within the league this offseason, however one other season like that may result in some rapid purchaser’s regret at a place that John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have struggled to get a long-term answer for.

5. Can the Cowboys make it again to the playoffs?

Dak Prescott missed the again half of the 2024 NFL season. (Photograph by Sam Hodde/Getty Pictures)

Following a powerful common season in 2023, the Cowboys took a step again in 2024 and went 7-10 as QB Dak Prescott missed roughly half the season resulting from a hamstring damage. Jerry Jones fired head coach Mike McCarthy because of this however had a comparatively uninspiring search to switch him, selling offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. They didn’t flip over a lot of their roster, both, with extensive receiver George Pickens being their solely notable acquisition. If Dallas misses the playoffs once more, may extra adjustments be on the horizon? Effectively, the Cowboys haven’t gotten off to begin in coaching camp, upsetting Micah Parsons in contract negotiations to the purpose that he’s requested a commerce. So, who is aware of if Parsons shall be round when the season begins, however having him underneath contract would a minimum of guarantee some long-term stability with their core. 

Aaron Rodgers is getting into his first 12 months with the Steelers. (Photograph by Joe Sargent/Getty Pictures)

Rodgers has one other new dwelling in 2025, and he has indicated that the upcoming season shall be his swan music. The four-time MVP’s legacy is ready in stone, firmly inserting himself within the dialog of the best quarterbacks of all time based mostly on what he did in his 18 years with the Inexperienced Bay Packers, however his brief stint with the New York Jets was crammed with drama and poor play that was clouded by his season-ending Achilles tear in 2023. If that is actually Rodgers’ ultimate season, doesn’t he wish to finish it on word? He did say he had one thing to show when he requested a commerce from Inexperienced Bay two years in the past, and the Packers have been simply tremendous with out him. Even when the Packers have a greater season in 2025 than the Steelers, a playoff by Rodgers would a minimum of function a cheerful ending after a wild previous couple of years. On the flip facet, if Rodgers falls in need of expectations, Mike Tomlin would possibly really feel much more warmth in Pittsburgh. The Tremendous Bowl-winning head coach hasn’t gained a playoff recreation since 2016, and whereas he hasn’t had a dropping report, Tomlin’s fixed shortcomings have seemingly taken a toll on Steelers followers’ endurance. 

3. Can the Eagles repeat as Tremendous Bowl champions?

Saquon Barkley had a 12 months for the ages in his first season with the Eagles. (Photograph by Mitchell Leff/Getty Pictures)

For roughly twenty years, no group was capable of repeat as Tremendous Bowl champions. The Chiefs broke that drought in 2023, although, successful all of it that 12 months after their Tremendous Bowl victory in 2022. So, going back-to-back is actually potential. After ending the Chiefs’ three-peat hopes, the Eagles are in a great spot to repeat. The overwhelming majority of their core is again in 2025, together with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Lane Johnson and Jalen Carter. However the final time this group made it to the Tremendous Bowl, they fizzled out late within the 12 months, dropping six of their ultimate seven video games after a 10-1 begin en path to a first-round playoff exit in 2023. Have Nick Sirianni & Co. discovered their lesson from that season? If they’ll, we is likely to be listening to dynasty discuss in Philadelphia quickly. 

2. Can the Lions make it to the Tremendous Bowl?

Jared Goff’s 2024 season did not finish the best way he would’ve appreciated it to. (Photograph by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto by way of Getty Pictures)

Arguably, no group has had extra excruciating playoff losses over the previous few years than the Lions. In 2023, the Lions had been one half away from reaching their first Tremendous Bowl, however they couldn’t maintain onto their 24-7 lead towards the 49ers within the NFC Championship Recreation. Final season, Detroit had the most effective report within the NFC. Nevertheless, the season-ending accidents mounted up earlier than the Lions dedicated too many self-inflicted errors of their divisional spherical loss to the Commanders. The Lions return a lot of the nucleus of these two groups in 2025, giving them a chip on their shoulder, however they’ll need to do with two new coordinators, as offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed for head teaching gigs. If Dan Campbell’s squad is ready to overcome that and attain, and even win, the Tremendous Bowl, many years of distress is likely to be put to relaxation. If not, questions on Campbell and QB Jared Goff will proceed to persist. 

1. How will Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs bounce again?

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are searching for solutions about what went fallacious on the finish of the 2024 season. (Photograph by Jamie Squire/Getty Pictures)

The Chiefs’ quest for a three-peat wasn’t all that fairly, successful 11 of their 15 regular-season video games by one rating. Nonetheless, they went 15-2 and wound up reaching the Tremendous Bowl for a 3rd consecutive season. As soon as they acquired to Tremendous Bowl LIX, although, their quest for a three-peat was rapidly derailed, getting blown out by the Eagles. Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid are all again for the Chiefs in 2025, making them one of many betting favorites to win all of it once more. Nevertheless, Mahomes arguably had his worst season in 2024, whereas Kelce confirmed his age. Was that simply an anomaly, or is the web page turning within the AFC West? If it’s the latter, the AFC is likely to be extra extensive open than ever earlier than. 

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