The start of the 2025 NFL season isn’t too far away, beginning the long, hard road to Super Bowl LX next February and the most incredible show in sports. Fans of some teams will be confident, of course, whereas some will face the new season with a sense of trepidation.
Nonetheless, there is constantly renewed optimism that your team can defy the odds and prove the doubters wrong. That said, once the season begins in September, the narratives that shaped the offseason can quickly change.
In light of that, we wanted to pose some questions that might shape the story of this season, looking at seven areas that could look very important by the time we reach the Playoffs in January.
Will The Chiefs’ Dynasty Come To An End?
The recent iteration of the Kansas City Chiefs has a strong case for being the most dominant team in NFL history. Five of the last six Super Bowls (three wins) have featured the Chiefs, and Barack Obama was still President the last time the Chiefs failed to win the AFC West. You can’t write them off, and they are considered among the Super Bowl favorites, but there is a growing murmur that the Chiefs could fall off this season. Such predictions might look foolish, but there was evidence of a decline last season, despite making the Super Bowl.
Will The Two Leading Teams Clash in Week 1?
We are almost sure that the most challenging game to predict in NFL game betting lines this regular season is the Week 1 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills. Most sportsbooks have the pair as the favorites for the Super Bowl, and most have the two teams’ gunslingers, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, as MVP favorites. It’s a blockbuster clash in the early part of the season, and it might go a long way in telling us who the best team in the NFL is.
Can Jayden Daniels Join The Elite?
Last season was remarkable for Jayden Daniels, perhaps the greatest ever campaign from a rookie quarterback. On that evidence, he could spend the next 10-15 years at the very summit of the NFL. Yet, we have seen players succumb to the pressure of expectation before.
Daniels and his Washington Commanders team trounced expectations by making the Playoffs last season, and another run like that could cement his status as one of the best in the league.
Will The 49ers Bounce Back?
There are many intriguing teams to follow across the season, but we’d put the 49ers at the top of that list. A horrendous run in the last campaign meant the Super Bowl LVIII runners-up finished with a 6-11 record. They only had themselves to blame. Yet, the 49ers have been tagged by many as a prime candidate for a turnaround season. They are perhaps not strong enough to challenge for the Super Bowl, but a run to the Playoffs is not out of reach.
How Will The Lions’ Tactics Change?
The Lions were the best team to watch across the 2024 regular season, bar none. They haven’t made many changes on the pitch, but they lost their offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. Head coach Dan Campbell will offer continuity, but the loss of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glen will impact how the team plays. Last season was almost perfect, so it remains to be seen how much John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard will shake things up.
Will Rodgers Finish The Season As The Steelers’ Starting QB?
In a sense, the riskiest signing of the offseason was 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers’ move to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, but he has only proven that in a Packers uniform. His campaign with the Jets last season didn’t work out for the team and player, so seeing the Steelers also take a chance on the four-time MVP winner was a mild surprise. There is no guarantee it will pay off. And we wonder, if Rodgers, who suggested this might be his final season, doesn’t fire, will the Steelers persevere with a player on borrowed time?
Will the Eagles’ changes pay off?
Let’s finish with the reigning champions. Ideally, Philadelphia would have kept most of the band together, but several starting players, including Josh Sweat, Mekhi Becton, and Darius Slay, have moved on. Most of the group is still together, but it will still pose questions, especially defensively, of whether the cohesion achieved last season can be found again.
