The stage is set for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, but the action around the NFL isn’t limited to the Big Easy. From the teams that nearly missed out on the Super Bowl to those who missed the playoffs entirely but are making waves in the offseason, the last month has felt like an NBA free agency period with the drama, scrutiny and changes of direction of the NFL landscape. Today, I’ll dive into 10 storylines around the league, from the Super Bowl participants to teams picking near the top of the draft, and provide my spin on the NFL’s wild start to 2025.
On the CHIEFS: America’s escalating disdain for the Chiefs is borderline hilarious. Kansas City is 60 minutes away from an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat, and it sure doesn’t seem like America is rooting for history to be made. In some years, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have slipped under the radar due to injuries or the rise of potent contenders like the Ravens or Bills. Thanks to a stellar 15-2 record (and the recent Lombardi Trophies), the Chiefs can’t claim either and entered the playoff bracket with the full spotlight on them. NFL dynasties are rarely revered at the time — the Chiefs’ predecessor, the Patriots’, were even more adept at drawing opposing fans’ ire — but Kansas City’s last-second (lucky?) victories and seemingly advantageous referee calls have defined its run to the Super Bowl. Each of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl wins have come down to the very end… will Mahomes and Kansas City have one more daring, irritating escape left in them?
On the EAGLES: They will field a better team than their last Super Bowl appearance two years ago. One aspect of the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl in 2022 that shocked me was how different their roster was constructed from the 2017 team that won it all. In between, the quarterback, head coach and many major pieces left, and the roster teardown reached a point that the Eagles were accused of tanking in the final week after missing out on the playoffs. It’s only taken two seasons for Philadelphia to return to the Super Bowl since that 2022 season, though this year’s squad has its fair share of changes as well. Center Jason Kelce retired last season, new running back Saquon Barkley will likely win Offensive Player of the Year and the defense has experienced a renaissance behind defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and a cast of young contributors. Kansas City’s roster is pretty much the same, if not slightly depleted, from Super Bowl LVII, but Philadelphia will unquestionably field a superior roster in the Super Bowl rematch on Sunday — along with a quarterback-head coaching duo that will benefit from the experience of playing in a Super Bowl already.
On the BILLS: Buffalo has little reason to complain after recovering its own five fumbles in the AFC Championship game. Buffalo’s streak of six playoff berths without a Super Bowl appearance is brutal, but the Bills have themselves to blame for yet another season-ending loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While the AFC Championship swung on the Bills’ missed fourth-down attempt early in the fourth quarter — on a play that sure looked like Bills quarterback Josh Allen reached the line to gain — Buffalo had prime chances to finally knock off their toughest rival. The Bills recovered all five of the game’s fumbles, which is a laughably fortunate turn, so the outcome wasn’t a matter of Kansas City just being lucky. Looking at the stats, it’s clear that the AFC Championship was a game of inches: Kansas City held possession for four fewer seconds, tallied six more passing yards and averaged 0.3 more yards per play than the visitors. But because of the Chiefs’ superior situational approach and execution, Kansas City sealed the slim lead in the statistic that mattered most: a 3-point win.
On the COMMANDERS: Jayden Daniels might be the NFC’s best quarterback and has the brightest future. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels should be the runaway pick to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, and that’s without taking his playoff run, which featured a last-minute win over the Buccaneers and a shocking upset of the top-seeded Lions, into account. Daniels sparked the Commanders’ eight-win improvement and established himself as one of the most dynamic players in the league. The storybook season had plenty of signature moments, from his Hail Mary completion against the Bears to Washington’s impressive comeback against the division rival Eagles, and Daniels finished fourth in ESPN QBR and boasted a 25:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Daniels will likely have his moment in the spotlight at the NFL Awards, but his rookie season should put him among the NFC’s top passers entering next year. Remember, the NFC cast of quarterbacks isn’t particularly top-heavy or proven: Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield are probably his closest competition. In three to five years, Daniels will still be on his way up and may leave this crew in the dust.
On the LIONS: A healthy Lions team will contend, but improved NFC and coordinator losses will tighten margin for error. Detroit didn’t even make it to the final weekend of the pre-Super Bowl playoffs, but they should be the team that feels the brunt of unmet expectations the most significantly this upcoming weekend. True, the Lions were plagued by injury issues outside of their control, but failing to win a single playoff game after such a dominant regular season should leave a terrible taste in the Lions’ mouth. And make no mistake — the Lions’ prime is right now. Quarterback Jared Goff had a strong year, but he’s nearing the end of his apex and the Lions don’t have a clear succession plan. Both coordinators departed to take head coaching jobs, leaving Dan Campbell, talented players on both sides of the ball and a whole lot of question marks. Teams with legitimate Super Bowl windows need to make the most of every season and every opportunity, and Detroit let their terrific opportunity slip. Will the Lions reach 15 wins again with this core?
On the BRONCOS: Dismissal of special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica is an eyebrow-raising move after a successful season. Second-guessing NFL teams’ decisions can be folly — there’s a reason coaches and executives have those jobs and I am simply here writing about it. But I was perplexed by the Broncos’ decision to move on from special-teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, which seems to take more into consideration than pure performance. Kotwica’s unit produced a Pro Bowler for the second-straight year (returner Marvin Mims) and adjusted to the drastic changes to the NFL kickoff, while also ranking in the top 10 in punting net average and field goal percentage. Denver media members have speculated that the move was a precursor to making a run at former Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi, and that may well turn out to be the case, but franchises should prioritize coaches and coordinators that deliver results. Another theory, that the Broncos’ blocked field goal against the Chiefs cost Kotwica his job, also runs counter to the overall trend of the season. NFL teams have plenty of turnover in the coaching ranks and writers aren’t privy to everything that goes on behind closed doors, but I’m rooting for Kotwica to get another shot — his track record deserves it.
On the STEELERS: If next year’s quarterback is one of the 2023 starters, the pick should be Justin Fields. Steelers owner Art Rooney II caught the attention of the sports world by expressing his preference to roll into the 2025 season with one of the Steelers’ 2024 quarterbacks, Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, as the starter. The answer should be pretty clear after the Steelers’ late-season collapse: Justin Fields. The former first-round pick piloted the Steelers to a 4-2 start before being swapped out for Wilson and was a change-of-pace playmaker the rest of the way. Wilson had more than twice as many passing yards per game as Fields (225.6 to 110.6), but Fields was more efficient (65.8 to 63.7 in completion percentage) and added five touchdown runs. Most crucially, Fields is 25, while Wilson is 36 — an important distinction with the elusivity that each of their playing styles feature. Rolling with Fields is a risky proposition for Pittsburgh, but running it back with Wilson is both uninspiring (considering the Steelers’ finish to the season and playoff flameout) and limited in upside (he may only have a couple years left in the league). Fields deserves one more legitimate shot as an NFL starter with the full support of a coaching staff, and the Steelers can keep their commitment low while entering 2025 with real optimism in the playoff hunt.
On the COWBOYS: Brian Schottenheimer isn’t the most inspiring head coach option, but Cowboys are hardly in tank mode. Starting from the end of the 2023 NFL season, the Cowboys’ trajectory has gone from disappointing to aimless to abysmal. Dallas lost as the second seed in the NFC against the Packers, then spent the offseason watching their biggest rivals make terrific moves. That led to a 2024 regular season in which the Cowboys tumbled to third in the NFC East, missed the playoffs by a considerable margin and moved on from head coach Mike McCarthy. After that sequence, I’m still impressed that some Cowboys fans are still outraged by the promotion of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach, rather than dismayed into indifference. I consider these aspects of the Schottenheimer hire to be real assets to the Cowboys: his role in elevating Dak Prescott to a second-place finish in 2023 MVP voting, his experience working in a Cowboys organization run and influenced by owner Jerry Jones and the continuity his hire will bring to the Cowboys’ offense. As an added bonus, he’ll have the aid of a new defensive coordinator with experience at the helm in Matt Eberflus. I don’t see Schottenheimer as the Cowboys’ long-term answer, but who immediately fit that role for the Cowboys in this hiring cycle? And while Schottenheimer has no prior head-coaching experience, the last guy Dallas hired, McCarthy, brought a Super Bowl champion resume and faltered in all three of his playoff trips. Schottenheimer isn’t a gem of a hire, but he could keep the Cowboys competitive as they ride out the primes of their core players.
On the JAGUARS: Liam Coen drama culminates in Jaguars poaching new head coach from in-state Buccaneers. When I said that the NFL in January has resembled an NBA offseason, I was referring to the Liam Coen saga across Florida. According to the reporting of NFL insiders, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen interviewed for the Jaguars’ head coaching gig but withdrew once it was clear that Jacksonville would keep general manager Trent Baalke. Coen requested a record deal to remain as offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers, which Tampa Bay ultimately pursued and presented to Coen. Instead of an easy resolution, the Jaguars shook the situation up by firing Baalke, signaling their continued interest to Coen and flying him upstate to Jacksonville covertly. Coen ultimately ended up in the Jaguars’ teal and gold as head coach instead of Tampa Bay red and pewter as an offensive coordinator, and it’s been a continued struggle for Coen to build his staff while Tampa Bay blocks interviews for lateral moves for prospective assistants. I understand Coen looking to capitalize on a strong season as an offensive coordinator and realize his dream of becoming an NFL head coach, but his insistence on Tampa Bay to increase his contract offer and ensuing delay of signing that offer so he could interview with Jacksonville is not an ideal way to conduct business. That said, the whirlwind saga won’t have an impact on Coen’s Jaguars tenure. Bill Belichick made a last-minute pivot on the Jets and ended up a six-time Super Bowl champion in New England as a head coach.
On the TITANS: Number one overall pick is beneficial, but slowing leadership turnover is more pivotal. Once the Super Bowl finishes in New Orleans, the NFL will shift its focus from the postseason to the crown jewel of the offseason, the NFL Draft, and the team that controls its top pick, the Tennessee Titans. Further adding to the intrigue is the sense that the Titans don’t have a runaway best player to make their decision easy — the draft features top talents on both sides of the ball but no clear QB1. And the Titans would be justified in drafting for need at quarterback, given the struggles of their 2024 group featuring Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. But lost in the hype of the actual selections is the importance of that player’s landing spot and its infrastructure, and the Titans have yet to prove that they can provide that stability. The Titans fired general manager Jon Robinson after the 2022 season, head coach Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season and general manager Ran Carthon after the 2024 season. Tennessee, and all NFL teams for that matter, need some level of commitment to their decision-makers to set a meaningful long-term direction for a franchise. Not even a number one overall pick can compensate for that trend of uncertainty.
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