One month removed from Super Bowl LIX, the NFL is still providing plenty of entertainment value. The NFL landscape has been littered with trade requests from All-Pros, cryptic social media posts, quarterback trades and overpriced signings, all against the backdrop of the excitement of the NFL combine and upcoming draft. Even the defending Super Bowl champions have a new look, with a new extension for Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley and free-agent losses across their defense.
What should viewers take away from the first football-free month of 2025? These are 10 storylines with a lasting impact on the NFL that deserve your attention.
JET QUARTERBACKS — New York Jets quarterbacks of the past, present and future have dictated the most interesting part of NFL free agency each year — the quarterback shuffle. New York’s new front office made the decision to cut Aaron Rodgers after a turbulent two years, paving the way for the Jets to sign former Bears and Steelers quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year contract with major incentives. Aside from Rodgers and Fields, two former Jets also found new homes as the major prizes of the trade and free agent markets: Geno Smith arriving in Las Vegas by way of a trade from the Seahawks, and Sam Darnold capitalizing on a strong year in Minnesota with a new contract with the Seahawks to fill Smith’s role. The 41-year-old Rodgers still hasn’t found a home, though Pittsburgh, Minnesota and the Giants are possibilities. After the dust settles, who will benefit the most from this shuffling of quarterbacks with New York ties? Fields should headline that list with a tantalizing opportunity to start for a potent offense after backing up Russell Wilson most of last season in Pittsburgh. Conversely, Darnold will go from a well-coached, loaded Minnesota team to a rebuilding Seattle franchise with little short-term upside — though a big pay day lessens that blow. From a team perspective, the moves will not factor into serious playoff or Super Bowl contention, but the Vikings did well to get the most out of Darnold and pave the way for second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the future of the franchise.
STAFFORD/ADAMS — The biggest quarterback name on NFL teams’ radar was 37-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is coming off a solid 2024 campaign and seemed to offer a short-term fix for a team on the brink of contention. But Stafford and the Rams agreed to extend their fruitful partnership longer, with Stafford restructuring his deal to stay with the defending NFC West champs. The Rams doubled down on their contention window by replacing wide receiver Cooper Kupp with six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams, ensuring Stafford will have one of the league’s best receiving duos at his disposal for the next couple seasons. The Rams have never been a build-for-the-future team under head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead, and this doubling-down on their promising present makes sense for a team that was a pleasant surprise and legitimate Super Bowl threat in 2024. In a weakened NFC West, the Stafford-led Rams will be the team to beat in the upcoming year.
COMBINE — Sometimes the NFL Scouting Combine is more notable for what doesn’t happen than what does — the players who choose not to participate in certain drills, the injuries that hamper a top prospect’s availability through the draft process. But for an event that is not technically a competition and doesn’t have definitive outcomes like the NFL Draft, the NFL Combine rules. For one, it’s the best NFL event from a media perspective, outside of an actual game. The abundance of compelling positive stories, and accessible press conferences to go along with them, is a dream for any outlet, all while set against the backdrop of some of the highest stakes the prospects have encountered in their sport. From a fan perspective, the entertainment extends beyond the evergreen 40-yard-dash intrigue. The combine offers fans a chance to watch the NFL’s next class of elite athletes before they reach their teams (and the potential to spot the next late-round steal), with the instant gratification of NFL Draft implications of great or terrible performances giving a more short-term payoff as well. While the Super Bowl and NFL Draft have a different host city each year, the combine runs in Indianapolis annually and the stability gives the event a real sense of identity. It’s remarkable that a week without any actual football being played, in which the most impactful developments happen in interviews behind closed doors, is a high point of the NFL offseason, but the Combine delivers, year after year.
REPORT CARDS — One of the best inventions of the past five years in the NFL was the release of the team report cards from the NFL Players Association. The report cards are intended to provide free agents who are deciding between teams with information about aspects of franchises that could be relevant to their decision, such as a franchise’s nutrition resources, training plans, ownership and the head coach. Player feedback determines each team’s grades, with additional notes added to each category to share deeper, specific insights. It’s a terrific report, beyond providing fodder for sports talk radio shows. Have the Miami Dolphins won a playoff game in the last 20 years? Nope, but they can brag that they rank number one out of 32 teams in the composite team ranks, including A or A+ grades in each of the 11 categories and first-place ranks for dining area, training room and staff, weight room, strength coaches, team travel and ownership. And this is for a team that underperformed and missed the playoffs, which would have given the season a bitter aftertaste. These grades sure seem to matter to NFL teams, whether via social media posts or reactionary facility and staff investments — teams are being held accountable in a very public setting. The competition to be in the top five, or at least stay out of the bottom five, sure seems to bring out the competitive spirit in franchises that is typically reserved for game day. The more compelling aspect of the list is in the risers/fallers and bottom five. The Washington Commanders’ change in ownership and culture was evident in a run to the NFC Championship after the Daniel Snyder area, but their jump from the 32nd overall rank in 2024 to the 11th spot in 2025 legitimizes that rise. On the flip side, the Jets and Browns slid into the bottom five, with accountability and leadership as cited shortcomings. No head coach received a grade below a “C”, but the owners of the Buccaneers, Patriots, Steelers, Panthers, Jets and last-place Cardinals failed to reach that mark in the ownership category. These grades are more than just another headline for the offseason news cycle. They are valuable perspectives into the day-to-day operations of NFL teams with the potential to be the impetus for change in each team’s city.
SAMUEL — The Washington Commanders replaced the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game this season after the Niners’ recent dominance (San Francisco didn’t even make the playoffs this season), in large part to Washington’s hiring of general manager Adam Peters from the 49ers. On Wednesday, the Commanders finalized another acquisition of an important 49er: 2021 first-team All-Pro selection Deebo Samuel, added in a trade in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Samuel’s 2021 season was astounding and broke the mold of a typical receiver. The former second-round selection recorded 1,405 receiving yards with six receiving touchdowns, while also tallying eight more touchdowns as a rusher. But due to health and inconsistency, Samuel has not come close to those totals in his other five seasons. Samuel only surpassed 100 receiving yards in two of his 15 games in 2024, and the emergence of first-round pick Ricky Pearsall to pair with receiver Brandon Aiyuk and star tight end George Kittle made Samuel and his pricey contract expendable. If Samuel can return to 2021 form, the Washington offense, led by Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, will be one of the best units in the league. For a Commanders team looking to make the most of Daniels’ rookie deal and to win now, this trade fits as a high-upside play that shouldn’t limit its long-term ceiling as an NFC contender.
GARRETT — Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has been a fixture in the Cleveland sports scene over the past decade, whether courtside for Cavaliers games or wrecking opposing offensive lines in the Browns’ colors. That made Garrett’s offseason trade request to a contender quite a surprising development. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year then recanted his stance to sign a record-breaking contract and stay in Cleveland, signing a contract extension with an annual average of $40 million. Garrett’s initial motivation, leaving a 3-14 Cleveland team to join a team that can contend in the playoff picture, sure seemed to be overruled in his decision to stick around for the massive pay day, and that’s the trade-off he made. Garrett is almost a lock to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is set to make a great deal of money on his contract, and those are two great aspects. Still, the Browns look nowhere close to contention with their current roster construction, starting at the quarterback position. It’s a shame that Garrett may never play in a Super Bowl while in his prime, but that might be worth it in Garrett’s estimation after he tested the trade request waters and elected instead to make contract history with Cleveland.
HENDRICKSON — What is going on in Cincinnati this offseason? The Bengals’ 2024 season was defined by a high-flying offense and a deficient defense, and the net result was the Bengals missing the playoffs and firing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. That brought the Bengals into an offseason with two priorities: keep wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in town, while finding ways to bolster. the Cincinnati defense. Easier said than done. Reports indicate that the Bengals are getting closer to long-term deals with Chase and Higgins after initially placing the franchise tag on Higgins (essentially restricting him to staying with the team for the upcoming season for a fixed contract value), but that positive momentum may be offset in the big picture by the defense’s lackluster offseason. The Bengals’ best defensive player, reigning NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson, requested a trade after his career year, and the rest of the defense hasn’t received massive upgrades. The case against Hendrickson relies on his age (30 years old) and the Bengals’ limited resources, but positioning two players of the same position in front of the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up could deal a devastating blow to an already sub-par defense.
BARKLEY — Though he did not set the all-time rushing record, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley may have posted the greatest season by a running back in NFL history. In his first year in Philadelphia, Barkley hit 2,005 rushing yards with a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns and became an essential weapon for the eventual Super Bowl champions. His rewards included his first Super Bowl ring, the Offensive Player of the Year award and two wins against his former employer, the New York Giants, but his financial reward also arrived this offseason in the form of a two-year, $41 million extension. For Barkley, the deal gives financial validation for his efforts in a healthy and historic 2024 season, but for the running back market and position, the deal may mean even more. Running backs will never reach the contract values of quarterbacks or premier receivers or pass rushers, but Barkley’s major cap hit validates the superstar running back as a cornerstone of roster construction. If the Super Bowl champions paid a running back big money and used it to win a Super Bowl, other NFL teams are sure to take note… even if there’s only one Saquon Barkley to go around. Barkley’s first contract with Philadelphia made the Eagles look like geniuses, and if he continues to produce at league-high levels and contribute to a perennial Super Bowl contender, this one may look like a bargain, too.
METCALF — Deebo Samuel got the wide receiver merry-go-round spinning with his trade to the Commanders, and another dynamic NFC West receiver found a new home with a 2024 playoff entrant, as well. D.K. Metcalf, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, is now in the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unlike Samuel, Metcalf doesn’t know who his quarterback will be in Pittsburgh — the Steelers have signed a backup quarterback, Mason Rudolph, but have yet to land a free-agent quarterback to send under center. Metcalf was the best wide receiver on the trade market and has surpassed 900 receiving yards and five touchdowns in each of his six NFL seasons. Regardless of the Steelers’ Week 1 quarterback, Metcalf’s pairing with George Pickens gives Pittsburgh a high-powered duo on the outside. The price, a second-round pick, gives Seattle a strong return on the trade, and Metcalf’s first reception in Pittsburgh was his new contract extension that will bring his contract to $150 million. My biggest takeaway: the Steelers made a win-now move and significant financial commitment with no indication that they are close to Super Bowl contention, all while playing in a conference with MVPs Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
COMMANDERS — I touched on the football side of the Commanders’ offseason earlier in the article, so now it’s time for the fashion side. The debate and debacles around the Commanders’ identity have been a major part of the conversation with this franchise over the past decade, and that doesn’t seem to be going away. While the new “Commanders” moniker hasn’t exactly been revered by the Washington fan base, the excitement of Jayden Daniels and the first playoff wins in decades infused some joy into the Commanders’ fanbase, and with that, some acceptance of the new name and identity. Even with that success, a new Nike uniform set that harkens back to the Commanders’ glory days and Super Bowl wins is reported to be on the horizon, but how do you throw back to a logo and identity that very clearly should be left in the past? I’m all for bold uniforms and fun quirks rather than simplification, but that may be Washington’s best route. The Commanders’ current uniforms feature Washington’s distinct color scheme but look unreadable in their number gradient, with the white jersey-white pants combination utterly devoid of personality and color. I don’t mind the black alternates as much and Daniels has engineered some daring comebacks in them already, but the look pushes the Commanders’ already tenuous set to the point of “gimmick.” The formula for improved Washington uniforms should be an abundance of burgundy, an abundance of gold and very limited references to Washington’s past identity.
As a side note, the Lions, Broncos and Texans nailed their wardrobe refreshers over the offseason, while the Jets provided a slight improvement but had such a disastrous season that their set might need a longer runway to stick.
Riker's Block 