The 2025 NFL Season: A Landscape Transformed
The NFL landscape has been dramatically reshaped over the past few months, leaving fans eager for the season to kick off. New rookies and NFL veterans joining new teams reshape the NFL this season.
There is only one team that has named a rookie as its starting quarterback: the Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the number one overall pick in April and named him their starting quarterback. Ward completed 10 of 19 passes, with 145 passing yards in the preseason.
One other rookie quarterback who has impressed this preseason is Jaxon Dart, the 25th overall pick, who has shown great flashes throughout the preseason. Dart went 32/47 with 372 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns, and 52 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Dart will start as the backup in New York behind Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.
The first round pick for the Buccaneers is rising rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Egbuke has had a great camp this summer, and in the preseason, he had two catches and a touchdown. And with Tampa wide receiver Chris Goodwin being injured to start the year, Emeka should be a reliable option for Quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Free Agency
NFL free agency was very busy this offseason, with a lot of notable players moving teams.
Notable quarterbacks that changed teams, starting with the NFL vet Aaron Rodgers, Rodgers signed late into free agency with the Steelers. The Steelers brought in numerous new players, including DK Metcalf from the Seahawks in a trade, Jalen Ramsey from the Dolphins, Darius Slay from the Eagles, and Jonuh Smith from the Dolphins. The approach of general manager Omar Khan is clear: bring in NFL veterans who are proven players in this league to compete for a Super Bowl this season. This move is great for the Steelers in the short term, but they will see some problems in the long run with their short-term contract approach.
Other notable quarterbacks who signed or were traded to new teams included Russell Wilson, who signed with the Giants this offseason. The Giants picked up two other new quarterbacks to add to their roster, one being veteran quarterback Jameis Winston in free agency. The second being Jaxon Dart in the first round. The Giants, similar to the Steelers, bring in a Super Bowl champion veteran quarterback to mentor Jaxon Dart. Wilson in New York should give Giants fans some hope this season with a talented young receiving core highlighted by second-year Malik Nabers.
Rising star Sam Darnold signed with the Seahawks after a great year with the Vikings last year. And former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith signed with his former coach, Pete Carroll, in Las Vegas. Justin Fields was picked up by the Jets. He will be the starter there for the first year under Head Coach Aaron Glenn.
Blockbuster Deals & Holdouts
There were a handful of players wanting a new contract and holding out of training camp. One being TJ Watt, throughout most of the summer, Watt was in contract negotiations with Steelers GM Omar Khan. Watt signed a three-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth $123 million and secured Watt back on the line for the next three years for the Steelers.
Rookie first-round pick for the Bengals, Shemar Stewart, held out of rookie camp all summer due to a dispute in his contract. The Bengals would not give Stweart a guaranteed deal. The contract they were offering Stewart was incentive-based, causing Stewart to hold out. Eventually, Stewart signed a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $18.97 million on July 25, 2025. Bengals star edge rusher Tre Hendrickson, who also held out throughout the summer. He signed a 14 million dollar pay raise for one year and locked him up for this season.
Commanders’ wide receiver Terry McLaurin requested a trade due to not receiving a new contract this offseason. McLaren in 2024 had over 1000 yards and had 13 touchdowns. McLaurin signed a three-year contract extension with the Washington Commanders in late August 2025, worth up to $96 million, with a reported $87 million in base value and $44 million fully guaranteed at signing. This gives Jayden Daniels his WR1 for three more years.
Cowboys star Micah Parsons requested a trade from the Cowboys after not receiving a contract extension. Parsons on Thursday was unexpectedly traded to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and a Defensive Tackle, Kenny Clark. Parsons signed a new contract with the Packers, a four-year, $186 million contract, making Parsons the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The Packers and the Cowboys playing in week 4 should be a great revenge game for Parsons.
Season expectations
The Eagles are the rising favorites to win the Super Bowl this year. They are tied with the Ravens at +650 odds to win the Super Bowl. The Eagles have a great chance to get back to the big game with a weaker conference this year, and a talented roster returns. The Bills have the fourth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +700 odds.
The Bills are my Super Bowl pick. I think this is the year the Bills pass the Chiefs. The Chiefs lost a significant part of their offensive line, and their Wide Receiver Rashed Rice is facing a 6-game NFL suspension this year. Newly engaged Travis Kelce is coming off his worst year last year, and the lack of weapons and offensive line could pose a problem for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Despite these challenges, Mahomes always knows how to get through the season’s obstacles. From record-breaking contracts to rookie sensations, this offseason has proven that in the NFL, the only constant is change, making every game and every snap a must-watch event.