2025 NFL Season

[SeaBreeze341]

Rather than start a separate NFL Off-Season Thread, which would feature Free Agency, the NFL Draft, and even the Schedule Release, I'll just get things going with a normal NFL thread.  After all, it's really/technically the 2025 season.  No games for about a half year from now, but the news is year-round.  Plenty of time to rant about Training Camp and the Hall of Fame stuff, but that's down the road.

Season 106 gets going on September 4 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; concluding 4 months later on January 4, 2026, which is 5 weeks before Super Bowl LX.  The big game, or Game 285, will take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.  The AFC Champion & NFC Champion will face off in that venue one decade removed from the same place everything was decided against Denver & Carolina.  Basically 10 years + one day apart.

The free agency period is currently red hot!  Of course, nothing is super official until Wednesday.  Too bad they don't hand out awards for winning the off-season, but it is still worth following.
 


So far the top stories include, but are not limited to:
Josh Allen getting paid in Buffalo
Myles getting paid again in Cleveland
Sam Darnold from Minnesota to Seattle
DK Metcalf from Seattle to Pittsburgh
Justin Fields from Pittsburgh to the New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers from the New York Jets to currently nowhere
Tee Higgins from Cincinnati to Cincinnati (he got tagged)
Geno Smith from Seattle to Las Vegas
There's a ton.



As mentioned, nothing’s super official until March 12.  The NFL Draft, taking place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is scheduled for April 24 and will last until April 26.  The schedule release is slated to take place in May.  Other than that, really everything stays the same in terms of the date NFL events occur; just subtract two from the previous year’s date, or add 29 or 30.  I think I got the math right!

I guess I should mention that there were NFL games on Christmas last year, but not before I posted about the fact there were none planned on that Wednesday.   I guess the league changed their minds.   There will be NFL games played on the holiday this year that's for sure!
That'll be the case until the end of the decade at the earliest.

[Ccook]

Word from ESPN is that Aaron Rodgers will wind up in Pittsburgh. Or at least it's a possible landing spot.

With Kirk Cousins a bust, Atlanta will likely hitch their wagon to Michael Penix III. Their pressing needs remain a pass rush and O-line, so we'll see what the draft portends next month.

[SeaBreeze341]

I pretty much forgot to periodically check Fan Duel for any changes toward their predictions for 2025 (Awards, NFC & AFC winners, and the Super Bowl).  Until now; while Tampa is still favored more than Atlanta, I think the addition of Leonard Floyd is something.  He'll bring something the Falcons didn't have since their last playoff run (nearly 3 quarters of a dozen sacks).  Plus he's from the area.

At the end of the day, I'll believe Rodgers to Pittsburgh when I see it.  Personally, what I see is neither him nor Russ in the black and gold in the upcoming season

[Pikachu732001]

The NFL officially incorporates the statistics of the All-America Football Conference into the record books:
https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-s-official-records-to-finally-incorporate-all-america-football-conference-statistics

No, this is not an April Fools' Joke.

[SeaBreeze341]

Although I'm not moved by the above decision, in the world of sports, it sure beats stupid decisions like taking away wins & championships (especially when it's due to off-field stuff).

It is what it is.  People are still going to look at the teams, era, & dynasties they see as the greatest of all time.  Pretty much all post-merge.  Including Green Bay, that's Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Dallas, New England, and Kansas City.  Miami, who went an entire season without a loss, doesn't get that much respect.  Teams like the Giants & Chicago are much more respected IMO and TBH

[SeaBreeze341]

Barring something different, Tennessee and Cleveland are respectfully slated to pick Cam Ward and Travis Hunter as the first 2 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.  As mentioned elsewhere, the unknown stuff starts after that with New York & Pick Number 3

[Ccook]

Jacksonville trades up with Cleveland and gets Travis Hunter. CBS Sports gives the pick an A+ saying Hunter is the best player in the draft. Cleveland will get a first round pick in '26 and second and fourth round picks this year.

Falcons get a pick from nearby Athens--LB Jalon Walker. Injury concerns devalued him slightly but they say he's a good fit for a pass rush that needs a boost.

[SeaBreeze341]

I think Herd destroyed the pickup from Jacksonville.  I agree that it's the best player, while respecting the criticism.  The new Jacksonville staff hasn't been together yet, and giving up so much to someone else isn't a great move.  However, nobody really wins a title by winning on paper (in the draft).  They have the QB, and it's still too soon to rate the move IMO.  Things might work out for Cleveland, but they're still not going to pass over Baltimore in their division

[Ccook]

Show of hands: who thought Shedeur Sanders was going to be an early pick? I didn't think it would be early but I also didn't think he'd go at #144 (fifth round). He's en route to Cleveland.

[TPIR98665]

Show of hands: who thought Shedeur Sanders was going to be an early pick? I didn't think it would be early but I also didn't think he'd go at #144 (fifth round). He's en route to Cleveland.

There was always more hype than substance around Shedeur and his old man at Colorado.  Surprised the dropped to 5th round?  Yes..Not surprised he didn't go as some expected.  REALLY surprised he went to Cleveland as they also drafted a qb from a school who's name I don't speak (or write or type)

[SeaBreeze341]

The NFL Opening Kickoff Has Been Confirmed

According to Fan Duel, Philadelphia is a 6.5 point favorite over Dallas (46.5 total).  Since the debut of the NFL Kickoff Game more than 2 dozen years ago, the first game has featured the Cowboys.  The former 5-time Super Bowl champion is 1-1 in those games.  Meanwhile, the Eagles will attempt to increase the winning percentage for defending champions playing in the first game.  Currently that mark is at 75%.  Philadelphia is batting a thousand in the Kickoff Game.

Although the entire schedule will be disclosed on Wednesday, May 14, it's possible the remaining 271 games will be disclosed in advance

[jude_este]

Amazon has confirmed the teams playing in their Black Friday and Christmas Day games.

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Chicago Bears for the Black Friday game. And as Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football schedule aligns this year with Christmas, that game will see the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Denver Broncos.

https://deadline.com/2025/05/prime-video-nfl-black-friday-christmas-night-amazon-upfront-1236394575/

And also, the Eagles will face the Washington Commanders, followed by the Packers facing the Chicago Bears in FOX's double header game on December 20.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2025-nfl-schedule-release-eagles-commanders-packers-bears-to-play-saturday-doubleheader-in-week-16/

[SeaBreeze341]

Vikings Getting Back To Back International Games

Although Jacksonville has already played overseas in consecutive weeks, this will be the first time an NFL team is playing in different areas.  Minnesota first travels to Dublin against Pittsburgh, and then to London against Cleveland.  Which may be a benefit for them; with the NFC having more road games than home games, Minnesota now has fewer true road games than home games.

[Ccook]

Atlanta plays a London game November 9 against Indianapolis. Atlanta will be the designated road team. They have four prime time games (two on NBC, one on Amazon Prime and the other on ESPN), which, given their track record is more than they deserve. They may surprise this year.

[SeaBreeze341]

Just when I think I'm in the clear in terms of NFL content (for the next 2 months)...here comes more big items.  Which were actually developing for awhile.  Many things were addressed during the May Owners meetings.

Those include, but not limited to:

1. Onside kickoffs are no longer limited to the 4th quarter
2. Players are permitted to participate in the 2028 summer Olympics
3. The tush push is here to stay
4. The playoff seeding isn't changing


For the onside kicks, it'll occur at the 34, you still have to disclose that, and you have to be trailing.  I'm not too excited about NFL players being permitted for the games, since there are restrictions.  I guess things will be finalized down the road; there's time.  The tush push vote to ban it fell short by a couple votes.  I imagine this will get revisited next year.  As for the playoff seeding, that'll depend on how things shape up.  For example, a 13-win team travelling to a 9-win team because the latter won its division & the former didn't.

I thought there would've been a compromise with the above.  If a division winner has to travel, they have to very inferior.  I can get on board with a division winner with a sub 500 record going on the road, but only if the other team has 11 wins or more (including against the other team if applicable).  Glad there aren't any changes this time around