The NFL 2025 season will begin on September 4, kicking off a long road to the Playoffs across 272 games. The league is booming as a global product now, attracting millions of fans worldwide.
Fans of specific teams will have certain hopes and views, but what will be the season's narratives? Below, we try to address some of those, looking at what is driving the headlines as we get closer to the start of the new campaign:
1. Global Takeover Continues
It was a novel concept to see an NFL regular season played abroad. In the 2010s, the league found a permanent home in London, where it is now playing three games a season in the UK capital. But this season, there will be games in Spain, Ireland, Germany, Brazil, and the three London games. Next year, the first game will be played in Australia. The Premier League may still be the world’s most-watched sports league, but the NFL is laying down the gauntlet by bringing the action to you.
2. Signs of Decline
The Kansas City Chiefs have been in the last three Super Bowls and five of the previous six. It’s dominance on a historical level. They start the season among the favorites in the latest NFL betting odds, but many think the wheels are starting to come off. Sure, they will still be in the Playoffs, but the contrarian bet that this team will finally run its course has been discussed extensively in the offseason. Again, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the rest would like to prove the doubters wrong.
3. The Quarterback Showdown
The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens will clash in the season's opening week, pitting the two best quarterbacks in the league – Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson – against each other. There was little between the pair in the MVP voting last term, and there is little to choose between the two teams as Super Bowl contenders. It’s being framed as a huge bellwether for the season ahead. Of course, it could be the case that we learn little from the game or a lot, but that hasn’t stopped the hype.
4. If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Try to Fix It
It’s normal for NFL teams to make changes in the offseason, but there’s always a risk when you remove several starters from a winning team, even if the replacements look solid. That’s what the Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles, have done. Not all of it was by design, but the fact remains that a handful of the roster that were key to defeating the Chiefs in February are now in different uniforms. Whether the changes will cause teething problems for the champs remains to be seen.
5. A Long Goodbye
Aaron Rodgers is considered one of the greatest all-time players, with perhaps only Tom Brady eclipsing him in the quarterback role this century. Nonetheless, his time is ending, with the player indicating that this season will be his last. He has been picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the truth is that nobody is sure about how it will go. Rodgers is not immune to controversy, and his sojourn with the Jets was a disaster last season, but he is also the kind of character who might dig deep to deliver one final brilliant season as a 41-year-old.
6. The Surprise Package
There’s always a team that confounds the critics, defies the odds, and has a great season without anyone expecting it. Last season, it was the Washington Commanders, led by brilliant rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Who will it be this season? We don’t know, hence the “surprise” part, but you can see growing confidence around a team like the New England Patriots in the early preseason, but perhaps it won’t be that obvious.
