“It’s been a long time coming,” the introduction to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, is just as apt an opener for the 2025 NFL season.
The new year officially kicks off Thursday, Sept. 4, at which point joyous football fans will return to creased spots on their couches, and a certain golden-haired pop star (who just announced new music!) will return to her throne at Arrowhead.
To celebrate this long-awaited comeback, as well as the continuation of our favorite blonde's sporty era, we've gone ahead and assigned one song from Swift’s discography (and its relevant lyric) to each of the league’s 32 teams. Who's got bad blood with another squad? Whose reputation precedes them? And whose cruel summer could turn into their damn season?
Pop in your earbuds, queue up some Taylor and read on to find out.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: “22”
I don’t know about you / But I’m feeling 22 / Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you
Mention No. 22 to a Swiftie or an NFL fan, and you’ll quickly find yourself in two very different conversations. But in the vein of this ambitious crossover, Taylor’s upbeat song does a pretty good job of capturing the spirit of the Ravens heading into the upcoming season.
After Baltimore let another promising campaign slip through its fingers—literally—in last year’s divisional round loss to the Bills, Lamar Jackson is once again looking to take the next step in the playoffs. Luckily for him, he’ll have his ageless sidekick Derrick Henry right by his side. The two combined for 2,836 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in their 2024 debut as teammates, and their bond has likely only grown stronger with one season in the books already. The Ravens’ secondary may have dug the team an early grave as one of the league’s worst pass defenses last year, and Jackson may never fully be able to shake off his stubborn haters (Who’s LamaRB anyway? Ew.) But for all the reasons the Ravens may come up short this year, there are 22 reasons they won’t.
Cincinnati Bengals: “I’m Only Me When I’m With You”
And I don't try to hide my tears / The secrets or my deepest fears / Through it all nobody gets me like you do
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase just belong together on the field.
The Bengals’ dynamic duo ranks as arguably the NFL’s top quarterback-wide receiver pairing after Chase’s rare triple crown-winning season, and the two are just getting started. Cincinnati went through a lot of trouble to lock up their offensive trifecta of Burrow, Chase and Tee Higgins earlier this offseason, but it’s no secret that Burrow and Chase have operated on a different level dating back to their LSU days. Burrow is at his absolute best when Chase is too, and that’s a bromance worth writing songs about.
Burrow’s enchanting connection with Chase aside, the Bengals won’t get very far unless they’ve beefed up their defense, which ranked 25th in total yards and points allowed last year. Hammering out a new deal with star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson would get their season off on the right foot and officially renew their Super Bowl hopes for 2025.
Honorable mention: “Style.” Joe Brrr oozes it.
Cleveland Browns: “Eyes Open”
Everybody's waiting for you to break down / Everybody's watching to see the fallout / Even when you're sleeping, sleeping / Keep your eyes open
The fact that this song was written for The Hunger Games film makes it an even better fit for the free-for-all quarterback battle taking place on the Browns. Front and center of that competition is rookie Shedeur Sanders, who suffered a shocking NFL draft slide this past April and has been the most talked-about selection as a result (having Deion Sanders as his dad and former coach only makes the lights brighter). Sanders’s critics would love nothing more than to see him fail, and the odds of a fifth-rounder earning starting quarterback duties aren’t exactly in his favor.
Little mercy will be afforded to Sanders if he does get his chance to impress in 2025, following a respectable preseason debut against the Panthers that elicited hilarious mixed reactions from his Browns peers. The Colorado product would do well to remember that it’s every man for himself in Cleveland’s dystopian QB room, and that any potential setback he experiences will be splashed out in the next day’s papers for all to see.
Pittsburgh Steelers: “Anti-Hero”
It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me / At tea time, everybody agrees /
I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
Is there an NFL mainstay more widely respected but also deeply side-eyed than quarterback Aaron Rodgers? His ayahuasca journey, his disastrous tenure with the Jets, his Pat McAfee Show appearances … it all feels ripe for contempt. And yet, fans tend to agree he’ll have a gold jacket in a few years, at which point he’ll be lounging at his beach house in Malibu, deeply unconcerned with the outside world and what it thinks of him. So who’s winning, really?
The schadenfreude will continue in what could be his last season in the NFL. Now under center for the Steelers, it would be exciting to see him turn the tide for a franchise that’s been stuck in playoff purgatory since 2016. But, for many, it would be equally as thrilling to watch him crash and burn. Jets fans, you know which you are.
AFC South
Houston Texans: “Right Where You Left Me”
Pages turn and stick to each other / Wages earned and lessons learned but I'm right where you left me
C.J. Stroud isn’t going anywhere for the Texans. He will, however, be running away from pressure all season long unless Houston fixes its leaky offensive line. There’s plenty of blame to go around for Stroud’s 52 sacks last year, good for second-most behind Bears QB Caleb Williams. Stroud’s pressure rate jumped up from 35% to 39% in 2024, though he still struggled at getting the ball out even when his protection was fine.
Despite Houston’s troubling offensive regression, there are bluer skies ahead for Stroud. He’ll enter the 2025 season equipped with a revamped O-line and a new offensive coordinator in Nick Caley, who’s reportedly helping Stroud take more control of the offense at the line of scrimmage. Barring another wide receiver plight on the Texans, Stroud will hopefully have regained his confidence to sling balls to Nico Collins and Christian Kirk and leave his stinker of a second-year campaign in the dust. Should the offensive line issues re-emerge, however, Stroud will be right back where he started.
Indianapolis Colts: “Hoax”
You know I left a part of me back in New York / You knew the hero died, so what's the movie for? / You knew it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart
Daniel Jones’s $40-million-a-year deal with the Giants was as big a hoax as any, as New York was only getting Dimes on the dollar. Jones escaped the New York media vultures last season and will get a fresh start in a different shade of blue with the Colts, but unfortunately, we think we’ve seen this film before.
In an ideal world, then-rookie Anthony Richardson probably would have sat behind an established veteran in 2023 before becoming the franchise starter in Indy. That scenario is long moot in '25 after Richardson capped off another injury-riddled, hot-and-cold season. Richardson showed both high promise and concern as a deep-ball gunslinger last year while playing a frustrating game of starting QB musical chairs with Joe Flacco; where Flacco provided consistency with a low ceiling, Richardson whipped up chaos with occasional flashy plays showing off his first-round talent. The same story could write itself this September with Richardson pairing up with the much-maligned Jones in the ex-Florida dual-threat’s third NFL campaign. Colts fans may want to tap out early in this one.
Jacksonville Jaguars: “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”
But your good Lord doesn't need to lift a finger / I can fix him, no really I can
When it comes to the new-look Jaguars, plenty of eyes will be on two-way star Travis Hunter to see if he can actually pull off the wide receiver-cornerback one-two punch. But the more pressing question looming over this squad is whether Trevor Lawrence is that guy. Everyone said he was in the 2021 draft, and most still think he is, despite last year’s deflating, pre-shoulder injury performance of 2,045 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Things have fallen apart for the former No. 1 pick and highly touted generational prospect since his ‘22 Pro Bowl season, and the clock is ticking. For all his raw talent, Lawrence has visibly struggled in critical areas of his game, which has seen him continue to take sacks and make inaccurate throws even in clean pockets. The Ringer’s Diante Lee put it best last October: “Lawrence is a deeply talented, capable quarterback and an equally flawed game manager and decision-maker.” Can Liam Coen fix him? Only the new Jags coach knows whether he can.
Honorable mention: “New Romantics.” This one’s for Hunter, in honor of the historic feat he’s trying to achieve this season: We team up / Then switch sides like a record changer.
Tennessee Titans: “You’re on Your Own, Kid”
I search the party of better bodies / Just to learn that my dreams aren’t rare / You’re on your own, kid / You always have been
Cam Ward didn’t come to the Titans to make friendship bracelets. The reigning No. 1 pick is in the fast lane to become the franchise’s quarterback of the future and will try to make the most out of the Titans’ retooled roster in his hyped-up rookie season. The organization got Ward a bit of help with vet signings like Tyler Lockett and Kevin Zeitler, and offensive pieces Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley are set to return for a more hopeful Year 2 in Tennessee.
Yet at the end of the day, Ward is just another No. 1 pick plucked and dropped onto one of the NFL’s worst teams. Will success come early for him? The last three No. 1-pick quarterbacks—Caleb Williams (2024), Bryce Young ('23) and Trevor Lawrence ('21)—serve as cautionary tales. The Miami product will likely need time before he carries the Titans to any real measure of success, and until he finds his go-to guys, he faces a long and lonely journey ahead.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: “Vigilante S---”
Don't get sad, get even / So on the weekends / I don't dress for friends / Lately I've been dressing for revenge
Bills Mafia loves their tables. Swifties love the pop star’s “Vigilante S---” chair (IYKYK). Buffalo’s comparisons to this song extend beyond a simple furniture pairing, though, as the Bills are indeed out for revenge after a disappointing end to the 2024 campaign.
Topping the division for the last half-decade but never getting farther than the conference round of the playoffs has got to hurt. So does losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in four postseason matchups. Josh Allen must be starving (to steal a song out of his wife’s discography) for a Super Bowl appearance, and maybe this year is the year he’ll finally get over the hump and cross the finish line—or at least the fourth-down marker.
Miami Dolphins: “Out of the Woods”
Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? / Twenty stitches in a hospital room
Four documented concussions later, Tua Tagovailoa is still playing for the Dolphins in 2025. Miami may never truly be “out of the woods” relying on Tagovailoa as their starter and are facing an uncertain future that admittedly doesn’t feel too peachy at the moment.
Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill don’t seem to have completely made up after last year’s theatrics, and that doesn’t bode well for the start of the season. Miami needs to create more consistency in its vertical attack (especially with so many deep threats on the roster) and shore up their secondary in the wake of Jalen Ramsey’s exit. Mike McDaniel’s clever scheming alone can only keep the Dolphins treading water, as shown in the team’s postseason struggles in the uber-competitive AFC for the last three years.
Honorable mention: “It’s Time to Go.” If Tagovailoa suffers yet another head injury this season, he should know that sometimes walking out “is the one thing that will find you the right thing.”
New England Patriots: “The Lucky One”
Another name goes up in lights / Like diamonds in the sky / And they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one / Yeah they'll tell you now, you're the lucky one
Going from one of the last great American dynasties with Tom Brady to a potential new one with Drake Maye in the span of five years is, objectively, unfair.
Maye is on the precipice of a breakout campaign with the Patriots after being tabbed as the team’s starter six weeks into his rookie season, but he still has a ways to go to prove he’s “it” and needs to focus on cleaning up his play (he had 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2024). The 22-year-old nonetheless will get to develop and thrive in Foxborough, Mass. under coaching stalwart Mike Vrabel and within a relatively stable Patriots organization that’s ready to back him up with whatever reinforcements he needs, as shown by their signing of star wideout Stefon Diggs, among other offseason moves. Presidential terms have lasted longer than New England’s quarterback woes—Maye really is “the lucky one.”
New York Jets: “All Too Well (10 min. version)”
‘Til we were dead and gone and buried / Check the pulse and come back swearing it's the same / After three months in the grave
Matching one of Taylor’s saddest songs of all time to one of the NFL’s saddest organizations of all time just seemed too appropriate to pass up. If listeners of the melancholic 10-minute version think the song drags a little too much, the down-bad Jets do the opposite: their season is usually over after three months.
Still—and apologies if this is too on the nose—New York knows the feeling of heartbreak all too well. That “crumpled up piece of paper lying there” could very well be Bill Belichick’s infamous napkin note on which he penned his resignation as Jets coach 25 years ago, leaving New York forever wondering what could have been. Justin Fields, yet another former first-round pick to walk through the tunnel at MetLife Stadium littered with crushed quarterback dreams, offers a glimmer of hope in 2025, as does the new coaching regime headed by Aaron Glenn. But isn’t that always how it starts?
AFC West
Denver Broncos: “State of Grace”
So you were never a saint / And I've loved in shades of wrong
Few saw Bo Nix turning into a Rookie of the Year contender last season. The Oregon product threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first year in the pros, and come September, Nix will have to prove his rookie campaign wasn’t a fluke. The bright side is that he’ll have Sean Payton cheering him on the whole way—to the Super Bowl, as the former New Orleans coach touted earlier this offseason. So Nix was never a Saint—he’s clearly won over Payton with his accuracy and ability to see the field and could lead the Broncos to their second straight winning season for the first time since 2016.
Kansas City Chiefs: “Long Live”
Long live the walls we crashed through / How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
Long after Travis Kelce gives his last podium speech, says his final “Alright, nah” and bids farewell to the Kingdom he’s called home for a decade-plus, remember this feeling. In what could be the tight end's 13th and final NFL season, the Chiefs have extra reason to make this one count (if getting embarrassed by the Eagles in the Super Bowl wasn’t enough). Whether or not Kansas City has the roster depth and talent to send their beloved tight end off with his fourth career Lombardi Trophy, long live Kelce’s unforgettable legacy. One day, No. 87 will be remembered.
Honorable mention: “The Alchemy.” Taylor Swift is just like every other Chiefs fan manifesting a Super Bowl this year with her omniscient and definitely real powers of Tayvoodoo.
Las Vegas Raiders: “Nothing New”
Will you still want me when I'm nothing new?
If that lyric sounds a little sad and desperate, it is. Enter the Las Vegas Raiders.
Tom Brady and the Raiders’ brass are getting the band back together again with NFL vets Geno Smith and Pete Carroll, who are ironically breathing new life into an organization that finished dead last in the division last season and hasn’t won a playoff game in over two decades.
Reuniting a player with his former coach is a tale as old as time—or more specifically, five years ago when Smith and Carroll first linked up in Seattle, and the ex-Seahawks duo isn’t getting any younger. Smith, 34, is coming off a productive three-season stint as the Seahawks starter that earned him two Pro Bowls and plenty of love from Seattle’s faithful (most of them, anyway). Meanwhile, Professor Pete, who’ll turn 74 next month, is coming straight from class at USC. Sparks could fly during their vintage reunion on the gridiron, but if not, it might be time for Las Vegas to try something actually new.
Los Angeles Chargers: “Daylight”
Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down / Maybe I’ve stormed out of every single room in this town / Threw out our cloaks and our daggers because it’s morning now / It’s brighter now, now
Yes, we’re aware it’s “Wolverines” and not “wolves,” but Taylor probably didn’t have the Michigan football team in mind while writing this song.
Jim Harbaugh left Michigan to make his return to the NFL last season, and his exciting hire marked a new era for a largely underachieving and down-on-luck Chargers franchise. Now a few years removed from the Wolverines’ sign-stealing scandal, Harbaugh has woken up to a new dawn and can continue molding his golden-haired boy, quarterback Justin Herbert, who enjoyed a solid first campaign under the former Michigan coach (3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns, three interceptions.)
One of Swift’s corniest/most cringe tracks, “Daylight” can keep up with Harbaugh’s boundless optimism and endlessly quotable quips on everything from his dreams about Herbert to his birthing analogies about training camp, not to mention the song’s spoken-word outro perfectly encapsulates the former Wolverines coach’s zest for life. Who’s got it better than the Chargers?
NFC North
Chicago Bears: “Begin Again”
I've been spending the last eight months / Thinking all love ever does / Is break and burn, and end / But on a Wednesday in a cafe / I watched it begin again
The more you think about second-year quarterback Caleb Williams’s rocky rookie season, the sadder it gets. The former No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft was sacked a whopping 68 times in his debut campaign, lost his head coach midway through, and reportedly watched film alone, with seemingly little to no guidance from those tasked with furthering his development. For all he knew, that was how life in the NFL was supposed to go—nothing but breaks and burns and ends.
Enter: Ben Johnson, the former Lions OC and top candidate in the 2025 coaching cycle. Highly touted for his unique offensive mind, Johnson has since been tasked with revamping the Bears as a whole but also Williams in particular, who now gets to effectively redo his Chicago debut on what should be more solid ground.
Detroit Lions: “Shake It Off”
'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play / And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate / Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake / shake it off, shake it off
The Lions are annual contenders at this point, but everyone’s still curious how they’ll fare after losing their star coordinators—the aforementioned Ben Johnson to the Bears and new Jets leader Aaron Glenn—over the offseason. Both coaches had a hand in Detroit’s quick turnaround, and the concern is that the brain drain could lead to some less-than-stellar results in 2025.
But Detroit's roster and remaining coaching staff sound completely unbothered; if anything, they’re more motivated than ever. After years of just barely missing their chance at glory, the Lions must now prepare to shake off the haters, break some kneecaps, and do what they continue to do best: prove everyone wrong. Players gonna play, baby.
Honorable mention: “Look What You Made Me Do.” The old Dan Campbell can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh please, you already know …
Green Bay Packers: “Love Story”
You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess / It’s a love story / Baby, just say yes
After years of building, the Packers are hoping they have finally enough weapons for third-year starter Jordan Love, who is primed for a strong season after dealing with the injury bug in 2024. To that end, the team selected two wide receivers in the 2025 draft—first-round pick Matthew Golden and third-rounder Savion Williams—and also signed former Kansas City wideout Mecole Hardman back in March, adding some additional depth to the receiver corps.
But our eyes will really be on Golden, who, with any luck, will prove to be the Davante Adams to Love's Aaron Rodgers. Or, if you can forgive the cliché, the Romeo to Love’s Juliet. In other words, a No. 1 target that could take this love story from good to great.
Minnesota Vikings: “…Ready For It?”
Are you ready for it? / Baby, let the games begin
For the Vikings, the biggest and most pertinent question looming over the 2025 season centers on second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who must now prove he is ready to be a franchise QB.
The team clearly believes in him, and it should help that he has quarterback whisperer and head coach Kevin O’Connell by his side. But he took 364 days off from in-game football thanks to a nasty injury suffered last preseason, and remains largely untested on a professional field. With Minnesota's qwindow wide open, will J.J. now step into the role the front office believes was meant for him? Or will he flame out quick, like many first-rounders who came before him? Let the games begin.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: “The Story of Us”
I don't know what to say since the twist of fate / When it all broke down / And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now
When Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in March of 2024, love was in the air. But the pair’s honeymoon phase didn’t last long. Just weeks after Cousins came aboard, the front office selected Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 draft, a shock decision that suggested Cousins’s job was not as safe as he thought. Months later, the boat was rocked again, when coach Raheem Morris opted to bench Kirk-o in favor of the rookie.
The league vet remains on Atlanta’s roster as fall approaches, but you have to wonder what’s going on behind closed doors. Are meetings with the front office full of tension, much like an impromptu reunion with an ex? When Cousins shows up to practice, is he uniquely aware he is being watched? And is either party being honest with the other? Unless Atlanta gets out from under this, the story of Cousins—a once-romantic tale turned sour (and expensive)—will endure all season long.
Honorable mention: "Death By A Thousand Cuts." When the rift between Cousins and the Falcons finally tears clean, it will be the result of a million different indiscretions and not just one. Prolonged breakups just hit different.
Carolina Panthers: “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street / Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream / ‘Who's afraid of little old me?’ / You should be
Just because Bryce Young’s sophomore season didn’t go exactly as planned—a benching in Week 2 wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card—you’d be a fool to count him out now. For one, the 24-year-old ended his campaign on a high note, when his Panthers defeated the Falcons in an overtime victory in which Young scored five total touchdowns, and coach Dave Canales saw enough to back the QB going forward. But there are still doubters out there. So this year, it’s the QB’s job to crash the haters’ party and scare them straight. Much like reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, perhaps the Alabama export just needed a season or two to get right.
New Orleans Saints: "This Is Me Trying"
I've been having a hard time adjusting / I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting ... I just wanted you to know / That this is me trying
Listen, the Saints are doing their best. Yes, first-year coach Kellen Moore is adding some fresh perspective, and 2025 draftee Tyler Shough has a shot at QB1 with former starter Derek Carr out of the way. But the franchise still feels lost right now, a lifetime removed from its Drew Brees-era shine and glory. Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara and young(er) standouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are doing what they can to keep the good vibes going, but we are not yet in comeback territory. It feels silly to throw in the towel now, but it’s probably best to just check back in on Nola this time next year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: "Florida!!!"
Florida / Is one hell of a drug
Much like a tropical storm or, say, a wine mom down in Destin, the Buccaneers are ready to wreak some havoc on those around them. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is in the middle of skirmishes at joint practices. First-rounder Emeka Egbuka is looking every bit as sleek as his No. 19 draft selection would suggest. And running back Bucky Irving is preparing for a follow-up to his stellar debut, fueled not by smelling salts, but rather the sweet, salty Florida air in his lungs.
For lack of a better phrase, the vibes are there. Indeed, these scrappy Florida Men are the best positioned in their division right now, and could easily make another run at the NFC South title, especially if they get Chris Godwin back from injury. In the meantime, though, gunslinger Mayfield has Mike Evans and Egbuka to target in the air, plus Irving and Rachaad White on the ground—certainly not a vacation for visiting defenses.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: "I Knew You Were Trouble"
‘Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in / So shame on me now
The Steelers have a habit of offloading mercurial wide receivers at just the right time. Think Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson … all guys who played well in the Black and Gold, but essentially tanked once they left. The Cowboys, however, clearly opted to ignore that precedent when trading for young star George Pickens—an extremely talented wideout, no doubt, but also a problematic one, too.
With that in mind, it’ll be interesting to see how he fares down in Dallas. He’ll be sharing touches with another moody receiver in CeeDee Lamb, and he’s rocking with a completely new coach in Brian Schottenheimer, one that might not yet understand the secret to handling him. Everyone knows Pickens can be trouble … but will his talent outweigh his antics? That’s the Cowboys’ bed to lie in now.
New York Giants: “Blank Space”
So, it's gonna be forever / Or it's gonna go down in flames? / You can tell me when it's over / If the high was worth the pain / Got a long list of ex-lovers / They'll tell you I'm insane / But I’ve got a blank space, baby / And I’ll write your name
With all the talk of the Browns quarterback room this season, it’s easy to forget the Giants are also loaded up on high-profile signal-callers … and just one year removed from a pretty public breakup with another. After spurning Daniel Jones during the regular season and Drew Lock after that, the Giants re-signed backup Tommy DeVito, added free agents Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson and drafted Ole Miss export Jaxson Dart, putting into motion a QB sweepstakes that has unrightfully drawn less palace intrigue than Cleveland’s.
Fans are high on Dart, who they’re convinced could become the franchise solution they’re looking for. But it’s equally as possible that he struggles before ultimately moving on from the craziness of Big Blue, much like the recent suitors before him. In the interim, New York will have to get by subbing in Jameis and Russell, neither of whom is a long-term answer, but will act as a plug-and-play for now, with Wilson in line to begin as QB1. In short, this is a team with a lot of options and no shame about trying them all. Let’s just hope one of them sticks, lest the list of ex-lovers get even longer.
Honorable mention: “Welcome to New York. ”An obvious choice, but a cute one for Dart. This fanbase has been waiting for you.
Philadelphia Eagles: “Mastermind”
I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork / The dominoes cascaded in a line / What if I told you I’m a mastermind?
A Super Bowl blowout against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who were on the cusp of clinching the elusive three-peat? That’s the work of a mastermind. Jeffrey Lurie, take a bow.
It’s a new year, but it’s the same dominant Eagles and the same white-haired wizard pulling the strings. Lurie and GM Howie Roseman's astute trades, signings and hires in recent history continue to prove why they're the best of the best when it comes to running a successful sports franchise. Since the turn of the century, Lurie has indeed laid the “groundwork” to establish and maintain a winning culture: 17 playoff appearances, just five losing seasons and three Super Bowl berths, to name a few accolades. Everyone in Philly has seemingly formed some kind of secret pact to never talk about a repeat, but whispers of the Eagles defending their title will only get louder from here on out.
Washington Commanders: "Clean"
Gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
It’s a new era in Washington. And the Commanders, led by young superstar Jayden Daniels, are leaning in. Once-downtrodden fans have hope; new owner Josh Harris is laying the groundwork for a return to D.C., and Dan Quinn, in his second year as coach, is preparing the troops for a march back to the playoffs.
So long as the front office can get things squared away with wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who is currently holding out for a new contract (and has also requested a trade), Washington is poised for another postseason run, where they could yet again upset a higher-seeded unit if given the chance. Fans certainly think it’s possible … and that, dear friends, is what we like to call moving on.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: “You’re Losing Me”
Do I throw out everything we built or keep it? / I'm getting tired even for a phoenix / Always risin' from the ashes / Mendin' all her gashes / You might just have dealt the final blow
If quarterback Kyler Murray doesn’t act now, he might find himself on the losing end of the only professional relationship he has ever known. Although he’s racked up some solid yardage across his six seasons in the NFL, the Cardinals have only made the playoffs in one of those. If neither he nor the team takes a big step forward this season, it could be the final blow for this Card, despite the history he and Arizona share.
The good news? The concerns aren't falling on deaf ears. "I’m not worried about what happened in the past or what’s going to happen in the future. The goal is always to win a Super Bowl," Murray recently told Fox Sports' Eric Williams. "And that’s going to continue to be the goal. … For me personally, we’ve shown flashes and obviously the highest of the highs with the best of them, but we’ve got to continue to do it each and every game."
A cardinal isn't a phoenix, but perhaps Murray can rise from the ashes just the same.
Los Angeles Rams: “End Game”
I wanna be your endgame / I wanna be your first string / I wanna be your A-Team
Six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams is 32 years old. Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford is 37. Both are in the twilight of their respective NFL careers, and both are poised to spend those years in Los Angeles, where they’re leading a strong, young offense only three years removed from a championship. Together, they could prove the next great QB-WR duo, and just in time for their respective final acts.
Despite a rocky 2024, Adams still finished last season with 1,000+ receiving yards and eight touchdowns playing for the Raiders and Jets. Stafford, meanwhile, put up 3,762 yards plus 20 TDs—a nonetheless respectable performance that’s only slated to improve with Adams in his arsenal. The combo has all the makings of a fairytale ending: two first-stringers, teaming up to maximize their joint slay. That’s the kind of stuff you write songs about.
San Francisco 49ers: "Fresh Out the Slammer"
Now, pretty baby, I’m runnin’ back home to you / Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to
Robert Saleh is free … from his shackles as the head coach of the New York Jets. Indeed, after a high-profile firing in the fall of 2024, at which point Gang Green was 2–3 on the season, Saleh fled* the East Coast (*was fired) for the comforts of his former lover, the San Francisco 49ers, where he is once again serving as the defensive coordinator.
The Niners looked nothing like their typical Super Bowl-contending selves last season, and part of that had to do with the team’s defense, which gave up a disappointing 26.5 points per game. Saleh can now complete his exoneration by getting the unit back into fighting shape.
Honorable mention: "The Bolter." After another injury-impacted season, star running back Christian McCaffrey is back for the 2025 season. Let's hope he sprints to the house just as fast as this song's subject runs away from it.
Seattle Seahawks: “Bejeweled”
Best believe I’m still bejeweled / When I walk in the room / I can still make the whole place shimmer
Sam Darnold is still that guy.
Or so he will aim to prove come the fall, a little over six months removed from a 2024 finale that marred his sparkling summer, er—season. The unexpected QB1 put up some career-best numbers last season, passing for a standout 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns while earning a Comeback Player of the Year nomination along the way. It was a late-breaking breakout that essentially no one saw coming, and a perfectly-timed reminder of exactly what Darnold, a former No. 3 pick, is capable of.
But the shine wore off toward the end, when Darnold’s mistake-riddled performance vs. the Rams in the wild-card round of the 2025 playoffs welcomed the doubts back in. The good news is he parlayed his success into a lucrative new contract with the Seahawks, where he is currently listed as QB1, ahead of Drew Lock. But the bad news is ... the hesitations around his abilities persist. It's now his job to show everyone that, if given the chance, he can make Lumen Field shimmer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as One Taylor Swift Song to Describe Every NFL Team Entering the 2025 Season.
