Every little thing you could know concerning the 2025 NFL offseason

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Brooke Pryor
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Brooke Pryor

ESPN Employees Author
Stephen Holder
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Stephen Holder

ESPN

Jul 21, 2025, 06:10 AM ET

Although it is technically the offseason, there was loads of motion across the league within the 5 months since confetti rained down on the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans.

It was a stretch marked by new coaches, new quarterbacks and outdated guidelines. And, after all, it isn’t an offseason with no little Aaron Rodgers drama.

NFL Nation reporters Brooke Pryor and Stephen Holder enable you to make amends for every thing you would possibly’ve missed — or forgotten about — because the league’s 32 groups report back to coaching camp and formally kick off the preseason.

New addresses

There’s going to be lots of mail rerouted to and from Pittsburgh after this offseason. Sometimes a quiet staff in free company and the commerce market, the Steelers bucked custom as basic supervisor Omar Khan spent the final couple of months wheeling and dealing. Hours earlier than free company’s authorized tampering interval started, Khan bought a head begin on the Steelers’ roster overhaul by buying and selling for Seattle Seahawks vast receiver DK Metcalf.

Since then, the Steelers have been a revolving door of roster transactions. They signed cornerback Darius Slay and Rodgers (extra on him later), traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight finish Jonnu Smith, and shipped off security Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins and vast receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.

Consider it or not, groups aside from Pittsburgh additionally made important strikes through the offseason. Quarterback Geno Smith was the primary domino to fall when he was acquired by the Las Vegas Raiders from Seattle on March 7. From there, the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract, whereas former New York Giants first-round choose Daniel Jones signed with the Indianapolis Colts to compete with Anthony Richardson Sr. for the beginning job. Former Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson each headed to New York, although Fields went to the Jets and Wilson signed with the Giants.

Extensive receivers have been on the transfer, too, together with Stefon Diggs signing with the New England Patriots, Deebo Samuel Sr. traded to the Washington Commanders, Cooper Kupp to the Seahawks and Davante Adams touchdown with the Los Angeles Rams. — Pryor

New coaches galore

Practically a fourth of NFL groups swapped coaches this yr, with seven franchises making adjustments in 2025.

Among the many largest was the long-awaited transfer by former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was in demand final yr however opted to carry out for the suitable alternative. That introduced him to Chicago, the place this season he’ll lead the Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams in hopes the staff can fulfill its excessive expectations. It will be no small feat if Johnson, who coordinated a prolific offense in Detroit, can unlock Williams’ potential and get the Bears on monitor. Chicago has nonetheless by no means had a 4,000-yard passer, however Johnson will attempt to make Williams its first.

The return to the sport of two achieved former coaches — Mike Vrabel with the New England Patriots and Pete Carroll with the Raiders — might be a pair storylines value monitoring. The pair had unceremonious exits from their former groups — the Tennessee Titans and Seahawks, respectively — and now they’re being tasked with turning round two groups that every received 4 video games final season. Are they up for the problem?

One of the crucial-watched conditions in 2025 might be in Dallas, the place the Cowboys promoted former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to move coach. Can he obtain higher postseason outcomes than his predecessors for a staff that has managed simply two postseason victories prior to now 10 seasons?

Different new coaches embrace Liam Cohen with the Jacksonville Jaguars — after his controversial exit from Tampa Bay — Aaron Glenn with the New York Jets and Kellen Moore with the New Orleans Saints. — Holder

The tush push lives!

Hardly ever has the NFL’s sausage making develop into as public and as intriguing because it did through the spring debate over the way forward for the so-called tush push.

Finally, the extremely profitable short-yardage play perfected by the Philadelphia Eagles survived within the face of those that wished to ban it. A rule proposal that may have particularly outlawed the play did not cross on the league’s annual assembly in March. Then, a revamped proposal that was seen as extra palatable — it was designed to ban pushing ball carriers from behind in all eventualities — additionally failed on the league’s Might assembly. That measure fell quick by two votes.

The entire state of affairs produced substantial debate amongst house owners and executives, with ESPN reporting in Might that Eagles proprietor Jeffrey Lurie delivered a passionate, hour-long speech throughout a closed-door assembly defending the play. Then, he enlisted former Eagles heart Jason Kelce so as to add further context and to deal with damage considerations that helped gasoline the trouble to outlaw the play.

Lurie reportedly criticized commissioner Roger Goodell throughout his speech for advocating for the ban. All of it grew to become considerably private as a result of one other staff, the Inexperienced Bay Packers, was proposing a rule change that largely focused a single staff, the Eagles. That put the Eagles on the defensive.

“I do not assume it is an ideal soccer play,” Packers coach Matt LeFleur stated. “It is extra of a rugby play.”

However, for now, quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles could push to their hearts’ content material. Philadelphia has run the play 124 instances since 2022 and has a conversion price of 85.5%.

Elsewhere, the kickoff remained fluid this offseason. After final yr’s important change to the “dynamic kickoff” strategy, house owners authorized a small change they hope may have a serious influence. For 2025, kickoffs that end in touchbacks will give the offense possession on the 35-yard line versus the 30. The change, NFL house owners hope, will improve the speed of kickoff returns from the 32.8% of kicks that have been returned final season — a disappointing quantity that fell nicely in need of what NFL officers had envisioned. Groups could also be much less inclined to kick the ball into the top zone realizing a touchback will begin on the 35.

Time beyond regulation procedures have been additionally tweaked for 2025, with the NFL now adopting within the common season its postseason strategy of guaranteeing each groups the chance to own the ball within the further interval. Beforehand, regular-season video games ended if a staff scored a landing on the opening possession of additional time.

Lastly, replay help might be expanded this season, offering larger latitude by replay officers to deal with particular calls with no coach’s problem when “clear and apparent” video proof is offered. — Holder

One other Rodgers saga

“As Aaron Rodgers’ Thoughts Turns” was the cleaning soap opera of the offseason. Once more. Launched by the Jets after a tumultuous two-year tenure, Rodgers hit free company for the primary time in his profession in March.

Although he was rapidly linked to the Steelers, Rodgers maximized his time as an unattached participant by taking greater than three months to formally resolve towards retirement and signal with the staff. He inked a one-year, $13.65 million contract simply previous to the staff’s minicamp in early June, and he promised his new teammates that he was “all in.”

“I do not want it for my ego,” the four-time MVP stated at minicamp. “I do not want it to maintain taking part in. Loads of selections that I’ve remodeled my profession and life from strictly the ego, even when they end up nicely, are all the time unfulfilling. However the selections constituted of the soul are normally fairly fulfilling.

“This was a call that was finest for my soul, and I felt like being right here with coach [Mike Tomlin] and the fellows that bought right here and the chance right here was the very best for me, and I am excited to be right here.”

Although Rodgers confirmed his dedication to taking part in soccer this season, he admitted it is going to probably be his final in an look on the Pat McAfee Present.

“Yeah, I am fairly certain that is it,” Rodgers stated. “That is why we simply did a one-year deal. Steelers did not must put any further years on that or something, so this was actually about ending with lots of love and enjoyable and peace for the profession that I’ve had.

Whereas Rodgers has yet one more yr to chase one other Tremendous Bowl, he already added one ring this yr: a marriage ring. The 41-year-old quarterback confirmed he is been sporting a marriage ring on his left hand after getting married earlier within the offseason. — Pryor

NFLPA chaos

As a substitute of combating the NFL on behalf of its gamers, the NFL Gamers Affiliation in current months discovered itself consumed by inner strife.

Following a collection of revelations, government director Lloyd Howell resigned after two years on the job final week. Lloyd, in an announcement, stated his “management has develop into a distraction to the essential work the NFLPA advances.”

The rising variety of issues dealing with the union beneath Howell grew to become an excessive amount of to disregard. In Might, ESPN reported that the FBI was investigating the monetary dealings of the NFLPA and the Main League Baseball Gamers Affiliation with a group-licensing agency, OneTeam Companions. That prompted the NFLPA to rent an out of doors legislation agency to evaluation Howell’s actions. The FBI investigation is ongoing, sources instructed ESPN.

Phrase later emerged that Howell was working as a part-time guide for the Carlyle Group, a private-equity agency that’s searching for possession stakes in NFL groups. That raised questions on a potential battle of curiosity. Howell additionally confronted scrutiny over a confidentiality settlement with the NFL earlier this yr that hid from gamers the small print of an arbitration resolution that discovered that NFL executives urged staff house owners to cut back assured cash in participant contracts.

Moreover, ESPN reported just lately that Howell was sued for sexual discrimination and retaliation in 2011 whereas he served as an government at consulting agency Booz Allen. There stays ambiguity about whether or not gamers who voted for him through the 2023 election for government director knew concerning the lawsuit.

On Friday, ESPN reported that an out of doors investigator reviewing Howell’s actions discovered improper bills charged to the group, together with automotive service journeys to a strip membership.

And over the weekend, NFLPA chief technique officer JC Tretter introduced he’s resigning from his place and has withdrawn himself from consideration for the NFLPA’s interim government director place.

A narrative to look at going ahead is the NFLPA’s attraction of the collusion case associated to conversations round lowering wage ensures. The arbitrator dominated towards the NFLPA however did discover that “concerted motion was contemplated and invited” by league executives. — Holder

Different headlines

Again up the Brinks truck: It was a great offseason to be a cross rusher up for an extension. Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt all took turns being the highest-paid non-quarterback within the league as they agreed to profitable extensions. Because the final one of many three to finalize his deal, Watt at present owns the highest-paid title with a mean annual wage of $41 million.

And cross rusher wasn’t the one place to get a elevate this offseason. Recent off his first MVP season, Payments quarterback Josh Allen was rewarded with a model new six-year contract that may pay him $330 million with $250 million assured.

Tremendous Bowl-winning operating again Saquon Barkley was additionally paid for his accomplishments with a two-year, $41.2 million contract. The Jets additionally labored out profitable extensions for vast receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, and the Lions made Kerby Joseph the highest-paid security within the league with a four-year, $86 million deal. And whereas the Bengals secured their explosive vast receiver duo in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, they’re nonetheless at a stalemate with 2024 sack chief Trey Hendrickson. — Pryor

The Shedeur slide: As soon as thought of a first-round choose candidate, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders had an unprecedented draft slide to Day 3 earlier than he was chosen by the Cleveland Browns within the fifth spherical.

Sanders was the second quarterback drafted by the Browns after they picked Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel within the third spherical. The Browns even have veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco competing for the beginning job.

Travis Hunter, nevertheless, did not have the identical drawback as his former Colorado teammate. The 2-way Heisman winner went to Jacksonville after the Jaguars traded up with the Browns to snag him at No. 2 total, and he is anticipated to play each methods within the NFL. — Pryor

Completely satisfied trails: Former Saints and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, 34, introduced his retirement in Might following ache in his throwing shoulder throughout his first in depth throwing session of the offseason. Imaging confirmed Carr had a torn proper labrum and “important degenerative adjustments to his rotator cuff.”

Extensive receiver Mike Williams, defensive finish Brandon Graham and deal with Tyron Smith additionally all introduced retirements. — Pryor

Legislation and order: Vikings receiver Jordan Addison resolved a 2024 DUI case by pleading no contest to a lesser cost, based on his legal professional. The adjudication resulted in a sentence of 12 months of probation that might be lowered to 6 months if Addison fulfills different obligations.

Elsewhere, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 5 years probation for a 2024 chain-reaction, high-speed crash that resulted in accidents on a Dallas expressway. Rice, who pleaded responsible to 2 third-degree felonies, might be allowed to serve the jail time at any level through the probationary interval. Police stated Rice was touring at 119 mph simply earlier than the crash occurred.

Each gamers are topic to NFL suspensions now that their instances are resolved. — Holder

NFL offseason