Patrick Mahomes wasn't given any shiny new toys to lead the Kansas City Chiefs' offense for the upcoming season.
Steelers Rodgers Football (copy)
The Steelers gave Aaron Rodgers a one-year contract worth up to $19.5 million in 2025. Gene J. Puskar, Associated Press
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles lost a few important cogs in their formidable defense. Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens are betting on cheap veterans like wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Impact players changed teams across the NFL, though. Here are 10 who could be significant difference-makers in 2025:
Aaron Rodgers
Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers
The 41-year-old, three-time MVP contemplated retirement until earlier this month, when he signed a one-year contract to play for coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.
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This isn't a Super Bowl contender. It may not even be a playoff team. But the Steelers desperately needed stability and leadership at the position. Rodgers proved with the New York Jets in 2024 that he's still capable, as he threw 28 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. The ruptured Achilles that ended his 2023 season just four snaps into his Jets debut took away his mobility, but he's still an accurate passer and significant upgrade for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have the offensive line to protect Rodgers, and they lean on the run game as long as Tomlin is in charge, but there are several reasons to wonder whether this marriage can work. Will Rodgers get along with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith? How will Rodgers react if the Steelers struggle? Is the self-described enigma willing to lead differently after he kept pointing the finger at others with the Jets? Does he have the weapons to succeed?
The Bills play the Steelers at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium in Week 13.
Justin Fields
Quarterback, New York Jets
Rather than use a first-round pick on a quarterback, the Jets gave Fields a two-year contract with $30 million guaranteed. He's worth the risk. In 2022, Fields ran for 1,139 yards with the Chicago Bears. Last season, he led the Steelers to a 4-2 record with five touchdown passes and one interception before he was benched for Russell Wilson.
Fields showed enough improvement as a passer and game manager to convince first-year Jets coach Aaron Glenn that he can join Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield as successful quarterback reclamation projects.
The Jets are going to put stress on defenses with Fields and running back Breece Hall in the backfield. The offensive line should also be better. The receiving corps is thin behind Garrett Wilson, though, and Fields hasn't proven that he can beat teams through the air.
Russell Wilson
Quarterback, New York Giants
Giants owner John Mara elected to retain his coach, St. Francis graduate and former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and general manager, former Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, following a miserable 3-14 season in which the former face of the franchise, Saquon Barkley, led their division rival to the Super Bowl.
Mara was promised improved play at quarterback, so Schoen and Daboll added two veterans who can raise the floor of an offense that scored only 30 touchdowns in 17 games. Wilson will enter training camp as the starter, with Jameis Winston as the backup and first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart as the future.
Geno Smith
Quarterback, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders may be the NFL’s most improved team with the additions of GM John Spytek, coach Pete Carroll, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, first-round running back Ashton Jeanty and Smith, whom they signed to a two-year, $75 million contract extension following a trade with Seattle.
Smith led the Seahawks to a 10-win season in 2024 despite a miserable performance from their interior offensive line. In Las Vegas, Smith will have a better line with more weapons, most notably second-year tight end Brock Bowers, and a strong run game.
Sam Darnold
Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million contract following his breakthrough season with the Minnesota Vikings.
In Seattle, he won't have the same coaching, supporting staff and play-calling to replicate the 35 touchdowns that he threw last season. Darnold's time in Minnesota ended miserably. He completed only 18 of 41 passes in a 31-9 loss to the Lions in the regular-season finale.
Stefon Diggs
Wide receiver, New England Patriots
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel couldn’t have been happy last month when a video surfaced of his new No. 1 receiver partying on a boat and flashing an unidentified pink substance while surrounded by three women. Not exactly the Patriot Way, right? The Patriots gave Diggs a three-year, $69 million contract to be a safety blanket for second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
Diggs is recovering from an ACL injury that ended his 2024 season with the Houston Texans. He may be back by the time the Patriots play the Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.
Davante Adams
Wide receiver, Los Angeles Rams
The rich got richer with Adams signing a three-year contract to join Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and coach Sean McVay in Los Angeles. Smart move by Adams. He’s joining an offense that may look different in 2025 because McVay is expected to use more 12 personnel with the addition of second-round tight end Terrance Ferguson to improve their rushing attack.
George Pickens
Wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys
Pickens is a remarkable talent when he’s engaged, but the Steelers were concerned the disgruntled receiver wouldn’t fit with Rodgers. They weren’t going to pay Pickens, who’s entering the final year of his contract, and he wouldn’t have been happy as the No. 2 target behind DK Metcalf. Pickens may thrive in Dallas, where he’ll catch passes from Dak Prescott, a quarterback who throws an accurate deep ball, and Pickens will see more single coverage with CeeDee Lamb as Dallas' No. 1 receiver.
Deebo Samuel
Wide receiver, Washington Commanders
Samuel may be washed. He didn’t look like the same athlete in San Francisco last season, though his battle with pneumonia may have impacted him more than people realize. He’s reuniting with general manager Adam Peters, who worked for the 49ers when Samuel was drafted, and his former receivers coach, Wes Welker, with whom Samuel had his best NFL season. Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will find creative ways to get the ball to Samuel, who complements No. 1 wide receiver Terry McLaurin and quarterback Jayden Daniels.
DK Metcalf
Wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers traded a second-round draft pick for Metcalf, then signed the 27-year-old receiver to a five-year, $150 million contract. He still has the speed and physicality to create matchup problems for an opposing defense, but it won’t be easy for him to make an impact like he did in Seattle. Metcalf is going to face double coverage because Pittsburgh doesn’t have a No. 2 receiver to keep defenses honest. Tomlin will try to game plan around that weakness by leaning into the running game, which may be led by rookie Kaleb Johnson.
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