As the NFL returns to Sky Sports, we guide you through some of the biggest storylines heading into the 2025 campaign on the road to Super Bowl LX in California.
The new campaign kicks off on Thursday September 4 when the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles face the Dallas Cowboys at 1.20am Friday morning, live on Sky Sports NFL.
Can beaten Chiefs hit back?
Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs were denied a historic three-peat last season as they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. They had cut an unconvincing yet untouchable figure all season, living on fine-margin victories while again leaning heavily on Steve Spagnuolo's shape-shifting defense to compensate for an inconsistent offense marred by marquee absences and pass protection issues. Defeat to a stronger, faster, more dynamic Eagles team raised the question as to whether their dynasty cycle had reached its end.
But for the manner of their one-sided Super Bowl loss, the AFC's resented rulers did not turn into a bad team overnight. Nor did Patrick Mahomes - despite his worst statistical season - stop being the NFL's best quarterback, nor did Reid stop being one of the league's great offensive minds. On offense they sought to address their most pressing concern by drafting first-round left tackle Josh Simmons in the first round, while extending star guard Trey Smith and setting up a battle at right tackle between Jaylon Moore and Jawaan Taylor.
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MAHOMES
Mahomes describes his Super Bowl 59 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles as the 'worst feeling in the world'
Pass-catching weapon Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown is in line to start the season having missed large chunks of 2024, granting the Chiefs a greater license to get funky with their use of Xavier Worthy after the second-year receiver carried a heavier load than anticipated as a rookie. Rashee Rice, though, will serve a six-game suspension to start the campaign for violating the personal conduct policy after his conviction for causing a multi-vehicle collision in March 2024.
Travis Kelce is back for one potentially final run at another ring - albeit with less juice off the line of scrimmage at the age of 35 - while Chris Jones, Trent McDuffie and Nick Bolton return as staples of the Spagnuolo defense. It won't be as commanding as their 15-2 record last season, but the Chiefs return as leading contenders.
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Taylor Swift and Donald Trump attend Super Bowl 59
A look at the best of the off-field action from Super Bowl LIX
Which second-year QB will shine?
The expectations are high for the NFL's batch of second-year quarterbacks, beginning in Minneapolis as J.J. McCarthy prepares to make his long-awaited bow as starter for the Minnesota Vikings. The former Michigan man missed his entire rookie campaign through injury, in turn paving the way for Sam Darnold to emerge as one of the league's great comeback stories while leading the Vikings to the playoffs and earning himself a bumper pay-day with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. McCarthy is greeted by a Justin Jefferson-led Super Bowl-contending roster and one of the league's most gifted offensive minds in Kevin O'Connell, tasked with building on last season's momentum.
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Watch Jayden Daniels throw a 52-yard 'Hail Mary' touchdown to Noah Brown to seal victory over the Chicago Bears at buzzer.
Watch the most incredible play of last season as Jayden Daniels found Noah Brown with a Hail Mary
Former No 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is meanwhile gearing up for his first season alongside newly-appointed Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who established himself as one of the NFL's most dynamic and innovative offensive masterminds with Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. Elsewhere Jayden Daniels has propelled the Washington Commanders ahead of schedule after a stunning maiden year in which he led Dan Quinn's side to the playoffs as the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year having also found himself in the MVP conversation.
Bo Nix and Sean Payton have proven a seamless marriage with the Denver Broncos to fuel ambitions of denting the Chiefs in the AFC West after last season's unlikely playoff charge, Drake Maye has injected hope of competitive direction for the strengthened New England Patriots in the post-Bill Belichick era under Mike Vrabel, and Michael Penix Jr last year teased the potential to inspire an explosive Zac Robinson offense with the Atlanta Falcons after taking over from Kirk Cousins.
Detroit's coaching exodus
The Lions return as firm Super Bowl contenders after the franchise's transformation under the guidance of head coach Dan Campbell, but offseason change has presented new question marks.
Detroit were the class of the NFC last season as they stormed to a 15-2 record and the No 1 seed behind the league's most potent scoring offense, before eventually falling to the Daniels-inspired Commanders in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had re-unlocked the best of quarterback Goff within one of the NFL's most explosive and imaginative attacks, but departed in January to oversee the development of Williams as the new head coach of the Bears. Aaron Glenn meanwhile left to take over as New York Jets head coach, having led one of the league's stingiest defenses last season.
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WILLIAMS
Detroit Lions wideout Jameson Williams scored on a 61-yard trick-play touchdown in the playoffs
In total the Lions lost eight assistants during the offseason, with John Morton stepping in as offensive coordinator after coming across from his post as Denver Broncos pass game coordinator, while Kelvin Sheppard takes over from Glenn as defensive coordinator in a new-look staff for Campbell. The Lions must adjust to the loss of Johnson's sorcery - albeit with a loaded skill-position group still intact - while they are counting on a seamless return from injury for Aidan Hutchinson to ignite a scrutinised pass rush. Behind Amon-Ra St Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, David Montgomery, Sam LaPorta and rookie Isaac TeSlaa, they remain as enthralling an offensive spectacle as any team in the league.
The two-way superstar
Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter poses after being chose by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Image: Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter poses after being chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars
The 2025 season beckons as something of a 'prove it' year for former No 1 pick Trevor Lawrence as he looks to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to the playoffs. Lawrence enters with the third head coach of his NFL career after the Jaguars hired Liam Coen, who earned himself a top job having helped Baker Mayfield resurrect his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Lawrence has reached the playoffs just once in his four seasons since arriving as the No 1 overall pick in 2021, most recently going 2-8 as starter in 2024 before missing the final weeks of the campaign following a concussion. He now takes the reins on a Jaguars offense that just drafted two-way sensation Travis Hunter, fuelling fascination over whether the second overall pick can shatter convention by playing full-time at both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL.
Hunter looms as one of the most intriguing case studies in NFL history, shouldering soaring expectations as a catalyst for Jaguars contention as he bolsters a receiving core already boasting Brian Thomas Jr, who impressed with a maiden 1,000-yard season as a rookie. The pressure is on for Lawrence and the Jags.
Is it finally Jackson or Allen's time?
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's best plays from the 2024 NFL season
Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP with three Divisional Round appearances and an AFC Championship Game visit to his name, having recorded a quarterback-record 6,173 rushing yards and franchise records in single-season touchdown passes and single-season passer rating since entering the league in 2018.
Josh Allen is the reigning league MVP who has reached the Divisional Round three times and twice been beaten in the AFC Championship Game, having recorded a third-most total yards by a quarterback, become the first player in NFL history with 35 or more passing and rushing touchdowns in five straight seasons, posted the highest passer rating in a single postseason and tied Cam Newton for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first 50 starts since entering the league in 2018.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen
The best plays from 2024 MVP Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen
They represent two of the greatest quarterbacks of their generation, blessed in arm talent and ground destruction as chief ambassadors for their position's evolution. They threaten everything a defense fears as perennial MVP contenders and proven game-changers, serving as prime faces of the current NFL era. And yet, as the new season approaches, nobody in the league is peppering their Mahomes and Chiefs-decorated dart board with as much vigour, with neither a stranger to the battle to topple the AFC's familiar governors.
Buffalo have been beaten by Kansas City in the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, while the Ravens suffered an AFC Championship Game to the Chiefs back in 2023. Allen is 2-5 in the Divisional Round or later, while Jackson is 1-4 in the Divisional Round or later having twice lost to his counterpart's Bills in the postseason.
Sooner or later, it has to be their turn to reach the big dance. Or will the Chiefs' monopoly live on?
Aaron Rodgers' last dance
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Aaron Rodgers
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his decision to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers was 'best for his soul'
The Aaron Rodgers story is almost over. But first, one final adventure, one final twist, one final chapter. And for the Pittsburgh Steelers, perhaps one final straw as they seek long-term direction.
For Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, quarterback purgatory resumed this offseason as they bid farewell to their Russell Wilson and Justin Fields experiment before signing Rodgers in the wake of his failed New York Jets tenure. Rodgers had seen his first season in New York last just four plays as he suffered a year-ending Achilles injury on debut, before diminished mobility and pocket presence amounted to a stuttering 2024 campaign, during which there were still flashes of his artistry through the air. At the age of 41, the four-time MVP believes there is enough left in the tank to hoist an average offense to a level from where it can offer a helping hand to its exceptional defense, led by the newly paid TJ Watt.
The Steelers have become a curious, borderline-frustrating case study, stuck in a flatline rut with a revolving door at quarterback and debilitating struggles on offense while consistently reaching the postseason without ever looking like troubling the league's top dogs. As much resumed in the offseason as they acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and signed him to a lucrative new deal before trading away star receiver George Pickens. What they do have is a tight end juggernaut after adding Jonnu Smith to Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, with which, coupled with Metcalf, Rodgers can have some fun.
Can the Eagles go back-to-back?
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SUPER BOWL 59
The best of the action from Philadelphia's dominant win over Kansas City
The pieces remain in place for the Eagles to launch another Super Bowl run after dethroning the back-to-back champion Chiefs earlier this year. Unwavering principles of elite pass rush rotation and offensive line supremacy are coupled with a star-studded weapons room and a perfect quarterback-scheme marriage through Jalen Hurts in setting Nick Sirianni's side up for another Championship run.
There isn't a more complete roster in the NFL. Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are as frightening as any quartet on display, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson may be the best tackle tandem in the league, Jalen Carter is a one-man wrecking crew, Hurts just diced up Steve Spagnuolo's famed Chiefs defense, Nolan Smith Jr has displayed stalwart pass rush potential, quarterbacks are actively avoiding throwing towards Quinyon Mitchell and Zack Baun has revitalised his career as one of the best linebackers in the nation. Howie Roseman also just added first-round Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell to Vic Fangio's options for good measure.
If there are to be any question marks, they may come at safety as Sydney Brown prepares for an expanded role after the loss of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, while elsewhere Tyler Steen is gearing up to take over from the departed Mekhi Becton at right guard. With Jeff Stoutland in the building, personnel change in the trenches shouldn't be an issue. Allow Cam Jurgens to be evidence of as much after succeeding Jason Kelce at center.
Burrow's Bengals seek fast start
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burrow
Joe Burrow is capable of special plays
The Cincinnati Bengals found themselves chasing the pack for much of last season as their campaign was undone by a 1-4 and then eventual 4-8 start. By the time December arrived, even a five-game winning streak to finish the regular season was too late to salvage a playoff spot. For a roster flaunting so much talent, they cannot afford a repeat.
Zac Taylor's side lost by one point to the Chiefs in Week Two, twice lost one-score thrillers to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens and fell in a one-score 82-point game to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a year of agonising setbacks. Ja'Marr Chase claimed the receiving triple-crown as the NFL's leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Trey Hendrickson led the league in sacks and Joe Burrow topped all quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns in one could have been an MVP year. That as much would occur in a playoff-less campaign only heightened the frustration for a team that has given Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs dynasty as much trouble as any team in the AFC in recent years.
While Tee Higgins is back to retain arguably the NFL's top wide receiver duo alongside Chase, the Bengals also softened uncertainty surrounding star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson as he restructured his contract in preparation to spearhead a defense that saw coordinator Lou Anarumo depart in the offseason.
Are Purdy's 49ers contenders again?
Mounting injuries to marquee players turned the 2024 campaign into something of a write-off for Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, who finished 6-11 a year removed from their Super Bowl defeat to the Chiefs. Running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, left tackle Trent Williams and linebacker Dre Greenlaw were among those to miss significant chunks, while the now-departed Deebo Samuel's multi-purpose influence faded to leave Brock Purdy managing an understaffed and unbalanced offense.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey
Image: Christian McCaffrey missed most of last season through injury after an incredible 2023 campaign
Already Aiyuk looks set to miss the opening five or six weeks through injury, Jauan Jennings has been hurt during training camp after enjoying a career year, Samuel is gone and it remains to be seen whether McCaffrey can rediscover the juice that fired him to 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns in 2023. A healthy George Kittle does, though, remain a top-three tight end in the NFL, sophomore wideout Ricky Pearsall is in line for a heightened role and potential breakout year and the introduction of former Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr should ease the workload for McCaffrey.
Elsewhere significant changes on defense in the offseason saw Greenlaw, cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga move on, while Robert Saleh returned to lead a remodelled defense after his foiled time as Jets head coach.
As questions are raised as to what version of the 49ers the NFL will see, the pressure has increased once more on Purdy in the wake of his five-year $265m contract extension.
Did the Titans find their man?
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NFL DRAFTS
Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter were the top three picks from the NFL Draft
The Tennessee Titans were among the biggest offseason stories as they drafted Cam Ward with the No 1 pick at the NFL Draft in search of their long-term answer at quarterback, just two years since selecting Will Levis out of Kentucky in the second round. Ward threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns to seven interceptions alongside 204 rushing yards and four scores in his senior year at Miami, having navigated an unconventional college career that began at small school Incarnate Word before taking him to Washington State following his sophomore year.
While Derrick Henry (and the veteran hand of Ryan Tannehill) spearheaded a brief period of playoff football between 2019 and 2021, and while Mike Vrabel fortified one of the sternest defensive identities in the league, the Titans have largely spent the last 15 years battling for relevance while unable to find their face of the franchise under center.
Ward offers poise in the pocket, a confidence and mobility to escape pressure while improvising off-script and off-platform, as well as an aggressiveness to attack downfield and challenging windows. He finds himself throwing to a difficult-to-project pass-catching group led by Calvin Ridley, offseason addition Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson and tight end Chig Okonkwo, tasked with reinvigorating a team with just six winning seasons since 2010.
Ward is capable of injecting excitement, control and oomph into a franchise struggling to stay with the breadth of contenders in the AFC, but patience will be required from all.