Our beat writers shared some surprising thoughts on Daniel Jones, Brock Purdy and others after we asked for one prediction for every team.
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The NFL regular season kicks off Thursday with the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Philadelphia Eagles for a prime-time matchup. The Eagles, of course, are the
defending Super Bowl champions. The Cowboys, of course, just made massive waves for
trading All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.
We’ll see plenty of headlines about both teams this season, but before the action begins, let’s have some fun with some bold predictions for everyone. We asked our NFL writers to think big with one prediction for each of the league’s 32 teams.
Arizona Cardinals: Cardinals are NFC’s last remaining undefeated team
The Cardinals will be a playoff contender in Year 3 under Jonathan Gannon
— but only if they get off to a quick start. They should have the offensive weapons, defensive improvement and schedule to do so. Arizona opens at New Orleans, before returning home to face Carolina. From there, it visits San Francisco, hosts Seattle and Tennessee and travels to Indianapolis. Nothing in the NFL is easy, especially for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2015, but the Cardinals could be 6-0 entering their Oct. 19 game against Green Bay.
— Doug Haller
Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. exceeds 30 touchdown passes
That would be a tenfold increase from Penix’s rookie season, when he started three games after taking over for Kirk Cousins. Penix’s consistent accuracy remains a question mark
— he completed only 58 percent of his passes in his three starts last year
— but he’s going to be aggressive, and Rams-trained offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will give him plenty of opportunities. Penix was eighth in the league in passing yards (723) after taking over the starting job last season.
— Josh Kendall
Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Hamilton wins NFL Defensive Player of Year
This award is typically dominated by pass rushers, but Denver’s Patrick Surtain II showed last year that defensive backs can win it with spectacular seasons. Hamilton is certainly capable of making that type of impact. The Ravens’ selection of Georgia safety Malaki Starks in the first round will allow defensive coordinator Zach Orr to push Hamilton back into the matchup/roving role that he flourished in during the 2023 season. It also will allow Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage, which should lead to more production with sacks, tackles for loss and forced turnovers.
— Jeff Zrebiec
Buffalo Bills: T.J. Sanders becomes one of Bills’ most important defenders by playoffs
If there is one common thread running through the Bills’ playoff losses since 2020, it’s that they haven’t been able to generate enough pressure when it matters most. Enter Sanders, a rookie defensive tackle who was the No. 41 pick. He had an extremely impressive summer and flashed some immediate ceiling-level pass-rushing ability against good offensive linemen. He may not be a starter, but his game shows someone who could be on the field in passing downs next to starter Ed Oliver in their most significant moments. That could potentially give the Bills their most potent interior pass-rushing duo since head coach Sean McDermott arrived in 2017.
— Joe Buscaglia
Carolina Panthers: Panthers have three 600-yard receivers
Bryce Young had just one wideout reach that mark in 2024 and he’s no longer with the team.
Trading Adam Thielen to Minnesota creates a ton of opportunities for the Panthers’ Kiddy Corps
— 22-year-old Tetairoa McMillan, 23-year-old Jalen Coker and 24-year-old Xavier Legette. Dave Canales’ confidence in the young receivers is one reason Carolina was willing to send Thielen home to the Vikings. McMillan and Legette were first-round draft picks, while Coker developed an early connection with Young last year after signing as an undrafted free agent. The Panthers might not have anyone top 1,000 yards, but collectively the receiving group will thrive as Young takes another step in his development.
— Joseph Person
Chicago Bears: D’Andre Swift tops 1,500 yards from scrimmage
Coming off a season in which he averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry, there’s not enough buzz about what Swift can become for the Bears’ offense this season. There is little proven backfield depth behind him. Plus, he is reunited with a play caller whose marriage to the running game is devoted. Ben Johnson produced a different 1,000-yard rusher — Jamaal Williams, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs — in each of his three seasons calling plays in Detroit. Now, Swift is next in line. And with a need for the Bears to reduce the weight quarterback Caleb Williams must carry, Swift’s opportunities as both a ball carrier and pass catcher will be plentiful.
— Dan Wiederer
Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown leads AFC in yards from scrimmage
Brown took over the starting job in Week 9 last year, and from then through Week 17 finished fifth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage, only two spots and 29 yards behind triple-crown-winning teammate Ja’Marr Chase. Extrapolate to a full season and that’s 1,976 scrimmage yards. Now, the Bengals won’t give him the same nearly 100 percent workload of that stretch, but it won’t be too far off. They also restructured the run game specifically around his skill set to increase his 4.3 yards per carry and are utilizing him more split out wide versus linebackers. With constant focus on Chase and Tee Higgins, Brown will see open space all season.
— Paul Dehner Jr.
Cleveland Browns: At least three different quarterbacks start games
I don’t know how bold this really is considering team owner Jimmy Haslam said on record in late July that the Browns need to evaluate their two rookie quarterbacks before next year’s draft
— and that head coach Kevin Stefanski knows that. But
Week 1 starter Joe Flacco is 40, and this Browns team is much more likely to be near the bottom of the league than the playoff race by November. Eleven times since their 1999 return to the NFL, the Browns have had at least three starting quarterbacks. Let’s count on that becoming 12 times and another streak extending after five players started at the role in 2023 and four last year.
— Zac Jackson
Dallas Cowboys: WR KaVontae Turpin scores at least 8 touchdowns
Dallas’ standout returner scored on a punt and a kickoff return last season. He also caught a career-high 31 passes for 420 yards and two more TDs. Look for Turpin to remain arguably the NFL’s best returner but be even more involved in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense. While trying to keep things looking as basic as possible throughout training camp, the head coach and offensive play caller used Turpin in a variety of ways, from handing him the ball as a running back to being a big-play option down the field in the passing game. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will likely be Dallas’ top scorers this year, but Turpin is in position to have his most impactful season to date.
— Jon Machota
Denver Broncos: Broncos win the AFC West
Denver has not won its division in 10 years. The last nine titles belong to the Kansas City Chiefs, who will probably be viewed as the favorites as long as Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are working together. But Denver has its most complete roster since winning the Super Bowl in 2015. Its defense may be football’s best after adding Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga to a unit that was already first in EPA per snap in 2024. Bo Nix is coming off an
impressive rookie season and now has more pass-catching targets (hello, Evan Engram) and a running game that should be much improved thanks to the additions of RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins. The West will be a gauntlet, but the Broncos, in Sean Payton’s third season, have enough to finally loosen Kansas City’s dominant grip on the division.
— Nick Kosmider
Detroit Lions: Brian Branch is a Defensive Player of the Year finalist
The easy name here is Aidan Hutchinson, but that’s not exactly bold now is it? Branch, in many ways, is equally as important to this defense as Hutchinson. He shifts between safety or nickel depending on what the offense is showing. His instincts are off the charts, he hits like a linebacker and covers like a cornerback. It seems like new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has been sending Branch on blitzes more often in practice, so that aggression could lead to some sacks. He was arguably the most impressive player in training camp for the Lions, and this defense has a chance to be among the NFL’s best. Not likely, but not impossible.
— Colton Pouncy
Green Bay Packers: Matthew Golden wins Offensive Rookie of the Year
The first-round rookie wide receiver already looks like the Packers’ best wideout in camp. His hands, especially, stand out. Maybe that’s just because the Packers dropped a boatload of passes last season, but the 22-year-old’s talent has been evident, nonetheless. General manager Brian Gutekunst said Golden makes a play or two each practice that lets you know he’ll have a future in the NFL. On a team with a litany of injuries at receiver, Golden should get plenty of opportunities from the jump and only pick up steam from there. The only question is will the Packers pass the ball enough, and enough to him when they’d be justified in spreading it around, for Golden to have a shot at winning Offensive Rookie of the Year?
— Matt Schneidman
Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud reinserts himself into MVP conversation
The Texans’ young quarterback rebounds in a big way after a sophomore slump that had a lot to do with an inept offensive line, injury-riddled wide receiving unit and struggles of former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Stroud finds comfort in a new system behind a revamped line and capitalizes on the arrival of rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins, seeing a spike in touchdown passes and decrease in interceptions while guiding the Texans to another AFC South title and one of the top records in the conference as a whole.
— Mike Jones
Indianapolis Colts: Colts win the AFC South
The Colts haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 and haven’t won the AFC South since 2014. Daniel Jones will end both of those droughts (
or at least the Colts hope). The ex-Giants starter has been named QB1 again in Indianapolis, and one undeniable way for Jones to revive his career is to lead his new team to a division title. Colts GM Chris Ballard compared Jones to former Chiefs Pro Bowler Alex Smith, which is very high praise. If Jones lives up to that hype, the Colts will be hosting a home playoff game in January.
— James Boyd
Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Hunter finishes in top five for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year
As a receiver, Hunter will have 1,000 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. And when he moonlights at corner, Hunter will pick off four passes, returning one for a touchdown. He’ll have one game with a TD on both sides of the ball.
— Jeff Howe
Kansas City Chiefs: Defense is top three in sacks in 2025
K.C. finished tied for 18th with 39 sacks last season. So why might there be hope for a huge jump this season? For one, the underlying stats are on the Chiefs’ side; pressures are more reliable year to year than sacks, and teammates Chris Jones and George Karlaftis remained elite in that category a season ago. Add in a more healthy Charles Omenihu — he’s now 1 1/2 years removed from knee surgery — and an emerging defensive end rookie in Ashton Gillotte, and the Chiefs could easily end up with one of the NFL’s top pass rushes.
— Jesse Newell
Las Vegas Raiders: Geno Smith is a top-10 quarterback
Smith hit this level in 2022, but his production took a step down in each of the two last seasons. With Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Amari Cooper in tow, he has plenty of weapons at his disposal on offense. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly seems to have grown since his last stint in the NFL, and the offensive line could be good enough to get by. The Raiders are playing Smith below-average quarterback money, so this coming to fruition would be a big win for them.
— Tashan Reed
Los Angeles Chargers: Omarion Hampton finishes top five in the league in rushing
The Chargers are determined to create a more consistent running game in 2025, and their most important step toward achieving that was drafting Hampton in the first round. He is the complete package as a runner. He is physical and violent, especially at the end of the runs. He has the long speed and explosiveness to score from anywhere on the field. Najee Harris, whom the Chargers signed in free agency, is back in practice after missing all of training camp because of an eye injury he suffered in a July 4 fireworks accident. There are still questions about how much Harris will be able to contribute. Hampton has a chance to be a very productive workhorse. I believe offensive coordinator Greg Roman is going to feed the rookie as he tries to elevate the running game in Year 2 with the Chargers.
— Daniel Popper
Los Angeles Rams: Rams go from near worst to top-10 in run defense
Last season, the Rams defense ranked No. 30 in the NFL in run defense EPA, per TruMedia. L.A. allowed 2,948 rushing yards, also 30th, for a whopping 4.8 yards per carry. Simply put, failing to defend the run cost the team multiple games in 2024. This offseason, the Rams signed nose tackle Poona Ford, among the league’s best run defenders, in free agency and added inside linebacker Nate Landman. Defensive tackle Tyler Davis has also taken a visible step forward as depth behind Ford, and the Rams drafted linebacker Pooh Paul plus added promising undrafted free agent Shaun Dolac. One of these moves in a vacuum may not bring forth dramatic improvement, but if I’m making a bold prediction, all of them in combination should bring the Rams up into the top 10 in run defense this season.
— Jourdan Rodrigue
Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle becomes WR1 in Miami
It kind of feels like people have forgotten about Waddle, doesn’t it? After a breakout sophomore campaign that included 75 receptions, 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns — how did he not make the Pro Bowl that year? — he seemed poised for superstardom, and then, things sort of just tailed off. Injuries, to him and QB Tua Tagovailoa the past couple of years, can explain some of his statistical regression. But with both healthy right now and Tyreek Hill nearing the end of his elite run, I think Waddle is due for a big bounce-back season with coach Mike McDaniel funneling more of his offense through him. Let’s go bold and say the 26-year-old catches 90 passes for 1,400 yards and 8 TDs as he officially becomes Miami’s new No. 1 target.
— Jim Ayello
Minnesota Vikings: Jonathan Greenard wins NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Last year, in his first season in defensive coordinator
Brian Flores’ system, Greenard was one of two NFL edge rushers to record more than 50 pressures, more than 10 sacks, more than 25 run stops and more than 10 run stuffs. The other player who accomplished the feat? Myles Garrett. The Vikings added interior defenders Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to the mix. Their inclusion should mean more one-on-one opportunities for Greenard, who is still only 28. He has dominated Vikings training camp, and he looks as formidable as any defender has since coach Kevin O’Connell arrived. This is bold. But you asked for bold.
— Alec Lewis
New England Patriots: TreVeyon Henderson is a 1,000-yard rusher
The Patriots have a crowded backfield with Henderson, their second-round pick, joining established backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. From the outside, it has all the makings of another Patriots running back rotation. Except for the part where Henderson looks like easily the team’s best offensive weapon. He has outperformed both Stevenson and Gibson in practice. He has a speed they can’t match. And he has impressed Patriots brass with his ability to run between the tackles, not just to the outside. Look for Henderson to become a star.
— Chad Graff
New Orleans Saints: Saints end up with No. 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
The Athletic’s Austin Mock
projects 5.2 wins for the Saints this season, which is the lowest projection in the NFL. The reasons behind that? Let’s start with t
he worst quarterback situation in the league, with Spencer Rattler as the starter (0-6 as a starter last year). The Saints surely hoped 2025 second-rounder Tyler Shough would win the QB job, and that didn’t happen. Oddsmakers also have the Saints favored to win only one game this season (against the Jets in Week 16). The rest of the offensive pieces aren’t great and the defense isn’t what it used to be. A tough hand for first-year coach Kellen Moore. At least this means Moore will have his choice of QBs in the 2026 draft class.
— Larry Holder
New York Giants: Jaxson Dart starts by Week 5
Giants brass has told everyone who will listen since the draft that Russell Wilson is the unquestioned starting quarterback and the plan is for first-round pick Jaxson Dart to develop behind the scenes. It sounds awfully familiar to 2019 when the plan was for Eli Manning to start with Daniel Jones on the bench … and then Jones took over after an 0-2 start. Manning was a franchise icon with far more equity than Wilson, who is on his fourth team in five years. If the Giants stumble against a killer early schedule, they won’t wait long to replace Wilson with Dart, who looked
ready in the preseason.
— Dan Duggan
New York Jets: Braelon Allen leads the Jets in rushing
The Jets ranked last in the NFL in rush attempts last year. I expect them to finish in the top five in 2025 — if not at the top — and that’s both for a combination of scheme (it will be a run-heavy offensive attack) and personnel led by quarterback Justin Fields. There’s an assumption that Breece Hall is the Jets’ top running back but when the games start and Aaron Glenn and Tanner Engstrand start divvying up the carries, I truly think at some point (perhaps early) Allen will become the predominant ball carrier in the running back room. That’s not to say Hall’s role will diminish — he might be the Jets’ No. 2 option in the passing game at the moment — but Allen throughout the summer has looked like the better, stronger, more explosive runner.
— Zack Rosenblatt
Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts passes for 4,000 yards
There were
six quarterbacks who eclipsed 4,000 passing yards last season, so why is this bold? Well, did you watch the Eagles play last season? They led the NFL in rushing and Hurts attempted only 361 passes — 177 fewer than in 2023 — while totaling only 2,903 yards. It would be a big leap to expect him to become a 4,000-yard passer in 2025. But the Eagles should pass the ball more this season than last season, and Hurts has the offensive weapons (A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley) to be prolific through the air. A 1,100-yard jump in passing production might be ambitious, although Hurts was on a 4,000-yard pace in 2022.
— Zach Berman
Pittsburgh Steelers: DK Metcalf catches 10-plus touchdowns
Each Steelers practice begins with a drill called Seven Shots — a series of seven snaps from the 2-yard line. Throughout training camp, quarterback Aaron Rodgers
continuously targeted Metcalf in this period. Rodgers still has the lightning-quick release to throw the ball into tight windows, especially near the goal line. Metcalf’s 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame and physical playing style has helped him beat defensive backs on slants, outs and other quick hitters. The fact that the Steelers don’t have a clear-cut No. 2 receiver also helps Metcalf’s cause. Without a lot of depth at the position, Metcalf should see a significant target share — and maybe even a career best — in this new-look Steelers offense.
— Mike DeFabo
San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy, at 30-to-1, wins MVP award
The 49ers have the (healthy) star power, coaching, young defensive talent and easy schedule to bounce back from last year’s 6-11 record and make a playoff run. Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle can’t win MVP, because one’s a running back and the other is a tight end. Purdy has the talent and narrative
— going from Mr. Irrelevant to
newly paid franchise QB, plus will get even more credit as the Niners are patching together their receiving corps to start the season. Oh, and we almost forgot: The 49ers just signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Four of the last five NFL MVPs had MVS on their Week 1 roster: Aaron Rodgers, Rodgers again, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
— Vic Tafur
Seattle Seahawks: Seahawks have No. 1 scoring defense
Seattle finished 11th by this metric last season, and fifth in opponent points per drive. Another year in coach Mike Macdonald’s system while also returning nearly all the starters from last year — minus the swap of Dre’Mont Jones for DeMarcus Lawrence, which is an upgrade — should put Seattle in position to field the league’s stingiest defense. The Seahawks haven’t had the No. 1 scoring defense since 2015, but with better depth playing beside Pro Bowlers Devon Witherspoon and Leonard Williams, things are lining up for Seattle to make a return to the top of the defensive rankings. —
Michael-Shawn Dugar
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calijah Kancey leads NFL in defensive tackle sacks
The 2023 first-round pick has made steady progress in his first two years in the league, but Kancey hasn’t taken off partly because he has been held back by recurring calf injuries. Last season, he had 7 1/2 sacks but played only 12 games. The Bucs have worked diligently to keep him healthy in 2025, and he responded with an excellent training camp. At 280 pounds, Kancey is unlike any interior rusher in the league. Kancey’s quickness should be enhanced by the outside rush of Haason Reddick, who has the ability to give the Bucs something they didn’t have in Kancey’s first two seasons. —
Dan Pompei
Tennessee Titans: Jeffery Simmons has 12-sack season
The preseason included more emotional outbursts from Simmons, including a shove of rookie quarterback Cam Ward in practice, and these are reminders that he’s not always the perfect leader for the Titans. He is still their best player, and he zipped past would-be blockers in the preseason with a slimmed-down frame. It’s the right move for a player who wants one more significant contract and knows sack production can help — his career high is 8 1/2, set in 2021, the most dominant season of his career. If T’Vondre Sweat takes a step in his second season, that pairing will be the strength of the team and Simmons will have more opportunities to get home. —
Joe Rexrode
Washington Commanders: CB Trey Amos has five interceptions
The Commanders selected Amos with the 61st pick in the draft, a position they believe was a steal; he was in the mix of players they considered taking in the first round. After four months on the field with Washington, the reasons are clear. Amos plays more like a polished veteran than a first-year player, largely because of his technique. He’s also more versatile than he maybe gets credit for, benefitting from playing in three major college programs (Louisiana, Alabama and Ole Miss). Since the AFL-NFL merger, only three defensive backs for Washington have recorded at least five picks in their first season: Tom Carter (1993), Champ Bailey (1999) and Fred Smoot (2001). Amos could be next. —
Nicki Jhabvala
