Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
The Philadelphia Eagles dominating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX was a stunning end to an entertaining NFL season. The lopsided loss denied Patrick Mahomes an opportunity at three-peat history, and Nick Sirianni quieted doubters by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in his fourth season as head coach of the Eagles.
With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward. The combine starts at the end of the month, followed by free agency in mid-March and the NFL Draft from April 24-26.
With that in mind, we take a shot at some bold predictions for 2025.
10. Say goodbye to first-down markers
It’s time. While it’s comforting to see the traditional use of first-down markers on the sideline, it’s also frustrating when the ball spot is in question at critical moments on the brightest NFL stages.
Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters last week that the NFL will continue to test electronic systems for measuring first downs and ball placement on the field.
“We’re continuing [discussions] with our partners on how to advance that as quickly as possible so we can get to that place,” Goodell said.
The United Football League has been using ball-spotting technology for years with Tru Line Technology. The NFL already has the technology in place and has been testing it in preseason and regular-season games, with mixed results. A majority of 24 out of 32 NFL owners must approve using this technology during the regular season.
9. Rookie Shedeur Sanders throws for 4,000 yards … in Las Vegas
The quarterback class this year is considered weaker than last year, when six QBs were taken in the first 12 selections. The 2024 draft class lived up to the billing, with productive rookie seasons by Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.
Even though this year’s class isn’t as highly regarded, Sanders has a chance to match or even surpass those players statistically if he lands in the right situation. And the right place is with Las Vegas and new head coach Pete Carroll. Raiders minority owner Tom Brady also has a connection with Sanders.
Carroll has already shown what he can do with an ultra-confident quarterback in Russell Wilson’s rookie season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. Sanders has the pedigree, poise and talent to play in a similar manner for the Raiders. Only five rookies have thrown for more than 4,000 yards: Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, Cam Newton and Jameis Winston.
Sanders threw for 4,134 yards in 13 games in his final season at Colorado and has a chance to join that 4k group in the NFL.
8. The Chicago Bears will be the NFL’s breakout team
Chicago secured the best head coaching candidate among this year’s crop in former Detroit Lions offensive whiz Ben Johnson. Paired with Williams, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, the two should build an explosive offense that can consistently put the ball in the end zone.
Along with that, the Bears have a talented defense that will allow Chicago to play complementary football. Yes, the offensive line remains an issue, and the Bears play in perhaps the toughest division in the league in the NFC North, but Johnson has a chance to turn things around quickly in Chicago.
7. Aaron Rodgers headed to Colts
With FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer reporting that Rodgers and the Jets are parting ways, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans are early betting favorites as potential landing spots. But Indianapolis makes the most sense for the 41-year-old signal-caller. First, the Anthony Richardson experiment has not worked for the Colts, with the Florida product having trouble staying on the field due to injuries and playing inconsistently when he has been available.
Head coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard are under intense pressure from owner Jim Irsay to win now, which means they must take a big swing to change the trajectory of the franchise. And Ballard has already shown a willingness to bring in veteran QBs in an effort to jump-start the offense, including Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan and, most recently, Joe Flacco.
The Colts also play in a winnable division in the AFC South.
6. Bill Belichick returns to NFL
Spurned by NFL teams, the greatest coach in league history is now a college coach, leading the North Carolina Tar Heels. But his buyout after June 1 is just $1 million, more than manageable for any NFL owner who wants to bring Belichick back into the NFL after one season.
Teams with impulsive owners like the Dallas Cowboys or Carolina Panthers could be willing to take a flyer on Belichick, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. The 72-year-old Belichick is supremely motivated to prove he still has gas left in the tank: He remains 14 wins behind Don Shula’s record for the most victories in NFL history (including postseason).
5. Jayden Daniels wins NFL MVP
The dynamic quarterback for the Washington Commanders was this season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns while running for another 891 yards and six scores. Daniels helped turn around a downtrodden franchise in Dan Quinn’s first season, leading the Commanders to within a game of the Super Bowl.
Daniels finished seventh in MVP voting this season. Next year, he’ll win the award. Here’s why. Washington has the third-most salary cap space in the NFL heading into free agency and seven draft picks, so they can continue to build around Daniels. With GM Adam Peters and Quinn, the Commanders are aligned and know what a championship football team looks like. That means Daniels should be even better in his second season.
4. Brian Schottenheimer surprises in Dallas
The Cowboys’ choice for head coach didn’t exactly inspire confidence within the team’s fan base, particularly with owner Jerry Jones failing to cast a wide net and interview some of the best coaches available on the market.
Schottenheimer, however, has a family coaching pedigree and, at age 51, he has 25 years of NFL coaching experience. Plus, as a Cowboys assistant for the past three years, he already has an established relationship with quarterback Dak Prescott and the rest of the team. Prescott will not have to learn a new offense, so that provides continuity. And Dallas still has talented pieces on defense like Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, so new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus should hit the ground running.
3. Travis Hunter a two-way NFL player? Yep
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was a highly productive player as a wide receiver and cornerback for Deion Sanders at Colorado. While NFL scouts see Hunter’s path to playing time on defense because of his ball skills, innovative coaches will find a package of plays to use him on offense as well.
Like during Sanders’ NFL days, the expectation for Hunter is that he will mainly play cornerback and can be used as a spot player on offense. In that role, Hunter will provide “wow” plays for the team that takes him at the top of the draft board.
Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter in Colorado’s Top 10 Plays of 2024
2. Chiefs miss the playoffs in 2025
Kansas City’s weaknesses were exposed during the team’s embarrassing loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Specifically, the Chiefs failed to protect their most important asset in Patrick Mahomes.
Expect Kansas City’s chief rivals — the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals — to use Philadelphia’s blueprint and attempt to do the same thing next season. Also, the Chiefs have won the AFC West nine straight times, but with heavyweight coaches like Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton and now Pete Carroll in the division, the road to the playoffs will get much harder for the Chiefs.
They’ll suffer a Super Bowl hangover and miss the postseason for the first time since 2015.
1. Josh Allen and the Bills finally break through, win Super Bowl
This season, Allen finally won his first NFL MVP award. Next season, he’ll take his team to the Super Bowl for the first time.
The Bills defeated Kansas City during the regular season but once again lost when it mattered most, in the AFC Championship Game. But Allen and the Bills just need to clean up a few mistakes and get that AFC title game in Buffalo.
Next season, not only will the Bills make it to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium, they’ll beat the upstart Commanders 30-24 — and Allen will be named MVP.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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