Five NFL storylines we aren’t talking enough about ahead of Week 10

The 2025 NFL season reached a halfway point this week, with a blockbuster trade deadline infusing some drama between the first and final nine weeks of the regular season calendar. Even aside from the recent flurry of roster moves, including the New York Jets selling a pair of former All-Pros to accumulate first-round draft picks, this year has been chock-full of spicy storylines.

Some were expected, like the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles starting strong as popular Super Bowl picks. Others were total surprises, like the Indianapolis Colts exploding to a 7-2 start atop the AFC South with Daniel Jones at the helm of Shane Steichen’s offense and the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs barely staying above .500 amid offensive inconsistencies.

We’ve given plenty of attention to these dominant stories, as well as others like the MVP push from New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, or the Cowboys‘ gamble to play defense without Micah Parsons, who now headlines the Green Bay Packers‘ pass rush as the preseason’s top trade acquisition. But what about the stories that deserve more eyes?

Here are five midseason storylines that we aren’t talking about enough:

It’s astounding how much attention Rodgers commanded as an offseason figure — will he retire, or will he find another new home? — only to basically slip under the radar for the first half of 2025. Plenty championed his impressive overseas showing against his old NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings. Plenty tuned in to watch him match up with his old pals in Green Bay. And yet his Steelers tenure has been remarkably drama-free to this point.

That’s partly because of how smoothly he’s operated Pittsburgh’s offense. Remember, this is a guy who’s 41 years old and coming off two bruised and mostly dismal seasons with the New York Jets. Even without steady or top-end support from his O-line or non-DK Metcalf weapons, Rodgers has offered borderline top-10 passing production, at least as a situational signal-caller; his 17 scoring strikes are tied for third-most among all quarterbacks. More than anything else, his unfazed hand is helping offset a mercurial Mike Tomlin defense to ensure another Steel City playoff bid.

Arizona isn’t officially benching or cutting ties with Murray, the team’s No. 1 overall draft pick of six years ago, but it may as well be doing so. Kyler was his typical NFL self to open 2025, trading shifty scrambles with erratic decision-making, and that was a big reason the Cardinals went from 2-0 to 2-3 in a hurry. Then a curious thing happened: Jacoby Brissett, the new backup, stepped in while Murray nursed a foot injury, and suddenly Arizona started driving the ball down the field with regularity.

The Cards may have been doing Murray’s rehabilitation a genuine service when they started Brissett in a Week 9 upset of the Dallas Cowboys after first indicating Murray would make his return. But it felt more like a haphazard realization that Brissett, the seasoned journeyman, is actually the right man to hold the No. 1 gig anyway. Murray’s subsequent move to injured reserve clears the way for Brissett to go unchallenged. And it means Kyler, who’s led exactly zero playoff wins in almost seven injury-tinged seasons, is almost surely headed for new pastures come 2026, whether via trade or outright release.

Zac Taylor sticking around in Cincinnati

No one is shocked the Bengals are still struggling to play defense. But that’s kind of the point. Taylor isn’t directly in control of that unit, but as the man responsible for building the staff and working with the front office to bring big-picture visions to fruition, he’s about to have two straight seasons of high-octane Bengals offense go to waste. It’s a minor miracle Taylor’s gotten instant big-play efforts from Joe Flacco, this year’s emergency replacement for the oft-injured Joe Burrow, but it’s even more miraculous he handpicked a successor for maligned ex-defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo that’s getting even less from that side of the ball.

Al Golden may not have the requisite talent at his disposal, and veteran linebacker Logan Wilson’s exit at the trade deadline may not help. But Taylor probably deserves more heat as the guy paid to prepare the entire franchise for battle; notorious for guiding slow starts in Cincinnati, his Bengals barely survived the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 back when Burrow was still on the field, along with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. Yes, he led the Bengals all the way to the Super Bowl back in 2021. Since 2023, however? Taylor is 21-22 as the chief of what’s often hailed as a title-worthy lineup.

NFC West boasting at least two title contenders

Plenty figured the West would be competitive. But are we sure we’re giving enough due to the current frontrunners? Firstly, the Seattle Seahawks might be the class of the division, despite getting raked over the coals by some experts for swapping Geno Smith out for Sam Darnold. The latter looks like one of the five or so best gunslingers in the game right now, and while we know that can change in a hurry (see: 2024 Vikings), Mike Macdonald’s defense is also something to behold.

Then you’ve got the Los Angeles Rams, who might be the quietest 6-2 team on the block. Maybe we’re all just used to Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay competing at a high level, so we view the Rams’ fortitude with ho-hum acknowledgment? Did we all just forget that Stafford, 37, missed the entire summer with lingering back problems and wouldn’t have surprised anyone if he just up and hung up the cleats? And don’t count out the San Francisco 49ers, either; we’re not betting on their injury-laden lineup to survive the toughest tests, but Kyle Shanahan has directed some stunners — even with emergency quarterbacks — before.

The Falcons‘ perpetual mediocrity

Atlanta is either the saddest or most volatile franchise in today’s NFL, or maybe both. At least with rebuilding squads like the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, we can set the bar incredibly low. The Falcons prefer to tease: They paid Kirk Cousins in 2024 as “the missing piece” for an ascending group of playmakers, then pivoted to their surprise succession plan, Michael Penix Jr., with dreams of leapfrogging the rugged Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year. And yet here we are, halfway through Penix’s first full campaign, the defense finally clicking under Raheem Morris … and the Falcons are 3-5 with a minus-35 point differential.

Who’s to blame here? Penix, who’s taken turns rifling three-touchdown outings and overthinking throws as a low-usage pocket passer? Certainly not Bijan Robinson and Drake London, who keep trying to parlay their reliable playmaking into meaningful wins. How about Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who’ve routinely struggled to establish sensible personnel usage or situational play calls over the course of their 1.5 seasons together? Morris, by the way, is now 15-21 running the show if you include his half-year stint as an interim with the club back in 2020. It’s notable he’s perhaps better known for his off-field commentary, like briefly implying the Patriots cheated their way to victory, than for morphing Atlanta into a serious contender.