Editor’s note: This article is part of our Countdown to Kickoff series, in which we highlight the NFL’s top teams, players, predictions and storylines to watch as the 2025 season begins.
As the 2025 NFL season kicks off this week — beginning with Thursday’s tilt between the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles and concluding Monday night as the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears face off, with 14 contests in between — so begins what surely will be yet another action-packed, drama-filled campaign.
One of the things we love about the NFL is that there is so much riding on every game. It’s the ultimate team sport, yet the fate of many seasons can hinge — for better or worse — on the performances of certain leading individuals.
Let’s take a dive into 25 of the most intriguing players of the 2025 season and the impact that they could have on their team’s seasons and the league as a whole.
1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
After two New York Jets seasons marked by injury and dysfunction, Rodgers joins a franchise that is both stable and stuck in neutral. The Steelers haven’t experienced a losing season in Mike Tomlin’s 18 seasons. Yet, Tomlin and company have gone eight seasons without a playoff victory. Steelers brass believes the future Hall of Fame quarterback could help them finally get over the hump. But does Rodgers actually have enough left in the tank to do so? He is now two years removed from the Achilles tendon tear that robbed him of the 2023 campaign, so his strength and mobility should have improved. But he also turns 42 in December. Only two NFL starting quarterbacks 40 or older have won a playoff game. (Tom Brady won eight, and Drew Brees one). The Steelers need Rodgers to help mask deficiencies like an inconsistent offensive line and run game, and inconsistent wide receivers after DK Metcalf. But, a strong run game and supporting cast are must-haves for a quarterback at most every age, but especially post-40.
2. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The second pick of the draft, Hunter is attempting to become the NFL’s first full-time two-way player since 1962. (Hall of Fame Philadelphia Eagles center/linebacker Chuck Bednarik last accomplished it.) Hunter thrived as a two-way college player, but the increased speed and physicality of the professional game intensifies this challenge. The Jaguars are learning on the fly when it comes to managing Hunter’s workload and development plan. During the preseason, the Jaguars eased Hunter in by starting him at wide receiver and sprinkling him in on defense on third downs and in red zone situations. However, Hunter didn’t play in the final two preseason games because of an upper body injury. Can he indeed manage to perform at a high level on both sides of the ball over the course of a 17-game season? And, on which side of the ball will he excel the most? Numerous talent evaluators viewed Hunter as possessing elite coverage skills and slightly above average receiving skills. Others viewed him as more of a difference-maker at wideout. The Jaguars are about to find out.
3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson may have overshadowed Mahomes at times last season, but he still reached the Super Bowl for the fifth time in seven seasons. And a porous offensive line and injury-riddled receiving unit may have cost Mahomes and the Chiefs the first three-peat in the modern era of pro football. But don’t be fooled: Mahomes remains the best player in the league. A load of motivation, an upgraded offensive line and a healthy wide receiver corps have him positioned to rebound in a mighty way. Is a third MVP crown and fourth Lombardi trophy in his immediate future?
4. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Fresh off an MVP campaign after a neck-and-neck race with Jackson, Allen aims to finally get over the hump after four postseason losses to Mahomes (two in the AFC Championship Game, including last season).
5. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson in 2024 delivered his finest statistical season, becoming the first player in league history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for another 900 in the same season. He also racked up 41 touchdown passes and only four interceptions while leading the league with a passer rating of 119.6. The only blemish on the two-time league MVP’s resume: a 3-5 playoff record, which includes two losses to Allen in the divisional round and a loss to Mahomes in the conference championship.
6. Micah Parsons Jr., LB, Green Bay Packers
After a standoff with Jerry Jones that dragged on throughout the offseason, training camp and the preseason, Parsons finally got paid … by the Green Bay Packers. Exactly one week before Dallas was slated to kick off the season in Philadelphia, the Cowboys traded their All-Pro pass rusher to Green Bay, which then awarded Parsons a four-year, $188 million contract, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The Packers already had the look of a legit NFC contender, but adding Parsons — one of only three players in the league to record 12-plus sacks in four of the last five seasons — should further elevate Matt LaFleur’s squad.
7. Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
He burst onto the scene and took a long-suffering Washington franchise to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season. Now the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year has massive expectations to live up to as he tries to take a Washington team that added Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil to the offense and Von Miller on defense a step further.
8. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
The best offseason acquisition of the 2024 season, Barkley certainly made his presence felt in Philadelphia. His 2,005 rushing yards fell 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. His 499 postseason yards paced the Eagles on their Super Bowl run. What can does Barkley do for an encore?
9. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland Browns
No fifth-round pick has commanded as much attention as Sanders, who found consistent opportunities hard to come by with the Browns this offseason/training camp/preseason. The former Colorado/Jackson State star and projected first-rounder endured a slide all the way to the 144th pick but shined in his preseason debut despite limited team reps. An injury forced him out of the second preseason game, and then a rocky showing wrapped up his preseason. Still, Sanders did enough to convince coaches that he (along with third-rounder Dillon Gabriel) are sufficient backups to the 40-year-old Joe Flacco, and Cleveland traded Kenny Pickett and cut Tyler Huntley. Will Sanders eventually work his way onto the field or will he languish as a frequent emergency QB designation?
No fifth-round pick has been more closely followed than the Browns’ Shedeur Sanders. (Ken Blaze / Imagn Images)10. Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Darnold orchestrated a career revival last season in Minnesota, where he played at an MVP level and helped the Vikings post their most successful season since 1998. The No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft fizzled in the postseason but still parlayed his overall success into a three-year, $100.5 million contract with Seattle. Can he continue his ascension and ignite a stagnant Seahawks offense that also parted with receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and signed the reliable Cooper Kupp? Or will Darnold revert to the turnover-prone form that he exhibited with the Jets and Panthers?
11. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions
At the time of his season-ending injury, Hutchinson was the most dominant pass rusher in the league with 7 1/2 sacks in five games. Now fully recovered from the surgery that repaired his fractured tibia and fibula, Hutchinson aims to pick up where he left off and lead a Detroit defense that lost mastermind Aaron Glenn to the Jets head coaching job, and has unfinished business after two straight playoff shortcomings.
12. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have long needed a game-changer on offense, and they just might have found one in Jeanty, who last season led college football with 2,601 rushing yards and 374 carries (averaging 7.0 yards per carry while scoring 29 touchdowns).
13. Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
The No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft, Williams was regarded as a can’t-miss prospect. But after a tumultuous rookie campaign (head coach firing, three different play callers, a league-high 68 sacks), Williams has questions surrounding him. Chicago GM Ryan Poles upgraded the offensive line and hired the brightest offensive mind on the market in new head coach Ben Johnson. But Williams has had a rocky training camp and preseason while learning a new system. Can he settle in and live up to the hype? For now, Johnson and the Bears would like it if Williams could simply serve as a solid game manager and worry about the rest later.
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14. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers’ recent playoff woes often get blamed on the lack of elite quarterback play. But opposing quarterbacks have actually had a field day against Pittsburgh’s defenses in the postseason. So, they acquired Ramsey from the Dolphins in hopes that he can provide the lockdown corner presence they badly need. Can Ramsey, who turns 31 this season, rebound from a season that saw him yield the highest catch rate of his career and help neutralize the high-powered passing attacks that Pittsburgh would likely face in the postseason?
15. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
The 2023 top pick finds himself in a precarious position. Benched early last season by rookie head coach Dave Canales, Young managed to recover, regain his job and show some signs down the stretch that suggest he might be starting to get it. But the Panthers need to see him elevate his game and deliver on a consistent level. Carolina has endured six straight double-digit loss seasons. If Young can’t spearhead a turnaround this season, owner David Tepper could be looking for his replacement next offseason.
16. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
After an impressive rookie season in 2023 (just shy of 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards), Robinson put up elite numbers last season. He rushed for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns and recorded 431 receiving yards on 61 catches, distinguishing himself as one of the best all-around backs in the game. What does Year 3 have in store for the Texas product? Can he put the Falcons on his back and help them snap a seven-year playoff drought?
17. Cam Ward, QB, Tennessee Titans
The top pick of this year’s draft, Ward hasn’t been surrounded by the same type of hype as other leading quarterbacks in previous years. However, he quickly won over teammates and coaches with his competitive fire, professional approach to the game and poise under pressure. Coach Brian Callahan praised Ward following the preseason saying, “he’s been outstanding. He doesn’t get rattled. He fights through.” Ward had a pedestrian preseason by the numbers, completing 10 of 19 passes for 143 yards and no touchdowns in three outings. However, the Titans are set to open the season with him as their starter and hope that he can direct a franchise revival.
18. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
The LSU product had to deal with a revolving door at quarterback last season and still put up 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns on 109 catches. Selected to both the Pro Bowl and PFWA All-Rookie team, Nabers’ 109 receptions set a new record for catches by a rookie wideout. What could he do with a more stable quarterback situation?
19. Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Since his arrival in Detroit in 2021, Goff and the Lions have steadily ascended, and the former Rams No. 1 pick has put up some of the best numbers of his career while directing one of the most potent offenses in the league. But, the Lions suffered a major loss this offseason as mad scientist offensive coordinator Ben Johnson took the head coaching job in Chicago. Now the pressure ramps up on Goff. Can the 10th-year veteran make a seamless transition to rookie play caller John Morton’s offense and keep the Lions on the right trajectory?
Jared Goff, left, and Matthew Stafford will always be linked by their 2021 trade for each other. (David Reginek / Imagn Images)20. Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford and Goff’s careers will be forever linked. The Rams did get a Super Bowl out of the deal, and after rebuilding their roster with young, impactful draft selections, they’re hoping they can make another deep postseason run. But much of it will hinge on the health of Stafford, who has missed time this offseason and preseason because of an aggravated disk in his back. Can he and L.A.’s coaches and medical team manage the situation enough for him to remain effective, especially late in the year, when the Rams have a chance to make some noise if they still have their 37-year-old gunslinger on the field?
21. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Fully healthy for the first time in four seasons, Murray played some of his best ball down the stretch of last season and looked more like the player the Cardinals thought they were getting when they drafted him No. 1 in 2019. Another year with head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing also factored into Murray’s strong finish. Now entering his third season in the same system and with no rehab to slow his offseason preparation, Murray could take a big leap and position the Cardinals to make noise in a wide-open NFC West.
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22. Jalen Carter, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
As a second-year pro, he literally took over stretches of games and was virtually unblockable. When he’s not tossing aside 300-pound linemen and whipping around quarterbacks like rag dolls, Carter is freeing up teammates for impactful plays. As he enters Year 3, Carter could take up the mantle of Aaron Donald as an absolute game-wrecker of an interior lineman.
23. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings viewed McCarthy (their first-round pick in 2024) as the answer at QB, but then a preseason knee injury forced him out of the entire season. Their confidence in the Michigan product, however, hasn’t waned. Rather than extend Darnold, the Vikings are putting all of their trust in the now-healthy, yet unproven, McCarthy. Can he position the Vikings to challenge Detroit and Green Bay for NFC North supremacy? Or, will Minnesota take steps backward because of his growing pains?
24. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Newly engaged and soon to be 36, the 10-time Pro Bowl tight end is back for his 13th NFL season. There were rumblings that Kelce was considering retiring after last season, but he later declared, “I can’t go out like that,” referring to a blowout loss in the Super Bowl, in which he had only four catches for 39 yards. Kelce has dropped some weight and is highly motivated to try to give the Chiefs a fourth Super Bowl win in the last seven seasons.
25. Cam Little, K, Jacksonville Jaguars
The strong-legged second-year pro put the league on notice this preseason, drilling a 70-yard — yes, seventy — field goal. If Little, who hit a long of 59 last season, can do that consistently, talk about a game-changer. Given the new touchback rules, Jacksonville would need only 15 yards to move into scoring position on many possessions.
CAM LITTLE 70-YARD FIELD GOAL
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(Top photos of Aaron Rodgers and Micah Parsons: Joe Sargent and Jayden Mack / Getty Images)