It’s 284 games down, one to go in the 2025 NFL season. Only Super Bowl 60 between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots stands between us and the offseason.
The new NFL year begins March 11, and there will technically be plenty of developments between now and then: the remaining coach openings will be filled, and teams will fill out their staffs. We’ll see some extensions and maybe even a trade or two. Most notably, we’ll likely hear from Travis Kelce, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford, among others, regarding whether they’ll keep playing or hang the cleats up for good.
But for the most part, except for Seattle and New England, the season is in the rearview mirror. And what a season it’s been. There were 78 games decided by three points or fewer, most in a single season in NFL history. Of the six teams with the shortest odds to win the Super Bowl entering the season, three failed to even make the playoffs. The other three combined to win exactly one playoff game. There was high drama, on and off the field, and unexpected twists and turns that even the most talented of script writers couldn’t imagine.
Here were the 25 biggest stories of the season that was.
1. Dallas Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers
Offseason discontent can take many forms, but most end with some sort of amicable resolution and agreement between player and team.
That wasn’t the case for superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers. Parsons requested a trade Aug. 1 amid mounting frustration with Dallas’ negotiations led by Jerry Jones, who thought he had a “handshake agreement” with Parsons months earlier.
But Jones refused to talk to Parsons’ agent — a key sticking point — and let his ego get in the way of actually coming to a deal with a franchise cornerstone. On Aug. 28, the Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Parsons got a four-year, $188 million extension from Green Bay, becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
This story didn’t exactly have a happy ending for either party. Parsons was excellent for Green Bay, even after an abbreviated preseason ramp-up period. He registered 12.5 sacks — including one in his anticipated return to Dallas — and was an All-Pro First Team pick for the first time since 2022. However, he tore his ACL in Week 15. The Cowboys, meanwhile, fielded one of the NFL’s worst defenses, finished 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
2. Sam Darnold stars in Seattle as J.J. McCarthy struggles in Minnesota
After being drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Jets in 2018, Sam Darnold had gone from bust to journeyman backup before he landed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. Darnold, thought to be a bridge quarterback as first-round pick J.J. McCarthy developed, did much more than that. With McCarthy sidelined due to a knee injury, Darnold threw for 35 touchdowns and over 4,300 yards in Minnesota in 2024.
But with McCarthy healthy for 2025, Minnesota moved forward with him as the starter. Darnold landed with the Seahawks on a three-year, $100.5 million deal.
It proved to be the season’s defining quarterback decision. Darnold produced a second consecutive Pro Bowl season and has been flawless in the playoffs, completing nearly 70% of his passes for 470 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions on 8.9 yards per attempt over two games. McCarthy, meanwhile, struggled mightily, suffering several injuries. He threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11), and his accuracy proved a major issue.
The Seahawks are in the Super Bowl. The Vikings somehow rallied to finish 9-8, but that only increases the questioning of if Minnesota made a crucial error that set a win-now roster back several years. McCarthy and Minnesota both have gigantic offseasons ahead.
3. Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye lead Patriots’ historic turnaround
After a lost season under Jerod Mayo, the Patriots brought Mike Vrabel back to the place where he shined as a player, and now they’re back on the stage they’ve been on so many times. New England became the first team to make the Super Bowl after losing 13 games or more the year before.
Vrabel and his quarterback, Drake Maye, have been at the forefront. Maye played at an MVP level, fulfilling the promise he showed at North Carolina and at times during a trying rookie year. His deep passing was among the game’s best, and his immense physical skill set shined. Vrabel, along with the front office, helped complete a massive overhaul thanks to an outstanding free agency that yielded Stefon Diggs, Milton Williams, Harold Landry, K’Lavon Chaisson, Robert Spillane and Carlton Davis, among others.
4. Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams lead Bears’ thrilling campaign
The Bears didn’t reach quite the Patriots’ heights, but Chicago’s emergence under a new coach has plenty of parallels. Ben Johnson infused 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and the franchise as a whole with a new belief, one that showed up en route to an 11-win season that featured an NFL-record seven wins in which they trailed in the final two minutes of regulation.
Williams showed a tremendous flair for the dramatic, with his miraculous game-tying touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams being arguably the highlight of the season league-wide.
The Bears also relied on a powerful running game and a ballhawking defense en route to their best season in more than a decade.
5. Myles Garrett sets single-season sack record
Myles Garrett stands alone atop the single-season sack list after his 23-sack campaign, and it came down to the wire. The record-breaking takedown came against Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter of the season finale.
Garrett’s record chase had plenty of ups and downs during another lost season for the Cleveland Browns as a whole. He aired his frustration — not for the first time — after the Browns lost a game in which he had five sacks. He also claimed the Pittsburgh Steelers were more worried about denying him the record than actually winning in Week 17. In the end, though, he broke past the previous record of 22.5, shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, and with hardly a moment to spare.
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6. Shedeur Sanders slides, eventually starts for Browns in roller-coaster rookie year
The biggest story of the 2025 NFL Draft wasn’t the first pick. Or the second. Or the third. Or … well, we could go all the way until the 143rd. Former Colorado star Shedeur Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round, where the Browns selected him 144th overall. He wasn’t even the first quarterback Cleveland selected in the draft.
The rollercoaster was only beginning. Sanders was at one point fourth on Cleveland’s depth chart, with every training camp rep, unofficial depth chart release and preseason throw hyper-analyzed. After Cleveland shipped off Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, and after Dillon Gabriel got hurt, Sanders made his official NFL debut in Week 11 (he went 4 for 16 for 47 yards with an interception and two sacks) and made his first start in Week 12. His overall numbers — 57% completion percentage, seven touchdown passes, 10 interceptions — weren’t anything pretty, and most metrics placed him as one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks. But he did have some nice moments despite trying surroundings, and he somehow ended up a Pro Bowl replacement
7. Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos AFC Divisional Round: Controversial interception, devastating injury, surprise firing
In a postseason full of great games, Bills-Broncos might have been the best:
- Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 24-23 lead.
- Down 27-23 with just over four minutes left, Bo Nix drove Denver down the field and delivered a touchdown pass to Marvin Mims.
- Allen responded with a last-minute drive, and Matt Prater’s’s field goal forced overtime.
- In overtime, Allen got picked off when Ja’Quan McMillian stole the ball away from Brandin Cooks on a deep pass. Wil Lutz kicked the game-winning field goal on the next possession.
Then, in a stunning turn of events, Sean Payton announced that Nix broke a bone in his ankle on the penultimate play. Jarrett Stidham started the AFC Championship, a 10-7 loss to the Patriots.
The Bills had a different type of devastating ending, firing Sean McDermott. Buffalo’s Super Bowl drought continues.
8. Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons tear ACLs on same day; Kansas City Chiefs miss playoffs
The NFL world just keeps on spinning through wins, losses, injuries, off-field incidents, on-field drama, trades, firings, hirings and more. The churn is incredible. It takes something truly monumental to get it to stop.
Dec. 14, then, was a monumental day. First, Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL. Then, the Chiefs were eliminated from the playoff race with a loss. Then Micah Parsons tore his ACL.
The Chiefs missing the playoffs was arguably the biggest surprise of the season, bigger than any positive turnaround story. Kansas City had made the postseason 10 straight years and had won the AFC West nine straight years. It had been to five of the past six Super Bowls, winning three of them. The Chiefs simply found ways to win games, and Mahomes was usually behind that.
But 2025 was different. The Chiefs went 1-9 in one-score games (they were 11-0 the year before). They made the mistakes they had capitalized on for so long. Serious holes emerged across the roster, and there was plenty of bad luck, too — all the things common to losing teams.
Parsons’ injury, meanwhile, was the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. Green Bay lost its final five games of the season, including a wild-card collapse against the Bears.
9. Philip Rivers returns to the NFL after Daniel Jones tears Achilles
Philip Rivers was the butt end of every joke. He was a grandpa. He had put on a few pounds. His oldest child was older than many active players.
He didn’t care. Nearly five years after what most thought was the final snap in his legendary career, Rivers returned to the Indianapolis Colts in the wake of Daniel Jones’ torn Achilles and a bevy of injuries to Indianapolis’ backups. He started a few days later against the Seahawks and, all things considered, played well: 120 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception in a narrow 18-16 loss to a team that ultimately made the Super Bowl.
He couldn’t save a sinking ship, though. Indianapolis lost its final seven games of the season and became the first team in three decades to miss the playoffs after an 8-2 start. Still, Rivers’ return was a captivating and charming one, and he emotionally delivered some great life lessons, too.
10. Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers Week 18: Steelers win AFC North in thriller, John Harbaugh fired
Lamar Jackson saved his best for last this season, and it still wasn’t enough. With the AFC North title on the line against the Steelers, Jackson threw a 50-yard touchdown to Zay Flowers midway through the fourth quarter to give the Ravens a 17-13 lead. After a Kenneth Gainwell touchdown, Jackson had an even more magnificent answer, escaping a sack and finding Flowers for a 64-yard score. Rodgers hit Calvin Austin III for a go-ahead touchdown with 55 seconds left, but Jackson wasn’t done.
Down 26-24, Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 26-yard gain on fourth-and-7. Two plays later, though, Tyler Loop pushed a 44-line yard kick wide right, and Pittsburgh was postseason-bound. The preseason Super Bowl-favorite Ravens saw their season end in agonizing fashion.
It was also the end of the John Harbaugh era in the Charm City. After 18 seasons, 180 wins and a Super Bowl victory together, the Ravens fired Harbaugh, who got hired by the New York Giants. The Ravens hired Jesse Minter.
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11. Steelers, Mike Tomlin part ways
Even though Mike Tomlin and the Steelers got the win in Week 18, their partnership, too, subsequently ended. The Steelers lost to the Houston Texans 30-6 in the wild card round, marking their ninth straight season without a playoff win. Tomlin had set a remarkably high floor — 19 straight non-losing seasons — but, for the past decade, failed to raise the ceiling.
Tomlin stepped down as Steelers coach after 19 years, 193 wins, one Super Bowl victory, leaving the AFC North in a lurch. After being two beacons of stability for nearly two decades, both Pittsburgh and Baltimore were looking for new coaches. Pittsburgh eventually hired native son Mike McCarthy.
12. Matthew Stafford has best season of his career at 37 years old
The Matthew Stafford-Sean McVay partnership reached new heights in 2025, with Stafford leading the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46). Making it all the more remarkable, Stafford hardly practiced in the preseason, nursing a sore back. Though the Rams ultimately came up short in the NFC Championship, Stafford showed he can still make every sort of throw even against the best defenses (374 passing yards, three touchdowns). Now, the big question is whether he’s back for 2026.
13. Aaron Rodgers signs with Steelers
It came nearly three months after free agency opened, but Rodgers eventually signed with the Steelers in early June. It’s easy to look back on this transaction as one weeks in the making — Rodgers had a throwing session with DK Metcalf earlier in the offseason — but Pittsburgh really had backed itself into a corner waiting so long for the four-time MVP’s decision.
Rodgers delivered solid results but, like many recent Pittsburgh quarterbacks, didn’t raise the ceiling much, and the Steelers once again failed to win a playoff game. Relying on mostly quick, short passes, Rodgers threw 24 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions, but he finished 27th in yards per attempt.
14. Trade deadline produces two blockbusters, several other impactful deals
Normally, the NFL trade deadline can’t hold a candle to the NBA’s when some of the league’s biggest names move.
Not this year. The Colts sent two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner, and the Cowboys sent a first- and a second-round pick and defensive lineman Mazi Smith to the Jets for defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.
At the time, the Colts were one of the NFL’s best teams and were hoping to put the finishing touch on a group seemingly destined for the playoffs. That never happened given the aforementioned Jones injury; Gardner also struggled with injuries, too. Now, Indianapolis is without its first-round pick for the next two drafts and is likely stuck with Jones, whom is set to be a free agent. Yikes.
Williams alone couldn’t fix Dallas’ defense, but having just turned 28, he is still a big part of their future, and Dallas has two first-round picks in 2026 to build around him on defense.
Meanwhile, several other trades played big roles for playoff teams:
15. San Francisco 49ers endure injuries to stars, make playoffs
The 49ers got just half a season out of Brock Purdy, three games from Nick Bosa and six games from Fred Warner. George Kittle played in 11 games in the regular season and tore his Achilles in the playoffs. First-round pick Mykel Williams tore his ACL halfway through the season. Ricky Pearsall played in just nine games.
With all of that considered, Kyle Shanahan and company produced one of the most impressive 12-5 seasons. They beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round, too. Purdy and Christian McCaffrey spearheaded one of the NFL’s best offenses, and journeymen such as Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson stepped into big roles. Mac Jones filled in admirably for Purdy, and youngsters flashed on defense.
The Eagles’ playoff win in Philadelphia included Robinson going for 111 yards and a touchdown despite often being matched up with All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and Jauan Jennings throwing a touchdown to McCaffrey on a trick play. The 49ers got blown out by the Seahawks in the divisional round, but Shanahan did the finest “more with less” job of his career.
16. Joe Burrow suffers turf toe injury in Week 2
The Cincinnati Bengals hoped a new defensive coordinator and some upgrades on that side of the ball would help support what looked to be one of the NFL’s best offenses. Those hopes were dashed in Week 2 when Burrow suffered a turf toe injury that cost him two and a half months. It was his third major injury in six seasons.
The Bengals tried Jake Browning and then turned to Flacco under center. By the time Burrow returned, Cincinnati’s playoff hopes were hanging on by a thread. He produced some good moments, but the Bengals finished 6-11, and Burrow said, “Something’s got to change.” He’s not wrong.
17. Jaguars trade up for Travis Hunter
New Jaguars GM James Gladstone promised to be bold when he took the job, and he certainly lived up to that promise quickly, trading up from Nos. 5 to 2 overall to select Heisman Trophy-winning cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. The Jaguars traded several picks, including their 2026 first-round selection, to Cleveland, which took Mason Graham at No. 5.
It was the first draft time a team traded into the top two picks to select a non-quarterback prospect since the Rams moved up for Orlando Pace in 1997.
Hunter remained a two-way player for Jacksonville, though it wasn’t exactly a splashy debut. He played roughly two-thirds of the team’s offensive snaps and just over one-third of its defensive snaps. He had by far his best performance — eight catches, 101 yards and a touchdown — in a Week 7 loss to the Rams. That proved to be his last game, as he suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice shortly thereafter.
Hunter finished with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown as well as 15 tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble. He’s expected to play both ways again in 2026.
18. Eagles’ offensive issues leave A.J. Brown, others discontent
In a season where the Eagles became the first team in over two decades to win consecutive NFC East titles, the enduring image will be star receiver A.J. Brown getting into a spat with coach Nick Sirianni on the sideline during a wild card loss to the 49ers.
It was far from the first time Brown showed his frustration. He called the situation a “shit show,” made cryptic Instagram posts, pleaded for more aggression from the offense and was generally ignored. Even DeVonta Smith got in on voicing his issues. Saquon Barkley fell back to Earth after a historic 2024.
Philadelphia finished 24th in yards per game, 19th in yards per play and 21st in offensive points per game. So far, it has resulted in the Eagles removing Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator, though Brown’s future could be up in the air, too.
19. Washington Commanders fall flat as Jayden Daniels struggles with injuries
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders were the darlings of the NFL last year, going 12-5 and the franchise’s first NFC Championship appearance in more than 30 years as Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year. The team’s veteran signees played roles larger than anyone could have imagined, and Daniels was incredibly clutch as Washington won seven games by five points or fewer.
It all went south in 2025. Daniels suffered a knee injury in Week 2, a hamstring injury in Week 7, an elbow injury in Week 9 and an aggravation of the elbow injury in Week 14. Injuries wreaked havoc on both sides of the ball, and the defense plummeted to among the league’s worst. The team was the NFL’s oldest by a significant margin, and it showed.
Perennial doormats for much of the 21st century, Washington finally rose out of that status in 2024, only to fall back to it in 2025. There’s much to do ahead of the 2026 season.
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20. Dolphins bench Tua Tagovailoa
After yet another nationally televised cold-weather failure, Tua Tagovailoa’s time as Miami Dolphins starter came to an end. Coach Mike McDaniel tabbed seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers as the starter after a Week 15 “Monday Night Football” loss to the Steelers.
Tagovailoa reached some impressive highs under McDaniel’s precise, quick-hitting scheme, but he also ran into several roadblocks with his health, said the Dolphins lacked leadership and had far too many poor performances. The lefty quarterback has a massive contract, meaning getting rid of him will be a challenge. But with McDaniel out and new coach Jeff Hafley and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan in place, it’s hard to envision Tagovailoa as the starter in Miami Gardens again.
21. Ravens at Bills Week 1: Josh Allen leads epic comeback
John Harbaugh’s final season in charge in Baltimore ended with a late-game collapse everyone will remember, but it started with a late-game collapse, too. In fact, this one was of even greater proportions. In a “Sunday Night Football” Week 1 showdown against the Bills, the Ravens led 40-25 with under four minutes left. Then:
- Josh Allen found Keon Coleman for a touchdown.
- Derrick Henry fumbled.
- Allen ran for a touchdown, but the two-point conversion attempt failed.
- The Ravens went three-and-out.
- Matt Prater nailed a 32-yard field goal as time expired.
22. Tennessee Titans at Arizona Cardinals Week 5: Cardinals, Jonathan Gannon, Kyler Murray, Emari Demercado collapse
This one requires us to go back quite a bit, but the butterfly effect is startling. The Cardinals, up 21-3 at home against the then-winless Tennessee Titans, suffered one of the wildest and most inexcusable collapses in recent memory en route to a 22-21 defeat:
- Up 21-6 in the third quarter, Kyler Murray had a snap go off his facemask. The Titans recovered.
- Still up 21-6 in the fourth quarter, Emari Demercado broke free for what looked to be a 72-yard touchdown run. Instead, he dropped the ball before it crossed the goal line, resulting in a touchback. Coach Jonathan Gannon lambasted Demercado on the sideline, an action that later earned him a $100,000 fine from the organization.
- Still up 21-12 with under five minutes left, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson intercepted Cam Ward. However, Taylor-Demerson fumbled on the return, and Tyler Lockett scooped the loose ball up for a touchdown.
- After doing almost nothing all afternoon, Ward led a game-winning field goal drive.
Begin the butterfly effect:
Phew. What a strange game with wide-ranging impacts.
23. Giants fire Brian Daboll midseason
After blowing a 10-point lead in the final four minutes of a 24-20 Week 10 loss to the Bears, the Giants fired Brian Daboll, ending an up-and-down tenure.
The Giants had issues all year holding onto leads, both when Daboll was in charge and after, but a 2-8 start had plummeted Daboll’s record with the team to 20-40-1, the good feelings of a playoff appearance in his first season long gone. Though Daboll played a key role in bringing in first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart — who showed plenty of promise — it wasn’t enough.
24. Aaron Glenn endures tough first season as Jets coach
When the Jets hired Aaron Glenn, they were hoping the former NFL defensive back and Detroit Lions defensive coordinator would elevate the entire operation, bringing leadership, discipline and direction to a franchise badly in need of all three.
Instead, the Jets went 3-14 and became the first team in NFL history to not have an interception for an entire season. Three different quarterbacks — Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook — produced anemic results. Case in point: Garrett Wilson finished the season as the team’s leading receiver (395 yards) despite only playing in seven games.
Glenn inherited a roster in need of overhaul, but he probably didn’t expect this. Plus, owner Woody Johnson didn’t make things any better, throwing Fields under the bus in October. The Jets are still searching for both an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator, even though their season ended weeks ago and they retained Glenn as coach.
25. Pete Carroll is one-and-done as Las Vegas Raiders coach
In hiring Pete Carroll, the Raiders tried to mix in the old — Carroll was the oldest coach in NFL history and brought in his old quarterback from Seattle, Geno Smith — with the new of first-round pick Ashton Jeanty, standout second-year tight end Brock Bowers and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, back in the NFL for the first time in years. Carroll set high expectations.
It was a disaster. After a Week 1 win, the Raiders lost 14 of their next 15 games and finished 3-14. Carroll axed Kelly, the NFL’s highest-paid offensive coordinator, midseason. There was internal discord. Smith threw an NFL-high 17 interceptions. The team shut down face of the franchise Maxx Crosby, much to Crosby’s dismay. Carroll got fired after the season.
Minority owner Tom Brady, who assisted in the Carroll hiring, is part of the process once again. He’ll hope his second try goes much better, especially with the No. 1 overall pick available. The Raiders are widely expected to select Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, but they have holes all over the offense and the defense to fix, too.
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