After going through the AFC yesterday, these are the biggest storylines for each team in the NFC ahead of 2025 NFL training camp.
Arizona Cardinals: Can the defense become elite?
The Cardinals signed four starters—Josh Sweat, Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Akeem Davis-Gaither—during free agency and then made six of their seven draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, including defensive lineman Walter Nolan III and cornerback Will Johnson in the first two rounds. They’ve poured resources into the defense since Jonathan Gannon was hired in 2023, and Year 3 is a huge one as they look to boast a top defense to complement Kyler Murray doing whatever necessary to move the ball on offense.
Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. taking over
Kirk Cousins remains in Atlanta, but it’s clearly 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.’s show now—and he has the arm to light it up in his first full season as a starter while throwing to Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Kyle Pitts—working off a Bijan Robinson-led rushing attack. The pass rush found life down the stretch for the Falcons last year, and I loved their moves to add Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. off the edge with two first-round picks.
Carolina Panthers: A confident Bryce Young
I was surprised Bryce Young was benched early last season, but it led to him seemingly resetting to play free, confident, and very well when he started the final 10 games in 2024. The former Heisman Trophy winner has showcased the jaw-dropping accuracy that helped make him the No. 1 overall pick in 2023—and he should be even more confident with Carolina adding big Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft.
Chicago Bears: Team getting on Ben Johnson’s wavelength
If you’ve watched this season of Quarterback on Netflix, it gives a good glimpse of Ben Johnson as a coach when he was the offensive coordinator of the Lions. He’s extremely confident and looks highly competent—meshing well with Detroit’s players with a great mix of business and fun. Now it’s about doing that as the head man in Chicago and getting everyone on that wavelength—most importantly, ultra-talented quarterback Caleb Williams.
Dallas Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer’s shot
It was a surprise when the Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy parted ways in the offseason, but it now gives Brian Schottenheimer (the offensive coordinator under McCarthy, so keeping some consistency for a team looking to compete in 2025) a shot as a head coach. It’ll be interesting to see what twist Schottenheimer brings to a roster that added dynamic receiver George Pickens to complement CeeDee Lamb—and we might see Dallas throw the ball around a ton with an uncertain running back group. I should also note that former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus now leads the Dallas defense.
Detroit Lions: Replacing key losses
The Lions must replace a lot this season. The aforementioned Ben Johnson is now leading a division rival. Former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is the head coach of the Jets. Center and foundational piece Frank Ragnow retired late in the offseason. Those are massive losses. The good news is Dan Campbell (and general manager Brad Holmes) has pushed all the right buttons on key decisions with the Lions. I’ve heard great things about new offensive coordinator John Morton, and new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is a former player who should connect with his guys. It’s not always easy to replace people, but the Lions might have built a machine that can do it.
Green Bay Packers: Getting consistency from Jordan Love
This is crazy but true: Jordan Love plays much better during Toyotathon (typically from mid-November to the end of the regular season), with 26 touchdowns and just two interceptions during Toyotathon compared to nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns when it’s not Toyotathon. Love has gotten going at the right time regular season wise, but that hasn’t translated to the postseason, where he’s been inconsistent with some unwise decisions. Maybe the Packers can make a deal with Toyota to move their annual sale back.
Los Angeles Rams: Davante Adams connection
Parting ways with former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp the way that they did was ruthless, but I am very intrigued by the addition of All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams for the Rams. I expect Adams to elevate an offense that struggled to put the ball into the end zone consistently when they reached the red zone—making things easier on Matthew Stafford by looking Adams’ way. An additional storyline for the Rams is dealing with definite Super Bowl aspirations while NFC West teams gun for them.
Minnesota Vikings: Is J.J. McCarthy ready?
Sam Darnold got his career back on track with the Vikings last season, and playing for Kevin O’Connell is obviously one of the best spots in the league for a quarterback. Coming off a serious knee injury last preseason, 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy will look to take advantage of the situation and immediately play at a high level for a team with plenty of weapons and a chaotic defense led by one of the game’s top coordinators in Brian Flores. The potential growing pains for McCarthy are one of the biggest things to track this summer and throughout the NFL season.
New Orleans Saints: What’s the identity of the Saints?
Veteran quarterback Derek Carr retired due in large part to his shoulder injury, and his departure probably doesn’t help remedy an issue of identity the Saints have been dealing with. There are still proud, veteran pieces on defense—but the offense now has a quarterback competition between rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener. Alvin Kamara remains at running back, and the receiving room as plenty of speed with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks. I honestly have no idea how things are going to play out for first-year head coach Kellen Moore and New Orleans.
New York Giants: Starting fast
First-round rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is going to get a ton of attention from the New York media this summer in a totally revamped quarterback room that added Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in addition to drafting Dart. This Giants regime has made plenty of poor decisions, but there’s some upside with a pass rush of Dexter Lawrence II, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter. The key for a maligned regime is starting fast: They face the Commanders, Cowboys, Chiefs, and Chargers over their first four games before playing the Saints and then taking on the Eagles, Broncos, Eagles, and 49ers the four games after that.
Philadelphia Eagles: Dealing with success
The roster of the defending Super Bowl champions remains loaded. It’s a pick-your-poison with the offensive line paired with all that skill. We saw it in the Super Bowl—the Chiefs limited superstar running back Saquon Barkley, but Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith took advantage in a major way. If Philadelphia remains unselfish and doesn’t get complacent, it’ll be incredibly difficult to beat them each week. New offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will be under the microscope in the tough media market, though.
San Francisco 49ers: Will the defense be elite?
After a run as the head coach of the Jets, Robert Saleh is back as the defensive coordinator for the 49ers—a natural fit which should include a seamless transition for the group. The return of second-year safety Malik Mustapha from a torn ACL at some point is big, but the young San Francisco secondary—though under the radar right now—can be stingy. It’s a key for ever team, but especially for Niners veterans like Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, and George Kittle—San Fran must stay healthy in this championship window.
Seattle Seahawks: New quarterback and coordinator
After a strong first season under head coach Mike Macdonald which included 10 wins despite missing the postseason, Macdonald might have his team look more like he wants on offense with Klint Kubiak brought in as the offensive coordinator. That means running the ball a ton with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet—and maybe even Kenny McIntosh mixing in more. New quarterback Sam Darnold is a nice fit with Kubiak, and he’ll be throwing to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling after Seattle dealt DK Metcalf. Keep an eye on explosive quarterback Jalen Milroe, who we loved coming out, in packages at least in Year 1.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker’s ingredients
Baker Mayfield has plenty to cook with in Tampa Bay. Wide receiver for the Bucs is just insane. Honestly, I chuckled when mock drafts had the Bucs taking a wide receiver in Round 1—so I was floored when Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka was actually the pick. It gives them an embarrassment of riches with him, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillian, and Day 3 rookie Tez Johnson. We’ll have to watch Godwin’s return from an ankle injury, but the receiving group paired with the running backs headlined by Bucky Irving is scary.
Washington Commanders: Do offseason additions help build on 2024?
The Commanders came out of nowhere to make the NFC title game last season, and they’re looking to build on that and get in a similar position this year. The Most notable additions were on offense, with All-Pro weapon Deebo Samuel—looking to show he hasn’t lost a step like many say—and left tackle Laremy Tunsil joining the Jayden Daniels-led offense that’s fortunately still coordinated by Kliff Kingsbury, who rebuffed head coaching inquires. However, Washington has a target on them now.