Press conferences at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine brought plenty of news. Here are a handful of takeaways from the talk at the Combine.
The Titans are a wild card at No. 1 overall
The Titans must find a franchise quarterback, and that could happen at the top of the draft. No one knows what they’re going to do yet, with paths including selecting a quarterback at No. 1, drafting another position at the top, or trading the pick—and it sounds like they are genuinely open to any of those scenarios. Tennessee has already said they won’t pass on a “generational talent” at the top of the draft, and the extremely rare two-way ability of Colorado cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter probably fits the term “generational” most. But the Titans are a definite wild card right now—though free agency could bring more clarity if they draft a quarterback.
Teams have legitimate interest in Matthew Stafford
The conflicting reports of the purpose and intent of the Montana meeting between Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady has been a headline of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Las Vegas sounds legitimately hopeful to add the 37-year-old quarterback. But the Giants are also evidently interested to some extent, with general manager Joe Schoen saying to ask the Rams about the Stafford situation. Ultimately, a new contract between Stafford and Los Angeles could come out of nowhere, but a trade looks more likely by the day.
The Browns want a quarterback
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is basically saying the Browns are drafting a quarterback with their top pick, which would end the Deshaun Watson saga in Cleveland. Based on the Browns’ actions during the Combine—talking to Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jalen Milroe—Schefter’s speculation seems to track. They might even trade up to No. 1 if they really love one of the quarterbacks, allowing Tennessee to pick up another draft selection while still taking whichever “generational” player they might have their eyes on at No. 2.
The Bengals want to keep everyone
Tee Higgins’ X post of just a cap emoji sheds uncertainty on how negotiations are going, but the Bengals have come out and said they would like to keep the playmaking receiver, pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, and even tight end Mike Gesicki (a threat as a receiver and someone Joe Burrow said he wants back)—and, of course, lock down All-Pro weapon Ja’Marr Chase long-term. The NFL salary cap has increased to $279.2 million for 2025, potentially giving Cincinnati the flexibility to make their franchise quarterback happy.
Posturing for pass rushers?
There’s a lot of hard talk right now, including:
- Browns general manager Andrew Berry called Myles Garrett “unmovable” despite his trade request.
- Lions general manager Brad Holmes says Detroit probably can’t add another star pass rusher.
- And Garrett is reportedly “not open to” a contract extension with Cleveland, firmly wanting out.
Given his stance, it’s hard to envision the Browns not trading Garrett to get additional picks to build up the roster along with the No. 2 selection. Then the question becomes: To which team? Is Holmes, who said they need to sign Aidan Hutchinson long-term, bluffing regarding the ability to add more? It probably wouldn’t be smart to come out and say you want to add another premier rusher, potentially hurting your trade leverage. The Bills and Commanders are two other teams speculated as looking to add someone like Garrett or the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby if possible.