The Biggest Question Each NFL Team Faces After 2025 OTAs
This is the point in the NFL calendar where things start to get blurry. You’ve got just enough tape from OTAs to overreact, not enough context to feel confident about it, and a few weeks until training camp resets everything anyway. For some teams, it’s about plugging one obvious hole. For others, it’s quietly unraveling before August even starts. Every team’s got something they can’t ignore right now—something that might define their season before a single snap.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Is Aaron Rodgers actually going to show up?
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It’s been months of innuendo, workouts with Metcalf, and endless Tomlin quotes—but no signature. Everyone talks like Rodgers is in, but no one seems totally sure. Until he’s on a practice field, this offense has no identity. And if he backs out, the Steelers are left with nothing but Mason Rudolph and a bunch of awkward apologies.
Miami Dolphins: Who’s getting traded next?
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Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith have both been floated as potential exits, and the front office hasn’t exactly slammed the door. Ramsey still has elite flashes, but Miami’s clearly recalibrating the roster—and that often means dumping veterans. Smith’s status seems safer, but if cap math takes over, loyalty won’t matter. This team could look very different by Week 1.
New Orleans Saints: Does Tyler Shough really lead this thing?
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Carr retired. Rattler stalled. Haener never caught fire. That leaves Shough—athletic, strong-armed, and unpolished. He made splash throws at OTAs, but the inconsistencies were there too. If he starts Week 1, he’ll be doing it with the weight of an entire franchise praying he’s more than a camp arm with juice. It’s a bold bet, and the clock’s already ticking.
New York Jets: Can Justin Fields shake off the smell of irrelevance?
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Fields didn’t win the job in Pittsburgh. That’s a problem. Now he’s in New York with no guarantees, playing for a coach who didn’t draft him and an offense built around uncertainty. His OTA flashes were clean, but they always are in June. Until he leads a real drive that matters, every snap feels like borrowed time.
Cleveland Browns: Who’s actually starting at quarterback?
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This isn’t a competition—it’s a traffic jam. Four quarterbacks rotating reps, none of them separating, and Stefanski trying to act like it’s just “due diligence.” The longer this drags out, the worse it gets. You can’t build chemistry with your starters when nobody knows who they are. Every practice without a clear QB1 is a step backward.
Green Bay Packers: Is Jaire Alexander still in or already out?
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The Packers offered a restructure. Jaire hasn’t signed it. He’s skipped OTAs and the trade rumors haven’t gone away. With a post–June 1 move saving them over $17 million, this feels like the kind of standoff that ends with a surprise deal two days before camp. If he’s gone, that’s a giant hole in a defense already light on identity.
Chicago Bears: Can Caleb Williams carry his end of this deal?
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The Bears got their quarterback. They got him weapons. They changed the coaching staff to fit him. Now the spotlight is entirely on Caleb Williams. The early signs are positive—he’s asking the right questions, commanding meetings, hitting throws. But when a franchise bends this far toward one player, anything less than instant elevation starts to feel like regression.
Philadelphia Eagles: How much did this defense actually lose?
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They got their ring. Then the exodus began. The secondary, especially at safety, looks thin and uncertain. Reed Blankenship is solid, but it’s unclear if the team trusts a rookie like Andrew Mukuba to start opposite him. Mukuba’s a hitter, but asking him to lead coverage in Week 1 might be a bridge too far.
Kansas City Chiefs: Who protects Mahomes from the blindside?
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Josh Simmons has the traits, but he’s still recovering from a knee injury. Jaylon Moore is a vet, but far from a sure thing. Reid’s optimism helps, but until one guy clearly wins the left tackle job, it’s all theoretical. Mahomes makes a lot of problems disappear—but bad tackle play isn’t one of them.
Dallas Cowboys: Can Tyler Guyton actually rebound?
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Benched as a rookie, publicly owning his struggles, and now trying to lock down left tackle in Year 2—Guyton’s situation is fragile. The Cowboys didn’t add meaningful competition, which feels like faith or negligence. He says he’s got a different mindset this year. That mindset better come with better footwork, or Dak’s season goes sideways fast.
San Francisco 49ers: What happens if Aiyuk isn’t ready?
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Trading Deebo thinned the room. Aiyuk still recovering from surgery makes it worse. That puts pressure on Ricky Pearsall to be more than just promising. He’s flashed, sure. But this isn’t a slow ramp-up scenario. If Aiyuk can’t go, the 49ers are suddenly relying on a second-year wideout to play like a first-option. That’s dicey.
Buffalo Bills: Is Maxwell Hairston ready right now?
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The coaching staff’s talking him up. Tre’Davious White gave him a glowing review. But talk only lasts until Week 1. Hairston’s raw but physical, and his instincts showed up in drills. Still, there’s a big leap between spring hype and CB2 reliability. If he’s not ready, this secondary is one injury away from unraveling.
Indianapolis Colts: Is Richardson really winning this job over Daniel Jones?
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This isn’t just a vote of confidence—it’s a test. Richardson has the talent, but Jones is here because the staff needed a safety net. The Colts want this to be Richardson’s team. But if he’s still struggling with footwork and timing by August, that patience will get shorter. They didn’t bring in Jones to spectate.
Los Angeles Rams: Are they seriously waiting on Jalen Ramsey?
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The Rams need a top corner. Ramsey wants out of Miami. This feels like the most obvious reunion of the offseason—if someone picks up the phone. Darious Williams is solid, but he’s better when he’s not the only one getting targeted. Ramsey changes everything. Without him, the defense stays beatable through the air.
Arizona Cardinals: Can Will Johnson stay healthy and stay ahead?
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He was a second-round steal… for a reason. Johnson’s injury history scared off plenty of teams, but if he stays upright, he’s the exact type of press corner Arizona needed. OTAs were promising—smooth transitions, confident play. But durability doesn’t get judged in June. If he fades physically, that cornerback room gets thin real fast.
Minnesota Vikings: Is J.J. McCarthy even close to ready?
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The talent’s there, but the learning curve is brutal. His reads have been slow. He’s struggled against his own team’s coverage schemes. McCarthy is getting reps, but they aren’t clean ones. Minnesota wants to hand him the keys—just not if he’s going to crash it into a linebacker every third snap. He’s got a lot to clean up.
Denver Broncos: Is Jahdae Barron the plug-and-play answer they need?
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They love his versatility. They love his football IQ. But that only matters if Barron can win a starting job—either opposite Surtain or at nickel. Payton has raved about him, and that usually means he’ll get a real shot. If Barron hits early, he fills two holes at once. If not, the secondary’s depth chart gets ugly.
Washington Commanders: Is Trey Amos already the guy opposite Lattimore?
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They want him there. They need him there. But is Amos physically ready to handle WR1s in the NFL? His frame’s impressive, his press coverage is coming along, and his reps against top talent at OTAs turned some heads. If he delivers in camp, that’s huge. If not, they’re back to patchwork solutions on the boundary.
New York Giants: How soon is too soon for Jaxson Dart?
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Wilson and Winston are placeholders. Dart is the investment. So far, the rookie hasn’t looked overwhelmed—which is more than you can say for half the young quarterbacks in this league. He’s flashing athleticism and poise. If that holds through preseason, the Giants may need to stop pretending they have a decision to make.
Los Angeles Chargers: Are Still and Hart ready for primetime roles?
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Two second-year corners, both expected to play major roles, and not a ton of veteran fallback options. Still will likely get nickel duties, but Hart’s expected to start outside—if his shoulder holds up. The Chargers are betting on internal development here. If either guy flinches, this defense goes right back to getting torched deep.
Jacksonville Jaguars: How much is too much for Travis Hunter?
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They’re leaning into the two-way experiment, and Hunter’s making it look easy. The one-handed pick at OTAs? Legit. But balancing WR snaps, DB reps, and the mental load of both is another story. The coaches say they’re managing it. We’ll see. If he burns out early, it’s not a usage problem—it’s a planning one.
Tennessee Titans: Did they build enough around Cam Ward?
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Ridley helps. Lockett is steady. But there’s still a gap between “capable supporting cast” and “rookie quarterback’s best friend.” Ward has the arm and the mindset, but Year 1 success depends on who’s catching passes and how often he’s upright. If the line breaks or Ridley disappears again, Ward’s development could stall before it ever starts.
Carolina Panthers: Can Bryce Young finally string good weeks together?
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He’s shown flashes. He’s made throws. But Young’s biggest issue hasn’t been talent—it’s been inconsistency. With Tetairoa McMillan in the fold and the offense looking smoother, the expectation isn’t just competence anymore. It’s progress. If this version of Young doesn’t look more stable by midseason, the questions start all over again.
Atlanta Falcons: Is Ryan Neuzil really the guy in the middle?
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Center matters more when your QB is a rookie. Neuzil filled in admirably last year, but now he’s expected to start—and anchor the line—for an entire season. That’s a big jump. The team is backing him publicly, but if he crumbles in camp, it puts even more pressure on Penix Jr. to overcome chaos pre-snap.
Houston Texans: Is this offensive line good enough for Stroud to survive?
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Last year’s protection issues slowed down the Stroud hype train. This year, they traded away Laremy Tunsil. That’s not exactly progress. There’s talk about flexibility, “finding the best five,” and smart players moving around—but none of that means much if nobody can block edge speed when pads come on. The margin for error just got smaller.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: What exactly is Haason Reddick right now?
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He looked cooked in New York. One sack, multiple healthy scratches, and zero effort. But before that? Four straight double-digit sack seasons. Tampa took a chance on the bounce back, but he’s not even at OTAs. Bowles isn’t worried, but that tone always changes fast if the pass rush is flat in Week 1.
Detroit Lions: Who anchors the O-line without Ragnow?
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They’ve got options. Rookie Tate Ratledge has the physicality. Graham Glasgow has experience. But no one can replace what Ragnow did pre-snap. He was the brain of the line, and that’s what’s hard to replicate. If Ratledge isn’t ready for that mental load, protection calls and blitz pickups could get messy—especially early.
Las Vegas Raiders: Are any of these young linebackers ready to take over?
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Roberts and White are rentals. The team needs someone like Eichenberg or Gainer to show they’re more than just camp bodies. Linebacker depth was already an issue last year, and it’s worse now. If none of these guys seize a role, the middle of this defense becomes a weak spot teams will hammer every week.
Cincinnati Bengals: Is there a Plan B if the Stewart–Hendrickson situation drags out?
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Shemar Stewart isn’t getting reps. Hendrickson’s contract dispute is unresolved. That’s two edge roles suddenly in flux. Stewart was supposed to be plug-and-play, but he’s still acclimating to the speed. If neither guy is locked in by camp, the Bengals will be looking at rotational ends trying to anchor a playoff-caliber defense. That’s not ideal.
Baltimore Ravens: Can anyone lock down left guard?
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The Ravens have options. None of them feel definitive. Andrew Vorhees is the favorite but hasn’t proven he can hold the job. Ben Cleveland is dependable but unspectacular. Emery Jones isn’t healthy. Garrett Dellinger is raw. You can win games with uncertainty at some spots—not interior O-line. That gets exposed fast in this division.
Seattle Seahawks: Was last year Darnold, or just…Sam Darnold?
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He was a Pro Bowler in Minnesota. Now he’s looking skittish in red-zone drills and holding the ball too long. The Seahawks don’t need him to be elite—they just need him to not sink the ship. But if the erratic stuff keeps showing up, they’ll have to ask whether 2024 was a breakout or just a one-off mirage.