Now that the NFL season is coming to an end, Pro Football Network has put together a list of 10 bold offseason predictions. Will Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields be changing teams? Are the Dallas Cowboys going to finally fix their run game? Will Tee Higgins land somewhere else?
Tee Higgins Stays in Cincinnati After All
After playing out the 2024 season on the franchise tag, the consensus has been that Higgins is a goner. But in reality, the Cincinnati Bengals have the cap space to make an extension (or even a second franchise tag) work.
Cincinnati enters the offseason with $50 million in cap space (11th-most). Higgins will certainly earn a deal worth over $30 million annually, but the Bengals can sign him to something similar to Brandon Aiyuk’s contract (four years, $120 million, $76 million guaranteed) without too much short-term pain.
There would certainly be long-term consequences. Other free agents like B.J. Hill and Mike Hilton would be difficult to retain, while Ja’Marr Chase’s looming extension could cost Cincinnati Trey Hendrickson in 2026.
In order to stomach the cash flow, the Bengals may need to change how they structure contracts (where all the guaranteed money is typically paid upfront via the signing bonus), but the front office was willing to make an exception on Joe Burrow’s contract.
Indeed, it’s Burrow’s desires that could lead the Bengals to make another exception to how they do business. The franchise quarterback was vocal about his desire for the team to keep Higgins, saying, “You don’t want to make a habit out of letting great players leave” after the team’s Week 17 home finale. The Bengals have ranked 12th or better in Offense+ in each of the last four seasons and finished seventh with an 83.4 (B) grade in 2024.
Steelers and Panthers Strike on Another Offseason Deal
Last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers made the rare player-for-player trade, swapping wide receiver Diontae Johnson and cornerback Donte Jackson. This time, Pittsburgh will again send a wide receiver to Charlotte, trading the mercurial George Pickens under the following framework:
- Panthers Receive: WR George Pickens, 2025 5th-round pick
- Steelers Receive: 2025 2nd-round pick (No. 57 overall), 2025 4th-round pick (from DAL)
The loose model for this is the Brandin Cooks trade from the New Orleans Saints to the New England Patriots in 2017.
Like Pickens, Cooks was a 23-year-old WR who had just finished his third season. Cooks had a fifth-year option as a first-round pick, unlike Pickens, who is entering the final season of his rookie deal in 2025. The former Saints’ receiver had slightly superior production to Pickens, albeit in a far more favorable environment with Drew Brees at quarterback:
- 2014-16 Brandin Cooks: 215 receptions, 2,861 receiving yards, 20 receiving TDs
- 2022-24 George Pickens: 174 receptions, 2,841 receiving yards, 12 receiving TDs
New Orleans sent Cooks and a fourth-round pick to New England in exchange for a first-round pick and third-round pick. Pickens won’t go for as much due to the one less year of team control and his own maturity issues. Moving all the draft picks involved down a round feels fair for a talented receiver who comes with more question marks.
Given Pickens’ repeated disciplinary issues, the Steelers appear reluctant to hand him an extension despite his importance to the offense. Meanwhile, the Panthers currently have several picks in 2025 and are in need of a true top target for quarterback Bryce Young.
Trading for a player like Pickens is a gamble, but it would also enable Carolina to use the No. 8 overall selection to bolster a defense that had the second-worst Defense+ grade (53.5) since 2019.
Justin Fields Is Starting QB for 2025 New York Jets
The veteran free agent quarterback market isn’t particularly inspiring, with Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson headlining the field. Yet, Fields looms as a more intriguing upside candidate, albeit one without a sustained track record of high performance.
Nonetheless, Fields was effective as a starter for the Steelers in 2024 before being benched for Wilson after six games. Beyond the 4-2 record and 5-1 TD-INT ratio, Fields also averaged 0.04 EPA per dropback, which would have been inside the top 20 at the position if he had thrown enough passes to qualify for the leaderboard (200).
Fields also had the highest completion percentage of his career (65.8%) and continues to be a red-zone weapon with his legs (five rushing TDs, all from the 7-yard line or closer). With the Jets likely moving on from Rodgers after the 41-year-old finished 21st in PFN’s QB+ rankings (72.1 grade), Fields could be a high-upside option for a roster that is otherwise veteran-laden and could be competitive in 2025.
Dolphins Will Spend Over $100 Million on Offensive Lineman in Free Agency and Draft
After finishing the season 26th in PFN’s offensive line rankings, the Miami Dolphins will be aggressive in the OL market this offseason. Run blocking has been a problem, ranking 26th in both RB YBC/rush (0.73) and RBWR.
Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson are both set to return in 2025, but both have had injury issues in recent seasons. The interior needs a complete rebuild, with Robert Jones and Liam Eichenberg both free agents this offseason.
After general manager Chris Grier laughed at the media in August for not investing in the OL, look for Miami to be aggressive with Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Staley.
Brandon Aiyuk Takes His Talents to Upstate New York
The Buffalo Bills are clearly close to breaking through for an organization that has yet to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, and it’s not every day that a game-breaking receiver entering his prime is available as Brandon Aiyuk appears to be.
Yes, I said “game-breaking.” Aiyuk’s name is often left off the list of the best wide receivers in the game, but that’s disrespectful.
Since 2021, among the qualified receivers who are either entering or in the midst of their prime (for the sake of argument, let’s call the traditional ‘prime’ ages 25-28 at the position), there are three receivers in the league averaging at least 5.0 YAC and 14.0 yards per catch.
- Nico Collins: 5.5 and 14.8
- Aiyuk: 5.1 and 15.2
- A.J. Brown: 5.0 and 15.1
The value of the receiver position is on the rise, something we saw at the trade deadline and figure to see driven home again during the offseason.
As for a “fit,” I’m not sure there’s a better bet. The San Francisco 49ers will be on the hook for $18.4 million in an Aiyuk trade, and that has me leaning toward a move to the AFC should he find a new home. I hinted at Aiyuk’s rare ability to both rack up YAC and air yards, the latter being what has me most interested in a reasonably grounded Buffalo passing attack.
Percentage of WR Yards Gained After the Catch, 2024
- Kansas City Chiefs: 51.3%
- Buffalo Bills: 49.9%
- Chicago Bears: 44.8%
As it stands right now, the Bills’ WR room isn’t capable of stretching the field at a high level. Not a surprise, given the talent they let walk ahead of this past season. As a result, Josh Allen’s deep-ball numbers crashed.
- 2022-23: 45.8% complete, 11.8 yards per attempt, 5.6% TD rate
- 2024: 40.2% complete, 10.9 yards per attempt, 3.3% TD rate
Those two stat lines may not seem drastically different, but in terms of passer rating on those throws, it’s effectively the same separation when throwing downfield between Jayden Daniels and Daniel Jones last season.
Buffalo has been eliminated in consecutive seasons by the Chiefs, and Allen was 3 of 17 on deep passes in those contests. There aren’t many nits to pick, but this is one of them, and it has a pretty direct fix should San Francisco commit to moving on.
Dallas Cowboys Draft Ashton Jeanty
The Dallas Cowboys need a running back, and they need a good one. Last season, they tried the Rico Dowdle-Ezekiel Elliott experiment and finished with a -0.11 EPA rush, which ranked 27th in the NFL. It was Dallas’ lowest EPA/rush since 2002 and only the fifth time since 2000 that they’ve had an EPA/rush of -0.1 or less.
The question is where they get that player from — free agency or the draft?
The somewhat frustrating thing for Cowboys fans will be that last year’s free agency class had multiple interesting options — Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, to name just two — but this year, there aren’t many exciting options.
J.K. Dobbins is the best running back in our top 100 free agent rankings, yet he’s far from a slam dunk. That leaves us looking at the draft, and the name that stands out immediately is Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
Jeanty’s stats are amazing, both for 2024 and his career. He finished with 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 374 carries last year and finished his college career with 4,769 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns. In 2024, Jeanty had a 0.21 EPA per rush, which ranked 11th among running backs.
We saw this before from the Cowboys in 2016 when they drafted Elliott. He was coming off a superb season, and Dallas took him No. 4 overall. It had an instant impact. After posting a -0.06 EPA/rush in 2015, the Cowboys posted positive EPA/rush numbers in 2016 (0.02; fifth) and 2017 (0.05; first).
Adding Jeanty would give the Cowboys’ offense another huge weapon for them to base their offense around in 2025 and beyond.
Patriots Draft Travis Hunter To Be a 2-Way Player
The New England Patriots need talent, and they need it now. In 2024, the Patriots struggled on both sides of the ball, ranking 30th in Defense+ and 26th in Offense+. They struggled for both high-end talent and depth of talent.
One way to fix it would be to trade down and accumulate more talent. But what if they used the No. 4 pick on a potential two-way player in Travis Hunter?
Many people have doubted whether Hunter could really be a two-way player in the NFL, but the Patriots are a team that might just be desperate enough for talent to let him try.
Many considered New England’s receiving group to be the worst in the NFL, and Drake Maye deserves much credit for finishing 17th in pass success rate (44.9%) and 22nd in EPA per dropback (-0.03). Hunter would be an immediate upgrade for that group and provide Maye with a legitimate playmaker.
On defense, the Patriots ranked 23rd in pass success rate (53.2%) and 29th in EPA per dropback (-0.14). Much of that had to do with an ineffective pass rush, but the Patriots need more depth in their secondary. Jonathan Jones is a free agent this year, and the options behind him on the depth chart leave much to be desired opposite Christian Gonzalez.
Hunter could fill both of those needs, and the Patriots have the opportunity to let him try in 2025. No one will expect this team to challenge for the division next season, so they can have the growing pains of a potential two-way player. Even if he develops into a player who only plays certain packages on one side of the ball, having a player like that on your roster is extremely valuable.
Seattle Seahawks Take Plunge and Cut Geno Smith
Let’s start this by saying that Geno Smith is fine as a quarterback. However, in 2025, he is set to have the eighth-highest cap hit at the position.
In his three years in Seattle, Smith hasn’t graded higher than a C+ in terms of QB+. Thus, he’s a slightly above-average quarterback being paid like a borderline star in 2025.
The problem with Smith at this point is that there is no ceiling. He’s played with three good receivers for the last few years and is still only a slightly above-average QB. Plus, the Seahawks replaced their offensive coordinator, so he’ll be learning a new scheme all over again next season.
It’s a huge risk for Seattle because finding a solid quarterback in the NFL is hard. However, the Seahawks have to aim higher than middling. They may look back and say that Russell Wilson was never “elite” when they won the Super Bowl, but the chances aren’t great. Just look at the list of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in the past 15 years:
- Tom Brady (four times)
- Patrick Mahomes (three times)
- Peyton Manning
- Russell Wilson
- Drew Brees
- Aaron Rodgers
- Eli Manning
- Joe Flacco
- Matthew Stafford
- Nick Foles
How many of those quarterbacks would you say were at or below Smith’s level when they won the Super Bowl? Eli Manning, Flacco, and Foles are probably the complete list. That’s 3 of 15, so a 20% hit rate.
The Seahawks could win the Super Bowl with Smith, it’s just unlikely. That’s why they could choose to move on this offseason.
Houston Texans Overhaul Their Offensive Line
The Houston Texans’ offensive line was really bad in 2024. They finished the year ranked 31st (F grade), and the numbers aren’t pretty.
The Texans’ OL allowed a 36.7% pressure rate (24th), although C.J. Stroud holding the ball for the eighth-longest time in the NFL didn’t help. However, the line also ranked 31st in adjusted yards before contact per rush (0.58).
Stroud took a massive step back in 2024, and the offense ranked 28th in OFF+ this season. Houston made the playoffs largely on the play of their defense, which ranked seventh in DEF+ (and helped by a very bad division).
Houston cannot go into 2025 expecting to make the playoffs if they struggle this badly again on offense. And they know that, having already fired 2024 offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
The next step is to nearly completely overhaul the offensive line. Laremy Tunsil likely survives the overhaul with a $25 million dead money figure without a trade partner. The Texans have talent across the rest of their offense, and we know their defense is good. The offensive line is the problem, and any resources Houston has should primarily be spent upgrading that group.
Las Vegas Raiders Trade for Aaron Rodgers
The Las Vegas Raiders did not hire Pete Carroll for a long rebuild. At 73 years old, Carroll is unlikely to be there for the long haul, which means the Raiders need to take a step to challenge sooner rather than later.
There aren’t many free agent options that would transform a team into an instant challenger. Carroll may think he can do it with Russell Wilson, but that would be a risk.
Rodgers, though, could be available for a trade and potentially make Vegas a challenger. Of course, that’s a risk, given what we saw from him last season. He ranked lower in PFN’s Quarterback+ than Wilson last season, so by no means is it a slam-dunk.
Rodgers is a relatively cheap experiment in 2025. He would only cost $9.5 million against the cap and $37.5 million in cash for the year. With more than $90 million in cap space, the Raiders can then also make moves to enhance Rodgers’ chances of succeeding. Davante Adams reunion, anyone?
The problem is that Rodgers’ recent QB+ numbers are concerning. In 2022, he was graded as a D+ (68.0), and in 2024 he was a C- (72.1). Yet, we’ve seen him bounce back in the past, and in the right situation, there is that potential.
Part owner of the Raiders, Tom Brady won a Super Bowl at 44 years old. If anyone would know how to help get the best out of Rodgers at 41, it would be Brady.
Picking sixth in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders are unlikely to see either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders fall to them. A trade-up to get either would be expensive, and there’s no guarantee it would be any more successful than a gamble on Rodgers.
Aidan O’Connell is under contract for 2025, and while he ended the season with a better QB+ than Rodgers, it was by 1.6 points and one spot in the rankings. Despite the recent struggles, Rodgers’ ceiling is higher.