50 NFL names that will define the league in 2025

In 50 days the 2025 NFL season will officially kick off, with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys. On that night at Lincoln Financial Field the Eagles will hoist a Super Bowl banner, pay tribute to their success from a season ago, and start the journey to Super Bowl LX.

With 50 days until the season begins we thought it was a perfect time to unveil this list of 50 key figures that will shape the NFL not just in 2025, but beyond. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these men and women will help determine what two teams make it to Super Bowl LX as well as what the league looks like in 2026 and into the future.

Let’s dive in.

Jalen Hurts

The Eagles quarterback is coming off his second Super Bowl appearance and his first title. But with the roster in Philadelphia reshaped after this offseason, can Hurts lead this group back to the title game?

Patrick Mahomes

After winning two consecutive titles, the Kansas City Chiefs fell short in Super Bowl LIX. Can Mahomes get the Chiefs back to the big game?

Travis Kelce

The superstar tight end came back to earth during the 2024 season, as his production dipped and the Chiefs came up short in Super Bowl LIX. After flirting with retirement, can Kelce rediscover some of his magic?

Joe Burrow

The Cincinnati Bengals paid both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase in the past year. Will that mean a huge season for Joe Burrow, who is fully healthy after battling injuries in 2023? He might need one, given the questions on the defensive side of the football.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

Trey Hendrickson

The Bengals defense struggled mightily in 2024, allowing 25.5 points per game, which was the seventh-most in the league. This came despite Trey Hendrickson posting a career year, with a league-leading 17.5 sacks. That was the second consecutive year he accumulated 17.5 sacks.

His reward? A contract standoff with the organization. Will that be resolved in time for Hendrickson to help this defense?

Shemar Stewart

Hendrickson is not the only Cincinnati defender worth keeping an eye on 50 days before the start of the season. First-round selection Shemar Stewart, drafted by the Bengals at No. 17, left the team’s minicamp amidst a dispute over language the organization is trying to insert into his contract. Now, Stewart is working out on campus with his former Texas A&M teammates, sparking questions about whether he will try to force a return to college. How this situation unfolds could impact more than just the Bengals; it could reshape the entire NFL Draft process itself.

Mike Vrabel

After parting ways with legendary head coach Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots turned the franchise over to Jerod Mayo.

That experiment lasted only one season, after which Robert Kraft turned to another former New England linebacker, Mike Vrabel, who had also been the head coach of the Titans. Is the former Tennessee coach the right person to turn things around in Foxborough?

Drake Maye

Of course, whether Mike Vrabel is the right choice might come down to just how big a step Drake Maye can take this season. Maye, the third-overall selection by New England in the 2024 NFL Draft, showed flashes as a rookie. Still, with some new names in the fold after the Patriots splashed the cash around in the offseason, his development could set the Patriots on a path to the playoffs, or set them back another quarterback cycle.

Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

Josh McDaniels

Yes, this is the point where you realize that a Patriots fan has their fingers all over this piece.

Ultimately, the question of just how big a step forward Drake Maye takes in 2025 is one the young QB answers himself. But offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels certainly has a role to play in answering that query. Is McDaniels the right hand to guide Maye’s development?

Ben Johnson

After selecting Caleb Williams with the first-overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Chicago Bears fans held out hope that he would be the answer for the franchise’s long search for an elite quarterback.

While Williams showed potential, the franchise turned to Ben Johnson, the former Lions offensive coordinator, as their next head coach after parting ways with Matt Eberflus. Can Johnson, who became the most sought-after head coaching candidate thanks to what he did with Jared Goff in Detroit, work the same magic in the Windy City with Williams?

Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson

Following the passing of legendary Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, control of the franchise has been transferred to his three daughters. Carlie Irsay-Gordon steps in as Owner & CEO, and she will serve as the primary owner. Casey Foyt became the team’s Owner & Executive Vice President, while Kalen Jackson became Owner & Chief Brand Officer, as well as the President of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation.

According to a statement from the team, the three will share leadership duties.

Jayden Daniels

2024 was a magical season for the Washington Commanders. After selecting Jayden Daniels with the second-overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team roared through the regular season and into the playoffs, coming up short in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

But loaded with cap space, the Commanders built around Daniels in the offseason, adding players such as Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil on the offensive side of the ball. If they get a big step forward from Daniels this season, how high can the Commanders climb in the standings?

Kliff Kingsbury

Kliff Kingsbury stepped in as the offensive coordinator for the Commanders ahead of the 2024 campaign and helped Daniels become a rookie phenom.

But the offense for 2025 looks even better on paper. With the addition of Deebo Samuel, Kingsbury now has the perfect wide receiver for the RPO elements of his offense, and it would not be surprising to see Kingsbury incorporate Samuel into some of the run game designs he calls next year. Provided Washington can smooth things over with wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Kingsbury could be at the helm of one of the league’s best offenses in 2025.

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Matthew Stafford

This past offseason saw a brief stretch where veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford might be on his way to the New York Giants.

Eventually, Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams came to terms on a new contract, but with the veteran having turned 37 back in February, one can surmise that Stafford is on the back nine of his career. Still, the Rams have pieces around him, and advanced to the NFC Divisional Round last season. Does Stafford have another magical season or two left in that incredible right arm?

Aaron Rodgers

Yes, we’re all going to be watching this experiment in Pittsburgh. Will it actually work? We have our doubts, but we’ll be watching either way.

Mike Tomlin

See Rodgers, Aaron.

Travis Hunter Jr.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made an aggressive move to the top of the 2025 NFL Draft for the chance to draft the two-way star out of Colorado. But how will Travis Hunter Jr. be used in Jacksonville? Early reports indicate that Liam Coen wants to incorporate him into the Jaguars offense, pairing him with Brian Thomas Jr. to give Travis Lawrence a boost in the passing game. But will his skillset on the defensive side of the ball force a shift, or will Hunter truly be an every-down player on both offense and defense?

Dan Campbell

For the past few seasons, the Detroit Lions have been the darlings of the NFL, and Dan Campbell has been at the heart of that attention. Campbell has forged a team in his mold, aggressive, tough, and not afraid to back down from a challenge. Last year, the Lions were decimated by injuries, but still won 15 games to earn the first-round bye in the NFC. While they lost to the Washington Commanders in the NFL Divisional Round, they are fully healthy entering 2025.

But Campbell lost his top two coaches, as Ben Johnson left to take over in Chicago, and former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is now the head coach of the New York Jets. That makes 2025 perhaps Campbell’s biggest test yet.

Brock Purdy

After months of speculation, the San Francisco 49ers inked Brock Purdy to a new contract this offseason. Will the former Mr. Irrelevant live up to the terms of his new deal? Or will John Lynch and the 49ers grow to regret the contract they handed Purdy this offseason?

Bo Nix

In the days leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, many prognosticators paired Bo Nix with Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos, with the belief that the former Oregon quarterback was built in a lab to play for Payton.

That belief was realized, as the Broncos selected Nix in the first round. The result was a playoff spot and a surprising ten-win season.

Now Nix is in year two of his NFL career, poised to take a big step forward. Denver added help for him through the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting running back RJ Harvey in the second round and WR Pat Bryant in the third.

How does Nix fare in Year Two?

Justin Herbert

Want to poke the proverbial bear on social media?

Start a debate over where Justin Herbert stands among the quarterback rankings.

Regardless of where you stand on that question, the Chargers again look poised to make a deep playoff run, after last year’s early exit in the Wild Card Round. But every summer, it feels like we in the media line up behind the Chargers just like Charlie Brown, to have Lucy pull the football away from us at the last minute.

Still, 2025 could be different …

Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images

Cam Ward

Cam Ward rocketed to the top of the 2025 NFL Draft thanks to his combination of arm talent, pocket toughness, and athleticism. That was more than enough for the Tennessee Titans to make him the first-overall selection this past spring.

But there are questions beyond the quarterback position in Tennessee. Can head coach Brian Callahan get the most out of Ward and his offense this season?

Pete Carroll

He’s back.

While some NFL franchises went in one direction this past hiring cycle, adding rookie head coaches such as Kellen Moore, Aaron Glenn, or Ben Johnson the Las Vegas Raiders went in a completely different direction, bringing Pete Carroll back to the NFL.

He was quickly reunited with a former Seattle quarterback in Geno Smith, and the organization added Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Can Carroll and the Raiders truly turn things around here in 2025?

Aaron Glenn

While most looked at Ben Johnson as the premier head coaching candidate on the Lions’ staff, Aaron Glenn more than proved his worth the past few seasons in Detroit. Just look at what he did during the 2024 season, when the Lions lost an entire starting defense due to injuries. Glenn still found a way for that unit to be successful, particularly in the Week 18 game against the Minnesota Vikings with the division and the first-round bye on the line.

Now Glenn takes over in New York with the Jets. How quickly can he turn that franchise round?

Lloyd Howell Jr.

While the bulk of the names on this list will impact what we see on the field, here is one name that will shape the future of the NFL off the field.

In recent weeks Lloyd Howell Jr., the Executive Director of the NFLPA, has come under scrutiny for a potential conflict of interest resulting from another position he holds. According to reporting from ESPN Howell also works as a paid consultant for the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm on the league’s short list of approved firms seeking minority ownership in NFL franchises.

The NFLPA dismissed any notions of a conflict of interest in a recent statement, but as this story gains traction it is worth monitoring.

Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson

This offseason is filled with some intriguing quarterback camp battles. One of the most fascinating is taking shape in Indianapolis between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. In this battle of former first-round selections who will reign supreme?

Brian Schottenheimer

Jerry Jones turned to Brian Schottenheimer to right the ship in Dallas. The incoming head coach inherits a team with talent on both sides of the ball, as well as some lofty expectations.

The biggest challenge Schottenheimer faces might be what he faces in the division. With the Eagles coming off Super Bowl title, and the Commanders on the rise, that could make success hard to come by.

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Bryce Young

Was the end of 2024 a true turning point, or a blip on the radar? That is what will define not only Bryce Young’s career, but perhaps the future power struggle of the NFC South. Over the course of the final six weeks of last season there were few quarterbacks who played better football than Young. His early season benching gave way to a run that saw him throw for 1,320 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. If that ends up being the rule and not the exception the Panthers have a chance to really surprise in 2025.

DeMeco Ryans

The Houston Texans are an odd team to try and project. It wasn’t long ago that they appeared poised to take a stranglehold of the AFC South and become the league’s next upstart playoff regular, but some bizarre personnel decision making and inconsistent coaching have left them feeling like a paper tiger. Back-to-back playoff appearances are impressive, but it’s on Ryans to determine whether this team can take another step forward, of if they’re destined to yet again be the Houston Texans — an early-round playoff exit, and perennial member of the “Hall of Very Good.”

Mike McDaniel

The shine has definitely worn off the Dolphins’ new car. When McDaniel arrived in South Beach he ushered in a new era of promise in Miami football with the team making the playoffs twice in two years, but 2024 was a pronounced regression. Sure, a lot of that had to do with yet another injury to Tua Tagovailoa, but along with it came murmurs that McDaniel’s geek-chic aura wasn’t winning over the locker room. Under contract until 2028 he might have a little wiggle room, but the rock is getting closer to the hard place he finds himself in. Another down year in Miami could spell the end of his tenure, and potentially another rebuild in the works.

J.J. McCarthy

The NFC North has become a murderer’s row, and any opportunity the Vikings have of hanging with the competition is on the arm of their second year quarterback. Minnesota made the bold (albeit sensible) move of not retaining Sam Darnold, believing McCarthy is the guy who can be their franchise QB. Now it’s time to see whether of not the former Michigan star is the legitimate top player the Vikings believed in when they drafted him, or if his selection came out of desperation. It’s critical that the former is accurate if the Vikings want to hang with the Lions, Packers, or upstart Bears — and his performance will determine whether or not Minnesota can contend atop to division, or if they’re destined for fourth place.

Christian McCaffrey

When healthy there’s nobody like McCaffrey in the NFL. His seamless ability to be a between the hashes runner and threat out of the backfield make him the league’s most versatile weapon. When he’s hurt, well, the 49ers aren’t even a .500 team. Any chance the Niners have this season depends on McCaffrey bouncing back — even if he’s not able to match his 2,200 all-purpose yards from two years ago. There are few non-quarterbacks in the NFL who mean as much to their team as McCaffrey does, and he will define this year in San Francisco.

Michael Penix Jr

The Falcons put a lot on Penix Jr. being a great QB. After full sending on the 2025 NFL Draft with using a future first round pick to move up in the draft, Penix Jr has to become the guy for the Falcons if they want to get where they want to go–back to the playoffs. Penix Jr.’s baseline stats might look middling, but the advanced statistics and tape tell a story of a young QB who is poised for a breakout season. He has everything around him to become a top flight quarterback, but now he has to go out and become the guy the Falcons picked in the top ten in 2024.

John Morton

The man with the unenviable task of replacing Ben Johnson as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Morton has to keep the Lions offense sharpened to a Super Bowl caliber point. Morton has experience working with Dan Campbell; both were on the same coaching staff in 2016 with the New Orleans Saints and has most recently worked as the passing game coordinator for the Denver Broncos. However, he’s going from the frying pan and into the fire by calling plays for the Lions. There’s a good infrastructure in place, with Dan Campbell and offensive line coach Hank Fraley still being around. However, the minute the Lions’ offense falters, the bill stops with him.

Mike Macdonald and John Schneider

The two orchestrators behind the new look Seattle Seahawks, Schneider and Macdonald are putting a lot on the line with this new era, especially Schneider. The Seahawks’ GM traded QB Geno Smith and WR DK Metcalf away this offseason, then let WR Tyler Lockett walk in free agency. To replace these guys, the Seahawks signed QB Sam Darnold and WRs Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdez-Scantling, who might not all be fantastic but have potential in Klint Kubiak’s offense. The defense should be very good this year, but if Darnold can’t recreate his magic that he found in Minnesota, it might cost Schneider his job.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

Micah Parsons

Parsons is locked in as one of the three best pass rushers in the NFL, but where he can make waves is off the field. He still doesn’t have a contract extension despite fellow 2021 draftees Ja’Marr Chase, Penei Sewell, Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II signing massive extensions. The Chase framework is the basis for the Parsons deal, however. Chase is currently the highest paid non-QB in the NFL at $40.25 million per year. Parsons is a fantastic player who deserves the money he’s going to get, but the question is when the Cowboys are going to pay him? Dallas has been reactive in all of their contract dealings, but with Parsons wanting massive money, it might be better to get ahead of this before guys like TJ Watt get his money.

Kyler Murray

I’m not exactly a fan of calling seasons “make or break” for certain players, but it feels that way for Murray. After signing a $230 million extension with the Cardinals in 2022, the Arizona signal caller has been underwhelming to say the least. In 2024, the Cardinals had everything in place for a top flight passing game including fourth overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr., yet they still finished on the outside looking in on the playoffs and the rapport between Murray and Harrison Jr. wasn’t there. 2025 is a big one for Murray, to prove that he can get a Cardinals team that’s ready to get over the hump to the playoffs while growing alongside Harrison Jr. If he can’t do that, he might end up on another team.

Lamar Jackson

If not now, when for Jackson and the Ravens? They’re arguably the best and most talented team in the AFC and Jackson is one of the three best QBs in the NFL. However, the big bad giant in Kansas City still remains untouched. Jackson is an MVP candidate who is playing the best football of his career right now, but now is the time where he has to lead the Ravens into the Super Bowl. The Chiefs aren’t the strongest and the Ravens can beat the Bills. If they can avoid the random wackiness that plagues them every playoff run, Jackson could hoist his first Lombardi.

Josh Allen

Same thing we said for Jackson goes for Allen here. The reigning MVP put together one of his best seasons of his career and led the Bills down this offensive revolution that got them to the doorstep of the Super Bowl. But once again, they fell short in Kansas City, having to watch the Chiefs lift the trophy again. The same “if not now, when” mantra in Baltimore goes for Buffalo, and if Allen can bring the Bills to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 90s his route to Canton is solid.

Trevor Lawrence

Liam Coen is in as the head coach. Travis Hunter Jr. was added through the draft. The goal in Jacksonville his year is two-fold.

A playoff spot.

The best version of Trevor Lawrence.

Will we see the former? That hinges on the latter.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Saquon Barkley

Last year was a dream season for Saquon Barkley, as he put together a monster campaign that saw him lead the league in rushing, take home Offensive Player of the Year honors, win a Super Bowl, earn First-Team All-Pro honors, and secure a contract extension that made him the highest-paid running back In NFL history.

What can he do for an encore?

Sean McDermott

Sean McDermott exists in a weird space for NFL fans. He’s a very good coach who has helped get the Bills to a perennial spot at the top of the NFL. He’s helped draft and develop the core of that roster to get it to the point where they are. However, he’s also come up short far too many times in the AFC title game, with the Bills just coming up short every time. With the Chiefs weakened, this should be the year for Buffalo to get over the hump. But until they finally go and do it, McDermott will have to contend with being the coach that wasn’t good enough.

Nick Sirianni

Look man, you can love him or hate him, but with a Super Bowl finally under his belt, Sirianni can put some hot seat rumors to bed. However, this year more might be under his belt when it comes to the offensive design and gameplan. First off, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in New Orleans as the Saints head coach and Kevin Patullo steps in to call plays, but Sirianni will more than likely have his hand in the cookie jar when it comes to the offensive design. There’s more than enough help on that offense to insulate them, but Sirianni could take on more of a role in their offensive design.

Jordan Love

The Packers are everyone’s favorite pick to win the NFC this year, and a large part of it is because of Love. His tantalizing passes downfield and sack avoidance helps to make the offense explosive while also avoiding negative plays like sacks. Interceptions are a bit of a larger story, however. The youth in the Packers’ receiver room has led to a lot of inconsistency when it comes to catching the football and the interceptions start to pour in. For the Packers to take the next step, Love has to temper his aggression throwing downfield with being more calculated (along with getting some help from his receiving core).

Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart

Look, someone has to win that job.