The offseason is a time for hope around the NFL. Moves are made with the intention of immediate and/or long-term improvement. Practices are held with the intention of fine-tuning fundamentals and finalizing key position battles. Even the league’s annual schedule release becomes an annual beacon of optimism, with fans of all 32 teams scanning fall and winter calendars for potential victories and upsets.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t lingering concerns for even the best of the NFL’s best. Adversity is part of the championship journey, and some of the league’s top projected contenders for 2025 have their fair share of potential weaknesses. But what, exactly, are those weaknesses? And how pressing might they be? It turns out even reigning conference champions like the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, who went to battle in Super Bowl LIX, have real questions going into the new season.
With that in mind, we surveyed the NFL landscape ahead of 2025 training camps, identifying the biggest red flags for this year’s top 10 Super Bowl favorites according to FanDuel sportsbook:
It’s popular (and mostly fair) to critique the Bills for giving Josh Allen a slew of serviceable rather than spectacular pass catchers. Besides the archrival Kansas City Chiefs, however, Sean McDermott’s defense might be the biggest impediment to a long-awaited Super Bowl run. This group’s pass rush is setting up to be quite dependent on Joey Bosa, whose injury concerns have already carried over into Buffalo. And the secondary’s trajectory could hinge upon either a rookie in Maxwell Hairston or an aging familiar face in Tre’Davious White.
When everything’s clicking on Baltimore’s offense, few teams are more imposing. Lamar Jackson’s unmatched dual-threat gifts are also special enough to offset potential protection breakdowns. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s 17-game 2024 season was an anomaly, however; he missed multiple games in each of his previous five seasons. If he can’t stay on the field again, the shuffled left guard spot could also face more heat, with Patrick Mekari no longer onboard as insurance. They need the trenches to hold firm to remain AFC bullies.
Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive line stability
The Ravens just need their front to stay healthy. The Chiefs, meanwhile, may or may not have a title-caliber line at all. That was clear as day in Super Bowl LIX, when the Philadelphia Eagles tore them to pieces, rendering Patrick Mahomes a nonfactor. Now All-Pro interior man Joe Thuney is gone, and two new faces occupy the present and/or future of left tackle, with rookie Josh Simmons and former San Francisco 49ers prospect Jaylon Moore tasked with protecting Mahomes’ blind side. That’s a fair amount of pressure for unproven blockers.
Philadelphia Eagles: Defensive turnover
Vic Fangio was the perfect man to oversee the Eagles defense in 2024, bringing discipline and tenacity back to a unit that had become practically lifeless. Now he’ll be charged with defending the Birds’ crown while likely overseeing new starters at every level of the lineup. Returning youngsters like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell should keep the unit abuzz, but Fangio may need veteran Band-Aids like Azeez Ojulari and Adoree’ Jackson to help keep the ship afloat early on. It’s just the cost of fielding a championship roster.
If it were up to Dan Campbell, the Lions probably would’ve just run it back on the coaching staff. Instead, the beloved leader is set to enter 2025 without two of his right-hand men in Ben Johnson, the aggressive play-caller of Detroit’s all-star offense; and Aaron Glenn, the rah-rah spokesman for the defense; after both coordinators landed top jobs of their own. Campbell’s fiery touch is still as evident as the Lions’ enviable skill talent. But weathering such a dramatic shift in sideline personnel is easier said than done. Just ask the Eagles of 2023.
Age is just a number, they say. And certainly Stafford is part of that argument, given he nearly knocked off the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles ahead of his 37th birthday to close 2024. But this is a gunslinger who’s also battled real bumps and bruises over the last half-decade, to the point he’s openly contemplated retirement. Sean McVay’s offense always has a Super Bowl ceiling with No. 9’s big arm at the controls, but if Stafford can’t stay upright to feed new weapons like Davante Adams, well, there could be big trouble in Los Angeles.
The Commanders are one of the NFL’s most popular contenders thanks to Jayden Daniels‘ magical 2024 debut. And general manager Adam Peters understandably wasted no time upgrading Daniels’ supporting cast by swinging trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil this offseason. The only issue is both Samuel and Tunsil, who will play vital roles in aiding and protecting Daniels, have missed extensive time due to injury in the last few years. Veteran defensive addition Javon Kinlaw falls in the same boat. Conditioning could be key in D.C.
Talent is not the issue here, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase make up maybe the most prolific quarterback-receiver duo in the game. Yet coach Zac Taylor has repeatedly overseen slow starts from his group, and the higher-ups haven’t necessarily helped the cause by allowing annual contract disputes to overshadow preseason preparations. A return to the big stage, which they last reached in 2021, will require a higher degree of discipline, durability and adaptability that hasn’t lately been seen in Cincy.
It was one thing for Jordan Love to battle multiple injuries in 2024; it was another for the quarterback to lose practically his entire receiving corps to various ailments by year’s end. The Packers did their best to bolster their depth this offseason, spending not one but two early draft picks on receiver help, but at the end of the day, Matt LaFleur needs his arsenal to stay on the field to ensure his steady rate of postseason bids continues. That includes on defense, where Nate Hobbs will be tasked with filling the shoes of the also-oft-banged-up Jaire Alexander.
It’s rare you find a team so equipped for a deep playoff run yet without so much as a morsel of certainty under center. J.J. McCarthy may have the full support of a winning staff led by Kevin O’Connell, whose chief strength besides perpetual “Minnesota Nice” optimism is maximizing his quarterbacks, but he’s still a 22-year-old with zero real NFL snaps under his belt. Facing not only a difficult schedule but inflated expectations from fans who watched Sam Darnold win 14 games a year ago, he’s at least got the weapons and staff to aid his debut.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
June 25, 2025 | 9:15 am
