NFL: One Question For Each Team To Answer During The Preseason

The NFL Hall of Fame Game is in the books, which means the 2025 NFL Preseason has officially begun!

Even though the complexion of all 32 NFL teams is beginning to take shape, we are still 34 days from the start of the 2025-26 season. Every squad will use this time to finalize its depth chart and also fill out the 53-man roster.

With that in mind, here are the questions each team must answer during the 2025 preseason.

Arizona Cardinals

Who is CB1 in the desert?

Starling Thomas V, who started 17 games for the Cards last season, tore his ACL in practice, so it won’t be him. They used two draft picks this off-season on cornerbacks and a second-rounder last year on Max Melton. With Will Johnson and Denzel Burke both coming into the league as rookies, Max Melton seems like the obvious candidate to be Arizona’s number one cornerback.

Atlanta Falcons

Did the Dirty Birds do enough to improve their dreadful pass rush?

The Falcons had the second-worst pass rush in the NFL last season, with 31 sacks on the campaign. They used two first-round draft picks on edge rushers (Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.). They also added Leonard Floyd in free agency, who had 8.5 sacks last year. This pass rush will take a big leap forward.

Baltimore Ravens

How will the new guys be integrated into the team?

There are plenty of new faces on this squad. Jaire Alexander, DeAndre Hopkins, Malaki Starks, Joe Noteboom, and Mike Green are all guys who could be opening-day starters. Even rookie kicker Tyler Loop will play a big role on this team, trying to replace Justin Tucker. John Harbaugh is an excellent coach who will find ways to get the most out of every player, but the ways this team looks outside of the quarterback and running back spots will be very different in 2025.

Buffalo Bills

Who is the best wide receiver in Buffalo?

The obvious answer seems to be Khalil Shakir, but if that’s the case, then why did the Bills use a very high second-round draft pick to take Keon Coleman last off-season? Then again, Curtis Samuel led the team in playoff touchdown receptions. Shakir will likely still be WR1 in Buffalo by the time the preseason is over.

Carolina Panthers

Is the defense committed to playing better against the run?

They better be. They were the worst run-defending team in the NFL by a wide margin (179.8 rushing yards allowed per game, almost 40 yards per game more than the next closest team). Getting Derrick Brown back for the season will drastically help when it comes to defending the run. Adding three defensive linemen in the draft and three more in free agency should also lead to a quick turnaround for this unit.

Chicago Bears

How will this offense look under new head coach Ben Johnson?

Is this going to be a run-focused or a pass-focused unit? As offensive coordinator of the Lions, Johnson ran 551 pass plays and 534 run plays, an almost even divide over a 17-game season. The Bears have invested a lot into the offensive line and the wide receiving corps, so they’ll probably lean a little more on the pass than the run.

Cincinnati Bengals

Will Trey Hendrickson be a member of the Bengals and play this season?

The NFL’s leader in sacks last season might not play this year if he doesn’t get a new contract. He deserves an extension because he has been one of the five best pass-rushers in the NFL over the last two years. More importantly, he will continue to elevate his gameplay over the next few seasons. The Bengals need to stop being stupid and just pay the man. This team will not succeed without Trey Hendrickson.

Cleveland Browns

Who will be the starting quarterback to open the season?

With Kenny Pickett’s injury, the starting quarterback spot will come down to Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, or Dillon Gabriel. This team will likely want to compete right out of the gate, so a rookie probably won’t start Week One. Considering Watson could miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season with a ruptured Achilles, it seems to be a forgone conclusion that Joe Flacco will be the starter to open the season.

Dallas Cowboys

How will new head coach Brian Schottenheimer run the team?

The decision to name Schottenheimer the team’s head coach really came out of nowhere. We have an idea about how the offense will look since Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator in 2023, when Dak Prescott played all 17 regular-season games. With question marks still lingering at the running back spot, expect a pass-oriented offense. How the defense will look remains to be seen.

Denver Broncos

Will Denver’s offensive weapons be an improvement over last year’s?

RJ Harvey, Evan Engram, and J.K. Dobbins are all new faces in Denver who will likely see the field a lot. Evan Engram will be a marked improvement over Adam Trautman, who had more games started than passes caught last year. I also think Harvey and Dobbins will be a better one-two punch than Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin, who barely combined for 1,000 rushing yards last season. This offense should take a step forward from 2024 to 2025.

Detroit Lions

Will the offensive line be as good as last season?

The Lions’ best unit was their offensive line, but they will be going into the 2025 season with new starters at two positions following Kevin Zeitler’s departure in free agency and Frank Ragnow’s retirement. With Graham Glasgow expected to be the starting center, Detroit will have a new left and right guard. The offensive line will still be excellent this season, albeit probably not as good as last year.

Green Bay Packers

What will be the offensive line combination Green Bay goes with?

The Green Bay Packers need to figure out a few things along the offensive line. It’s unclear if Elgton Jenkins will be playing center or guard. The Packers also need to determine if Jordan Morgan, Rasheed Walker, or Anthony Belton will be the starting left tackle. Also, I’m not sold on Sean Rhyan as a starting right guard. I would love to see an offensive line of Walker-Banks-Jenkins-Belton-Tom. In all likelihood, though, Rhyan will get the nod over Belton.

Houston Texans

Who will emerge as the second-best pass catcher in Houston?

The Texans made a trade for Christian Kirk before picking two wide receivers in the NFL Draft. Considering he is a veteran who is a former 1,000-yard receiver, I expect Kirk to emerge as Houston’s number-two wideout. But if Jayden Higgins can impress during the preseason, he will overtake Kirk as the Texans’ number-two receiving threat.

Indianapolis Colts

Will Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson be the starting quarterback?

There are four quarterbacks on the roster, but the starter spot will come down to Jones or Richardson. Richardson missed minicamp and OTAs with an injury, which meant Daniel Jones got almost all the first-team reps during that period. Considering Richardson was a former number-four overall pick, he will likely be the starter when the season opens. However, I expect him to have a short leash. Too many mistakes, and he’ll be benched.

Jacksonville Jaguars

What will be Travis Hunter’s split between offense and defense?

This is arguably the most fascinating storyline of the preseason. We haven’t seen a player actively participate on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in decades! The guy is a competitor, so he’ll probably want to play every snap on offense and defense, but that’s likely not what the coaching staff has in store for him. He’ll presumably play on offense full-time and play half the team’s defensive snaps in the preseason games he starts.

Kansas City Chiefs

Who will be the starting offensive tackles?

Three guys are going to compete for the right and left tackle spots. Since Jawaan Taylor has made 99 starts in the 99 games he has appeared in, it’s safe to assume he will be the starting right tackle. That means the left tackle spot will come down to Josh Simmons or Jaylon Moore. I believe wholeheartedly in Josh Simmons at the pro level. Had he not gotten injured, he could’ve been a top-ten draft pick. He will be the starting left tackle by the time the preseason ends.

Las Vegas Raiders

Will the offense be run-focused or passing-focused?

They traded for Geno Smith, who attempted the fourth-most passes in the NFL last season. However, they also used the sixth-overall draft pick on Ashton Jeanty, who had the most rushing attempts in college football last season (374). The last time Pete Carroll coached in 2023, the Seahawks threw the ball 193 more times than they ran it. Though the disparity won’t be as great, Vegas will be a pass-first team this year.

Los Angeles Chargers

Will LA continue to run the ball more under Jim Harbaugh?

Though this team is led by quarterback Justin Herbert, they actually threw the ball less in Jim Harbaugh’s first season compared to 2023. Last year, the Chargers attempted 510 passes and ran the ball 463. Comparatively, in 2023, LA attempted 632 passes and 431 runs. This season, expect the Bolts to run the ball even more, especially with Najee Harris and first-round draft pick Omarion Hampton.

Los Angeles Rams

Will Terrance Ferguson become the new starting tight end?

The Rams didn’t have a first-round draft pick. For some reason, they used their first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft to select a tight end, even though they already have a good tight end on the roster in Tyler Higbee. However, Higbee’s contract runs out after this season, which means Ferguson will probably be his successor. It might not happen during the preseason, but Ferguson will become the starter at some point this year.

Miami Dolphins

Is the secondary poised to take a step back this season?

The team will be without all five of the starting secondary players from last year. On top of that, the guys that they brought in to replace last year’s corners and safeties are already dealing with injuries. Two cornerbacks have been ruled out for the season with injuries, while safety Ashtyn Davis is expected to miss some time. The secondary will DEFINITELY take a step back during the 2025-26 campaign.

Minnesota Vikings

How will J.J. McCarthy play in limited preseason action?

J.J. McCarthy is basically coming into this year as a rookie. He only got the chance to play one preseason game before he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus, ruling him out for the season. McCarthy will perform well because he will be trying to prove that he deserves to be the starter in Minnesota, and the team didn’t make a mistake by letting Sam Darnold go in free agency.

New England Patriots

Did the Pats add enough impactful players to return to their winning ways?

The Pats added 14 free agents who were on different teams last season, plus another 11 players through the draft. That’s 25 new guys on a 53-man roster, almost half of the team. It’s also worth noting that many of the new players will be day-one starters like Stefon Diggs, Harold Landry III, Carlton Davis, and Will Campbell. Those four guys alone will be a marked improvement over the starters from last year. The Pats will not be a four-win team in 2025.

New Orleans Saints

Who will be the starting quarterback to open the season?

The Saints have limited options under center. Jake Haener is at a disadvantage because he missed most of OTAs and minicamp with an injury. Meanwhile, Spencer Rattler lost all six of the starts he made last season. It makes the most sense to start second-rounder Tyler Shough. The Saints need to find out if this kid is any good before they can decide what they want to do next off-season at the quarterback position.

New York Giants

If Jaxson Dart plays really well, should he be the Week One starter?

Russell Wilson is currently slated to be the Giants’ starter to open the season, but there is still a first-round draft pick waiting in the wings and looking to get his shot to overtake Russ. Jaxson Dart will probably end up playing well, considering he will get most of his reps against third- and fourth-stringers. Regardless, the Giants are looking to win right away, and Wilson gives them a better shot of doing that than Dart.

New York Jets

Can Justin Fields be the passer the Jets need?

There’s no doubt that the kid can run. His problem has always been throwing the ball. Had he not gotten benched, there was a chance that he would’ve eclipsed the 3,000-yard passing mark for the first time in his career last season. The 2025 Jets’ offensive weapons are much better than the 2024 Steelers’, so Fields should be able to elevate his passing game in the Big Apple.

Philadelphia Eagles

Did the defense lose too many starters from last year to be as successful this season?

Seven defenders from last year’s squad are no longer with the team. That includes Milton Williams, Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, to name a few. However, they added Adoree’ Jackson, Joshua Uche, and six other defenders through the draft. That influx of talent, coupled with the continued ascension of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, will make this a formidable defense once again.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Who should be the Steelers’ number-two receiving threat?

DK Metcalf is obviously the best pass-catcher on the team. Though Pat Freiermuth has been there a while, they just traded for a Pro Bowler in Jonnu Smith. Then again, Robert Woods is a seasoned veteran, while Calvin Austin III took a huge leap forward last year. The number-two receiver will be whoever Aaron Rodgers trusts the most, which will probably be a vet like Smith or Woods.

San Francisco 49ers

Did they lose too many players in the off-season?

30 players from last year’s 53-man roster are either unsigned or are now playing for another team. That means only 23 players from last year’s squad are returning to the Bay Area. I don’t care who those 23 guys are; a team that loses 56% of its players from the previous season is bound to regress. Considering the injured guys they are getting back, this team will definitely have a better record, but they probably aren’t going to be perpetual favorites to win the NFC like they once were.

Seattle Seahawks

Is Jalen Milroe a future starter or just a backup?

The Seahawks seem to be all-in on Sam Darnold for this season, but after that, it’s anybody’s guess, especially with a potential out in his contract after the end of the 2026-27 campaign. Therefore, Seattle needs to play Jalen Milroe as much as possible during the preseason to find out if the rookie can take his game to the next level. I have a feeling he will be able to answer the call.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

How will the offensive line perform without Tristan Wirfs?

The Buccaneers are going to need to identify a reliable placeholder to fill in at the left tackle spot, with Tristan Wirfs expected to miss the first four games of the season. They don’t need to find a future Hall of Famer or anything. Tampa Bay just needs to identify a guy who isn’t going to hinder the offense. In all likelihood, though, the offensive line will struggle without Wirfs’ presence. This is a mediocre unit when you take away Wirfs.

Tennessee Titans

How will Cam Ward play in the preseason?

The Titans should not try to overdo anything with Cam Ward. Let the rookie start the first half of Games One and Two before letting him sit out of the third preseason game. Ward is the clear-cut starter in Nashville. He’ll play well in limited action, but fans shouldn’t get crazy if he doesn’t live up to the hype in the preseason.

Washington Commanders

What does the receiving corps look like without Terry McLaurin?

Outside of McLaurin, this wide receiving corps is filled with young bucks and over-the-hill players. 2025 Deebo Samuel is far removed from the 1,000-yard receiver he was in 2021. Zach Ertz is still effective, but it’s unfair to expect him to be Washington’s best pass-catcher at age 34 if McLaurin isn’t in D.C. Meanwhile, Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey are unproven entities. The receiving corps is much better with McLaurin as opposed to without him.

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