Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is finally here, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are breaking down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the season opener.
The top story of the past week was the Cowboys trading star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers last Thursday. Now that the dust has settled a bit, where does that leave Dallas? Jeremy and Dan checked in with sources around the league.
But they have more ahead of Week 1. Our insiders also made picks for under-the-radar teams that could make the playoffs, predicted which players could break out in Week 1, pointed out coaching situations that need fast starts and even gave some fantasy football advice based on what they are hearing. It’s all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks with the latest heading into Week 1.
Jump to:
Post-Parsons Cowboys | Playoff sleepers
Breakout candidates | Coaching situations
Fantasy intel | More notes for Week 1
Graziano: I think the offense is expected be good as long as quarterback Dak Prescott stays healthy. The addition of wide receiver George Pickens makes the Cowboys potentially explosive in the passing game, and while their running back room might be uninspiring, they’ll run effectively if the offensive line performs.
There’s obviously curiosity about whether the Cowboys can generate a consistent pass rush post-Parsons, but Dallas coaches would point out that they had already begun building their defense without him in training camp, as he didn’t participate. The Cowboys believe their defense is in a good place in terms of learning the scheme. There’s skepticism around the league, but I don’t think anyone is writing them off completely. When Prescott has been healthy, they’ve generally been a playoff team.
Fowler: People inside in league are not as down on Dallas as fans and media seem to be right now. The loss of Parsons hurts, but the Cowboys have been a sneaky good drafting team over the past decade and have three former Day 2 edge rusher picks — Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku — ready to go. The roster has talent. And the Pickens addition received attention around the league. Evaluators know how good he can be in 2025 in a contract year with a proven quarterback. Despite all that, Philadelphia and Washington are considered a cut above in the division, which seems right.
Graziano: And that’s fair. But it has been 21 years since a team repeated as NFC East champion, so that takes Philly out of the mix! And if Washington takes a step back, who knows? This could be one of those NFC East seasons where you don’t need 12 or 13 wins to take the title, which sets up well for the Cowboys.
Fowler: Dallas’ schedule is manageable, too. If the Cowboys can somehow get past Philly on Thursday night, winnable games await in Weeks 2 and 3 (Giants at home, Bears on the road). Then it’s the Packers at home for the Parsons reunion.
Fowler: New England Patriots. Mike Vrabel’s presence has already paid off. Quarterback Drake Maye is poised for a Year 2 jump. The defensive tackle duo of Christian Barmore and Milton Williams has a chance to be special. Two of their AFC East rivals (Dolphins and Jets) appear to be in transition. Running back TreVeyon Henderson has the explosiveness to break off big runs. And Josh McDaniels is a proven playcaller.
Offensive line and wide receiver remain concerns, but New England has made efforts to address both spots. The Patriots haven’t produced a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. For this to work, someone — paging Stefon Diggs — needs to break that streak. A wild-card spot feels attainable.
Graziano: Arizona Cardinals. The NFC West teams could finish the season in any order and it wouldn’t surprise me. Arizona is in Year 3 with Jonathan Gannon as head coach and Drew Petzing as offensive coordinator, and the fact that they didn’t change any offensive personnel in the offseason indicates they believe they’re on track there. Quarterback Kyler Murray is another year removed from his knee injury and has one more offseason working in Petzing’s system. So if it doesn’t hum this season, you must wonder how long ownership will stick with the plan.
Defensively, they made some aggressive additions, signing away edge rusher Josh Sweat from the Super Bowl champs, using a second-round pick on cornerback Will Johnson (who slipped in the draft because of injury concerns) and bringing back the ageless Calais Campbell. It’s time for Arizona to show it can move beyond being a team that hovers around .500 and fades in December.
Graziano: It could be Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten. I don’t know how the Jaguars’ running back room will shake out, and I’m not sure they do yet, either. Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby are the incumbents, but the Jags drafted Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen Jr., who profiles as a third-down back, in the seventh. The veterans might get the first shot, but the new front office and coaching staff drafted Tuten and Allen and have plans for them.
Tuten is the most explosive of the group — a “home run hitter” in the Jaguars’ eyes. If he’s able to pick up the offense and acclimate to the NFL quickly, that explosiveness could lead to greater opportunities sooner rather than later.
Fowler: Great pick. I’ll go with 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers’ receiver room has been decimated by injury, with Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from last season’s knee injury and Jauan Jennings (calf) potentially needing time to ramp up after recently returning to the lineup. And word out of San Francisco is that Pearsall is poised for a Year 2 jump. The 49ers have been a top-five passing offense during Brock Purdy’s two full seasons as starting quarterback, so chances at chunk yardage will be there. Kyle Shanahan will make it so.
Another player to watch is rookie Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. He might be Washington’s RB4 right now, but every time I asked somebody there about their backfield plans, Croskey-Merritt was mentioned early and often. The Commanders are very high on him.
Graziano: I’m also curious to see what the Browns have planned for third-round rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. A ludicrously productive tight end in college, Fannin was used in a variety of ways at Bowling Green and the Browns say they believe they can deploy him all over the formation. He’s likely to team with David Njoku in the two-tight-end formations coach Kevin Stefanski loves to use. Fannin probably will stay on the field if he shows he can handle blocking responsibilities. And if he can consistently get open, that probably will earn him more targets from Joe Flacco or whomever else ends up playing QB for the Browns this season.
Fowler: Here’s a deep-cut sleeper for you … Cardinals edge rusher Jordan Burch. His name came up a few times when I’ve asked scouts for Rookie of the Year candidates, so don’t be surprised if the third-round pick makes an early impact. Arizona has some sneaky-good talent, so it’s up to some of the recent draft picks to flash greatness.
Fowler: The Giants’ Brian Daboll. Any coach with a 19-33-1 record through three seasons could use early momentum. Ownership has been patient with the Giants’ rebuild, and this was Daboll’s first offseason with a high-pedigree rookie quarterback to develop. The early returns on Jaxson Dart are very good, so I’m not labeling September some sort of win-this-month-or-else scenario.
But the schedule is tough. The first four opponents — Commanders, Cowboys, Chiefs and Chargers — won a combined 45 games last season. Setting a tone against that gauntlet would be useful. The Giants’ roster has improved, and the team has a defensive line good enough to dictate terms of victory.
Graziano: Hot-seat talk in early September is dicey, so I’ll start with the disclaimer that I have no inside information to make me think these guys are in any immediate trouble. But given the Bengals’ aspirations and their history of poor September starts under Zac Taylor, he could use a strong start if only for his own sanity.
Fowler: For sure, a fast start would take the pressure off in Cincy. I’d also argue that Colts coach Shane Steichen fits the mold. Picking Daniel Jones over Anthony Richardson Sr. at quarterback was a bold move, considering the franchise’s investment in Richardson as the No. 4 pick in 2023. But Steichen believes Jones gives the Colts the best chance to win. Proving that to be correct early would ease tension.
Graziano: One more. This team gives coaches a lot of runway, but the Cowboys’ hiring of Brian Schottenheimer was widely criticized outside of the building. It was well-received inside the building, where Schottenheimer is well-liked and respected. People are excited to see him get his chance. But to the extent that the Cowboys care about outside opinions, a Thursday night upset in Philadelphia and a fast start would go a long way toward making the Schottenheimer move look good.
Graziano: I’m drafting Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka everywhere I can. The Bucs loved him before picking in the first round in April, and they’ve grown to covet him even more since. They believe he can play any of the wide receiver positions in their offense, which is a good thing because Chris Godwin Jr. still isn’t back from last year’s gruesome season-ending injury and Jalen McMillan is out for a while because of a neck injury.
Expect the Bucs to use Egbuka in the slot and on the outside as needed. Given how mature and polished a player they already believe him to be, he could get a ton of targets in one of the league’s top offenses and hold onto a starting role even when Tampa’s receiver corps is back to full strength.
Fowler: Rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden should get a lot of targets, too. The Packers’ first-round pick has greatly impressed coaches so far. “Phenomenal,” one Packers source told me of Golden’s presence. “Makes a wow play every day.” Golden is listed as a starter already and the Packers aren’t hiding their affection for him. It’s not like one of those situations where you hear, “Oh, he’s a rookie, he’s coming along.” It’s, “No, this guy can play.” The Packers will utilize two-tight-end sets often and Romeo Doubs is still a prime option, but Golden’s talent looks undeniable.
Also, Panthers receiver Xavier Legette, a first-rounder from 2024, will be a factor in Carolina. Teammate Jaycee Horn told me Legette reminds him of A.J. Brown with his combination of physicality and speed.
Graziano’s notes:
Fowler’s notes: