NFL training camps are finally getting underway, and hopes are high for teams across the league. Everyone in and around the league is envisioning how well things will go if everything falls into place for them just the way they planned. That's what this time of year is all about.
But of course, we know that everything doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes, things go awry -- even for the best teams in the league. That's what we're here to talk about today: the things that could go wrong, if something were to go wrong, for the best of the best.
In other words, what are the potential red flags for the true contenders this upcoming season. To be clear, we are picking the smallest of nits here, and looking for anything that could possibly trip these teams up. For the overwhelming majority of these teams, things are likely to go really well for most of the season. This is just an exercise to identify the most likely culprit if that were not the case.
To denote the contenders, we're using the top 10 teams in the Super Bowl odds over at DraftKings. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the potential landmines that could pop up for those squads.
Los Angeles Rams (+550): Age/injuries
We had the same potential red flag for the Rams last year and things worked out just fine, but that doesn't mean the same will be true this year. Matthew Stafford is another year older, as is Davante Adams. Both players have injury histories, and while Stafford's back held up last season, there's no guarantee it will do so again. Puka Nacua isn't as old as his teammates, but he's seemingly injured even more often. An injury to any member of that core trio, but especially Stafford or Nacua, could have a dramatic effect on L.A.'s season. There's also probably some risk if Aaron Donald -- now 35 years old and three years removed from his last game -- comes back into the fold, even though he would obviously take the defensive line to a new level if he can come back and stay healthy.
Buffalo Bills (+1000): Defensive front
For seemingly the 20th consecutive year, it's unclear from where the Bills are going to get high-level pass rush snaps. Greg Rousseau remains the best option on the edge, but he's not an elite pass rusher. The depth beyond him is varying degrees of interesting but there doesn't appear to necessarily be a true No. 1 threat unless Bradley Chubb can recapture top form (his sack total overstates his impact last year). The Bills were also weak in the run defense department last year and haven't done enough to upgrade in that department from year to year.
Baltimore Ravens (+1000): Lamar Jackson's health
Whenever Jackson is healthy, the Ravens are an elite team. See: 2023 and 2024. But he's also missed at least four games in three of the last five seasons and last year he looked like a severely diminished version of himself while playing through his injury. Every team is in some way subject to concern about their quarterback's health, but the Ravens are especially so because of how dependent the offense is on Jackson's unique skill set and how dependent Jackson himself is on his escapability and ability to threaten defenses with designed runs, which dried up last year as he played through his injuries.
Seattle Seahawks (+1100): New OC/RBs
Seattle is coming off a Super Bowl victory and bringing back most of the key pieces from that run. The biggest area of turnover is probably on offense, where the Seahawks will replace departed offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak (now the head coach of the Raiders) with former 49ers assistant Brian Fleury. Seattle is clearly trying to keep some of the same identity offensively, but there's no guarantee that the alchemy will be the same as it was last year. The Seahawks are also counting on rookie Jadarian Price and, to a lesser extent, Emanuel Wilson and George Holani, to replace Kenneth Walker III and hold down the fort until Zach Charbonnet returns from a torn ACL. Price is talented, but it's still an open question as to how that transition will work out.
Philadelphia Eagles (+1600): OL injuries/pass offense
Between Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson, there are plenty of health questions up front for the Eagles, who have been extremely dependent on having elite offensive line play for the health of their offense. (Not having legendary line coach Jeff Stoutland will also be interesting to watch on that front.) The Eagles also moved on from A.J. Brown this offseason and replaced him with rookie Makai Lemon and trade acqusition Dontayvion Wicks, and we don't yet know how DeVonta Smith will fare as the No. 1 option. In addition to all that, the Eagles are incorporating a new scheme with Sean Mannion replacing Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator. The scheme front is one where things can seemingly only get better given last year's struggles, but it's still likely going to be a work in progress.
New England Patriots (+1600): Offensive line
New England seemingly addressed some offensive line issues this offseason by signing Alijah Vera-Tucker and drafting Caleb Lomu in the first round, but AVT has a long injury history and Lomu might be brought along slowly behind Morgan Moses. There's also the open question about whether Will Campbell can survive at left tackle given how he played down the stretch of last season and during the playoffs. He was coming back from an injury during that time, but his performance was concerning. Keeping Drake Maye upright and not forcing him to scramble quite as often is going to be paramount this year as the Pats attempt to build on their Super Bowl berth from last season, and whether they can do that is up for debate.
Kansas City Chiefs (+1600): Patrick Mahomes' knee
Mahomes did not start training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which is a good sign, but he's still only seven months removed from knee surgery. We've seen guys like Adrian Peterson come back and look no worse for wear in the past, but that's the exception, not the rule. And Mahomes was more dependent than ever last season on his ability to scramble and make plays outside the structure of the offense, and that ability will likely be diminished in some way this season. The Chiefs therefore will have to count on the scheme to elevate the offense in a way it hasn't quite done at the same level in recent seasons as it had in the past.
Los Angeles Chargers (+1700): Secondary
Former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was able to coax better-than-expected play out of an undermanned secondary over the last two seasons, but Minter (now the head coach of the Ravens) is no longer with the team. He's been replaced by former Western Michigan defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, who was L.A.'s safeties coach in 2024, and that gives hope that he can recapture some of Minter's magic; but if he can't, then the back end of the defense looms as a spot that could lead to the Chargers falling short of expectations this season.
Houston Texans (+1800): Pass offense
C.J. Stroud has taken a couple steps backward since his spectacular rookie sason. The Texans have still gone to the playoffs in each of the last two years, but it's been on the back of their elite defense. With an offensive line that is still a work in progress and a receiver corps that is unproven beyond star wideout Nico Collins, the Texans will need Stroud to rediscover his rookie year form. That would be a development just in time for Stroud, who will likely be looking for a contract extension sometime soon. If he can take the next step forward, the Texans will be that much more dangerous.
Green Bay Packers (+1800): Defense
Green Bay's defense fell apart down the stretch of last season after Micah Parsons went down with his torn ACL. Parsons will reportedly miss at least part of this upcoming season, and the Packers didn't add much juice to their pass rush to replace him. They also traded Rashan Gary and let Quay Walker walk in free agency, and while those weren't elite players, they were quality pieces that the Packers now need to replace. They're counting on new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to be an upgrade over the departed Jeff Hafley, who is now the head coach in Miami. He'll need to provide a big boost, especially before Parsons returns to the fold.
