Five NFL veterans who impressed in their team debuts, plus five who must improve in a hurry

So much of the intrigue of Week 1 comes from the newness. The new season, the new blank records and, in turn, the new possibilities -- especially in a league as unpredictable as the NFL -- is invigorating. No season is lost yet. In fact, no game is lost yet.

But there's also intrigue in the new players and how they fit in. Rookies often earn top billing when discussing new players, but veterans finding another home can often completely change the trajectory of a franchise. The Vikings were thought to be in a semi-transitionary 2024 after moving on from Kirk Cousins and drafting J.J. McCarthy. Sam Darnold was viewed as little more than a bridge quarterback. Then Darnold threw for over 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl. The Vikings won 14 games. Darnold parlayed one unexpectedly good year into a big contract with Seattle this offseason.

The examples go back further -- how about Baker Mayfield in 2023, after Tom Brady retired? -- and extend to every position, too. Last year, Xavier McKinney's arrival in Green Bay almost singlehandedly turned the Packers' secondary from just OK to a turnover-producing machine. Smaller signings helped, too. Dante Fowler signed with the Commanders for just one year and $3.25 million. He had 10.5 sacks for the league's most surprising team.

It's still early here in 2025, but as the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Here are five veterans who stood out in their team debuts, followed by five who need to improve quickly.

Veterans on new teams who impressed in Week 1

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers

Rodgers was dealing in his Steelers debut, throwing for 244 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 34-32 win over the Jets.

More impressive than the numbers, though, was Rodgers' willingness and ability to work from under-center play action looks, something that's a staple of Arthur Smith's scheme but something he didn't do much -- and didn't do well -- last year. In fact, Sunday alone, he had three touchdown passes on these plays; he had four all season last year with the Jets. Sacks were and may continue to be an issue, but Rodgers looked very good throwing the ball and executing Smith's game plan.

DK Metcalf, Steelers

Four receptions for 83 yards may not look like a standout game, but Metcalf was very good in his Steelers debut. Despite being known for his deep threat abilities, Metcalf's production came exclusively on short throws, as 68 of his 83 receiving yards came after the catch. That included a screen pass he took 31 yards, when he juked out one defender and showed off his explosive speed.

"DK is big and fast," Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. "You certainly want to get the ball in his hands. He is certainly capable of being a tough tackle in the secondary once he does. It's our job to get him the ball in spaces where those talents show. Sometimes it's quick-hitting passes, particularly early in the game."

Metcalf also had Pro Football Focus' best blocking grade among wide receivers.

Justin Fields, Jets

Even in a loss, Fields finds his way onto the good part of this list. Facing his former team, Fields completed 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown, and he ran 12 times for 48 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Fields took just one sack. Negative plays have been a persistent issue for Fields in both Chicago and Pittsburgh: His 9.0% sack rate last year was eighth-highest among 44 quarterbacks with at least 150 dropbacks. There were still some times Sunday when he held onto the ball too long, but overall, he kept the offense on schedule.

Camryn Bynum, Colts

We may never understand Bynum's celebration from his Week 1 interception, but if he keeps making plays worth celebrating, Colts fans certainly won't care what he does afterward.

In his Colts debut, Bynum added a pass breakup and three tackles to his interception and helped make Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of the Dolphins offense absolutely miserable.

Javon Kinlaw, Commanders

Two of Washington's other veteran newcomers -- Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil -- featured heavily on Samuels' 19-yard touchdown run that proved to be the offensive highlight of the game, but Kinlaw did the dirty work on the defensive end, earning him a shoutout here.

Kinlaw tackled Tyrone Tracy Jr. for a 1-yard loss on the Giants' opening offensive play, and he finished the game with four tackles. Washington allowed just 74 rushing yards after being one of the NFL's worst run defenses last year, and Kinlaw finished as PFF's third-highest graded interior defender, only behind standouts Ed Oliver and Quinnen Williams. 

These five rookies balled out in their NFL debuts, but is it sustainable over the course of the 2025 season?

Ryan Wilson

Veterans on new teams who struggled in Week 1

Russell Wilson, Giants

This was the easiest call on this list. Wilson completed 17 of 37 passes for 168 yards, with his 43% completion percentage the second-worst among all starting quarterbacks and his 4.5 yards per attempt fourth-worst.

It wasn't all Wilson's fault, as an Andrew Thomas-less line struggled mightily and the Giants' pass catchers didn't help out much, but with Wilson's greatest strength -- the deep ball -- completely M.I.A., he couldn't find other ways to solve Washington's defense. Add in a rough red zone performance (2 for 9 for 12 yards), and it was a mess all around. He's still the starter, but that may not last much longer.

Cooper Kupp, Seahawks

Kupp caught two passes for 15 yards against the 49ers, dropping his only other target on what would have been a third-down conversion.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is clearly the fulcrum of Seattle's passing attack. Still, Kupp's quiet game wasn't particularly encouraging no matter how you look at it, especially considering his downturn in production ever since winning the receiving triple crown in 2021. His 710 yards receiving last year were his fewest since 2018. Plus, Kupp's blocking -- a strength throughout his time with the Rams -- wasn't up to par in Week 1, either.

Overall, PFF graded 105 wide receivers in Week 1. Kupp finished 104th.

Jaire Alexander, Ravens

The Ravens overhauled their secondary with big names only to give up 41 points in a stunning Week 1 loss to the Bills. The entire defense didn't play well, but Alexander's debut in particular was a rough one, especially in the critical moments.

On the Bills' game-winning drive, Alexander gave up a 32-yard completion to Josh Palmer and a 25-yard completion to Keon Coleman. On the pass to Coleman, not only did Alexander get juked out, but he then somehow made the tackle, which actually made things worse. If he allowed Coleman to score, the Ravens would have gotten the ball back with time for one final drive. Instead, the Bills ran the clock out and kicked the game-winning field goal.

All told, Alexander was listed as the primary defender on four passes (though one listing is kind of questionable). He allowed three completions for 83 yards and had a pass interference penalty, too.

Dan Moore Jr., Titans

Though he didn't allow a sack in his Titans debut, Moore had a rough day at the office, allowing four pressures in a 20-12 loss to the Broncos. Nik Bonitto caused major problems for the former Steeler, who signed a four-year, $82 million deal this offseason. Overall, Moore received a 26.4 pass blocking grade from PFF, which ranked 64th out of 65 graded tackles.

Moore is supposed to be part of a much improved offensive line this year. The Titans have invested heavily with first-round picks JC Latham and Peter Skoronski and free agents Lloyd Cushenberry III, Kevin Zeitler and Moore. The results didn't match that investment in Week 1.

Jonah Jackson, Bears

The Bears, like the Titans, invested heavily in the offensive line, and that includes Jackson. Unfortunately for Chicago, the Week 1 returns were not good. Jackson allowed five hurries in his Bears debut, and the numbers could have been worse had Caleb Williams not done a good job scrambling away from some muddy pockets.

Jackson's five hurries allowed are tied for the most among guards through one week, and he was PFF's lowest-graded player at the position.