2025 NFL season

Free agency

Free agency began on March 12, 2025.

• Quarterbacks Sam Darnold (Minnesota to Seattle), Justin Fields (Pittsburgh to New York Jets), Joe Flacco (Indianapolis to Cleveland), Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets to Pittsburgh), and Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh to New York Giants).
• Running backs Nick Chubb (Cleveland to Houston), J. K. Dobbins (Los Angeles Chargers to Denver), Rico Dowdle (Dallas to Carolina), Najee Harris (Pittsburgh to Los Angeles Chargers), and Javonte Williams (Denver to Dallas)
• Wide receivers Davante Adams (New York Jets to Los Angeles Rams), Keenan Allen (Chicago to Los Angeles Chargers), Stefon Diggs (Houston to New England), DeAndre Hopkins (Kansas City to Baltimore), Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams to Seattle), Tyler Lockett (Seattle to Tennessee), and Josh Palmer (Los Angeles Chargers to Buffalo)
• Tight ends Tyler Conklin (New York Jets to Los Angeles Chargers), Evan Engram (Jacksonville to Denver), and Noah Fant (Seattle to Cincinnati)
• Offensive linemen Aaron Banks (San Francisco to Green Bay), Mekhi Becton (Philadelphia to Los Angeles Chargers), Drew Dalman (Atlanta to Chicago), Will Fries (Indianapolis to Minnesota), Ryan Kelly (Indianapolis to Minnesota), Patrick Mekari (Baltimore to Jacksonville), Dan Moore (Pittsburgh to Tennessee), and Jaylon Moore (San Francisco to Kansas City)
• Defensive linemen Jonathan Allen (Washington to Minnesota), Joey Bosa (Los Angeles Chargers to Buffalo), Calais Campbell (Miami to Arizona), Maliek Collins (San Francisco to Cleveland), Leonard Floyd (San Francisco to Atlanta), Javon Hargrave (San Francisco to Minnesota), Grady Jarrett (Atlanta to Chicago), DeMarcus Lawrence (Dallas to Seattle), Tershawn Wharton (Kansas City to Carolina), and Milton Williams (Philadelphia to New England)
• Linebackers Dre Greenlaw (San Francisco to Denver), Harold Landry (Tennessee to New England), Von Miller (Buffalo to Washington), Nate Landman (Atlanta to Los Angeles Rams), Haason Reddick (New York Jets to Tampa Bay), Robert Spillane (Las Vegas to New England), and Josh Sweat (Philadelphia to Arizona)
• Defensive backs Paulson Adebo (New Orleans to New York Giants), Jaire Alexander (Green Bay to Baltimore), Camryn Bynum (Minnesota to Indianapolis), Carlton Davis (Detroit to New England), Jevon Holland (Miami to New York Giants), Talanoa Hufanga (San Francisco to Denver), Tre'von Moehrig (Las Vegas to Carolina), D. J. Reed (New York Jets to Detroit), Darius Slay (Philadelphia to Pittsburgh), and Charvarius Ward (San Francisco to Indianapolis)
• Kickers Matt Gay (Indianapolis to Washington) and Joey Slye (New England to Tennessee)
• Punters Riley Dixon (Denver to Tampa Bay), Johnny Hekker (Carolina to Tennessee), and Ryan Stonehouse (Tennessee to Miami)

Trades

The following notable trades were made during the 2025 league year:

• March 12: San Francisco traded WR Deebo Samuel to Washington in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round selection.^[5]
• March 12: Kansas City traded G Joe Thuney to Chicago in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round selection.^[6]
• March 12: The Los Angeles Rams traded G Jonah Jackson to Chicago in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round selection.^[7]
• March 12: Houston traded OT Laremy Tunsil and a 2025 fourth-round selection to Washington in exchange for 2025 third- and seventh-round selections and 2026 second- and fourth-round selections.^[8]
• March 12: Seattle traded WR DK Metcalf and a 2025 sixth-round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for 2025 second- and seventh-round selections.^[9]
• March 12: Philadelphia traded S C. J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2025 sixth-round selection to Houston in exchange for G Kenyon Green and a 2026 fifth-round selection.^[10]
• March 13: Seattle traded QB Geno Smith to Las Vegas in exchange for a 2025 third-round selection.^[11]
• March 13: Philadelphia traded QB Kenny Pickett to Cleveland in exchange for QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round selection.^[12]
• May 7: Pittsburgh traded WR George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round selection to Dallas in exchange for 2026 third-round and 2027 fifth-round selections.^[13]
• June 30: Miami traded CB Jalen Ramsey, TE Jonnu Smith, and 2027 seventh-round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for S Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 fifth-round selection.^[14]
• July 1: The New York Giants traded TE Darren Waller and a 2027 seventh-round selection to Miami in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round selection.^[15]
• August 5: Las Vegas traded CB Jakorian Bennett to Philadelphia in exchange for DT Thomas Booker.^[16][17]
• August 18: Philadelphia traded TE Harrison Bryant and a 2026 fifth-round selection to Houston in exchange for WR John Metchie III and a 2026 sixth-round selection.^[18]
• August 18: New Orleans traded DT Khalen Saunders to Jacksonville in exchange for C Luke Fortner.^[19]
• August 20: Denver traded WR Devaughn Vele to New Orleans in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round selection and a 2027 seventh-round selection.^[20]
• August 27: Carolina traded WR Adam Thielen, a conditional 2026 seventh-round selection, and a 2027 fifth-round selection to Minnesota in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round selection and a 2027 fourth-round selection.^[21]
• August 28: Dallas traded DE Micah Parsons to Green Bay in exchange for DT Kenny Clark and 2026 and 2027 first-round selections.^[22]
• October 7: Baltimore traded LB Odafe Oweh and a 2027 seventh-round selection to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for S Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round selection.^[23]
• October 8: Cleveland traded CB Greg Newsome II and a 2026 sixth-round selection to Jacksonville in exchange for CB Tyson Campbell and a 2026 seventh-round selection.^[24]
• October 29: Philadelphia traded WR John Metchie III and a 2027 sixth-round selection to the New York Jets in exchange for CB Michael Carter II and a 2027 seventh-round selection.^[25]
• November 1: Baltimore traded CB Jaire Alexander and a 2027 seventh-round selection to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round selection.^[26]
• November 3: Miami traded LB Jaelan Phillips to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2026 third-round selection.^[27]
• November 4: Las Vegas traded WR Jakobi Meyers to Jacksonville in exchange for 2026 fourth- and sixth-round selections.^[28]
• November 4: The New York Jets traded CB Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis in exchange for WR Adonai Mitchell and 2026 and 2027 first-round selections.^[29]
• November 4: New Orleans traded WR Rashid Shaheed to Seattle in exchange for 2026 fourth- and fifth-round selections.^[30]
• November 4: The New York Jets traded DT Quinnen Williams to Dallas in exchange for DT Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-round selection, and a 2027 first-round selection.^[31]

Retirements

Notable retirements

• OT Terron Armstead – Five-time Pro Bowler and one-time second-team All-Pro. Played for New Orleans and Miami during his 12-year career.^[32]
• LB Anthony Barr – Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for Minnesota and Dallas during his 10-year career.^[33]
• QB Derek Carr – Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for Oakland/Las Vegas and New Orleans during his 11-year career.^[34]
• WR Amari Cooper – Five-time Pro Bowler. Played for Oakland, Dallas, Cleveland, and Buffalo during his 10-year career.^[35]
• TE Jimmy Graham – Five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro (one first-team, one second-team). Played for New Orleans, Seattle, Green Bay, and Chicago during his 13-year career.^[36]
• WR Julio Jones – Seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro (two first-team, three second-team). Played for Atlanta, Tennessee, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia during his 13-year career.^[37]
• LB Shaquille Leonard – Three-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro (three first-team, one second-team), and 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Played for Indianapolis and Philadelphia during his six-year career.^[38]
• G Zack Martin – Nine-time Pro Bowler and nine-time All-Pro (seven first-team, two second-team). Played for Dallas during his entire 11-year career.^[39]
• S Tyrann Mathieu – Three-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro (three first-team, one second-team), and Super Bowl LIV champion. Played for Arizona, Houston, Kansas City, and New Orleans during his 12-year career.^[40]
• LB C. J. Mosley – Five-time Pro Bowler and five-time second-team All-Pro. Played for Baltimore and the New York Jets during his 11-year career.^[41]
• OT Jason Peters – Nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro (two first-team, four second-team), and Super Bowl LII champion. Played for Buffalo, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, and Seattle during his 21-year career.^[42]
• CB Patrick Peterson – Eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. Played for Arizona, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh during his 13-year career.^[43]
• C Frank Ragnow – Four-time Pro Bowler and three-time second-team All-Pro. Played for Detroit during his entire seven-year career.^[44]
• G Brandon Scherff – Five-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro. Played for Washington and Jacksonville during his 10-year career.^[45]
• OT Tyron Smith – Eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro (two first-team, three second-team). Played for Dallas and the New York Jets during his 14-year career.^[46]
• DT Ndamukong Suh – Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro (three first-team, two second-team), and Super Bowl LV champion. Played for Detroit, Miami, the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia during his 13-year career.^[47]

Other retirements

Draft

The 2025 NFL draft took place at Lambeau Field and its adjacent Titletown District in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 24–26.^[88] Tennessee, by virtue of having the worst record in 2024, held the first overall selection and selected Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward.^[89]

Pro Football Hall of Fame members

Kenny Easley

Easley played seven seasons in the NFL as a safety with the Seattle Seahawks, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro (four first-team, one second-team) and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1984. He died on November 14, age 66.^[90]

Steve McMichael

McMichael played 15 seasons in the NFL as a defensive tackle with the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro (two first-team, two second-team), and Super Bowl XX champion. He died on April 23, age 67.^[91]

Paul Tagliabue

Tagliabue served as the commissioner of the NFL from 1989 to 2006 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. He died on November 9, age 84.^[92]

Active personnel

Carol Davis

Davis was co-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, assuming co-control in 2011 with her son Mark following the death of her husband Al Davis. She died on October 24, age 93.^[93]

Jim Irsay

Irsay was the owner, chairman and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts, assuming the position in 1997 following the death of his father Robert Irsay. He won Super Bowl XLI as team owner. He died on May 21, age 65.^[94] He was officially replaced by his daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon.

Marshawn Kneeland

Kneeland was a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys for two seasons. He died on November 6, age 24.^[95]

Virginia Halas McCaskey

McCaskey was the owner of the Chicago Bears, assuming control in 1983 following the death of her father George Halas. She won Super Bowl XX as team owner. She died on February 6, age 102.^[96] She was officially replaced by her son, George Halas McCaskey.

Flexible scheduling rules

This was the third season of the league's flexible scheduling system that included Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and increased the amount of cross-flexing (switching) of Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox.^{[116][117][118]}

In March 2025, NFL owners voted to change the deadline to flex Thursday Night Football games from 28 to 21 days before kickoff. The other rules regarding TNF remain the same: only two games can be flexed between weeks 14 and 16,^[118][119] teams are not required to flex into TNF more than once, teams are not allowed to play more than two Thursday games on short rest during the season, and teams cannot play multiple away TNF games during the season without their approval.^[118]

The other flexible scheduling rules remained the same as in 2024. Any Monday Night Football game was allowed to be flexed between weeks 12 and 17; the league was required to announce its rescheduling no later than 12 days before the contests. For Sunday Night Football, no more than two games could be flexed between weeks 5 and 10, while any game between weeks 11 to 17 could be flexed; the league was required to give weeks 5 to 13 SNF games a 12-day notice, and weeks 14 to 17 a 6-day notice. All Week 18 games were initially listed as "TBD", with the league announcing its schedule after Week 17 games are completed.^[119]

Additionally, CBS and Fox still had the ability to protect games from being moved (except for Week 18 contests), either from a change to another network or a change of the Sunday afternoon time slot. When the initial season schedule was created, the two networks selected a limited number of games involving a specific number of teams from their respective conference. Otherwise, every game can be initially scheduled on any network regardless of conference.^[120] After the season starts, the two networks are allowed to protect one game each week from getting flexed.^[116]

Scheduling changes

Week 6:

• The San Francisco–Tampa Bay game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, trading time slots with the New England–New Orleans game; both games remained on CBS.^[121]

Week 14:

• The Chicago–Green Bay game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, trading time slots with the Cincinnati–Buffalo game; both games remained on Fox.^[122]

Week 16:

• Two games were set aside to be played on Saturday, December 20: Philadelphia–Washington and Green Bay–Chicago, with both games played on Fox. On December 2, the times for these games were set for 5:00 p.m. ET and 8:20 p.m. ET, respectively.^[123]
• The New England–Baltimore game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into NBC Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. ET, replacing the originally scheduled Cincinnati–Miami game, which was moved to 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.^[124]

Week 17:

• On December 10, the NFL announced that two games have been moved into a doubleheader on Saturday, December 27: Houston–Los Angeles Chargers at 4:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network and Baltimore–Green Bay at 8:00 p.m. ET on Peacock. The other three games that the league had the option of scheduling on Saturday, Arizona–Cincinnati, Seattle–Carolina, and New York Giants–Las Vegas, were scheduled for Sunday, December 28.^[125]
• The New England–New York Jets game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox, and it remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Week 18:

• All Week 18 games were initially listed with a kickoff time of "TBD"; the schedule was released on December 28 following the conclusion of the Sunday games for Week 17.^[119]
  • Two games were selected for the Saturday doubleheader on ESPN and ABC: Carolina–Tampa Bay at 4:30 p.m. ET and Seattle–San Francisco (which decided the NFC West champion and the NFC's top-seed) at 8:15 p.m. ET.
  • The Baltimore–Pittsburgh game, which decided the AFC North champion, was selected as the final NBC Sunday Night Football game at 8:20 p.m. ET.
  • All remaining games were scheduled on Sunday afternoon at either 1:00 or 4:25 p.m. ET on either CBS or Fox.

Division

Conference

2025–26 NFL playoffs

* Indicates overtime victory

All-Pro team

The following players were named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press (AP):^[200]

Players of the Week / Month

The following were named the top performers during the season:

Head coaches

General managers

Rivalries series

During the 2025 NFL draft, Nike and the NFL announced a "Rivalries" uniform program, which featured new designs for home teams playing against a divisional opponent.^[258] AFC East and NFC West teams debut these uniforms this season. The plan was for teams to wear these uniforms at one home divisional game per season.^[259][260] The Arizona Cardinals were the first team to wear the Rivalries uniforms, which they did in their Week 4 match-up with the Seattle Seahawks.

The first set of "Rivalries" uniforms were unveiled on August 28.^[261]

• Arizona: all-tan uniforms with speckled sand, red and copper accents, nicknamed "Built to Last".^[262]
• Buffalo: all-white uniforms with silver and blue accents, nicknamed the "Cold Front".^[263]
• Los Angeles Rams: all-midnight blue uniforms with royal blue, yellow and white accents, nicknamed the "Midnight Mode".^[264]
• Miami: all-dark blue uniforms with aqua and orange accents, nicknamed the "Dark Waters".^[265]
• New England: storm blue jerseys with white pants and white helmets, nicknamed the "Nor'easter".^[266]
• New York Jets: all-Gotham green (a darker green-tinted shade of black) uniforms with silver and tonal grey accents, nicknamed "Gotham City Football".^[267]
• San Francisco: all-black uniforms with red and gold accents, nicknamed "For the Faithful".^[268]
• Seattle: wolf grey uniforms with iridescent green and navy blue accents, along with iridescent green helmets, nicknamed "12 As One".^[269]

Uniform changes

• Buffalo announced the return of their "Standing Buffalo" throwback uniforms inspired by the team's road uniform from 1962 to 1973. They were worn for two games (one home and away game each) and for the first time since 2021.^[270]
• Chicago announced that the alternate orange and white throwback uniforms would not be worn during the season as a tribute to Virginia Halas McCaskey, who died on February 6.^[271]
• Cleveland announced the return of their all-brown alternate uniforms, wearing them for the first time since 2022. This time, the uniform was paired with a new alternate helmet listed below dubbed the "Alpha Dawg". This uniform was worn for three games.^[272]
• Green Bay introduced a new throwback uniform inspired by what they wore in 1923, replacing the 1950s throwback uniform worn from 2021 to 2024. This uniform includes navy blue jerseys with dark gold numbers and dark gold stripes, tan pants and navy socks, and an alternate brown helmet listed below.^[273]
• The Los Angeles Chargers unveiled "Charger Power" and "Super Charger" alternate uniforms for the season. The Charger Power uniform includes a gold jersey for the first time in franchise history along with gold pants, and was worn for one game. The Super Charger uniform is inspired by the Chargers' home uniform from 1988 to 2006 when the Chargers were based in San Diego, consisting of an all-navy set that includes a modernized helmet, jersey, and pants. The Super Charger uniform was worn for three games. The Chargers also added powder blue pants to its uniform rotation, a first for the team.^[274]
• New England introduced white pants to be worn with their road jerseys.^[275] The team last wore white pants in 2017.^[275]
• New Orleans introduced an alternate gold uniform paired with their alternate black helmet. The team last wore gold jerseys in 2002.^[276]
• The New York Giants brought back the white vintage uniform first used during the NFL's Color Rush program after a one-season absence, and will now be worn regularly with the throwback navy blue helmets featuring the "GIANTS" wordmark. This replaced the 2024 "Century Red" throwback uniform which commemorated the franchise's 100th anniversary.^[277]
• Pittsburgh introduced a new throwback uniform, replacing the team's previous 1970s-era throwback that was identical to the team's current uniforms but featured block numerals instead of the Futura Condensed that the team switched to in 1997.^[278] This uniform is inspired by their uniform worn during their inaugural season in 1933. The uniform features a gold jersey with black stripes and large white block letters trimmed in black on the front and large black block numbers on the back, beige pants with gold socks, and a gold helmet listed below. This uniform was worn for one game.^[279]
• Tampa Bay introduced a white road version of their creamsicle throwback uniforms. The jerseys feature fluorescent orange numbers outlined in red, matching what the Buccaneers wore during their inaugural season in 1976, as well as fluorescent orange and red stripes on the sleeves/cuffs. The jersey is paired with the helmet and pants that the team wore with the home version of the creamsicle throwback uniforms. This uniform was worn in their home opener and a road game.^[280]
• Tennessee switched their home jersey color from navy blue to a light "Titans blue", a design that previously served as their alternate uniform. Their Houston Oilers throwback uniforms were discontinued.^[281]
• Washington introduced a new alternate inspired by the team's set worn in the 1980s, dubbed the "Super Bowl Era" uniforms. The set features white jerseys with burgundy numbers outlined in gold, a burgundy collar, and burgundy and gold cuffs and numbers on the sleeves, including the original nameplate font and lacking the wordmark above the numbers that was added in 2002. The pants are burgundy, which include gold and white stripes down the sides, as well as white socks with a burgundy and gold striping pattern. This uniform also includes an alternate helmet listed below. It was worn for three games.^[282]

Alternate helmets

• Buffalo featured an alternate red helmet resembling the design worn by the team from 1984 to 2001. They wore the helmet during their final regular season game at Highmark Stadium.^[283][270]
• Cleveland paired their all-brown "Alpha Dawg" alternate listed above with a brown helmet. This helmet features a matte all-brown shell, with a brown stripe between two orange stripes in the middle and an all-brown facemask. It is the first brown helmet in franchise history.^[272]
• Green Bay paired their new 1923 throwback uniform listed above with a brown hand-painted helmet designed to emulate the vintage leather look of the NFL's earliest helmets. The brown helmets feature realistic distressing and hand-decorated leather strap with stitching effects, and with a navy face mask.^[273]
• The Los Angeles Chargers paired the Super Charger alternate uniform listed above with a navy-blue helmet with a modernized version of the team's logo from 1991 to 2006.^[274]
• New Orleans introduced a new white helmet that was worn with their alternate white uniforms. The helmet has a gold stripe and face mask.^[284]
• Pittsburgh paired their new throwback uniform listed above with a gold matte helmet that has a gray facemask and a black stripe down the middle. The team's current logo is on one side of the helmet similarly to the Steelers' primary helmet. The Steelers last wore gold helmets in 2011.^[279][285]
• Washington added an alternate helmet to accompany their new alternate uniform. The helmet is burgundy and displays the Commanders' primary "W" logo on the sides, but features a gold facemask – which became a fixture on the then-Redskins' helmets in 1978 – and the classic striping pattern that first appeared in 1972.^[282]

Patches

• Baltimore wore a patch commemorating its 30th season.^[286]
• Buffalo wore a patch in their first and last regular season home games this season commemorating their farewell season at Highmark Stadium.^[287]
• Chicago will wear a patch honoring former owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, who died on February 6. The patch is shaped like a football that displays McCaskey's "VHM" initials, and it was worn for the entirety of the season.^[271]
• Indianapolis wore a patch memorializing former owner Jim Irsay, who died on May 21, 2025.^[288]
• Seattle wore a patch commemorating its 50th season.^[289]
• Tampa Bay also wore a patch commemorating its 50th season. There were three different versions of the team's 50th anniversary patch. The patch that was on their home jerseys were red with a white number 50, while the patch for the away jerseys were white with a red 50. Both patches had an orange and black outline on the 50, a black banner with the word "seasons" below, and the team's current "skulls and swords" logo in-between the years 1976 and 2025 on the bottom. The patch that was worn with both of the team's throwback jerseys was white with the numbers being creamsicle and having a red outline. The banner in the middle was red instead of black, and the logo on the bottom used the "Bucco Bruce" logo.^[290]

National

International

• ESPN additionally aired its slate of games in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and the Netherlands, and will air games through Disney+ in select markets in Asia and Europe.^[323]
• In the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports continued broadcasting games from the regular season to the Super Bowl (Including every international games) through their dedicated Sky Sports NFL Channel, but will also broadcast games through their Sky Sports+ channels (originally released in 2024 for the English Football League among other sports). As well as this, free-to-air Channel 5, which the NFL has an interest in network owner Paramount Skydance since 2022, broadcast games through their main channel as well as 5Action. CBS Sports, also owned by Paramount Skydance, is the production company.^[341][342]
• Fox Sports additionally aired its slate of games in Argentina, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
• NFL Network International aired select games worldwide (with NFL Game Pass International is also available to purchase via DAZN).^[343]
• This was the fourth year of a multi-year deal with Bell Media to continue to distribute all NFL games in Canada (including RedZone) to TSN, CTV channels in English and on RDS in French.^[344]