Some NFL teams have watched star players regress, while others are grappling with stalled quarterback experiments or glaring roster flaws. From postseason hopefuls slipping backward to rebuilding squads stuck in neutral, every franchise has a storyline that qualifies as its biggest disappointment two-thirds through the 2025 season.
1) Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray
The 2025 season has been the typical Kyler Murray experience. A spectacular start with two nail-biting wins made it seem like this could be the year things turned for the dynamic dual-threat quarterback.
Unfortunately, since then, the Cardinals have only won one more game. Now, Murray is on the injured reserve list, and his season has progressively gotten worse as the year has moved forward.
Seven years into this experiment, it might be time for Arizona to consider looking in a different direction, especially since he’s coming in at 21 on PFSN’s QB Impact, two spots behind his backup, Jacoby Brissett.
2) Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. Experiment
Last year, the Atlanta Falcons gave the starting job to their first-round rookie, Michael Penix Jr., near the end of the season. This year, as the QB1, though, the struggles have been undeniable. Ranking at No. 26 in QBi, he hasn’t found consistent success, with 1,982 passing yards and nine touchdowns in as many games.
With an injury history that includes separate blows to his shoulders, three ACL surgeries, and lingering knee issues, including a recovery timeline that could stretch deep into the 2026 season, there is a possibility that Atlanta is in the hunt for a quarterback once again.
3) Baltimore Ravens
Derrick Henry Regressing
A 31-year-old running back with a ton of mileage regressing isn’t a complete shocker. But after the year Derrick Henry had last season, tallying over 1,900 rushing yards, his numbers this season have been relatively pedestrian.
Ranking at number 14 on PFSN’s RB Impact, it’s his worst placement since 2021, when he missed half the season due to injuries. He’s shown the ability to be explosive still, but it’s an increasingly rare sight for the veteran running back.
4) Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen Becoming A Rollercoaster Again
Yes, the run defense has been awful. And in a conference with Jonathan Taylor and Lamar Jackson, that could prove to be deadly for the Buffalo Bills. But the team that employs the reigning league MVP is getting inconsistent production from its unquestioned best player, which is a major problem.
This year, Allen has four games with two or more turnovers, all but one of which have resulted in an ugly loss for Buffalo. After it seemed like he’d fixed his turnover problems last year (6 in 17 games), he’s once again become prone to mistakes (11 in 11 games).
With expectations mounting for playoff success, standing behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East standings is a microcosm for the problems plaguing the Bills this year.
5) Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young in Counting Stats
Yes, the Carolina Panthers have a 6-6 record and are in play for a playoff berth and the division title. But their success, for the most part, has come despite Bryce Young, rather than because of him.
In Year 3 of the experiment for the first overall pick, it might be time to call it a day. Through 12 games, he has 2,131 passing yards and 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions. However, far more shocking is that he’s failed to cross 200 yards in all but two outings this season.
6) Chicago Bears
Defense
This point is a little easier for the Chicago Bears to digest given the plethora of injuries on the roster, particularly on defense. With most names coming back before the end of the year, they should get better production in the coming weeks from their defensive unit.
Ranking at 25 on PFSN’s Defense Impact, they have feasted on turnovers, ranking first in total turnovers (24) and turnover% (19.8%). But they haven’t been consistent down-to-down, leading the offense to need five game-winning drives to reach an 8-3 record.
7) Cincinnati Bengals
Defense
Assume everything about the Bears’ defense, making it markedly worse, remove any hope of a turnaround after two seasons of the same story and no upside when it comes to turnovers, and you have the problems for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ranked dead last in DEFi, the unit has single-handedly cost the team a few victories. It could ultimately lead them to their third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, despite a brutal season for the AFC North as a whole.
8) Cleveland Browns
Offensive Line
The Cleveland Browns’ offense’s struggles undeniably stem from brutal quarterback play. Both Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel struggled mightily in their time as the starter, and the book is still out on Shedeur Sanders after less than two full games.
But the biggest reason for their struggles, now that the team’s weapons are good to great across the board, is the offensive line. Ranked dead last on PFSN’s OL Impact, they have been unable to give any protection to their signal callers.
As a result, it’s impossible to make an accurate judgment on their quarterbacks, as evidenced by the dramatic turnaround in Flacco’s production once he moved to the Bengals.
9) Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb’s Dropped Passes
The defense has undeniably been an issue for the Dallas Cowboys all season long. But in the two games since the trade deadline, the additions of Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson seem to be paying off in a big way for the team.
A bigger concern, though, is CeeDee Lamb, who has somehow been the second-best receiver on the roster. On one spectrum, that is an excellent problem to have. But even apart from the injury that kept him out of the lineup, Lamb has been dropping an unusual number of passes (eight), some of which have severely affected Dallas’ results.
10) Denver Broncos
Bo Nix
A 9-2 team with the best defense in the league, compared with the 1980s Bears, shouldn’t have a ton to chew on. But, Bo Nix, on tape, has been a brutal watch all season long. His penchant for fourth-quarter brilliance remains spectacular.
But from a down-to-down basis, it is hard to imagine that the Denver Broncos have found their guy. In seven out of 11 games, he’s had a passer rating below 90, including three performances below 70.
11) Detroit Lions
The Offensive Inconsistency
Saying this about the ninth-ranked team on PFSN’s Offense Impact feels bizarre. But the gap between the Detroit Lions at their best and their worst has been a Grand Canyon-sized chasm. As a result, Dan Campbell has taken back playcalling duties, but to no avail.
While they have five finishes in the top 10 on a week-to-week basis, including two first-place performances, they have finished no better than No. 22 in the other weeks. That gap is far too pronounced and unbecoming of a team trying to reach the Super Bowl.
12) Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love’s Lows
The highs for Jordan Love are incredible, and have placed him at No. 3 on QBi for the year, while giving insight into why the Green Bay Packers were ready for him to take the mantle from Aaron Rodgers.
Unfortunately, the lows are just as bad. In more than half their games this season, Love has finished with fewer than 200 passing yards, while totaling just 15 touchdowns. The defense has been stellar since adding Micah Parsons, but they’ll need more from Love in the stretch run to cement their chances of a Super Bowl appearance.
13) Houston Texans
Joe Mixon’s Absence
The offensive struggles behind a porous offensive line were a story that seemed inevitable for the Houston Texans once again. However, after finding great success in the run game behind Joe Mixon, the star running back is nowhere to be seen this year.
When Joe Mixon pulled a real coin out of his sock and flipped it after a TD 😂 pic.twitter.com/HnTSOUgTbi
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) November 28, 2025
A mysterious injury in the offseason has kept him off the field for the entire season, and he’s yet to make a comeback. With no official announcement and worries mounting that he will miss the entire season, it has been a troubling development in Houston, despite the success Woody Marks has had in his absence.
14) Indianapolis Colts
Mortgaging Their Future
This feels even more pressing after a shocking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where the offense went scoreless in the fourth quarter and overtime. But the Indianapolis Colts clearly believe they have the roster to compete at the top of the AFC.
As a result, they were willing to spend two first-round picks to add Sauce Gardner to the lineup. It remains to be seen whether their investment proves worthwhile, but it’s definitely not a guarantee that they have the pieces to compete with the conference’s heavyweights in the postseason.
As a result, their investment in limiting future flexibility remains a difficult choice to stomach.
15) Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence
Yes, the drop from Brian Thomas Jr. (both in production and the literal dropped passes) is a major concern. But he isn’t signed to a five-year, $275 million contract as the savior of the franchise. That honor belongs to Trevor Lawrence.
Unfortunately for the Jacksonville Jaguars, changing the head coach hasn’t solved their quarterback issue. Ranking No. 31 in QBi, he has the third-most interceptions in the league at 11, while contributing just 14 passing touchdowns.
16) Kansas City Chiefs
Their Record
Yes, the victory over the Indianapolis Colts was impressive for all the right reasons and keeps the Kansas City Chiefs alive in the playoffs. But after an embarrassing Week 13 loss to the Cowboys, Kansas City’s 6-6 record is the worst start in the Patrick Mahomes era, and their play in one-score games has been truly shocking.
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes on the Chiefs’ 6-6 record: “We’ve lost too many games already.” #Chiefs #NFL pic.twitter.com/qCfDB7KCoO
— This Sporting Planet (@sportingplanet_) November 28, 2025
Going undefeated last season in such encounters, the team started the year 0-5 in them before needing overtime to beat the Colts 23-20. For a team that has been to the last three Super Bowls, the fall in the rankings has been among the biggest disappointments of the entire season.
17) Las Vegas Raiders
Geno Smith
The hope for the Las Vegas Raiders to come out of mediocrity with the additions of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith. But neither move has panned out, as they’re 3-8 to start the season. Smith, in particular, has been the worst version of himself, who remains prone to turnovers without the upside.
Tied for the most turnovers in the league at 13, he’s been unable to make up for it with just 13 passing touchdowns to his credit, as the Raiders seem to be headed towards the NFL Draft after an ugly loss to Shedeur Sanders in his first career start for the Cleveland Browns.
18) Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert’s Turnover Problem
Yes, most people wanted Justin Herbert to dictate the offense in 2025. Unfortunately, that reliance has come at a steep price. After throwing just three interceptions all season, he’s already given up three times as many turnovers this year, without the upside of the touchdowns.
19 scores against nine interceptions has been a major Achilles heel for the Los Angeles Chargers, causing them to lose otherwise winnable games against the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
19) Los Angeles Rams
Special Teams Struggles
While the Rams are a well-rounded team that doesn’t seem to have many weaknesses at first glance, they actually have a glaring weakness. The Rams have a 31st-ranked Special Teams Impact grade of 61.6.
This has been an issue for Los Angeles in recent years, as they also ranked dead last in 2023 with a 61.4 grade. Last year, they ranked No. 18, but the Rams have ranked No. 26 or worse in four of the last six years.
In 2017, the Rams had the NFL’s best special teams unit, earning an 88.5 grade, but that feels like a long time ago, given their recent struggles.
20) Miami Dolphins
Rapid 2025 Season Collapse
Outside of a bizarre victory over the Buffalo Bills, the 2025 Miami Dolphins don’t have much going for them. With high hopes of being a potential contender, they were smacked in the face to begin the year with a blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Since then, things haven’t taken a turn for the better: they lost Tyreek Hill for the season and have already fired general manager Chris Grier. The team seems poised to tear it down in the very near future, and this season is going to go down as reason uno numero.
21) Minnesota Vikings
J.J. McCarthy
Two quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward, rank ahead of J.J. McCarthy on QBi. After refusing to bring back Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones, both of whom have been among the best quarterbacks in the entire league (and rank No. 6 and No. 5, respectively), head coach Kevin O’Connell placed the bar very high for his first-time starter.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been anything close to those expectations so far, with 10 interceptions in just six games for him (six touchdowns). It’s led to a prolific Minnesota Vikings offense looking pedestrian, and Justin Jefferson having the worst season of his career.
22) New England Patriots
Turnover Problem
The one-seed in the AFC that shocked everybody with its success doesn’t have many holes on its roster. But the one issue that has plagued them all year round is the turnovers. With the league’s easiest schedule, they’ve been able to excel despite their propensity to turn the ball over.
In the year, they have 15 turnovers in 12 games, which is sky-high for a roster of their caliber. As a result, the team has to worry that it could eventually catch up to them, particularly as the competition gets stiffer in the latter half of the year and in the playoffs.
23) New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara
At 33, Alvin Kamara is at his lowest on RBi, and the statistics back that up. Averaging a career low 3.6 yards per carry for 471 rushing yards in 11 games, he hasn’t found success in the passing game that has typically made him so effective, with less than 200 receiving yards on the season.
For a team likely aiming for a high draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft before the season even began, it was hard to find a lot of disappointments. But one of the most reliable weapons in the league for nearly a decade, regressing, serves as a typical example for them.
24) New York Giants
4th Quarter Collapses
The 2-10 New York Giants have held a lead with under five minutes in three straight games. Somehow, they have all ended with a loss for the team. The G-Men are allowing 11.1 fourth-quarter points per game this season, the most in the league and easily pacing for the highest per-game average over the past 20 years.
Whether direct or indirect, that was the final straw to end Brian Daboll’s head coaching tenure in New York. When they hire a new head coach for the long run, that is one of the primary things they need to fix to ensure the optimism about this new core turns into tangible results.
25) New York Jets
Year 1 Under Aaron Glenn
As much as the timeline for the New York Jets seems to be a long-term goal of establishing an identity under Aaron Glenn, fans had to be hoping this year could be different for one of the most downtrodden franchises in the NFL.
Things haven’t gone according to plan at all, as they sit at two wins, but with a war chest of draft picks in the next two drafts, the turnaround could be coming sooner rather than later in New York.
26) Philadelphia Eagles
Offensive Woes
You might not like the messenger, but the points A.J. Brown has raised aren’t without merit. The 8-3 Philadelphia Eagles are near the top of the NFC, despite facing a gauntlet of opponents, so it might seem like nitpicking to point out their flaws.
But the offense has been a mess all year long. Ranking No. 16 in OFFi, the team has three scoreless halves this year, two of which have resulted in direct losses, including a Week 12 performance against the Dallas Cowboys, when they managed less than 100 total yards after going up 21-0 early in the second quarter.
27) Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive Struggles
Aaron Rodgers being less than advertised could take the cake. But for a unit led by head coach Mike Tomlin and ranked as the most expensive defense in the NFL, by far, the woes of the defense have to rank near the top of the league’s biggest disappointments.
RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Made His Feelings Clear About Josh Allen Before Bills-Steelers Game
Ranking No. 19 in DEFi, their numbers are bolstered by forcing 20 turnovers per game, the second-highest mark among all teams. But on a down-to-down basis, they have been massively underwhelming, especially given the names on the roster.
28) San Francisco 49ers
Paying Brock Purdy
At this point, it is hard to imagine the San Francisco 49ers not regretting paying Brock Purdy massive money while he had another year of eligibility left on the table. Not only has he thrown just one more touchdown (eight) than interceptions (seven), but he’s also become an injury risk.
For a roster ravaged by injuries, his history is becoming the most concerning development, given that the turf toe blow is the third year in four seasons when he’s been severely limited or has outright ended his season with an injury.
29) Seattle Seahawks
Zach Charbonnet and the Running Backs
Despite the success Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have had, with the latter on pace to break the 2,000-receiving-yard barrier, the Seattle Seahawks are No. 31 in pass attempts this season. Their focus, under Mike Macdonald, has been to establish the run game.
Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III have two excellent options to ensure that becomes a reality. Unfortunately, the former hasn’t lived up to his billing so far this season. Ranking No. 48 in RBi, he is averaging 3.5 yards per carry for 385 rushing yards through 11 games.
30) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offensive Line
The injuries have obviously played a huge role in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being a very underwhelming 6-5 after Week 12, especially after a 3-0 start with three consecutive game-winning drives to begin the year. But the place where it’s hurt the Bucs the most is the offensive line.
Ranked second in the league in OLi in 2024, they have fallen to No. 27 this season, with injuries barrelling through the unit. As a result, Baker Mayfield doesn’t have a clean pocket often and is forced to scramble a bit too much.
Finally, that seems to have caught up to him, with a sling-wearing quarterback on the sidelines, the last sight fans in Tampa Bay wanted to see.
31) Tennessee Titans
Hope With 1st Round Quarterbacks
Drafting Cam Ward first should have been a moment that could have turned the franchise around for the Tennessee Titans, or at least given fans optimism for the future. While Cam Ward has individually shown flashes of potential, the team as a whole has been an abysmal watch.
The only one-win team in the entire league, the Titans have already fired their head coach, but things seem far from improving. Unless they can hit on every draft pick in 2026, it’s going to be a while before things dramatically change for the better in Tennessee.
32) Washington Commanders
Injuries Derailing the Hype
From four wins to an NFC Championship Game appearance, the turnaround for the Washington Commanders as a franchise felt like the start of a new beginning. But, less than one full season later, and it’s all quietened down.
Injuries have ravaged the roster from top to bottom, with their two biggest pieces in Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin barely suiting up regularly. As a result, the playoffs seem like a faraway dream, and the organization might be pressed to look hard at its potential franchise quarterback.
