The 106th NFL season kicked off on Thursday, September 1 as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys at home in the season opener. Though it is still far too early to know which teams and players will dominate this season, the Spectator has put together predictions for all the major awards, the best and worst teams, and breakout candidates.
After narrowly missing out on his third MVP award last season to Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will pull through and take the MVP. This year will probably be another close race between Allen and Jackson, but a combination of voter fatigue and better statistics will sway voters to the side of Jackson. Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert or Jayden Daniels could be dark horses in the MVP race.
In Super Bowl 59, the Buffalo Bills will beat the Green Bay Packers, 31-24. The Packers looked dominant in their season opener versus the Detroit Lions, and now with a much improved defensive line thanks to the blockbuster addition of linebacker Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys, they will advance all the way to the Super Bowl. There they will face the Bills, led by 2024 MVP Josh Allen. The Bills finally look poised for a run this year, as the Kansas City Chiefs appeared slow and sloppy in their opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bills also took down the Baltimore Ravens, another AFC juggernaut, in their week one matchup.
The New Orleans Saints will be the league’s worst team this season, earning them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Their quarterback situation is both confusing and dire. They drafted quarterback Tyler Shough from Louisville in the second round, but he is unproven and needs to develop more to be NFL-ready. Week one starter Spencer Rattler was a rookie last year and does not look to be much better.
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson will win the Offensive Player of the Year award, thanks to his heavy involvement in both the running and receiving games for the Falcons. The Falcons offense as a whole looks ready to take a step forward in 2025, led by second year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. In the first quarter of his week one matchup versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robinson exploded for a 50-yard touchdown, setting the standard for his performance the rest of this season.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons will win his first Defensive Player of the Year award this season. The Packers made him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history, showing how they believe in him to play a large role in their defense for years to come. He backed this up with a sack in his first Packers game, demonstrating that he is worthy of being the favorite for this award.
Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who was selected with the 6th pick in the NFL Draft, is going to win offensive rookie of the year. The Raiders have a weak air attack outside of tight end Brock Bowers and aging wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. This will probably lead to a lot of carries for Jeanty making him a primary option in their offense forging him into a great candidate for OROY.
The New York Giants’ Abdul Carter will win Defensive Rookie of the Year, after recently being selected with the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft. In his final college season, Carter led all players in NCAA Division I with 24 tackles for a loss. This production is expected to continue in the NFL. In his first game he notched half a sack with a Pro Football Focus grade of 81.5 — the best on the Giants defense this week. This early production gives promise that he will win DROY.
Aidan Hutchinson will be this year’s Comeback Player of the Year. In 2024, the NFL clarified the criteria for this award, defining it as a player coming back from injury, rather than just a poor season. Hutchinson had a gruesome tibia and fibula break early last year while he was well on pace for a Defensive Player Of The Year nomination. He spent the rest of the season healing and recovering, and he hopes to be able to return to his pre-injury performance in 2025.
The New England Patriots are a team that seems ready to surprise everyone and take a step forward in 2025. Led by second year quarterback Drake Maye, who seems due for a breakout year, and Stefon Diggs, who recently signed with the Patriots and is due for a bounceback year after missing half of last year with an injury. Maye looked solid in his first game; He threw for 287 yards and a touchdown, though he had an interception. This was not good enough to get the win, and the Patriots lost 20-13 to the Las Vegas Raiders, but a 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins in week two shows that they’re back on track. With a quarterback that has so much potential, it is hard to look past the Patriots in 2025.
