A Reason to Hope and Mope for Every NFL Team After Offseason Workouts

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The next time we see football, it’ll be the start of the real thing.

With OTAs and minicamps out of the way, training camp is next on the slate. That means everyone reporting, led by rookies and quarterbacks and followed by a few weeks of practice and then the preseason schedule. Of course, there’s about six weeks until all of it gets rolling, which makes this an ideal time to stop and take stock of where every team sits.

For some, it’s time to start thinking about Super Bowl dreams and what could be if everything shakes out right. For others, it’s about making progress and potentially snagging a spot in the playoffs. For a few, it’s watching a handful of key players and waiting for the quarterback-loaded 2027 draft.

With an eye on all 32 teams, let’s take a look at why every team has reason to hope and why they also have a reason to mope with minicamps in the rearview mirror.

Arizona Cardinals

Hope: Jeremiyah Love and Trey McBride could prove to be one of the best offensive tandems in the league, with plenty of room to grow.

Mope: Jacoby Brissett, winner of one game in 12 starts last year, is holding out for more money. This is somehow actually happening.

Atlanta Falcons

Hope: Kevin Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the Year, and he accomplished that feat in Cleveland. He’s taking over an offense with $140 million receiver Drake London, along with tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson, who are both All-Pros.

Mope: The quarterback battle is between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa.

Baltimore Ravens

Hope: Baltimore has a new coach, Jesse Minter, and one of the league’s best trio of talents in quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and wideout Zay Flowers.

Mope: The defense will be relying on a slew of question marks, including defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who is coming off a neck injury, along with players who will all be at least 30 years old when the season starts, including corners Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.

Buffalo Bills

Hope: Josh Allen has an argument as the league’s best player, and he leads an offense that has the reigning rushing champ in James Cook and added receiver DJ Moore from the Bears in an offseason trade.

Mope: If Moore doesn’t revert to his Carolina form (he’s totaled 1,000 yards once in the past four seasons), the Bills are back to relying on Joshua Palmer and Keon Coleman outside the numbers. That’s the same sore spot Buffalo dealt with a year ago.

Carolina Panthers

Hope: Coming off an NFC South title, the Panthers added beef up front with first-round offensive tackle Monroe Freeling and defensive tackle Lee Hunter in the second round. This should be a better roster if the rookies pan out.

Mope: Tetairoa McMillan is still the only proven pass catcher on the team, making it easy for defenses to load up against him and force quarterback Bryce Young to throw at lesser targets.

Chicago Bears

Hope: Very few teams have more offensive talent, and even fewer have a better mind leading them than head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago is loaded with quarterback Caleb Williams seeking to become the team’s first 4,000-yard passer, while handing off to D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai and throwing to tight end Colston Loveland, plus receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III.

Mope: The Bears struggled to pressure the opposing quarterback in 2025, with only Montez Sweat notching more than 10 sacks. Despite enough cap room to do so, Chicago didn’t add anybody of note this offseason, relying on returning talent to ascend.

Cincinnati Bengals

Hope: If Joe Burrow is healthy, the Bengals might have the league’s top offense. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the perimeter, and Chase Brown in the backfield, Cincinnati has the potential for three players to reach 1,000 yards while another throws for 4,000.

Mope: Burrow has struggled to stay healthy, playing 35 games over the past three years. Additionally, last year’s 31st-ranked defense, while it added nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II and safety Bryan Cook, also lost Trey Hendrickson, who had 61 sacks over the past five seasons.

Cleveland Browns

Hope: The future. While this edition of the Browns will struggle, Cleveland has a pair of 2027 first-round picks in what’s thought to be a loaded class, along with the addition of ’24 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse as a result of the Myles Garrett trade.

Mope: They’re the Browns, and the quarterback competition is Deshaun Watson (who has played in 19 games over the past five seasons) and Shedeur Sanders, thrower of seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a rookie.

Dallas Cowboys

Hope: CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens have a case as the league’s top wideout duo, and the Cowboys have added a couple of first-round defenders in safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.

Mope: It’s always a risk betting on rookies, and Dallas will need both of the aforementioned first-year talents to play well for last year’s 30th-ranked defense to excel under new coordinator Christian Parker.

Denver Broncos

Hope: Jaylen Waddle should add more punch to the passing game after being acquired from the Dolphins for three draft picks. Waddle averaged 1,008 yards per season in Miami despite below-average quarterback play with Tua Tagovailoa.

Mope: What’s the ceiling for Bo Nix? Last year, Nix led the NFL with 612 pass attempts and still failed to throw for 4,000 yards. If the defense slips at all after leading the league with 68 sacks last season, Nix will need to pick up the slack.

Detroit Lions

Hope: How many teams would trade for Detroit’s skill-position talent? All of them? The Lions have 1,000-yard talents in receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, along with running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Last year, they combined for 4,378 yards from scrimmage.

Mope: The defense is a huge concern. Defensive backs Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are coming off Achilles and knee injuries, respectively, and the pass rush still has plenty of question marks outside of Aidan Hutchinson.

Green Bay Packers

Hope: The Packers have the quarterback, coach and infrastructure in place. Since 2019, when Matt LaFleur arrived, Green Bay has had a 76-40-1 regular-season record, including six playoff appearances in seven seasons.

Mope: Micah Parsons won’t be back until October at the earliest, and that means the combination of Lukas Van Ness, Karl Brooks, Barryn Sorrell and Brenton Cox Jr. will need to be counted on to pressure the quarterback. Last year, they combined for 3.5 sacks.

Houston Texans

Hope: Nobody has a better defense. The Texans have Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter coming off the edges, along with safety Jalen Pitre, and corners Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter. Now, the unit adds rookie 326-pound defensive tackle Kayden McDonald to the interior.

Mope: Can the offense do its part? C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in Houston’s playoff defeat in New England, and he has one proven weapon in Nico Collins on the outside. The Texans desperately need Jayden Higgins to become a star opposite Collins after a promising rookie year of 41 catches, 525 yards and six touchdowns.

Indianapolis Colts

Hope: Indianapolis has a trio of offensive studs to rely on in tight end Tyler Warren, running back Jonathan Taylor and receiver Alec Pierce. With the quarterback situation a bit uncertain to start the season, those three could keep the offense afloat.

Mope: Daniel Jones really struggled down the stretch before getting hurt. In his final five games of the year, the Colts went 3–2 while Jones threw for 1,039 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. Now, he’s coming off a broken leg and torn Achilles, and doesn’t have Michael Pittman Jr. to target.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Hope: The coaching is elite. Liam Coen did a wonderful job a year ago, leading the Jaguars to a nine-game improvement in his first season, while defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile transformed his unit from ranking 31st to 11th.

Mope: Jacksonville didn’t have a first-round pick to add a young stud to the roster, while Travis Etienne Jr. and linebacker Devin Lloyd both left in free agency. The roster remains solid, but it’s taken some hits in recent months.

Kansas City Chiefs

Hope: Patrick Mahomes is participating at OTAs only six months after tearing his ACL and LCL, and the addition of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III should ease his burden once the real games start.

Mope: The receivers are unreliable. Rashee Rice is serving a 30-day sentence in jail, Xavier Worthy was hurt for all of three plays last year with shoulder and ankle injuries, and the other wideouts on the roster are veteran Tyquan Thornton, second-year man Jalen Royals and rookie Cyrus Allen. It’s a huge concern if Rice and Worthy can’t shoulder the load.

Las Vegas Raiders

Hope: Fernando Mendoza leads a rookie class loaded with talent, including second-round defensive back Treydan Stukes and fourth-round corner Jermod McCoy. If general manager John Spytek comes up with aces here, that’s a game-changer for the franchise.

Mope: The Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since the 2002 season, primarily because they keep cycling through new coaches and quarterbacks. Until there’s a proven answer, there’s a healthy reason to be skeptical.

Los Angeles Chargers

Hope: Justin Herbert is a top-10 quarterback, and his bodyguards, tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, are healthy again. Last year, that duo combined for only six starts, as Herbert was sacked 54 times, fewer than only Geno Smith and Cam Ward.

Mope: Who is catching the ball? Ladd McConkey led the team with 789 yards last season, and he’s surrounded by 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston and second-year wideout Tre Harris. Without Keenan Allen back, that group is awfully thin.

Los Angeles Rams

Hope: This is the best team in the league on paper. The Rams went to the NFC title game and then added a pair of All-Pros, edge rusher Myles Garrett and corner Trent McDuffie. If Los Angeles doesn’t win its second Super Bowl in five years, it would be a disappointment.

Mope: Matthew Stafford is 38 years old, and if he sustains a long-term injury, the Rams have Stetson Bennett and rookie Ty Simpson as his backups. Also, this could be a one-year run for Los Angeles, which has a host of high-priced free agents eligible for extensions, including wideouts Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, guards Kevin Dotson and Steve Avila and defensive linemen Byron Young and Kobie Turner.

Miami Dolphins

Hope: Malik Willis turns into one of the best free-agent signings of all time. After taking a three-year deal to join the Dolphins, Willis is being tasked with taking over the league’s least-talented team with only six career starts.

Mope: If Willis isn’t good, or rookie coach Jeff Hafley isn’t ready to lead a group, the Dolphins could legitimately challenge to become one of the worst teams in NFL history.

Minnesota Vikings

Hope: Kyler Murray might have been released by the last-place Cardinals, but he’s a much better option than J.J. McCarthy, who finished last year throwing for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 57.6% of his attempts. If Murray can play league-average ball, it could help Minnesota reach the playoffs after a 9–8 record a year ago.

Mope: In that same vein, can Murray play well enough and stay healthy enough to lift the Vikings? Murray was released by Arizona primarily because he played in only 30 games over the past three seasons.

New England Patriots

Hope: After a surprise run to the Super Bowl, the Patriots have added All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown, along with fellow wideout Romeo Doubs, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, fullback Reggie Gilliam and defensive end Dre’Mont Jones. It will be hard to replicate last year’s jaunt, but the Patriots are well-positioned to try.

Mope: The offseason has been a disaster in terms of distractions, led by coach Mike Vrabel’s alleged affair with reporter Dianna Russini becoming a national story. Then there’s the schedule, which, after playing the easiest slate this century, has road games against the Bills, Chiefs, Seahawks, Jaguars, Bears and Chargers.

New Orleans Saints

Hope: The Saints played much-improved football over the final month of last season, winning four of their final five games. With quarterback Tyler Shough and coach Kellen Moore in their second years, and New Orleans having added first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson and free-agent back Travis Etienne Jr., the firepower is there to make a run at the division.

Mope: What’s the defense going to look like? New Orleans hasn’t re-signed longtime defensive end Cameron Jordan and has allowed both linebacker Demario Davis and corner Alontae Taylor to leave in free agency. After ranking 16th in points allowed a year ago, will that figure trend in the wrong direction?

New York Giants

Hope: John Harbaugh brings a Super Bowl ring and 12 playoff appearances to the Big Apple, along with some Baltimore free agents in tight end Isaiah Likely, All-Pro punter Jordan Stout and fullback Patrick Ricard. The rebuild is ongoing, but the Giants are making strides.

Mope: This offseason has been somewhat marred about whether Malik Nabers can return in time for Week 1 after tearing his ACL, alongside the public spat of quarterback Jaxson Dart and linebacker Abdul Carter, leading to a team meeting.

New York Jets

Hope: Aaron Glenn enters his second year as coach, and the Jets are bolstering their roster with a trio of first-round choices in edge rusher David Bailey, tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper Jr. The team is far from perfect, but it should be more athletic and explosive.

Mope: Geno Smith is an improvement over Justin Fields, but Smith led the NFL with 17 interceptions last season. He’s a borderline starter at this point, and without great talent around him, New York appears poised to finish in the bottom half of the AFC East for the 11th consecutive year.

Philadelphia Eagles

Hope: Coach Nick Sirianni has one of the best winning percentages in NFL history for a coach with at least five seasons under his belt, sitting at .694 with two Super Bowl appearances and a ring. While the talent level might not be what it was a few years ago, the Eagles still have stars across the roster, including newly acquired edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who had 12 sacks in 2024.

Mope: Losing A.J. Brown could prove a blow too severe to overcome. The Eagles are relying heavily on first-round receiver Makai Lemon to fill those shoes opposite DeVonta Smith. Philadelphia is also banking on running back Saquon Barkley to be more of his 2024 version (2,005 yards, 13 touchdowns) than last year’s edition (1,140 yards, seven touchdowns). Not an easy jump to make.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Hope: The roster is stacked after adding corner Jamel Dean, safety Jaquan Brisker and receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Furthermore, new coach Mike McCarthy brings 174 wins and a Super Bowl ring to Pittsburgh, along with familiarity with quarterback Aaron Rodgers after they spent 13 years together in Green Bay.

Mope: Rodgers is 42 and didn’t look the part of a winning quarterback last year, throwing for 3,322 yards on 6.7 yards per attempt. If the Steelers are going to challenge for a title, Rodgers needs to somehow reverse the effects of Father Time for one season.

San Francisco 49ers

Hope: How many teams would trade in their roster for what the 49ers have? Probably 90% of the NFL, if not more. San Francisco has All-Pros at almost every position group, save for the secondary, led by tight end George Kittle, left tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey, edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.

Mope: Can the 49ers finally stay healthy and put everything together for one year? San Francisco has reached two Super Bowls and four NFC championship games since the start of 2019, but injuries, Patrick Mahomes and some bad luck have kept it from winning its sixth title in franchise history.

Seattle Seahawks

Hope: We’ve seen teams repeat as Super Bowl champions before, with the Chiefs most recently in 2022 and ’23. Seattle doesn’t have the star quarterback, but the roster is dotted with high-end talent, including reigning receiving champ Jaxon Smith-Njigba, left tackle Charles Cross and a defense that ranked sixth in yards and first in points last year.

Mope: The Super Bowl tax is a real thing. Seattle was pillaged in free agency with defensive end Boye Mafe, corner Riq Woolen, safety Coby Bryant and running back Kenneth Walker III all leaving for more money elsewhere. While the Seahawks still have enough to be a contender, that’s a major talent drain.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hope: Even after losing Mike Evans in free agency, this is a talented offense. Baker Mayfield is one year removed from throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. That same season, then-rookie back Bucky Irving totaled 1,122 rushing yards on 5.4 yards per carry. With second-year wideout Emeka Egbuka coming off a 938-yard campaign, the Buccaneers have ample skill-position talent.

Mope: The defense will be relying on veteran additions, including linebacker Alex Anzalone and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad. Both are 31 and weren’t deemed important enough by the Lions to bring back after finishing 18th defensively.

Tennessee Titans

Hope: This is a new day in Tennessee with Robert Saleh taking over as head coach. Saleh also inherits a team with far more talent than last year’s edition after general manager Mike Borgonzi signed defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers, slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, and corners Cor’Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor, among others. There’s also defensive end Keldric Faulk and receiver Carnell Tate as first-round picks.

Mope: It’s a long climb for the Titans, who won three games last year. And, while the talent is there, what can Cam Ward become? Ward posted the league’s worst EPA as a rookie at -143.2. If he’s not better, nothing else will make a big enough difference.

Washington Commanders

Hope: Jayden Daniels is healthy, and we saw the magic he worked as Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, leading the Commanders to the NFC title game. The defense was also bolstered by myriad signings, including defensive ends Odafe Oweh and Charles Omenihu, safety Nick Cross and linebacker Leo Chenal.

Mope: Who is catching a pass outside of Terry McLaurin? Right now, the depth chart includes Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane, who all combined for 558 yards in 2025.

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