5 Shocking NFL Preseason 2025 Predictions to Know Now
The 2025 NFL Preseason is coming, but not like you think. Get our 5 shocking predictions on rookie busts, blockbuster trades, and on-camera coaching drama.
Marcus Hayes
Seasoned NFL analyst with over a decade of experience covering league-wide storylines.
Ah, the NFL Preseason. The time of year many fans dismiss as meaningless games with vanilla play-calling. But what if I told you this August is set to be one of the most chaotic, narrative-shifting preseasons in recent memory? Forget everything you think you know.
1. The #1 Overall Pick Gets Benched... Before Week 1
Every year, the top draft pick enters the league shouldering the weight of a franchise. For our fictional #1 pick, QB Julian “JuJu” Santos of the Las Vegas Raiders, that weight will prove too heavy, too soon. Santos, a phenom from a spread offense in college, will look completely lost trying to decipher an NFL playbook and read complex defensive schemes.
Throughout the first two preseason games, expect a flurry of missed reads, ugly interceptions, and a deer-in-the-headlights presence. The stats will be brutal: a completion percentage under 50% and more turnovers than touchdowns. Meanwhile, savvy veteran backup Gardner Minshew, brought in as a mentor, will look calm, cool, and collected, effortlessly leading the second-team offense on scoring drives.
By the third and final preseason game—the traditional “dress rehearsal”—the coaching staff will make a shocking but necessary call. They'll announce Minshew as the Week 1 starter to “let the game slow down for Julian.” The media will erupt, but it’s a pragmatic move to protect their long-term investment from being shattered on a national stage. It's a humbling, headline-grabbing moment that proves raw talent isn't enough.
2. A Contender Makes a Panic QB Trade Mid-Preseason
Picture this: The Cincinnati Bengals are flying high. Joe Burrow looks sharp in early camp, and they’re pegged as a top AFC contender. Then, in the second preseason game, disaster strikes. A defensive end rolls up on Burrow’s ankle during a fluke play. The diagnosis? A high ankle sprain, sidelining him for the first 4-6 weeks of the regular season.
The Bengals' front office, knowing their Super Bowl window is wide open, refuses to punt on the first month of the season with an unproven backup. They get on the phone and orchestrate a stunning mid-August trade. Their target: a capable, disgruntled veteran looking for a chance. Think someone like Taylor Heinicke from the Falcons or even a surprise move for a player like Sam Howell from the Seahawks, who has starting experience but is stuck in a backup role.
The trade will send shockwaves through the league, as teams rarely make such significant moves during the preseason. The Bengals will give up a valuable future draft pick (think a 3rd or 4th rounder), signaling they are all-in on this year. It's a high-risk, high-reward move that instantly becomes the biggest story in the NFL.
3. An Undrafted Free Agent Becomes the Preseason Rushing King
The preseason is a breeding ground for underdog stories, but this year, one will tower above the rest. Meet De'Vontay “The Jet” Jones, an explosive but undersized running back from a small FCS school who went undrafted. The Green Bay Packers sign him as a camp body, but from the first snap of the first game, he’s electric.
While the starters rest, Jones will feast on second and third-string defenses. His combination of vision, acceleration, and a surprising ability to break tackles will make him a human highlight reel. He won't just have a good preseason; he'll dominate it, leading the entire NFL in rushing yards and scoring multiple long-distance touchdowns. He'll become the talk of the league, drawing comparisons to past UDFA sensations like Austin Ekeler.
Rookie RB Showdown: The UDFA vs. The Draft Picks
His performance will create a fascinating dilemma for the Packers' coaching staff and make the highly-touted rookie RBs look pedestrian by comparison.
| Player | Draft Status | Team | Projected Preseason Rushing Yards | Key Attribute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Vontay "The Jet" Jones | UDFA | Green Bay Packers | ~280 yards | Explosive Big-Play Ability |
| Kameron Wallace (fictional) | 1st Round (25th overall) | Dallas Cowboys | ~110 yards | Power / Between the Tackles |
| Brian Robinson Jr. (analogy) | 2nd Round (40th overall) | Los Angeles Chargers | ~135 yards | All-Around Versatility |
By the time final cuts are due, Jones will have gone from an afterthought to an indispensable part of the 53-man roster, forcing the team to trade or cut a veteran player to make room for their newfound star.
4. The League's New "4th & 20" Rule Trial Implodes
In a bid to make games more exciting, the NFL will test a radical new rule in the 2025 preseason: the “4th & 20” alternative to the onside kick. Instead of attempting a low-percentage onside kick, a trailing team can opt to try and convert a 4th-and-20 from their own 25-yard line to retain possession.
On paper, it sounds thrilling. In reality, it will be a spectacular failure. We'll see it play out in a nationally televised game. A team down by 8 with two minutes left will convert the 4th & 20. Then they'll score a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie it. On the ensuing possession, the other team will get the ball back with 30 seconds, quickly get into field goal range, and win. Fans and analysts will scream that the rule unfairly penalizes the defense that just made a stop.
In another game, a team will convert a 4th & 20, only to throw an interception on the very next play, leading to an immediate game-losing score. The rule will be deemed too gimmicky, too high-variance, and fundamentally altering the flow of the game's end. By the end of August, the NFL Competition Committee will announce they are scrapping the experiment before it ever sees a regular-season field.
5. The "Hard Knocks" Team Fires a Coach On-Camera
This year, HBO’s Hard Knocks will follow the New York Giants. With a young quarterback entering a pivotal year and a head coach on an increasingly warm seat, the tension is already high. The cameras will capture it all in excruciating detail.
We'll witness heated arguments between Head Coach Brian Daboll and Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka about the direction of the offense. Players will be caught on mic expressing confusion and frustration with the playbook. A key offensive player might even subtly question the coaching in a press conference, creating a media firestorm.
The breaking point will come after a disastrous second preseason game where the first-team offense looks completely inept and scores zero points. With pressure mounting from ownership and the relentless New York media, the Giants will make a stunning move: they will fire OC Mike Kafka. The final episode of Hard Knocks won't be about a player fighting for a roster spot; it will be a somber look at a coach packing his office, a stark reminder of the brutal reality of the NFL. It will be the most dramatic and unforgettable moment in the show's history.
Key Takeaways for the 2025 Season
So, why does all this preseason chaos matter? Here's the bottom line:
- Narratives are Forged in August: The stories that dominate September—rookie struggles, surprise contenders, coaching hot seats—often begin with the sparks we see in the preseason.
- Rosters are Fluid: Jobs are won and lost. A UDFA can become a household name, and a high draft pick can be exposed. Preseason performance, especially against fellow backups, matters immensely to general managers.
- The NFL is Unpredictable: From rule changes to blockbuster trades, the league is always evolving. The preseason is the laboratory where these experiments happen, and sometimes, they blow up.
Don't sleep on the preseason this year. The games may not count in the standings, but the storylines they create will define the entire 2025 season. Grab your popcorn.