NFL 2025: Three Quarterbacks Already Under Huge Pressure
The 2025 NFL season is finally here, and for some, excitement levels are higher than others. At the top of the optimism charts come both the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens, the two teams that are considered the favorites to storm to Super Bowl glory this term, despite the fact that they have been owned by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC in recent years.
Last season, that was the case once again. While pundits were raving about the MVP battle between Buffalo's Josh Allen and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, the mercurial Mahomes quietly went about his business. Despite posting the lowest numbers of his career, the modern great still managed to lead KC to a third straight Super Bowl appearance before coming unstuck against a rampant Philadelphia Eagles side that sacked Mahomes six times en route to the Lombardi.
As the new season nears, Mahomes and the Chiefs are once again in the headlines. On the field, many are wondering how - or if, even - they can rebound from that New Orleans dismantling at the hands of the Birds. Off the field, the tabloids are falling over themselves in a bid to cover tight end Travis Kelce’s engagement to pop megastar Taylor Swift, a sideshow that’s prompted the bookies to offer betting markets such as Kelce's best man and the wedding date.
But amid all this noise, some quarterbacks are looking ahead nervously at the new season. Here are three QBs who head into 2025 under immense pressure, and our thoughts on whether they can weather the storm.
Joe Flacco
Stories in Cleveland rarely begin with optimism, but 2025 is different. Online sports betting websites predict that the Browns are set for a tumultuous year. The latest odds from Bovada’s sports, casino, and poker website currently have the Ohio outfit listed as +30000 outsiders for the Super Bowl, the longest odds of anybody in the country. Now, 40-year-old Joe Flacco must attempt to turn the narrative, and he must do so with two young and hungry rookies breathing down his neck. A lot of folks will be watching Bovada’s sports site to see how the odds are stacking up as the games progress.
With the opening weekend looming, Flacco has been named as Cleveland's starting QB, seeing off the challenge of Kenny Pickett, who has since been traded away. Much of that stems from the legendary numbers he posted two years ago with the Browns: a 4-1 record, 1,616 yards, 13 touchdown passes, and a Comeback Player of the Year trophy that gleamed brighter than Lake Erie in late autumn.
But sentimentality isn’t a game plan, and Flacco knows it. The Browns are banking on the future, with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders quietly preparing in the wings, while Deshaun Watson labors through another Achilles rehab.
More damning is the six-game opening gauntlet: Bengals, Ravens, Lions, Packers, Vikings, Steelers, a murderer’s row of playoff-caliber opponents. If Flacco and Cleveland falter out of the gate, the Kevin Stefanski era could swiftly pivot toward youth, turning the veteran quarterback's comeback into a fleeting chapter for a city desperate not to fall further behind in the cutthroat AFC North.
Brock Purdy
From irrelevance to icon, Brock Purdy’s journey is the kind that movies are made of. As a rookie, he dazzled with poise and improvisation, rising from third on the depth chart to win the faith of the locker room and—crucially—the front office. They responded with a contract extension worthy of a franchise cornerstone, and Purdy rewarded them with a trip to the Super Bowl in 2023, only to be downed by Mahomes and the Chiefs in overtime.
But last year’s script wobbled. Purdy’s 2024 numbers reflected a quarterback pulling back from the edge: fewer clutch throws, an offense at times stuck in the mud, and a fanbase grumbling in the echo chamber of raised expectations. 6-11, rock bottom of the AFC West, and preseason dreams of a second straight Big Game left in tatters.
Now, the margin for error is as thin as Bay Area fog. With Christian McCaffrey’s health restored, Brandon Aiyuk on the outside, and a defensive unit ranked among the league's elite, the window is open for another Super Bowl push—and anything less would be a failure. Expert previews put it bluntly: “It’s championship or bust for this version of the Niners, and Purdy’s got the keys.”
Forget underdog mystique. Purdy’s mandate is to justify every dollar, every ounce of faith, starting with a Week 1 faceoff against a resurgent Seahawks squad. The ghosts of Montana and Young still loom above Levi’s Stadium. This autumn, Purdy either claims his seat among them—or learns just how fickle the NFL’s court of opinion can be.
J.J. McCarthy
How quickly tides turn in the NFL. Twelve months ago, J.J. McCarthy was holding a clipboard while Sam Darnold unexpectedly authored a 14-win Vikings miracle. The front office’s decision to move on was bold, if not controversial—now the microscope sharpens.
McCarthy’s inheritance is gold-plated: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, a top-10 offensive line, and a defense stocked with playmakers. Analysts see Minnesota as a playoff frontrunner in the loaded NFC North, assuming competent quarterback play. That’s an enormous caveat.
Unlike Caleb Williams in Chicago, McCarthy’s every snap will be graded against Darnold’s ghost. The patience typically afforded to young QBs is a luxury he won’t enjoy. Step up—he’s a hero. Falter early, and the critique will be relentless, bordering on existential: did the Vikings torch a window of contention for the promise of upside? Week 1 against the Bears isn’t just a test of talent; it’s a referendum on Minnesota’s vision for its future.
Free 2025 NFL Player Props
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