Ranking Eliminated NFL Teams Most Likely to Bounce Back Next Season
There are 19 teams that still have a shot of making the NFL playoffs as we head into the penultimate week of the season. Those teams are still focused on winning out, and some are hoping for a few results to help them out.
However, there are 13 teams that are heading back to the drawing board. Those teams go into the final two weeks of the season without a shot of making the postseason and will have to find ways to improve their rosters.
Not every situation is created equal for eliminated teams, though. As we look to the New Year, some teams are in a better position to stick to their resolution of becoming a playoff team. Others are engaged in more long-term projects.
Here, we'll take a look at each of the eliminated teams, the resources they have to get better and rank how likely they are to bounce back as playoff teams in 2025.
Multiyear Projects
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It's a harsh reality that with 13 teams out of the playoff race at this point, there are going to be several teams next year that will end up in the same spot they're in right now. Some teams simply have too many major issues to fix in one offseason.
These teams can make big strides during the offseason and still be out of the playoff picture next season.
13. New York Giants
2024 Record: 2-13
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $57.3 million (15th)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 9 Total (one on Day 1, two on Day 2, six on Day 3)
The Giants don't have an answer at quarterback and don't have the environment in place for a rookie to succeed either way. They are essentially where the Patriots were this season. Even if they get the No. 1 pick and nail the selection, they still have a porous defense, a struggling offensive line and not a lot of weapons outside of Malik Nabers.
12. Las Vegas Raiders
2024 Record: 3-12
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $111.6 million (2nd)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 10 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2, six on Day 3)
Head coach Antonio Pierce's first year on the job couldn't have gone much worse. The Raiders defense, which looked great at the end of 2023, took a nosedive in 2024, and the Raiders' quarterback situation was bleak the whole season.
Their chances of fixing their need issues at the game's most important position took a hit when they won last week against the Jaguars and went from having a top-two pick all but wrapped up to currently picking sixth. If the Raiders can't land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, it becomes a harder sell that they'll be much better in 2025.
11. Carolina Panthers
2024 Record: 4-11
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $34.1 million (20th)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 9 Total (one on Day 1, two on Day 2, six on Day 3)
There are just so many questions. Has Bryce Young done enough to continue being the starter? Will Panthers owner David Tepper give Dave Canales enough time to establish himself as a head coach? The Panthers' cap situation isn't as good as some of the other teams on this list, which is wild given the lack of talent in some areas of the roster.
10. Tennessee Titans
2024 Record: 3-12
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $64.4 million (10th)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 8 Total (one on Day 1, one on Day 2 and six on Day 3)
The Titans seem set on moving on from Will Levis. Benching him in favor of Mason Rudolph to close out the season isn't a move they would make if they believed he was the future. So there's a major question at quarterback.
The good news is that the basis for a decent defense is already in place. L'Jarius Sneed heads up a decent secondary, and the Titans are seventh in yards allowed per play. The team has given up a lot of points this season, but they don't feel far off from having a good defense.
9. New England Patriots
2024 Record: 3-12
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $132.4 million (1st)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 9 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2 and five on Day 3)
If general manager Eliot Wolf has a home run offseason, then this ranking might look foolish. The Patriots have found their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye. It's just that they have questions at just about every other premium position. The good news is that they are stocked with cap space to make a splash in free agency. That's not a strategy that has worked for them in the past, though.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars
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2024 Record: 3-12
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $41.1 million (18th)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 10 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2, six on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
The Jaguars don't have the best resources to turn things around from a cap perspective. They are likely going to need to review some high-profile cut candidates like Evan Engram and Christian Kirk to get a little more financial wiggle room. They do, however, have one of the better quarterback situations of limited teams. Trevor Lawrence is good enough to attract a quality coach.
Brian Thomas Jr. has done a lot as a rookie to convince a new coach that the Jaguars have a quarterback to receiver connection they can build a passing attack around. The defense needs work, but the Jaguars have enough draft capital and cap room to bring in some difference-makers.
Biggest Obstacles
There are some good things going for Jacksonville, but it's still not going to be easy to turn things around in one offseason. Lawrence's absence has hurt, but the team was 2-8 in the 10 games he started this season. The defense might need more help than the front office can really find in one offseason.
The bones might be there for the Jaguars to have a dynamic passing game, but the passing defense is a real concern. The Jags are 32nd in pressure percentage despite Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker coming off the edge. The secondary has given up a league-high 106.4 passer rating. These are serious flaws.
7. New Orleans Saints
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2024 Record: 5-9
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): -$78.1 million
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 8 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2 and four on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
For the first time in 20 years, the Saints are going to have the opportunity to have a completely new voice heading up the coaching staff. Sean Payton was the head coach from 2006 to 2022, and his longtime defensive coordinator took over in Dennis Allen. They hired an outside offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak this season, but the coaching ideas and structure have mostly been the same for just about two decades.
There were obviously a lot of great seasons in that era, but a new direction could be exciting. If the Saints nail the coaching hire, there's a chance they turn things around. There are some important pieces in place that could entice a quality candidate to take the job.
Biggest Obstacles
The annual issue with the Saints comes with the way they manage the cap. They are a bit of an outlier in their willingness to continue pushing huge amounts of money into the future, and maxing out the credit card every season forces a cutdown every offseason. As it stands, the Saints are projected to be over $78 million in the red.
However, restructure potential is a better statistic to look at for the Saints. According to Over the Cap the Saints can get to $34.6 million in cap space with simple restructures. That's still kicking the can down the road, but there is a path to carve out some cap space. Still, the Saints are likely to lose some quality free agents like Chase Young and Paulson Adebo. Their management of the cap is an even bigger problem with their quarterback situation. Moving on from Derek Carr would create a massive dead-cap charge.
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6. Cleveland Browns
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2024 Record: 3-12
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): -$18.9 million
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 11 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2, seven on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
The majority of the Browns' problems are on offense. The defense took a step back from last season, but some of that was injury-related, and it's easy to have faith in the raw talent they have and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's ability. Offensively, it's a little more difficult to get behind them.
However, moving on from Deshaun Watson and getting a quarterback—any other quarterback—would bring hope to Cleveland. Between Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, there's a lot of offensive brain power on the coaching staff. Getting a quarterback who can simply execute the offense would be a huge boon. Perhaps Kirk Cousins, who will likely be available this offseason, would help get the Browns to the 2026 draft where there's a more promising class.
Biggest Obstacles
We just threw out a 36-year-old quarterback coming off his worst season as the potential fix for Cleveland next season. So that's emblematic of the struggle they're facing this offseason. Deshaun Watson's contract is still a burden as evidenced by the Browns' negative cap space projection.
The personnel issues go beyond the quarterback position. The Browns have questions at left tackle with Jedrick Wills set to hit free agency, and it's still unclear if the receiving corps is up to snuff or what the running back room will look like with Nick Chubb suffering a broken foot ahead of his impending free agency.
5. Chicago Bears
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2024 Record: 4-11
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $81.7 million (fifth)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 8 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2, four on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
Looking at the talent the Bears had surrounding Caleb Williams, their record and production on offense just don't make sense. The Bears' offensive line is in the middle of the pack when you look at ESPN's pass-block win rate, which helps mitigate Williams' propensity for holding on to the ball too long. The receiver trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze was a collective disappointment, but we know how good Moore is, and Odunze should only get better.
If the Bears can nail their head coaching hire, there is a lot to work with. Matt Eberflus' staff wasn't able to maximize the offense's personnel, and finding a staff that can do that could go a long way toward a bounce-back season in 2025.
Biggest Obstacles
The Bears' issues are more than just coaching. The offensive line isn't without its faults, and finding a new starting right guard needs to be a priority. The defense still needs a few more players to match the on-paper talent of its offense. Fortunately, general manager Ryan Poles is going to have the resources to improve the team.
They have a significant amount of cap space with a rookie quarterback and four draft picks within the first three rounds. Things are looking up in Chicago if they get the coaching hire right.
4. New York Jets
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2024 Record: 4-11
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $31.7 million (21st)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 8 Total (one on Day 1, two on Day 2 and five on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
The Jets were one of the biggest wild cards of the season, and they happened to hit the lower end of their range of outcomes. They have an interesting construction in that they have a young core of rising stars in Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson combined with the oldest starting quarterback in the league and his longtime running mate Davante Adams. That sounds like a great football team, but it just hasn't been for most of the season.
Perhaps moving on from the older pair of Rodgers and Adams combined with the right coach would give the Jets the juice they need to earn their first playoff berth since 2010.
Biggest Obstacles
Who plays quarterback if the Jets move on from Rodgers? Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that it's a "long shot" that Rodgers will play for New York in 2025. The 41-year-old has had his fair share of struggles this season, but the Jets' options moving into next season could be limited.
The 2025 draft quarterback class is short on start-now rookies. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are the only options who are consensus first-year starters. The free-agent class might produce one starter if Sam Darnold and the Vikings part ways, but would Darnold even be up for a return to New York after the first go-round?
There are more questions than answers at the most important position for New York.
3. Dallas Cowboys
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2024 Record: 7-8
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $19.5 million (24th)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 10 Total (one on Day 1, two on Day 2 and seven on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
The Cowboys are a prime candidate to turn things around and at least be a playoff team next season. Mike McCarthy, Jerry Jones and Dak Prescott might be maligned entities in football, but they are each accustomed to making the postseason. This year snapped a three-season streak of making the postseason, and McCarthy has coached in 22 playoff games.
Injuries really cost Dallas this season. The list of Cowboys players who have missed at least four games with injury this season includes Prescott, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, DeMarcus Lawrence and Brandin Cooks. Not many teams could withstand that many major injuries, and the Cowboys still managed to stay in the playoff race up until this week.
Biggest Obstacles
Expectations and balancing the budget. The Cowboys had a major spotlight on them going into the season. They're a high-profile team with high-profile stars, and this was supposed to be a year they put everything together.
There's going to be a temptation to blow things up. The team has handed massive contracts out to Prescott and CeeDee Lamb with Parsons due for an extension. The Cowboys really need to get everyone healthy and get younger (and cheaper) at a few positions. Doing that while keeping the core of Prescott, Parsons, Diggs and Lamb together is going to be key.
2. Arizona Cardinals
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2024 Record: 7-8
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $88.9 million (fourth)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 5 Total (one on Day 1, two on Day 2, two on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
All things considered, the Cardinals took positive steps forward in 2024. They'll have a chance to double their win total from 2023 and could even finish with their first winning season since 2021 if they can win the final two games of the season. Throw in the fact that they are toward the top of the league in cap space, and it's not hard to see Monti Ossenfort putting together a roster that can win the NFC West next season.
They have no major impending free agents, so they could use that cash to put some enticing offers out to a few impact free agents and push this thing to the next level.
Biggest Obstacles
Building out the defense is going to be the most challenging part of the offseason. The Cardinals have needs at some of the important positions. Cornerbacks and edge-rushers are the hardest things to find, and the Cardinals need new answers at both positions.
The offense has a lot of exciting pieces with Kyler Murray throwing the ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride behind an offensive line that features Paris Johnson Jr., but the Cardinals have spent a lot of resources on offense and need to balance things out.
1. San Francisco 49ers
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2024 Record: 6-9
2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $67.1 million (ninth)
2025 NFL Draft Picks: 11 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2, seven on Day 3)
Why They Can Turn it Around
The Niners' drop-off this season was one of the most surprising developments of the year. In retrospect, it shouldn't have been. This is a franchise that has made it to the conference championship game for the last three seasons and made it to the Super Bowl in 2023. Fatigue and injuries are bound to catch up at some point, and they definitely did this season.
It's not hard to envision this team being right back in the thick of things next season. They need to get some veterans back to full health and re-tool some areas of the roster, but they also have decent resources to do it this offseason.
Biggest Obstacle
The biggest obstacle for the Niners is going to be balancing their desire to be a contender in 2025 with the long-term path forward. A contract extension for Brock Purdy could be on the docket, but that really won't affect the cap situation until 2026. Still, they have to make tough decisions on players like Deebo Samuel.
His production took a massive dip this season, and they could release the 29-year-old with a post-June 1 designation and save $5.2 million against the cap. Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw are talented free agents who could be on the way out.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
