Biggest NFL Storylines to Track After League Announces Workout Dates for All 32 Teams
While there's no shortage of pre-draft buzz in early April, it may feel like the NFL offseason is otherwise in a quiet period. The early frenzy of free agency has subsided and training camp feels like a world away.
However, the start of offseason programs is right around the corner. The NFL announced workout dates for all 32 teams on Thursday, and Phase One—which consists of meetings, strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation—will begin this month.
Some teams with new head coaches, such as the New England Patriots and New York Jets, will begin their offseason programs as early as Monday.
While early offseason workouts are voluntary, some teams will have plenty at stake in the coming days. With this in mind, let's take a look at the biggest NFL storylines to follow ahead of voluntary workouts, organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps.
The Aaron Rodgers Waiting Game
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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 41 years old and coming off of a disappointing two-year stretch with the New York Jets. However, the future Hall of Famer looms as the top unsigned quarterback in the league and one of the offseason's biggest storylines.
Rodgers, who was released by the Jets early in the offseason, has already met with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A deal between the two could come at some point. However, waiting for a different opportunity or entering retirement are also options for the four-time MVP.
Unfortunately for the Steelers—who will begin their offseason program on April 21 and open OTAs on May 27—the veteran has offered little clarity. He recently had a throwing session with Steelers receiver DK Metcalf, which would seem to suggest a level of interest in playing for Pittsburgh. Some rumors, however, suggest his interest level is low.
"I had somebody suggest to me yesterday, and I’m just sharing what I heard, what this person's opinion is," ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio recently said (h/t Noah Strackbein of SI.com. "...The opinion is he doesn't really want to play for the Steelers, and he's waiting for Minnesota."
Pittsburgh would, presumably, prefer to have Rodgers in the building this month for meetings and voluntary workouts. It would certainly like to have some clarity before the draft begins on April 24.
As of now, Mason Rudolph tops the team's depth chart, but the Steelers could draft a quarterback early, whether Rodgers is on the roster or not.
There could be more pressure on Pittsburgh to pick a passer, though, if Rodgers remains undecided in two weeks.
J.J. McCarthy's Recovery
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Rodgers does appear to be interested in landing with the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Kevin O'Connell recently told reporters that the quarterback reached out to his team.
For Rodgers, the Vikings would be a sensible destination for the 2025 season. They boast receivers such as Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and they won 14 games a year ago.
Minnesota also might have an opening, even though it used a first-round pick on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy last offseason. But he suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason and never saw the field as a rookie.
With Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones both departing in free agency, the Vikings only have Brett Rypien as a veteran insurance policy.
Now, they have done nothing to suggest they don't believe in McCarthy—general Kwesi Adofo-Mensah called him starting "the outcome we want" last month, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
If McCarthy is going to be the Week 1 starter, though, he'll need to be healthy. Therefore, his ongoing recovery should be extremely interesting to the Vikings, their fans and to Rodgers.
Recent indications suggest the 22-year-old's recovery is on schedule.
"Every checkpoint he's exceeded," Adofo-Mensah told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on April 2.
However, everyone should have a better idea of where McCarthy truly is after Minnesota's offseason program begins on April 21.
Kirk Cousins Trade Speculation
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The Steelers and Vikings aren't the only teams that could be in the market for a veteran quarterback before the summer.
The Cleveland Browns don't have a sure-fire Week 1 starter in the fold, and there's still no guarantee the Tennessee Titans will select Miami's Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins still looms as an option for teams that don't have a starter in place by the end of the draft.
The Falcons' prized free-agent-addition-turned-backup is looking for a starting opportunity, but he won't find it in Atlanta as long as Michael Penix Jr. is healthy.
The four-time Pro Bowler has a no-trade clause and would prefer to be released, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"Kirk is asking to be cut loose," he told 92.3 The Fan's Baskin and Phelps (h/t CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin).
Any team trading for Cousins would pick up his $27 million base salary, which could be problematic for a team like Cleveland. Atlanta would save just $2.5 million in cap space by dealing him, though that number would jump to $27.5 million if he's traded after June 1.
The Falcons, though, appear unwilling to release the 36-year-old and are prepared for a potential offseason standoff.
"I'm not going to be foolish to think that he's going to show up for voluntary work right now," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told reporters during last week's owners meetings.
We probably won't see Cousins in Atlanta when the offseason program begins on April 22. But we probably won't see him released or traded before the draft begins, either.
"Cousins has already signaled to teams that he would likely want to wait to see what happens over draft weekend before accepting a trade," Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote last month.
However, Rodgers' decision, McCarthy's recovery and Cleveland's evaluation of QB prospects such as Shedeur Sanders, Will Howard and Jaxson Dart could change plenty in the coming weeks.
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Trey Hendrickson's Contract Drama
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Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher and reigning NFL sacks leader Trey Hendrickson is another player who probably won't be reporting this month.
The 30-year-old is seeking a contract extension. He's also been waiting for the Bengals to give him an acceptable offer while watching Cincinnati extend wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with lucrative long-term deals.
According to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, the Bengals' offer has been in the range of $28 million per year.
The Bengals have granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade,but they also haven't been willing to accept reasonable offers from interested teams. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported last month that teams found Cincinnati's asking price to be "ridiculous."
The contract stalemate continues, with the Bengals recently going public to place the blame on Hendrickson.
"I think some of it is on him to be happy at some point, and if he's not, you know, that's what holds it up sometimes," executive vice president Katie Blackburn said on Tuesday, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Blackburn's statement didn't sit particularly well with the four-time Pro Bowler.
"That was a little disappointing because communication has been poor over the last couple months," he told The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday (h/t Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek). "That's something I hold in high regard, and they have not communicated with my agent directly. It's been something that's a little bit frustrating."
While Hendrickson's situation could remain unchanged through the entire offseason, it should draw additional interest in the coming weeks.
The Bengals will begin their offseason program, likely without their best defensive player, on April 21. They could determine in the days before the draft that targeting a pass-rusher early is a necessity.
Any team hoping to land Hendrickson in a trade would probably prefer to have him in the fold for their first on-field workouts—which, for some teams, will occur this month.
What to Expect From New Coaches
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Fans craving insight into the 2025 season may get a bit of it this week. The Patriots, Jets and Chicago Bears are set to begin their offseason programs on Monday.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders will begin their programs on Tuesday, while the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints will start on April 14.
These are the seven teams that hired new head coaches this offseason, and they'll each be getting an early start on the offseason. New head coaches are also entitled to an additional voluntary veteran minicamp, which the Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, Raiders and Bears will all do before the draft.
For the record, the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, the Jets hired Aaron Glenn, the Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer, the Saints hired Kellen Moore, the Jaguars hired Liam Coen, the Raiders hired Pete Carroll, and the Bears hired Ben Johnson.
While these early stages of the offseason aren't typically labor-intensive, they can provide an early glimpse of how new coaches plan to run their programs and what types of schemes will be installed.
Vrabel and Carroll have been NFL head coaches before, so Patriots and Raiders fans should have some idea of what to expect. There are more unknowns with first-time coaches such as Schottenheimer and Glenn, though there's been plenty of positive buzz to this point.
"As long as he's got the support, A.G. will turn that thing around," Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Glenn, his former defensive coordinator, per ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith.
The early offseason will also be important for teams that lost coordinators like the Lions (Glenn, Johnson) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Coen).
Fans likely remember when the Philadelphia Eagles lost offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon two offseasons ago and then struggled to find consistency on either side of the ball during the regular season.
Detroit is in the same boat this offseason, though Campbell doesn't expect it to be an issue.
"We'll be fine," he said, per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.
Many teams will face big coaching adjustments this offseason, and some of them will begin the process in the coming days.
The Colts' QB Competition
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The Indianapolis Colts stuck with Shane Steichen as their head coach and won't conduct a veteran minicamp before the draft. However, they will begin their offseason program on April 21 and may provide some early speculation about their upcoming quarterback competition.
Two years ago, the Colts used the fourth overall pick on Florida's Anthony Richardson. However, injuries and inconsistent play have prevented the 22-year-old from establishing himself as a reliable starter.
This offseason, general manager Chris Ballard targeted Daniel Jones to provide competition in the quarterback room. It's expected to be a true and completely open battle between former first-round picks.
While Indianapolis won't open its first OTA until May 28, there's a chance both quarterbacks will be in the building for meetings and workout programs later this month. That won't determine a whole lot, of course, but fans could get a few details on how the two signal-callers are conducting themselves as leaders and what sort of focus each is bringing to the offseason.
The Colts are hoping to see more from Richardson.
"Anthony has accepted all of it. He understands there needs to be some growth in his work," Ballard said, per Mike Chappell of Fox 59 Indianapolis.
While not everyone will find a battle between Jones and Richardson intriguing, it might be the only truly open QB competition we see this offseason that doesn't involve a rookie.
Other key position battles will inevitably emerge around the league this season, though most of them won't be known until after this month's draft.
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