The NFL Draft — the biggest event of pro football’s offseason — has officially come and gone. Now, all over the league, those draftees, undrafted free-agent signees and tryout players have begun reporting to their new places of employment for rookie minicamps. The NFL never comes to a complete standstill. The business of football has turned into a year-round operation.
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There are a number of key moments and storylines to follow between now and the start of training camps in July. Here’s a look at the most important developments to monitor.
2025 season schedule release
The NFL announced during the draft that it will release the schedule for the 2025 season on May 14, giving football fans yet another day of excitement. As has been the case in recent years, dates and opponents for a few big matchups could trickle out before the full schedule release at 8 p.m. ET on May 14. We already know the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will host the season kickoff game on Thursday night of Week 1, and that the Los Angeles Chargers will be the host team the next night for a game in Brazil. A record seven international NFL games will take place in Brazil, London, Berlin, Madrid and Ireland. But soon, we’ll learn all of the details of those games and others.
Death of the tush push?
NFL owners, split over whether to outlaw the rugby-style modification of the quarterback sneak introduced by the Eagles, decided to table the decision during league meetings in March.
Opponents of the play were expected to spend more time modifying their proposal while additional research was done on potential injury risks. The debate is expected to resume at the next round of owners meetings May 20 and 21 in Minneapolis. There’s a strong possibility the competition committee presents a proposal that would simply outlaw the pushing or pulling of ball carriers anywhere on the field — reviving a rule that was on the books for decades before being removed after the 2004 season because of the challenge in identifying violations on downfield plays. People within the league believe such a proposal would have strong support.
High-ranking NFL officials want the tush-play removed because they don’t view it as a pure football play. Half of the teams agree for now. But two-thirds must vote in favor of a ban for it to pass. Will opponents of the play be able to swing enough votes later this month?
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Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers decision
The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to pine for Rodgers, who had pined unsuccessfully for the Minnesota Vikings, but how much longer will this watch continue? The Steelers didn’t draft a quarterback until the sixth round, when they selected Ohio State’s Will Howard. That could make Rodgers feel a little more secure in joining them. But, one never can tell with Rodgers, who said recently he has been dealing with some personal matters and has no timeline for his decision. Earlier this spring, coach Mike Tomlin tried to downplay any need for a prompt resolution. For now, the Steelers will conduct offseason workouts with Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and Howard as their trio of signal callers.
Will Kirk Cousins stay with Falcons?
Not even a full season after he signed a handsome four-year, $180 million contract, Cousins fell out of favor with Atlanta. The Falcons surprised everyone by drafting Michael Penix Jr. last spring at No. 8, then promoted him to starter with three games left in the regular season. They opted against releasing Cousins this offseason, and thus far haven’t received strong enough interest from other teams to trigger a trade.
So, for now, Cousins remains with the organization and would operate as QB2 during OTAs. Cousins’ situation is likely far from resolved, however. The Falcons could still wind up moving him for the right price. Could the Steelers come calling if Rodgers decides not to join them? Could the Saints, as Derek Carr deals with a shoulder injury that could sideline him all season, try to pry Cousins away from their NFC South rival? Or could the Vikings decide J.J. McCarthy needs more time to prepare to be an NFL starter after last season’s meniscus tear and opt for a reunion with Cousins? It’s possible Cousins could remain Atlanta’s insurance policy for Penix, who dealt with injuries in college. But, for now, the watch continues.
Brock Purdy’s 49ers contract
The San Francisco 49ers have yet to resolve the long-term future of Purdy, who went from “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last pick of the 2022 draft to the quarterback that had them within minutes of winning the Super Bowl two years ago.
For now, Purdy is slated to play the final season of his rookie contract on a salary of $5 million. The 49ers have been trying to work out a deal that gives the quarterback long-term security and also avoids any holdouts this summer or early season. Purdy is expected to wind up with a contract that will pay him around $50 million per season and places him among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. San Francisco just reached a long-term deal with Purdy’s top target, George Kittle, that made Kittle the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. It now seems like a matter of when, not if, Purdy gets paid.
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Dallas dawdles on Micah Parsons
Do-everything linebacker Micah Parsons is one of the top defensive players in the NFL. Only the Dallas Cowboys would drag their feet in compensating him accordingly.
Parsons is entering the final season (his fifth-year option) of his rookie contract, but wants long-term security. As is customary, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has avoided hammering out an extension, and that means the price tag on Parsons has only gone up. Earlier this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders gave Maxx Crosby a three-year, $106.5 million contract, including $91.5 million guaranteed. Then the Cleveland Browns reset the market and made Myles Garrett the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback with a four-year, $160 million contract, including $123.6 million guaranteed.
Will Jones finally open up the checkbook before training camp, or is the Cowboys owner setting himself up for a stare-down that will drag into the preseason or regular season?
Trey Hendrickson’s Bengals extension
Parsons isn’t the only top-flight pass rusher looking for an extension. The Cincinnati Bengals have yet to resolve their dispute with Hendrickson, the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end who is entering the final year of his deal and due to make $15.8 million. The Bengals listened to trade offers but didn’t hear anything enticing enough to move their sacks leader. They did draft edge rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round, but if the Bengals are going to make a run at the Super Bowl, they need to get things worked out with Hendrickson.
Dolphins’ star-studded uncertainty
The Miami Dolphins are working hard to rebound from last season’s disappointing and injury-plagued 8-9 campaign. The hope is that Mike McDaniel and his charges can get back into the playoff race and finally get their first postseason win in 25 years.
But there’s trouble in paradise. There’s friction between leadership and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. And wide receiver Tyreek Hill has vacillated between wanting out and wanting to remain with the Dolphins. He can get out of his contract after this season. Could both stars wind up saying their goodbyes this offseason, or will general manager Chris Grier smooth things over?
Minicamp season
Voluntary offseason practices will take place over the next several weeks. In early June, teams will host mandatory minicamps. That’s when we’ll see how serious some of the aforementioned disgruntled veterans are about trying to leverage their way into new deals. It’s also when we’ll get some insight into how quickly rookies are picking up their systems and working their way into starting roles, as well as the recovery processes of players such as McCarthy, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring tear).
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Training camp
Things will go dark from about mid-June to mid-July, and then before you know it, the league will roar back to life with the start of training camps. The Chargers and Detroit Lions will play each other in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on July 31. And then, five weeks later, another NFL regular season will kick off.
(Photos of Aaron Rodgers and Brock Purdy: Emilee Chinn and Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
