The 2025 NFL offseason isn’t over, but it’s already produced a plethora of big-name storylines: Aaron Rodgers trying to save the Pittsburgh Steelers, George Pickens landing with the Dallas Cowboys, a bunch of high-profile pass rushers seeking new contracts during minicamp, and so much more.
What about the storylines that never quite came to fruition but could’ve shaken up the entire NFL landscape going into the new season? You know, the deals that never were. The trades that almost materialized but couldn’t get over the finish line. The splashy signings that were rumored but never panned out. In many ways, the offseason is about what didn’t happen as much as what did. These kinds of close calls can turn out to be blessings in disguise, but they can also produce second thoughts down the line.
With that in mind, we identified five of the wildest what-ifs of the 2025 offseason, including a handful of blockbuster quarterback moves that might’ve drastically altered expectations for certain contenders. Here are a couple of scenarios that never went down but very well could have:
Mike McCarthy to the Bears
Chicago has high hopes for Caleb Williams under new coach Ben Johnson, the long-coveted Detroit Lions play-caller. Despite a tough schedule, plenty are wondering if Windy City might actually snap its playoff drought in 2025. Before Johnson agreed to switch sides in the NFC North, however, the Bears considered reeling in another big fish, interviewing former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy following his abrupt exit from Dallas. Had McCarthy wowed Bears brass to earn the job, he would’ve been matched up against the Green Bay Packers who employed him for 13 years. Johnson, meanwhile, may have landed his first head coaching gig in Las Vegas, where Raiders minority owner Tom Brady hired Pete Carroll … but only after reportedly making a strong push to secure the respected Lions assistant.
If Mike McCarthy had landed with the Bears, prompting Ben Johnson to join the Raiders, it’s very possible, if not probable, that Las Vegas would’ve escalated its pursuit of a quarterback upgrade. What if, instead of dealing a mid-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for old Carroll understudy Geno Smith, they pushed all their chips on the biggest name of the 2025 market? Stafford was permitted to speak with other teams about a potential contract before securing a revised deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and Brady’s Raiders were reportedly among the most interested suitors. Now imagine if Johnson was part of the pitch; he was on staff with the Lions, alongside Stafford, from 2019-2020. In this scenario, it’s not so crazy to envision Stafford rocking silver and black to close his storied gunslinging career.
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Cody Benjamin
Aaron Rodgers to the Rams
Quarterback dominoes are a real thing in the NFL, and if Stafford had left the Rams for the Raiders, there’s little doubt Los Angeles would’ve pivoted to another win-now option, given Sean McVay’s track record, the Rams’ 2024 playoff run, etc. Which proven veteran might’ve piqued the team’s interest? It’s actually no secret: McVay admitted this week that Rodgers, the 41-year-old “missing piece” of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was a strong possibility for L.A. in the event Stafford had cashed in elsewhere. Rodgers, who seemingly spent much of the offseason hoping his market expanded, almost certainly wouldn’t have balked at the idea of suiting up for McVay, in his home state, for a title contender. The fact the real-life Rams went on to sign Davante Adams, Rodgers’ longtime friend and top wide receiver, is just a fun little bonus.
Embattled general manager Joe Schoen lived up to his promise to “look under every rock” for quarterback help this offseason, adding not one but three new passers in Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart. Thing is, he may have settled for just one, had he gotten his wish. After failing to acquire Stafford in a blockbuster trade, Schoen’s Giants were reported as front-runners to land the No. 1 pick in the draft, with Miami’s Cam Ward the anticipated target. What if the Tennessee Titans hadn’t been smitten with Ward — or just so desperate for their own new signal-caller — and actually dealt the top pick to Big Blue? We might be preparing for Ward to open the 2025 season as the new face of the Giants with head coach Brian Daboll finally set to deploy a gunslinger with long-term promise.
If the Giants had made such a splash at quarterback, you can bet the rival Washington Commanders would’ve followed suit with an offensive swing of their own. General manager Adam Peters, after all, wasted no time building around reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels in real life, acquiring both Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil via trade. But what if Samuel, the former San Francisco 49ers star, had gone elsewhere, such as the Houston Texans, another reported suitor? Hill repeatedly teased his desire to split from the Miami Dolphins after the 2024 season, and Washington had plenty of salary cap space to invite his elite speed. Can you imagine Daniels airing it out to both the “Cheetah” and Terry McLaurin in 2025? That would’ve fit the club’s sudden efforts to make an immediate title run.
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