The 2025 NFL season is just weeks away with teams getting a final evaluation of their roster before the summer break. A majority of the 32 teams have completed their mandatory minicamp practices and have moved into the summer break. The next time they take the field will be training camp in late July.
While the NFL will head into the doldrums of the offseason for five weeks before the excitement begins, mandatory minicamp did take center stage. There certainly was no shortage of headlines either with all the holdouts taking place and the quarterback battles going on.
The actual practices won’t have much to break down, yet the storylines off the field were enough to garner overreactions at the conclusion of spring workouts. Which are actually overreactions and which are reality?
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
The odds certainly aren’t in Anthony Richardson’s favor of being the starting quarterback to start the season, not after the latest injury that has kept him out of minicamp. Richardson was shut down May 29 after an aggravation to the AC joint in his throwing shoulder — the same one that required season-ending surgery in 2023.
Daniel Jones has been taking the first-team reps in minicamp and has been throwing well, but the Colts are going to give a top-five pick every opportunity to make the roster. Richardson hasn’t performed well, but health has been his biggest deterrent since entering the league. If Richardson is healthy, he has the opportunity to start Week 1 — and likely will begin the season as the starter.
Jones will get the chance to start if Richardson struggles, but Richardson has to be healthy first and foremost. That’s not a given right now.
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Whatever the Bengals are doing with a first-round draft pick in an era where the rookie wage scale exists is unprofessional. Cincinnati and Shemar Stewart are at odds over interpretation of language in the contract that could affect Stewart’s guaranteed money in his rookie deal, causing the first-round pick to hold out from minicamp.
Essentially the Bengals are trying to avoid future guarantees in the contract, which is unprecedented in the rookie wage scale era. Stewart also refused to sign a practice waiver, which would have protected him against any injury if he practiced. The Bengals have altered language with first-round picks Myles Murphy and Amarius Mims, and are trying to do it again with Stewart.
Stewart is in the right by wanting the guaranteed money he could earn, which was part of the rookie wage scale. The Bengals appear to be on the cheap side of things again.
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Kirk Cousins will be a backup quarterback in 2025
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Kirk Cousins reported to Falcons mandatory minicamp after Atlanta couldn’t find a trade partner for him. While Cousins is “moving forward” as the backup quarterback to Michael Penix Jr., that may be his role for all of 2025. The Falcons could release Cousins, but they would have $50 million in dead money and a $10 million cap hit if Cousins were released.
If Cousins isn’t in Atlanta, where would he start? The best option would be the Saints, but the Falcons certainly wouldn’t trade him to a division rival. The Browns already have five quarterbacks and Aaron Rodgers is with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
There’s just nowhere for Cousins to start but New Orleans. The Falcons simply aren’t releasing him at this stage in the game.
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
Terry McLaurin is holding out over a contract dispute, as he’s entering the final year of his contract. Due a significant raise, McLaurin currently has a base salary of $15.5 million with a cap hit of $25.5 million — the final year of a three-year, $68.4 million deal.
This is typical business between McLaurin and the Commanders, as both sides went through a similar situation prior to McLaurin’s last extension. The Commanders don’t seem too concerned about it, but the market has certainly changed since McLaurin’s last extension.
Is McLaurin worth $30 million a year after coming off a career-high 13 touchdowns? McLaurin finally has a quarterback who can get him the ball consistently and allow him to put up numbers worthy of what a $30 million wide receiver makes. The Commanders would be foolish to let this holdout drag on.
Good chance this holdout ends sooner rather than later.
Travis Hunter should be a full-time player on offense
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
The Jaguars have played Travis Hunter on both sides of the ball in minicamp, giving him reps at wide receiver and cornerback as the first-rounder continues to showcase his ability as a two-way player. While Hunter is looking to prove he can excel at both positions, should he just concentrate on wide receiver as another pass catcher in a promising Jaguars offense?
Jacksonville has an excellent young wideout in Brian Thomas Jr., but Hunter already excels at route running and ball tracking. With Thomas already in place, Hunter will be facing No. 2 cornerbacks often and having the potential to put up big numbers every week. Having Hunter concentrate on one position and excelling would justify his status as the No. 2 pick regardless.
Hunter wants to play both positions and be on the field at all times. As long as he can hold his own and perform well on both sides of the ball, it’s not harming the Jaguars. Jacksonville still would be better putting him at wide receiver full time, as Trevor Lawrence excelling should be first and foremost.
Steelers are a 10-win team with Aaron Rodgers
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Aaron Rodgers took part in the Steelers’ minicamp this week, signing just in time to take place in the most vital portion of the team’s spring workouts. While Rodgers finally put pen to paper last week, it appeared he has been in the Steelers’ plans for a while.
Whether Rodgers is still elite or not is irrelevant; he’s better than any quarterback Pittsburgh had on the roster. The Steelers also have a some playmakers on offense in Jaylen Warren, DK Metcalf and Robert Woods — along with an improving offensive line. Their defense also should be a top-10 unit (and likely will get the T.J. Watt holdout resolved sooner rather than later).
Pittsburgh isn’t elite, but this team is good enough to make the playoffs (the Steelers did make it last year with the Russell Wilson-Justin Fields combination). They should win 10 games with Rodgers at quarterback (if he stays healthy).
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