David Newton is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Carolina Panthers. Newton began covering Carolina in 1995 and came to ESPN in 2006 as a NASCAR reporter before joining NFL Nation in 2013.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hunter Renfrow’s phone was blowing up late last week while the soon-to-be-again Carolina Panthers wide receiver was picking up a trailer at a recycling business he helps run with his uncle in Woodruff, South Carolina.
Only he didn’t know it.
Blame “Bluey.”
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Yes, the animated children’s television series played a role in Renfrow’s return to the Panthers, less than a week after he was released.
The 2021 Pro Bowler made the mistake of leaving his phone in his vehicle with his two young daughters during the trailer stop. During the 30 minutes he talked to others at the business, there were 10 missed calls from Carolina head coach Dave Canales, general manager Dan Morgan and his agent.
His daughters were too busy watching “Bluey” to answer.
“[The calls] were all just ignored,” Renfrow said.
Panthers WR Hunter Renfrow explains his path jack to the team. pic.twitter.com/owMhFc9ood
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) September 1, 2025
Just as the adventures of the Blue Heeler puppy in the series have become popular among preschool children, Renfrow’s adventures in the NFL have become popular among sports fans.
The 2019 fifth-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders out of Clemson went from a Pro Bowler to out of the league in 2024 while recovering from ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease that impacted his health to the point that the Raiders released him.
He began his comeback this past offseason with the Panthers, the only team he wanted to play for because he grew up watching them as a native of neighboring state South Carolina.
The comeback took a twist last Tuesday when Carolina released the 29-year-old receiver. Canales said at the time he didn’t believe Renfrow was ready for the 53-man roster, but made it clear he and the organization wanted the veteran back on the practice squad.
Then Carolina traded 35-year-old receiver Adam Thielen, whose traits closely resemble Renfrow’s, to the Minnesota Vikings. Thielen’s replacement, Jalen Coker, suffered a quad injury on Thursday that landed him on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games.
Bringing Renfrow back made sense because he knew the system.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Renfrow, who agreed to return on a one-year deal on Saturday.
Renfrow likened the situation to the first opportunity he got to prove himself at Clemson in 2015 as a walk-on before going on to help the Tigers win two national championships.
“The only reason I got to play at Clemson was because Mike Williams broke his neck,” he recalled of Williams fracturing his neck when he ran into the base of the goal post against Wofford. “Which worked out fine for him because he went in the first round the next year.”
Renfrow went on to collect 186 catches, the fifth most in school history.
He hopes his story with Carolina ends just as well. He already has a pretty good spot in the locker room next to starting quarterback Bryce Young, who reached out to help convince Renfrow to return.
“He told me about his deal last year and some things that happened,” said Renfrow, reminding Young was benched after an 0-2 start. “He had a lot of perseverance stories to share.”
NEW YORK — Coach Brian Daboll on Monday refused to reveal whether rookie Jaxson Dart or veteran Jameis Winston will serve as the New York Giants’ backup quarterback for their season opener Sunday at Washington.
Russell Wilson is set to start against the Washington Commanders. Dart, the first-round pick who is being developed as the QB of the future, impressed in training camp and preseason games, though Winston has more than 100 games of NFL experience and was listed second with Dart third on the first unofficial depth chart released during camp.
“Any roster decisions based on who’s going to be the backup, we’ll have that out there on Sunday,” Daboll said on a video call with reporters.
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He also declined to announce whether Deonte Banks or Cor’Dale Flott will start as the No. 2 cornerback opposite free agent addition Paulson Adebo, or whether Greg Van Roten or converted tackle Evan Neal won the competition for the starting right guard position. Van Roten took the first-team snaps and is expected to get the nod.
“We have a good idea of how we’re going to play, with the players we’re going to play with,” Daboll said. “That’ll all come out on Sunday.”
The Giants aimed for standout left tackle Andrew Thomas to be ready for Week 1 after opening camp on the physically unable to perform list and not playing in any of their three exhibition games while rehabbing from foot surgery last October. It’s not clear if that will happen, with Daboll saying only that he expected everyone to participate in a walk-through Monday.
That would also seemingly include top receiver Malik Nabers, who has been dealing with a toe injury and did not participate in the preseason. Nabers is coming off catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie.
The league does not require teams to share injury information until the regular season, and Daboll has repeatedly said he would not talk about why players were not on the field. The first injury disclosures are expected Wednesday, when teams playing Sunday are required to publish which players did and did not practice and why.
Dan Graziano is a senior NFL national reporter for ESPN, covering the entire league and breaking news. Dan also contributes to Get Up, NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, Sunday NFL Countdown and Fantasy Football Now. He is a New Jersey native who joined ESPN in 2011, and he is also the author of two published novels.
We are back for our annual edition of preseason surprise predictions — one for each of the 32 NFL teams ahead of the 2025 season.
It’s an odd concept, of course, because if we could predict these things then they shouldn’t really be surprises. But the idea is to collect some of the information I’ve been gathering around the league throughout training camp and present a potential surprise that may or may not have been on your radar as a fan. We hit potential stat leaders, under-the-radar teams, award candidates, sleeper players to watch and position groups that might look better (or worse) than expected.
As always, I recognize that some of these might be more surprising than others, and that those of you who follow a specific team closely might not be as surprised as those who don’t follow said team that closely. But we’re here for all the people, and we hope you enjoy it. Let’s begin in the NFC East.
Jump to a team: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
NFC EAST
Don’t be surprised if … the Cowboys call edge rusher Micah Parsons’ bluff.
What I’m hearing: Parsons continues to sit out practices as he awaits a contract extension, but this situation has gone sideways. Team owner and GM Jerry Jones believes he and Parsons agreed on the parameters of a deal back in the spring and that the deal changed materially once Parsons got his agent involved. Parsons, meanwhile, believes it’s Jones who is to blame — that the owner should have always anticipated that he’d be dealing with the agent. Parsons has demanded a trade and refused to participate in practice or preseason games.
The Cowboys’ season begins a week from Thursday in Philadelphia, and as the days dwindle, it looks less likely that Parsons will show up and play. Don’t expect a last-minute Hail Mary like the deal Dallas did with QB Dak Prescott on the morning of last season’s opener. Prescott was practicing, and the two sides had been talking. This thing seems a lot more frosty, and Jones appears dug in. Unless Parsons relents and instructs his agent to get a deal done even if it’s on the team’s terms, it’s hard to imagine him getting his extension before the season starts. So then Parsons has a choice to make: play on his current contract or not, with the Cowboys openly holding the threat of a 2026 franchise tag over him.
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Don’t be surprised if … the Giants lead the league in sacks.
What I’m hearing: Word out of Giants camp is
Don’t be surprised if … they keep tinkering with the defense.
What I’m hearing: The reigning Super Bowl champs lost five key contributors from last season’s defense and are working to replace them with younger players they’ve drafted in recent years, anticipating the roster turnover. They’re excited about guys like Moro Ojomo and Jalyx Hunt. They’re extremely fired up about rookie first-round pick Jihaad Campbell. And with two-thirds of their salary cap committed to the offense, they will need production from young players on the defensive side of the ball.
But not every development timetable goes as planned, and asking younger players to take on larger roles brings some risk. This Eagles group has no interest in stopping at one Super Bowl title. They’re thinking dynasty thoughts. We’ve already seen GM Howie Roseman make multiple trades this month, including one that brought in cornerback Jakorian Bennett from the Raiders to address a potentially thin area of the defense. Roseman won’t sit on his hands if more questions rise.
Don’t be surprised if … Deebo Samuel gets some work at running back.
What I’m hearing: I don’t think it’ll be exactly like it was in San Francisco in 2021, when Samuel was getting six, seven carries per game and occasionally even serving as the team’s primary running back. But Washington’s coaches believe Samuel can be a factor when lined up in the backfield, and they’ll be looking for ways to get him touches. Remember that Wes Welker, who is on the Commanders’ staff as a personnel analyst, was the 49ers’ wide receivers coach for the first three years of Samuel’s career and has a strong relationship with him — and a pretty good idea of how to get the best out of him.
Over six seasons, Samuel has 202 rushes for 1,143 yards and 20 TDs.
NFC NORTH
Don’t be surprised if … rookie tight end Colston Loveland is a huge part of the Bears’ offense.
What I’m hearing: The Bears selected Loveland 10th in this year’s draft, so he’s not any kind of sleeper. But he took a while to get up to speed this offseason because he was recovering from an injury, and for that reason, some might have wondered if it’d take some time for him to work his way into the offense.
I don’t think it will. Loveland is the guy whose name comes up every time I ask somebody about Bears camp. He’s quarterback-friendly. He’s big and fast. He’s polished in his route running. He was healthy to start training camp, so he advanced quickly once August got going. And his connection with quarterback Caleb Williams is said to already be outstanding. The Bears have a lot of very good pass catchers, with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and Luther Burden III. But as Williams continues his development under new coach Ben Johnson, he could lean on Loveland a lot — especially early.
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Yates: Loveland is ‘late-round flier’ TE option in fantasy
Field Yates breaks down what Bears rookie Colston Loveland offers fantasy managers in need of a tight end.
Don’t be surprised if … Jahmyr Gibbs is the top-scoring fantasy running back.
What I’m hearing: Yeah, not exactly the boldest prediction, considering Gibbs was second in fantasy points per game last season and actually scored the most points total because Saquon Barkley sat out Week 18. But a lot of people credit that to a furious finish, which coincided with David Montgomery’s absence from the lineup.
Yes, Montgomery is back healthy, which portends a return to the two-headed running back operation that Detroit favors. But the Lions believe Gibbs has another gear to reach. They think an improved Jameson Williams will open up the field for shorter passes to the backs. And if they have a weakness, it’s on the interior of their offensive line, where center Frank Ragnow retired. That could make the Lions less likely to rely on Montgomery between the tackles and more likely to get creative with Gibbs in space.
Don’t be surprised if … quarterback Jordan Love is an MVP finalist.
What I’m hearing: It sounds like Love will be fully healthy and ready to go for Week 1, even after having a procedure a couple of weeks ago to treat an injury to the thumb of his non-throwing hand. Remember that Love injured his knee in last season’s opener against the Eagles in Brazil and took a while to get back to full health.
Remember also that the Packers had the youngest roster in the league last season and still finished in the top five in defensive EPA and defensive efficiency in the first year of a new defensive system. They drafted Matthew Golden in the first round to add a potential true No. 1 WR to Love’s already deep wide receiver corps. They also have depth at tight end, an impact running back in Josh Jacobs and a strong offensive line. And of their seven losses last season, six came to the Lions, Vikings and Eagles — the top three teams in the NFC.
If the Packers can improve their performance against the league’s top contenders and Love can stay healthy, they are set up to win a lot of games this season. And if they do that, their quarterback is going to be a top MVP candidate.
Don’t be surprised if … Jordan Mason leads the team in rushing.
What I’m hearing: The Vikings love Aaron Jones Sr. If you’ve ever talked to Jones, you know why. He is a great player and a great guy to have in your locker room. But he’s also 30 years old and coming off a 322-touch season.
The Vikings traded for Mason, the former 49ers back who they believe adds an explosive element to their run game. So far, they’ve been thrilled with Mason’s play, and they envision a pretty even split in running back duties this season between him and Jones. But during some Christian McCaffrey absences in San Francisco, Mason did show the ability to function as more than just part of a tandem. He ran for 789 yards on 153 carries last season. So it’s not hard to picture a scenario in which the Vikings decide to lean more on him as the season goes along. Again, nothing against Jones — this could just be the natural evolution of things in Minnesota.
NFC SOUTH
Don’t be surprised if … tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. ends up getting traded.
What I’m hearing: Part of this is what I’m seeing — or rather not seeing. Pitts is in the final year of his contract, playing for $10.878 million on the fifth-year option from his rookie deal. The Falcons have made no move to extend him beyond this season. The fourth pick of the 2021 draft has averaged 49 catches per season and caught a total of 10 touchdown passes in his four-year career while struggling to consistently stay healthy.
When No. 2 receiver Darnell Mooney went down with an injury early in training camp, there was a lot of talk about Atlanta filling that void by playing two-tight end sets and basically using Pitts as a receiver. And the Falcons absolutely might still try that. But there are definitely signs that they don’t view Pitts as a great fit for what they’re trying to do on offense. Mooney’s training camp absence gave some of the younger receivers on the roster a chance to show what they can do, and if one or more of them has emerged as a reliable contributor by the time the trade deadline rolls around, don’t be shocked if Pitts is on the move.
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Don’t be surprised if … quarterback Bryce Young is in line for a contract extension next spring.
What I’m hearing: The Panthers believe the improvement Young showed toward the end of last season will carry over into 2025 — not just because of the way he performed on the field but also because of how comfortable he got in his role as starting quarterback. Coaches feel like Young has turned a corner in terms of his confidence and outward competitiveness. And now Carolina added wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the first round of this year’s draft to a receiver room that already included last year’s first-round pick Xavier Legette and veteran Adam Thielen.
The Panthers might have a long way to go before being competitive (though maybe not, if their offseason improvements on defense have a lot of instant impact). But they think they have Young on the right track after a disappointing rookie year in 2023 and a rough start to 2024 that saw him benched for veteran Andy Dalton.
Don’t be surprised if … Spencer Rattler gets a pretty long run as starting quarterback.
What I’m hearing: The Saints announced Rattler as their starting QB on Tuesday. He beat out rookie Tyler Shough in a very close training camp competition. Shough was the 40th pick in the draft and turns 26 next month, so it’s reasonable to think they want him to play soon. But Rattler has already surpassed expectations by beating out Shough, and if he performs in the regular season the way he did throughout camp, he could hold on to the job longer than many expect.
Rattler had fans in the Saints’ building last season who felt he had more room to grow. Shough will get his chance, and if the Saints start losing a lot of games, maybe they go to him just for the sake of change. But Rattler has the job for now, and I don’t get the sense that it’s a short leash.
Don’t be surprised if … rookie Emeka Egbuka is the Bucs’ leading receiver.
What I’m hearing: The team has been absolutely raving about first-round pick Egbuka throughout the summer, praising him as hyper-advanced for a rookie in all facets of his game. Chris Godwin, who is working his way back from a major season-ending ankle injury, is on a very uncertain timetable for returning to the field and an even more uncertain one for returning to his old self. Veteran Mike Evans’ next sub-1,000-yard season will be his first, but he is 32 and missed three games last season. And Jalen McMillan, last year’s rookie standout who caught seven touchdown passes in the final five games of the season, will miss the start of 2025 because of a neck injury.
If he’s everything we’re being told he is, Egbuka can play any of the wide receiver spots in the Tampa Bay offense, already has the trust of quarterback Baker Mayfield and appears in line for a massive share of the target opportunity on one of the league’s best offenses.
NFC WEST
Don’t be surprised if … tight end Trey McBride is the Cardinals’ leading receiver again.
What I’m hearing: Sure, the Cards drafted wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick in 2024. And yes, everything we’ve heard out of Arizona this offseason has indicated Harrison is improving on his connection with quarterback Kyler Murray and should be a bigger part of the offense than he was as a rookie. But that still doesn’t mean he’ll be the biggest part of it.
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s system is built to feature McBride as its top target, and all indications are that the Cardinals see no reason for that to change. McBride is an exceptional player who has been a reliable performer for Murray every time they’ve been on the field together. And yes, fantasy football managers, I think you can expect his touchdown numbers to climb. McBride had 111 catches for 1,146 yards last season, but he scored just two TDs.
Don’t be surprised if … quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has to start at some point.
What I’m hearing: The Rams believe starting QB Matthew Stafford is on track to be healthy and start Week 1 after struggling throughout camp with a back injury that stubbornly refused to follow his or the team’s recovery timetable. But Stafford is 37 years old and has dealt with back issues in the past. (To his credit, he has found ways to play through them.) My understanding is that this isn’t something the Rams expect to sideline Stafford for a long period of time or affect his play early in the season, but that it is something that will need to be monitored and managed throughout the season.
That means there could come a week when Stafford feels he can’t play through it. And that’s where you could see backup Garoppolo — who started one game last season — having to step in and keep things humming. Again, I expect Stafford to tough this out and make it through the season; this Rams team has him convinced he can win another Super Bowl before he’s done. But it might not always be the smoothest process.
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Why Orlovsky isn’t overly concerned about the Rams
Dan Orlovsky outlines why Matthew Stafford’s back injury isn’t impacting his expectations for the Rams.
Don’t be surprised if … the 49ers end up back in the Super Bowl.
What I’m hearing: Good things! I don’t understand why so many people are sleeping on the 49ers, who were in the Super Bowl two seasons ago and saw their 2024 season completely disintegrate because of injuries. They lost some guys this offseason, sure, but they still have Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner … I could go on, but you get the idea. A lot of talent.
At this stage of their careers, McCaffrey and Williams in particular have to be considered injury risks, but if they stay healthy, there’s no reason this can’t be an elite offense for quarterback Brock Purdy. Ricky Pearsall, the team’s 2024 first-round pick who was recovering from a gunshot wound at the start of last season, appears poised to take on a leading role while Jauan Jennings figures out his calf/contract situation and Brandon Aiyuk works his way back from a knee injury.
This team has a good chance to bounce all the way back to being one of the best — if not the best — in the NFC, especially against a schedule that includes just four games against teams that made last season’s playoffs.
Don’t be surprised if … their defense keeps them in the playoff race.
What I’m hearing: The Seahawks ranked in the top 10 in defensive efficiency and defensive EPA last year in Mike Macdonald’s first season as their coach, but they still finished in the middle of the pack in yards allowed and points allowed. In their second year in Macdonald’s system, they should be dominant. His defense has worked everywhere he has been, including the Ravens and the University of Michigan. His ability to scheme up pressures is as good as anyone’s. It takes time to learn a new scheme, but after playing in it for a year, Seattle’s defensive players are primed for a massive season on that side of the ball.
AFC EAST
Don’t be surprised if … the Bills make a trade or two to improve their defense.
What I’m hearing: Buffalo feels great about its offense, which outscored every team in the NFL last year except the Lions. But it’s still putting things together on the defensive side of the ball, where the Bills finished in the bottom half of the league last season with 5.5 yards allowed per play. The safety position has been a particularly thorny question mark, especially considering how important that position is in coach Sean McDermott’s defense.
McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich have done an excellent job in recent years of making in-season adjustments and bringing that group together. But don’t be shocked if the front office looks to help them out here in the coming weeks or months with a strategic addition or two.
Don’t be surprised if … the Dolphins are actually a wild-card contender.
What I’m hearing: All of the vibes are bad, I get it. The Tua Tagovailoa-Tyreek Hill thing. A cornerback getting hurt seemingly every other day. The fact that the Mike McDaniel magic dust seemed to all blow away last season in Year 3. McDaniel is the most popular name on all of the preseason hot seat lists, and expectations for the Dolphins could not be lower.
But I don’t know. I hate just saying the same thing everyone else is saying, and a visit to their training camp last month got me thinking it might not be as terrible as folks are saying. The Dolphins started 2-6 last season but rebounded to win six of their next eight and ultimately end the season 8-9. We’ve seen teams fold up in those situations, and this one did not. McDaniel and the front office used that experience to identify the strong culture guys, move on from most of those who weren’t and bring in outside veterans with strong leadership reputations.
A ton rests on the Dolphins’ ability to keep Tagovailoa healthy; literally everyone you talk to in that building mentions it. And the popular outside opinion is that they didn’t invest enough in the offensive line this offseason. But McDaniel was 20-14 in his first two seasons in Miami and made the playoffs both times. There’s a chance — a chance — he might be able to get the Dolphins back to where they were in 2022 and 2023. I know I’m out on a limb here, but sometimes you’ve got to go out on a limb.
Don’t be surprised if … rookie TreVeyon Henderson is the team’s No. 1 running back all season.
What I’m hearing: If you’ve been prepping for fantasy drafts, you’re already all over this. Henderson has been the most explosive element of the Patriots’ offense throughout camp, and the coaching staff is smart enough to know New England needs some explosiveness. The concerns about Henderson are whether he can hold up to a full-time starting RB’s workload, considering he split carries with Quinshon Judkins last year at Ohio State. Rhamondre Stevenson is still there if the Patriots want to keep the rookie’s workload lighter early in the season. But there’s some sentiment in Foxborough that Henderson is going to be the type of player they don’t want to take off the field.
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1:36
Why TreVeyon Henderson is making a jump in fantasy
Field Yates and Daniel Dopp explain why TreVeyon Henderson is such an intriguing player in fantasy.
Don’t be surprised if … the Jets lead the league in rushing.
What I’m hearing: They’re extremely high on second-year running back Braelon Allen, the 2024 fourth-round draft pick who’s still only 21 years old. They also know what they have in Breece Hall, who can be a primary ball carrier, a receiving back or some combination of the two. And in Justin Fields, the Jets have one of the most electrifying runners at the quarterback position the league has ever seen. This team’s offensive DNA is going to lie in its run game. And if Fields can show a consistent ability to get the ball downfield to Garrett Wilson in the passing game, it will only open things up more for the Jets to run, run, run.
AFC NORTH
Don’t be surprised if … wide receiver Zay Flowers takes a third-year leap.
What I’m hearing: The Ravens’ offensive identity is still going to be in their outstanding run game, but Flowers is their No. 1 wide receiver, and his absence from last season’s divisional round playoff game in Buffalo (knee) played a part in their loss. He’s healthy now and has had a nice camp. But the main reason I’m looking out for Flowers this season is the fact that DeAndre Hopkins has been on the team since the spring.
Last year at the Super Bowl, Chiefs coaches were raving to me about the impact Hopkins had after Kansas City acquired him — not as a pass catcher but as a teacher, particularly for rookie wideout Xavier Worthy. They talked about how Hopkins would grab the tablet after a drive, walk over to Worthy and teach him some of the finer details about route-running techniques. They felt Worthy’s improved performance throughout the season was due in part to Hopkins’ help, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh told me when I visited their camp that he has seen similar things from Hopkins since he has been in Baltimore. Perhaps Hopkins has the same kind of impact on Flowers that he had on Worthy.
Don’t be surprised if … the Bengals return to the AFC Championship Game.
What I’m hearing: The outside concern about the way the defense has looked in preseason games is not shared by those inside the building. The Bengals are installing a new scheme under new defensive coordinator Al Golden, and the coaching staff made a conscious decision to put as little of that scheme on tape as possible in the televised preseason games. People who have been at practice say the first-team defense has performed fairly well against Joe Burrow and one of the best offenses in the NFL — even with defensive end Trey Hendrickson not participating before agreeing to his new deal.
Cincinnati’s defense has only one direction to go after last season’s collapse. Opponents scored 25.5 points per game on the Bengals, tied for seventh most in the league. If that unit can get back to even the middle of the pack, this is a dangerous team with a potent offense and players who know how to win playoff games. As poorly as the past two seasons have gone in Cincinnati, the Bengals still managed to finish 9-8 in both of them. If that’s rock bottom, you have a contending roster.
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Don’t be surprised if … rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. catches a lot of passes.
What I’m hearing: Fannin was one of the most productive college tight ends of all time at Bowling Green, where he set FBS single-season records for catches (117) and yards (1,555) by a tight end in 2024. He slipped to the third round of the draft because of a disappointing 40-yard dash time at the combine (4.71 seconds), but Browns coach Kevin Stefanski saw a hyper-versatile, hyper-productive prospect who could be used in a number of different ways in his offense.
Incumbent David Njoku is still a part of the plans, don’t get me wrong. But I think we’re going to see a lot of plays with Njoku and Fannin on the field together. And whoever’s playing quarterback for the Browns — which is Joe Flacco at the moment — will have an easy time finding the rookie.
Don’t be surprised if … they use a lot of tight ends.
What I’m hearing: Trade acquisition wide receiver DK Metcalf will be Aaron Rodgers’ top target in the passing game, and the Steelers like their running back room with rookie Kaleb Johnson developing behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. But it’s the depth at tight end that could make coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense surprising and unconventional.
Veteran Pat Freiermuth leads the group, but it also includes Jonnu Smith — who played for Arthur Smith in Tennessee and Atlanta — Connor Heyward and the massive Darnell Washington. The Steelers believe the depth and variety in that group will allow them to show a number of different looks to opposing defenses. With the wide receiver depth chart somewhat thin and full of question marks after Metcalf, look for a lot of 12- and 13-personnel sets from the Steelers in 2025.
AFC SOUTH
Don’t be surprised if … the Texans have the best defense in the league.
What I’m hearing: Houston is extremely excited about the quality and depth of its defensive roster. On the back end, second-year cornerback Kamari Lassiter and second-year safety Calen Bullock look like emerging stars alongside superstar corner Derek Stingley Jr. The Texans are also deep at linebacker and have a pair of high-end edge rushers up front in veteran Danielle Hunter and second-year man Will Anderson Jr. If there are questions, they’re probably at defensive tackle — though Houston added a handful of veterans like Sheldon Rankins, Folorunso Fatukasi and Mario Edwards Jr. to shore up its depth there.
The Texans were in the top five in defensive efficiency and defensive EPA last season, and only Denver, Baltimore and Dallas had more sacks than their 49. There are a lot of eyes on the Houston offense and whether quarterback C.J. Stroud can lead them to a bounce-back season behind a rebuilt offensive line and under a new coordinator. But regardless, the Texans should be a dominant defense week to week.
Don’t be surprised if … the Colts pull an upset and win the division.
What I’m hearing: They have a huge question mark at quarterback. Daniel Jones beat out Anthony Richardson Sr. for the starter’s job because he was steadier, not because he was spectacular. But if Jones can stay healthy and play the way he did for the Giants in their surprise 2022 playoff season, the Colts believe they can build a representative offense behind running back Jonathan Taylor, a strong offensive line and rookie tight end Tyler Warren (who they believe can be a star right away). The defense added some key pieces, not the least of which is former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, and Indy should be a lot better on that side of the ball than most think.
No team in the AFC South has gone longer without winning it than the Colts, who last finished atop the division in 2014 with Andrew Luck at quarterback. With that kind of drought and the team under somewhat new ownership (the late Jim Irsay’s daughter Carlie Irsay-Gordon is the team’s new CEO), there’s a lot of pressure on the coaching staff and front office to deliver — and soon.
Don’t be surprised if … a pair of rookies takes over the backfield by year’s end.
What I’m hearing: Barring a trade between now and Week 1, the Jaguars look poised to enter the season with a running back room that includes Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten and seventh-round rookie LeQuint Allen Jr. Etienne and Bigsby could lead the backfield to start the season, but the new coaching staff and front office inherited them. They drafted Tuten, whose home run speed is enticing enough that he should force his way into a major role relatively soon, and Allen, who they believe can be their third-down back. Etienne is a free agent at season’s end, and Bigsby is signed through 2026. So a changing of the guard in the Jags’ backfield could be afoot before long.
Don’t be surprised if … rookie Elic Ayomanor is the No. 2 receiver.
What I’m hearing: The fourth-rounder out of Stanford has developed a strong rapport with rookie QB Cam Ward and has impressed coaches with his performance throughout training camp. Calvin Ridley projects as the No. 1 receiver, but after him, it’s veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson and rookies Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. Ward has publicly pumped up his wide receiver group as a top-five unit in the league. And while that might be an exaggeration, it does a lot for a wide receiver when his quarterback speaks highly of him. Don’t be shocked if Ayomanor is a factor.
AFC WEST
Don’t be surprised if … veteran J.K. Dobbins is the Broncos’ lead running back.
What I’m hearing: The Broncos like second-round rookie RJ Harvey a lot, but he’s still working on his pass-protection skills, and it sounds like Denver trusts Dobbins more in that department. That’s a requirement for a running back in a Sean Payton offense. If Dobbins can do everything the Broncos need there (and Harvey can’t quite yet), I would expect Dobbins to open the season as the team’s main early-down running back with Harvey mixing in a good number of touches.
As the season goes along, could Harvey take on more of a starter’s workload? Of course, and that might even be the team’s hope. But at least to start the season, expect Dobbins to get the majority of the work.
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Why Field Yates likes the ‘reliability’ of J.K. Dobbins
Field Yates explains why J.K. Dobbins is a better bet than RJ Harvey in drafts.
Don’t be surprised if … the Chiefs trade for a running back.
What I’m hearing: Isiah Pacheco is healthy and ready to resume the lead back role the team planned for him before his early-season broken right leg last year, but the room is thin behind him. Veteran Kareem Hunt just turned 30, and the Chiefs might use rookie Brashard Smith in a more nontraditional role that takes advantage of his receiving skills as he develops. The Chiefs could use a third-down back with some pass protection ability and will be looking at trade and waiver possibilities as rosters get tinkered with ahead of Week 1.
Don’t be surprised if … quarterback Geno Smith sets a career high in passing yards.
What I’m hearing: Smith’s current career high is the 4,320 he put up last season in Seattle behind a substandard offensive line. Las Vegas doesn’t have a great O-line, but there are signs that it should be better than what he had in Seattle. Plus, second-year tight end Brock Bowers and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty bring explosiveness to the offense and will offer new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly the ability to get creative with alignments and play calls.
Smith wanted to be in Las Vegas and reunite with former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, so he’s in a good headspace and playing some of the best football of his career.
Don’t be surprised if … running back Omarion Hampton wins Offensive Rookie of the Year.
What I’m hearing: The Chargers really like veteran running back Najee Harris. They gave him $5.25 million guaranteed in free agency and anticipated him being their starting running back, even after drafting Hampton in the first round. But Harris suffered an unfortunate eye injury in July that cost him a ton of training camp practice time. In the meantime, my understanding is that Hampton emerged quickly.
Harris should still be in the mix once he’s back and fully healthy, and that could well be in time for Week 1. But despite what offensive coordinator Greg Roman has been saying about the backs splitting snaps, I think Hampton is in line for a major role as the starter for the Chargers. And if he’s what they thought he could be when they spent that first-round pick on him, he might just take the starter’s job right away and never look back.
David Newton is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Carolina Panthers. Newton began covering Carolina in 1995 and came to ESPN in 2006 as a NASCAR reporter before joining NFL Nation in 2013.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers on Saturday announced plans to re-sign Hunter Renfrow less than a week after releasing the 2021 Pro Bowl wide receiver.
It’s a one-year deal, a league source told ESPN.
Renfrow will fill the roster spot of Jalen Coker, who was placed on injured reserve with a quad injury suffered in Thursday’s practice. Coker, who is expected to miss the first four to six games, had been tabbed to replace veteran Adam Thielen, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.
Bringing Hunter back
Read more : pic.twitter.com/DJUIhmkcTd
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 30, 2025
Renfrow missed the 2024 season after being released by the Las Vegas Raiders following a 2023 season in which his production dropped significantly while he dealt with ulcerative colitis.
There were times while dealing with the disease that Renfrow suffered through seven straight days of fever of 103 degrees. He wondered if he would play football again after disappointing 2022 and 2023 seasons.
“I felt so bad those two years, and I felt like I let my teammates down so much,” Renfrow said when he began his comeback with Carolina in the spring. “Because I had expectations. I just signed a new contract [in 2022]. I had a new coaching staff that I was going to be perfect for. And I was just a dud.
“I was like, ‘Man, I know I don’t feel well, but I do not want to play football again. Like, I do not want to let people down. I just want to go over here in my corner, do what I do, get into business.'”
The Panthers kept in constant contact with Renfrow after releasing him, initially hoping to sign him to the practice squad while he got back to 100% after a hamstring injury during training camp slowed his comeback.
Coach Dave Canales said Wednesday that he didn’t think Renfrow was quite back to the form he showed early in training camp when explaining the decision to cut him. But both Canales and general manager Dan Morgan repeatedly told Renfrow they wanted him to be a part of the organization.
Coker’s injury sped up the process.
“He’s got some freaky lateral quickness,” offensive coordinator Brad Idzik recently said of Coker. “And then when he opens up, he’s like big strides, a powerful first four steps, which simulates, ‘I’m going full-tilt vertical.’
“He simulates that every single time, and then he eats up whatever leverage you give him.”
