5 NFL Offseason Moves That Teams Will Regret

Training camp for the National Football League has arrived with all 32 teams reporting for summer practices ahead of another

NFL offseason moves
Philip G. Pavely-Imagn ImagesPhilip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Training camp for the National Football League has arrived with all 32 teams reporting for summer practices ahead of another exciting season. Many of the NFL offseason moves made this spring will catapult teams forward and shape their futures for the better. For some clubs, though, they’ll end up regretting what they did.

Let’s dive into our list of the five NFL offseason moves these teams will regret most this year.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Going all-in on Aaron Rodgers

NFL offseason moves, Aaron Rodgers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers committed to quarterback Aaron Rodgers early this offseason, even as he held out hope that the Minnesota Vikings would consider him. Once joining Minnesota was off the table, Rodgers still left Pittsburgh waiting until the second week of June. Now, the Steelers are going all in on a 41-year-old quarterback. Rodgers finished last season ranked 21st  in On-Target rate (75.5 percent), 22nd in EPA per Play (0.059) and and 18th in completion rate (45.4 percent) when pressured. He has also earned a reputation for having issues with wide receivers who freelance, which DK Metcalf is known for.

Rodgers has lost the battle to Father Time, and he’ll be a below-average quarterback in 2025. Making things worse for Pittsburgh, his regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show could become an added distraction for a team that is likely to fall short of expectations this fall.

Read More: NFL Teams Most Likely to Regress in 2025, including the Steelers

New York Giants: Not firing Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll

NFL offseason moves
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If change is inevitable, prolonging it another year doesn’t make much sense. Brian Daboll has delivered a 9-25 record over the last two seasons and has clearly alienated several of his now-former assistant coaches. Yet, somehow, New York Giants owner John Mara decided to keep Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Not only that, he allowed them to trade up in Round 1 to select quarterback Jaxson Dart. Given how difficult the Giants’ schedule is in 2025, even winning six games seems like a long shot. So, New York will likely be right back in this spot again come January, which could result in a new regime either getting stuck with Dart for a full season or the franchise having to admit it wasted a first-round pick just one year after making it.

Related: Ranking NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat Likeliest to be Fired

New Orleans Saints: Refusing to rebuild

NFL offseason moves
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New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis refuses to rebuild and is essentially treated by ownership as if he is irreplaceable. That’s despite the fact that the Saints haven’t made the playoffs in four seasons and have just one postseason win since January 14, 2019. Loomis has built one of the worst rosters in the NFL, and his refusal to hit the reset button has created the worst cap situation in the league. He doubled down on that this year, overpaying Chase Young, signing Justin Reid, and using a top-40 pick on 26-year-old rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Most general managers would’ve been fired by now, but Loomis continues to stick around and remains adamantly opposed to thinking about the future at all.

Green Bay Packers: Releasing Jaire Alexander

NFL offseason moves
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This isn’t a knock on the Green Bay Packers for not trading Jaire Alexander. After all, the All-Pro cornerback refused to renegotiate a contract that would have facilitated a trade. Instead, we believe Green Bay will live to regret its decision not to simply find a financial resolution with Alexander. He reportedly would have taken the deal he signed with the Baltimore Ravens to remain in Green Bay. The Packers’ front office decided to roll the dice with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as its top outside corners in 2025, and there’s very little depth behind them. When injury strikes the Packers’ secondary—which feels unavoidable—Green Bay will regret cutting Alexander.

Related: Green Bay Packers schedule predictions 2025

Cincinnati Bengals: Not extending Trey Hendrickson

NFL offseason moves
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If the Cincinnati Bengals can’t put their hubris aside in contract talks with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, then that takes the spot on our list. For now, though, we expect there to be a resolution this summer. The same can’t be said for a Trey Hendrickson contract extension. The All-Pro edge rusher means everything to this defense, yet the Bengals’ front office is handling negotiations as if Hendrickson is expendable. What makes the situation worse is that the Defensive Player of the Year candidate has made it very clear he’ll sit out multiple regular-season games if a deal isn’t in place by Week 1. The bet here is that he follows through on that, and that would be devastating for a team that has little margin for error to make the playoffs.

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