These are the types of NFL offseason articles everyone absolutely loves. The offseason articles that can get memed in hindsight after they're proven to be completely wrong.
And frankly, I hope for the sake of these teams that I am wrong. As of right now, there's been a lot of moving parts for NFL teams when it comes to coaching and player changes, but as the dust has settled, some teams have clearly made out worse than the others.
Which teams look like they could potentially bottom out and wind up with the worst record in the league this year? Even if it feels far-fetched at this point, we're going to make a case for a number of teams.
3 teams that could be shockingly horrendous in 2025 NFL season
1. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are, admittedly, the toughest team for me to include on this list. I just don't really see this team bottoming out in such a bad way with Kyle Shanahan as the head coach, but I also don't think it's impossible.
Remember, these aren't teams you assume will be really bad this year, but teams that could be shockingly bad. What happens if Brock Purdy regresses even further? What about the losses of key players on both sides of the ball like Deebo Samuel, Aaron Banks, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, and plenty of others.
Bringing back Robert Saleh helps this team, but there are still lingering questions about Christian McCaffrey's injury and how the Niners can bounce back. Could this team be one or two major injuries away from bottoming out and picking 1st overall in next year's draft? It would take a catastrophic collapse, but it's not out of the realm of possibility given all they've lost.
2. New York Jets
Right now, I think everybody expects the New York Jets to at least be a little better in 2025 than they were in 2024, despite the fact that they've taken on more change than most.
The Jets have a new GM (Darren Mougey), a new head coach (Aaron Glenn), a new quarterback (Justin Fields), and plenty more beyond that. While it's possible that the Jets could be this year's version of the Commanders, it's maybe more likely that they bottom out completely and blow the roster up in 2026.
The Jets are taking a calculated risk on Fields at the quarterback position, and I don't mind it at all. They are clearly going to be tough on defense with their personnel on that side of the ball, but offensively is where this team is going to have a lot of question marks. With two young players as the bookend starting tackles and the quarterback a wild card option, the Jets could tank in 2025.
3. Indianapolis Colts
Again, we have to keep in mind that we're making some out there predictions here. The Indianapolis Colts don't have the worst roster in the NFL. They don't have the worst coaching staff in the NFL.
But they might have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.
Because of the quarterback situation with Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson, the Colts could really struggle to win close games. You've got multiple quarterbacks that have been benched over the last two years, guys who have turned the ball over a ton. There's only so much scheming that Shane Steichen can do. There's only so far Jonathan Taylor can carry you.
The Colts felt like overachievers last year and the year prior, so maybe they can outkick their coverage again this year. But with their QB situation being such a question mark, they might end up picking 1st overall in 2026.