Because of some unfortunate realities facing teams in the 2025 Offseason, a few clubs are already on pace to get a lot worse next season. Teams regress and improve all the time - there are always multiple teams who are better than expected and some that are worse than expected.
That's what makes the NFL so great - there is parity everywhere, and even though many of the same teams are the ones left in the postseason, the competition is still fierce and wide. Well, even though we are about six months away from the start of the 2025 NFL Season, it's still abundantly clear that a few teams are going to regress next year for a multitude of reasons.
Which three teams could be on pace to get a lot worse in 2025?
3 teams already guaranteed to get a lot worse in the 2025 NFL Season
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are clearly trying to rebuild their roster a bit, as once key players like Javon Hargrave, Dre Greenlaw, Deebo Samuel, Talanoa Hufanga, and others are not with the team anymore. The Niners were a team that displayed constant aggression in trying to build a top-tier roster, and they had one for years and years.
However, the two Super Bowl appearances in the 2019 and 2023 NFL Seasons did not amount to a victory, and the bottomed seemed to fall out from this team in the 2024 NFL Season. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were right to use this offseason to get younger, cheaper, and hopefully healthier.
This may lead to San Francisco regressing a little bit more in 2025, but to reach the peak, teams have to fall into the abyss once or twice, and the 49ers are no different. If the front office can hit on some draft picks over the next few drafts, this team could be right back in the mix as one of the best in the entire NFL.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are up to their shenanigans again, and it's truly unfortunate if you're a Cowboys fan. The front office doesn't seem to be fully committed to winning, as this team has failed to add the proper players in free agency for years now, and they're now left with a top-heavy roster.
Mike McCarthy is no longer the head coach, and being that there aren't many head coaches in the NFL better than McCarthy, they downgraded to long-time assistant Brian Schottenheimer. Being a head coach in the NFL is tough work, and this is Schottenheimer's first coaching gig, so there might be some rough patches.
The roster itself simply isn't that good, either, and Dak Prescott will be returning from a nasty hamstring injury he suffered in the middle of the 2024 NFL Season. What do the Cowboys have to hang their hats on besides CeeDee Lamb?
Micah Parsons still does not have a long-term contract extension, and Dak Prescott is overpaid by a good bit. I am not sure the Cowboys have a path to winning five games this year, but perhaps I am too low on the team.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans had to improve their offensive line this offseason, and they somehow made it worse. Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson, and Ed Engram are their new additions along the offensive line. I have no idea what GM Nick Caserio is doing, but it almost feels like he wants CJ Stroud to be running for his life.
Unless he's got more offensive line moves up his sleeve, the Texans OL will be even worse in 2025, which is going to throw the entire operation off. It's really a shame, as the AFC South is not all that good, so this team could have taken a death grip on the division, but that does not seem to be the case.
Houston could be an obvious regression team in the 2025 NFL Season.