Every team that finished in last place last season wants to be the next year's "worst to first" success story, but few of them are as incredible as what we saw in 2024 from the Washington Commanders. The Commanders weren't just a "worst to first" team in 2024, but they instantly became one of the top four teams in the NFL, losing the NFC Championship game to their division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
The Commanders were a unique story as well because they had blown the entire previous operation up from top to bottom, getting a brand-new general manager (Adam Peters), head coach (Dan Quinn), and quarterback (Jayden Daniels), among plenty of other major organizational and roster changes.
The success of the Commanders was expedited by the breakthrough of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Heisman winner and second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Who could possibly have that level of success in 2025? It's a foregone conclusion that we'll see some team go from worst to first, but NFL insider Adam Schefter thinks the New England Patriots could be this year's version of the Commanders.
Adam Schefter thinks the Patriots could be 2025's version of the Commanders
"They are to me what the Commanders were last year....The Commanders gave the Eagles a run, and I could see the Patriots doing the same with the Buffalo Bills."
- Adam Schefter (via ESPN NFL)
The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as their new head coach this offseason, and Vrabel has previously been NFL Coach of the Year. Drake Maye showed some nice progress late last season at the quarterback position and everyone is expecting him to have a huge breakout year.
The Patriots upgraded their offensive line with the selection of Will Campbell early in the 2025 NFL Draft, and added to Drake Maye's weaponry by getting veteran Stefon Diggs at receiver and Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round.
The Patriots also made one of the biggest additions of the 2025 offseason when they signed defensive lineman Milton Williams.
The roster has been upgraded, the quarterback is ready for a breakout, and the coach has already proven his teams can overachieve as they did when he was with the Titans. Maybe Schefter is onto something here.