One Serious Question for Each NFL Team Eliminated from the Playoffs: Impacts on Chris Godwin, Josh Jacobs, Russell Wilson and More

Making the playoffs is the ultimate goal of every team in the regular season. Some groups enter the season with loftier goals, like the Chiefs, but you can’t do anything in January if you don’t make it to the postseason field first.

For those who lose in the playoffs, there are questions to answer about how good they really are, what they can do to become better, and who might have to come or go to take the team to the next level.

Let’s look at one tough question for each team who lost in the first two rounds of the playoffs. This isn’t necessarily the biggest issue heading into the offseason, but it is something that won’t be easy to answer as each team looks in the mirror.

Baltimore Ravens (12-5)

Tough Question: What gets them over the hump?

One of Baltimore and Buffalo was going to have to lose Sunday night, and whoever that ended up being was going to have to face the possibility that they don’t have the talent to win the biggest game.

The game could have gone either way, so it’s tough to say that the Ravens weren’t good enough just because they lost one game, but the reality is that they aren’t in the conference championship game.

The only thing they can do is look at how the roster can be even better at the top and raise their ceiling in 2025. Another skilled receiver would help Jackson, and the defense can always use reinforcements, as can both lines. There’s not a lot for Baltimore to do, but they can help themselves by acquiring players who help their top line.

Denver Broncos (10-7)

Tough Question: Which homegrown guys can they upgrade on?

Rather than one particular player, this is about a few of Denver’s young guys they drafted who haven’t played to a contending level. When a team is rebuilding or on the way down, it’s easy to give snaps to those guys under 25 years old in hopes that they turn into stars or regular starters.

When a team hits that next level, though, as Denver did this season, they can no longer wait for guys to figure it out. Those who are just OK or below average must be replaced or at least pushed down the depth chart.

The Broncos have a few guys who could face that squeeze after this offseason if the team makes moves to improve their overall talent level. Left tackle Garett Bolles would have been on that list, but he signed an extension earlier this season and seems secure in his spot. Two skill players have failed to excel and might be mitigated or off the roster in 2025:

Javonte Williams, RB

Williams is about to hit free agency, which might seal his fate. A modest extension is a possibility, but the Broncos can seriously upgrade their offense with a better player at this position.

His best season was as a rookie in 2021, when he had 903 rushing yards (4.4 per attempt) and 316 receiving yards. He missed most of the next season with an injury and has been far less efficient since returning, averaging 3.6 yards per carry last season and 3.7 this year.

Marvin Mims Jr., WR

Denver was missing a lot of draft capital from the Russell Wilson trade, but they still traded up to take Mims at the end of the second round in 2023. He has combined for just 61 receptions and 880 yards in his two seasons. He did score six touchdowns this year, but that was after only one as a rookie.

Mims looks more like a complementary player and deep threat who returns kicks. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s more of a fourth or fifth receiver. Courtland Sutton has been a quasi-top receiver, though he’s a better WR2, and rookie seventh rounder Devaughn Vele looks like a keeper.

A true top receiver would push everyone into a more defined role, and that would squeeze Mims out of a lot of snaps.

Detroit Lions (15-2)

Tough Question: How can they acquire top-level talent on defense?

The Lions have found defenders in the draft (Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Terrion Arnold) and via trade (Carlton Davis III, Za'Darius Smith), but that side of the ball is still the weaker unit. Injuries played a huge role in their downfall in 2024; better health will help.

They need to find more championship-level defenders, though, through any means necessary. Detroit can likely find a rookie role player with the 28th pick, but another star pass rusher to complement Hutchinson, especially in his return from major injury, would probably be more readily available either in free agency or through trade.

How about shooting for the moon? The Raiders and Browns might both be facing a rebuild of sorts, so could the Lions pry away Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett for two first-round picks to create the best pass rushing duo in the league?

Green Bay Packers (11-6)

Tough Question: Is Josh Jacobs worth keeping long term?

Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry both had great years after leaving the teams that drafted them last offseason. Some will group Jacobs in with them given his volume numbers: 1,329 rushing yards, 342 receiving yards, 16 total touchdowns. He wasn’t overly efficient gaining those yards on the ground, getting them at 4.6 yards per attempt, close to average.

This isn’t to say that Jacobs is a bad player, but a mid-round rookie could approximate the same production for over $10 million less. On a team that needs to make moves on the offensive line, defensive line, and secondary, those could be valuable dollars.

Though it was reported as a four-year deal, Jacobs’ contract signed last offseason was often described as a “one-year contract with three options,” so they can get out of the deal pretty easily. I prefer using that money on more premium positions, but the Packers might be making their offense worse by getting rid of Jacobs, even if the difference isn’t great.

Houston Texans (10-7)

Tough Question: How much help does C.J. Stroud need?

The easy answer is, “More than he had this year.” After a phenomenal rookie season, Stroud took a step backward in his second season in terms of efficiency (7.0 yards per attempt after 8.2 last year) and protecting the ball (12 interceptions after just five in 2023).

It seemed like Stroud might be a guy who could lift his team rather than needing that much support, but his second season showed that Stroud needs a little more time to develop to that elite level. In the meantime, the team needs to find the guys to support him, especially with Stroud on a rookie contract when they can use that extra money on veterans.

Stefon Diggs is a free agent, and his season ended with a torn ACL. Tank Dell suffered a leg injury of his own near the end of the year and will probably miss the beginning of 2025. Houston needs both long-term and short-term help at receiver; that could come from a first-round pick.

The offensive line might be the biggest need: According to ESPN, the Texans were 22nd in pass block win rate and 31st in run block win rate. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil is probably the only guy who should be guaranteed his starting role, with competition needed for the other four O-line spots.

Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)

Tough Question: Can they turn into true contenders in one offseason?

It must be enticing for the Chargers to go all in after a surprisingly good 2024. They won 11 games (fourth-most in the AFC) and felt like favorites in the first round of the playoffs, where they lost 32-12 to the Texans.

Kansas City is likely to be worse next season if simply because no one wins 15 of their first 16 games often, and KC just did it. If the Chiefs fall to 12 wins, it just takes one extra victory to maybe get the Chargers the division crown. That’s worth shooting for.

Their ascent comes with high-level players who raise their ceiling. A mix of bringing in Jim Harbaugh and veteran free agents brought a level of competence to make them a playoff team. An impact wide receiver, like Tee Higgins, is the type of guy who could help their offense become a unit on par with their top-10 defense.

However they go about adding those players, LA will find their most growth by bringing in multiple high-impact players rather than chasing depth.

Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

Tough Question: Can they enter 2025 as division favorites?

The Rams were a surprise division champion, as the 49ers suffered through injuries, and LA outlasted both Arizona and Seattle. While the Rams never felt on the contender level, they had a lot of buzz around possibly upsetting the Eagles, and Philly only won by six when they stopped the Rams in the last 30 seconds of the game.

A defense littered with first- and second-year players improved throughout the year and showed some of their best in the playoffs, first sacking Sam Darnold nine times in the Wild Card Round then taking down the much more mobile Jalen Hurts seven times on Sunday. There’s something to build on.

San Francisco is still the division favorite next season as of now, so the Rams have the task of finding major moves that can move them up the hierarchy. They haven’t been afraid to make big swings in the past, and they are now back in the business of building a team that can win at a high level.

They made a first-round pick last year for the first time since 2016, and they own the 26th pick in this year's draft. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Los Angeles use that premium pick as part of a package for a proven star, like when they grabbed cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2019.

Minnesota Vikings (14-3)

Tough Question: What happens with Sam Darnold?

There are three reasonable outcomes here:

• Minnesota signs Darnold to a multi-year contract and either keeps J.J. McCarthy as a backup or looks to trade him to a team looking for a young QB.
• The Vikings put the franchise tag on Darnold and look to trade him to a quarterback-needy team.
• They let Darnold leave in free agency and hope to possibly recoup a compensation pick in 2026.

The team could also franchise Darnold and keep him into training camp to see how McCarthy plays then decide, but it seems more likely that the team will make a decision before the draft then make moves accordingly.

I predict that they will tag and trade Darnold, either to a team who wants a veteran rather than a rookie or after the draft to a team who misses out on the top guys. A lot depends on where they feel McCarthy is both health-wise and from a skill standpoint.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

Tough Question: Who is the starting quarterback in 2025?

This could be one of the teams who has interest in Darnold, as they have a roster that just made the playoffs and could use a steady hand. Incumbents Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will obviously be on the radar, as will any low-cost veteran who could battle for the top spot or secure the QB2 position.

It’s likely that both Pittsburgh and Wilson see a mutually beneficial partnership, and the Baker Mayfield contract around three years and $100 million has been mentioned as a possible deal. Fields would probably cost less and might have the higher ceiling, but they showed they preferred the older veteran this year.

A rookie is also be a possibility, but anyone the team could grab seems unlikely to make them better in 2025. Any QB taken in this draft would be more of a developmental option behind the eventual starter.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)

Tough Question: Is Chris Godwin part of the plan?

The veteran receiver suffered a dislocated ankle in the middle of the season that ended the final year of his contract early. Now entering free agency as a 29-year-old with multiple serious injuries, it’s worth being skeptical of giving Godwin a lot of money and/or years.

Another part of the equation is rookie Jalen McMillan, who came on strong in the second half of the year. From Weeks 12-18, McMillan averaged around four catches and 50 yards per game while scoring seven touchdowns.

With Mike Evans still doing his thing and McMillan ready to step in as the second option, the team could probably find other places to use money rather than on another receiver. It depends on the length and size of the contract Godwin will want, but Tampa might do better to move on from the veteran receiver and add more talent on defense.