NFL teams that have the biggest question marks for 2025 Training Camp

 

Photo Courtesy of Stefanie Chiguluri - San Francisco 49ers

By Nate McCray

As NFL teams report for 2025 training camp, optimism is everywhere, but so are the question marks. For contenders and rebuilders alike, camp is the proving ground where roster gaps, coaching overhauls, and unproven players either rise to the moment or reveal cracks that can sink a season.  So, as I scan the league using real offseason data, a few teams’ standout above the rest as the biggest mystery heading into camp: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and the Cleveland Browns.

After back-to-back 4–13 seasons that marked the official end of the Bill Belichick era, the New England Patriots find themselves at a franchise crossroads heading into the 2025 training camp. With former Patriots star and fan favorite Mike Vrabel now at the helm as head coach, the team faces a pivotal moment: can Vrabel inject toughness, identity, and stability back into a locker room that has lacked direction, or will the growing pains of a roster rebuild, including a rookie quarterback and a reshaped coaching staff, keep the Patriots stuck at the bottom of the AFC East? As camp opens in Foxborough, hope and hard questions hang in the humid summer air.

New England Patriots Concerns

  • Second year QB Drake Maye will battle veteran Joshua Dobbs for the starting spot, but the offensive line is shaky.
  • The wide receiver room took a hit as star Stefon Diggs (acquired in the offseason) may start on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, sidelining him for at least four games.
  •  Can this patched-together offense lift itself in a stacked AFC East?

As the San Francisco 49ers report to training camp, one of the league’s most talented rosters carries a surprisingly urgent concern: wide receiver depth. With Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a significant knee injury, Deebo Samuel traded in the offseason, and Jauan Jennings locked in a contract dispute, the 49ers face a glaring shortage of proven targets for quarterback Brock Purdy to through to. While Ricky Pearsall and offseason additions like Jacob Cowing (University of Arizona) and Demarcus Robinson (former Florida Gator and Kansas City Chief) offer intrigue, they enter camp with limited NFL experience and face enormous pressure to step into starting roles. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the uncertainty at wide receiver looms large, threatening to derail one of the league’s most explosive offenses before the season even kicks off.

San Francisco 49ers Concerns

  • Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from a major knee injury.
  • Deebo Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders.
  • Jauan Jennings is seeking a contract extension or trade.

As the Cleveland Browns gear up for training camp, the spotlight shines squarely on their unsettled offense, raising more questions than answers. After a dismal 3–14 season in 2024, the Browns overhauled their quarterback room, bringing in veteran Joe Flacco, former Steelers Kenny Pickett, and rookies Shedeur Sanders (University of Colorado) and Dillon Gabriel (University of Oregon), but a true starter has yet to emerge. On top of that, head coach Kevin Stefanski replaced his offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, signaling a total reset of the system. With a patchwork line, an evolving receiver corps, and a brutal schedule ahead, the Browns face the enormous challenge of establishing offensive identity and consistency, or risk watching another season spiral out of control before it even begins.

Cleveland Browns Concerns

  • Quarterback Logjam: Joe Flacco (resigned), Kenny Pickett (acquired), Shedeur Sanders (rookie), and Dillon Gabriel (rookie) are all in the mix. No one comes without asterisks: Flacco is aging, Pickett flamed out in Pittsburgh, Sanders is raw at the NFL level, and Gabriel is a developmental piece. Who leads this offense? Nobody knows, not even Kevin Stefanski.
  • Offensive Overhaul: Stefanski moved on from offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and OL coach Andy Dickerson, bringing in Tommy Rees and Mike Bloomgren. New scheme, new play caller, new quarterbacks. This could be “continuity”, or chaos.
  • Tough schedule ahead: Add one of the league’s hardest schedules, and the Browns are flirting with disaster if camp doesn’t deliver clear answers. 

With games against the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions on the road in September, and respective home and road games against the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers in October, there is no room or margin for error this season for Cleveland.

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