The top five biggest NFL disappointments of the 2025 season

The NFL rarely fails to entertain, and the 2025 season has been no exception. There have been breathless finishes, breakout teams and individual performances that will live long in highlight reels.

But for every uplifting storyline, there has been a counterweight of frustration. Injuries have torn holes through seasons, big names have failed to deliver, and some of the league’s most stable franchises have been forced into uncomfortable self-examination.

With the regular season nearing its end, it feels like the right moment to reflect on the year’s most deflating storylines.

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5. J.J. McCarthy

The circumstances were unforgiving, but the expectations were clear. After missing his entire rookie season through injury, McCarthy was handed the keys to one of the NFL’s most potent offenses. The Minnesota Vikings doubled down on their belief by letting Sam Darnold walk after a 14-win season, making McCarthy the unquestioned starter. It hasn’t gone to plan.

Through Week 16, McCarthy has thrown for 18 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, completed under 61 per cent of his passes and posted a passer rating hovering in the low 80s.

The tape has been as concerning as the numbers: late reads, poor ball placement and a worrying recklessness when plays break down. He is young, and improvement is possible, but the Vikings are built to win now. Patience will be limited.

4. Brian Thomas Jr.

Few rookies shone brighter in 2024 than Brian Thomas Jr., who exploded for 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, but his sophomore season has been a sobering contrast.

Despite Jacksonville surging to an 11-4 record after Week 16, Thomas has managed just 619 yards and two scores, along with several high-profile drops that have stalled drives.

He has struggled to separate consistently and has faded from games too easily. On a winning team, his individual regression stands out all the more sharply.

3. The Philadelphia Eagles

At 10-5, the reigning Super Bowl champions will comfortably make the playoffs, but that barely tells the story.

Philadelphia’s offense under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo has looked blunt and oddly predictable, a far cry from last season’s juggernaut. Jalen Hurts’ limitations have been laid bare, Saquon Barkley has looked a shadow of his record-breaking 2024, and A.J. Brown’s very public frustration with his role has created an unwelcome sideshow.

This was meant to be a victory lap; instead, it has felt like a grind.

2. Injuries

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

The sheer volume and severity of injuries in 2025 has been relentless. MVP-calibre quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow both missed multiple weeks, while season-ending blows struck Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, 49ers defensive leader Fred Warner and Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons.

Then came Week 16, when Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL, a moment that seemed to crystallise just how cursed this season has been for the league’s brightest stars.

1. The Kansas City Chiefs

Nothing tops this example. The Chiefs entered 2025 intent on redemption after being blown out by the Eagles in last February’s Super Bowl. Instead, inconsistency defined their year, and they never found their footing.

Missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, they also brought an end to a run of reaching at least the AFC Championship Game every season since Mahomes became the starter in 2018. Now, with Mahomes potentially sidelined to start next season, Kansas City face something unfamiliar and uncomfortable: a genuine period of reflection and rebuilding.