The 2025 NFL season is finally here as it kicks off Thursday night with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys on NBC. As I do every year at this same time, below are my final regular season records and playoff predictions for the upcoming season, with the main focus being on the Pittsburgh Steelers. But first, have a little fun by looking at my predictions from last season at this same time.
Let’s get on with my 2025 thoughts.
So, what do I think about the 2025 Steelers? Well, I feel a little more bullish this year about them than I did a year ago. What happened down the stretch last season with the Steelers prompted the team to make a lot of changes on both sides of the football this past offseason. Not only did the team trade away WR George Pickens during the offseason, but they also traded for WR DK Metcalf. Another trade happened later in the offseason with S Minkah Fitzpatrick being shipped out for CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith. Mixed in along with those trades were the additions of QB Aaron Rodgers, CB Darius Slay, CB Brandin Echols, and ILB Malik Harrison as free agents, just to name a few.
As most of us thought might be the case this past offseason, the Steelers addressed their defensive line during the 2025 NFL Draft. Not only with their first selection in Derrick Harmon, but Yahya Black with their fifth. Heading into the 2025 season, both picks seem like solid ones, even though Harmon will miss the start of his rookie year with a knee injury.
The addition of Rodgers could wind up being an enormous difference maker in 2025 for the Steelers, especially if the offensive line can take a huge step forward this season. The two tackles, Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, both former first round draft picks, need to play up to their draft pedigrees in 2025. If they can’t, it could make for a long season for Rodgers and company. The Steelers’ offensive line depth isn’t particularly good at all, so the team will need a lot of luck in 2025 when it comes to their starting five. By the way, I think C Zach Frazier could possibly wind up being a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection in 2025 if things go like I think they might for him.
The Steelers will use a committee approach of sorts when it comes to their No. 2 wide receiver position in 2025, and thus this feels like a repeat of 2024, only with a better tight end room to go along with it all. We are going to see a lot of two and three tight end personnel groupings on offense in 2025, and so OC Arthur Smith better find a way to make that work with both the running and passing games. Metcalf and Jonnu Smith both absolutely must stay healthy in 2025.
When it comes to the 2025 Steelers defense, I’m extremely excited about that unit and especially with Ramsey now included in it. This defense should put up more than 50 sacks and register at least 15 takeaways, if not 20, in 2025. The big question concerning the Steelers 2025 defense will be the unit’s play against the run. We can’t see what happened late last year against the run a second consecutive season. If things go like I think and hope they will, the Steelers defense should be a top five unit in 2025, and that should allow them to at least be in every game that they play during the regular season.
The Steelers’ special team units seem to be fine on paper with Week 1 on the horizon. I like the team’s decision to go with Corliss Waitman over Cameron Johnston this year at punter.
All told, the Steelers spent a little more cash than I thought that they would this offseason. A playoff berth and at least one postseason win should certainly be expected because of that.
Overall, I have the Steelers going 10-7 in 2025. I would have gone 11-6 if I had more confidence in the offensive line and the running game. They should be in nearly every game this season and I like their schedule early on as well. They better get off to a hot start in their first four games of the 2025 season and a 4-0 record after leaving Ireland really feels feasible.
As for the Steelers and the AFC North goes in 2025, I think they will finish second thanks to them winning tiebreakers with the Cincinnati Bengals. That means sadly I have the Baltimore Ravens winning the AFC North in 2025. I have the Steelers predicted to get the fifth seed in the AFC when the regular season is over with. In the Wild Card Round of the 2025 NFL playoffs, I have the Steelers beating the Houston Texans on the road to give the team their first postseason win since the 2016 season.
While I hope to be wrong, I have the Steelers losing to the Buffalo Bills, my eventual Super Bowl champion this year, in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. I have the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs playing in the AFC Championship this year, with Buffalo advancing to the Super Bowl to play the Green Bay Packers. As stated previously, I have the Bills winning Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California in early February.
Enjoy the 2025 season, and here’s to me being off by at least a few wins and postseason predictions. Let me know your predictions for the 2025 Steelers and the rest of the NFL in the comments below. Thank you for reading.
| 2025 NFL PREDICTED FINAL STANDINGS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE | |||
| AFC East | W | L | T |
| Buffalo Bills – 1 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| New England Patriots | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| New York Jets | 6 | 11 | 0 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6 | 11 | 0 |
| AFC North | W | L | T |
| Baltimore Ravens – 2 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers – 5 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals – 6 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 12 | 0 |
| AFC South | W | L | T |
| Houston Texans – 4 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| Tennessee Titans | 5 | 12 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 4 | 13 | 0 |
| AFC West | W | L | T |
| Kansas City Chiefs – 3 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Denver Broncos – 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 6 | 11 | 0 |
| NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE | |||
| NFC East | W | L | T |
| Philadelphia Eagles – 1 | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| Washington Commanders – 6 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 13 | 0 |
| NFC North | W | L | T |
| Green Bay Packers – 2 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Detroit Lions – 5 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| NFC South | W | L | T |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| NFC West | W | L | T |
| San Francisco 49ers – 4 | 11 | 6 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Rams – 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 6 | 11 | 0 |
NFC WILD CARD ROUND
Packers beat Rams
Buccaneers beat Commanders
49ers beat Lions
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
Eagles beat 49ers
Packers beat Buccaneers
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Packers beat Eagles
AFC WILD CARD ROUND
Ravens beat Broncos
Chiefs beat Bengals
Steelers beat Texans
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
Bills beat Steelers
Chiefs beat Ravens
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Bills beat Chiefs
SUPER BOWL 60
Bills beat Packers
