While the 2025 NFL playoffs still need to be played, it’s officially the offseason for 18 teams. Yahoo analyst Matt Harmon is going team-by-team, listed in order of the NFL Draft, offering what each needs to do this offseason to ensure success/improvement, particularly for players in fantasy football.
Las Vegas Raiders – Nail the offensive architect
There were many problems with the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders. Their biggest flaw was the lack of cohesive vision between the front office and coaching staff. Frankly, I don’t even think the entire coaching group — namely Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly — shared the same view of what the plan should be for the offense. The Raiders have cleaned out the staff. Now, it will be up to Tom Brady and his handpicked GM John Spytek to continue building a roster that has some young talent in the skill positions spots on offense that the prior staff didn’t maximize. The most important box to check is that they identify the correct offensive architect to lead the coaching staff and develop the eventual No. 1 overall pick at quarterback.
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New York Jets – Quarterback plan
No more half measures; we all knew that, at best, the Justin Fields acquisition would be just that and it turned out to be much worse. This offseason, the Jets need to make sure the starting quarterback is a serious option or nothing else matters. Garrett Wilson led this team with 395 receiving yards and he hasn’t caught a pass since Oct. 13. That is so beyond unserious. If this team determines they are so far away they can’t add a young passer to the mix in the 2026 NFL Draft, I could understand it from a team-building standpoint, but it’s a tough pill to swallow for a passing game that I do think is well-designed and has a No. 1 wideout in place.
Arizona Cardinals – Offensive ecosystem makeover
The Cardinals relieved the coaching staff of their duties Monday morning. Fantasy players enjoyed what was ultimately a scam for passing production with Jacoby Brissett under center. Brissett dropped back to pass 548 times (45.7 per game) since Week 6, Caleb Williams was second in that same span with 484 (37.2 per game). That’s the difference of 8.5 dropbacks per game. The Cardinals won a single game in that span. There was production but not a ton of good outcomes for Arizona. Moving on from Kyler Murray is a given at this stage, but the team also needs a fresh start from an offensive ecosystem standpoint.
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Tennessee Titans – Support for Cam Ward
Cam Ward ranked 35th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per dropback and success rate this season. However, we can all use our brains and apply some context to the situation and realize he wasn’t set up for any level of success with a lame-duck, play-calling head coach who was fired early in the season, and no quality experienced pass-catchers for most of the year. The Titans front office needs to nail the head coaching hire, which best facilitates growth for the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft first and foremost. The rest of the roster needs refreshing on offense, too. I wouldn’t write anyone who played a role at running back, wide receiver or tight end from 2025 in as a starter in 2026. If those guys compete in camp and win jobs, great. Just aim for more depth with upside overall.
New York Giants – Support for Jaxson Dart
The Giants essentially have the same assignment for supporting Jaxson Dart as outlined above with the Titans and Ward. New York will be able to attract some interesting candidates at head coach, provided those options are bought in on Dart, who wasn’t viewed as a consensus Round 1 quarterback but did show real-deal flashes this season. From a supporting cast standpoint, they need to add playmakers and more help on the offensive line. The impending return of Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo from injury could be an X-factor, provided they are healthy.
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Cleveland Browns – Fix the offensive line
The Browns hit on some young players in this most recent draft, including RB Quinshon Judkins and TE Harold Fannin Jr. Cleveland still needs a quarterback and a complete refresh of the wide receiver room. However, the offensive line has hit a breaking point due to age and expiring contracts. If that doesn’t get corrected in the offseason, I’m not sure what they add at those more marquee positions will move the needle much at all. That has to be top of mind for GM Andrew Berry, who was retained despite head coach Kevin Stefanski being shown the door.
Washington Commanders – Don’t cut corners
The Commanders just fired both of their coordinators less than one year after playing the NFC Championship game. Life comes at you fast in the NFL and this team is guilty of resting on its 2024 laurels to far too high a degree. They tried to cut corners and left significant holes in their offensive weaponry. The running back room and outside receiver position were ignored in the offseason and the lack of depth was exposed throughout the season. Moving on from Kliff Kingsbury signals they know they need to change their stripes a bit on offense this coming season. We’ll see how that works out but it’s the right idea, even if Kingsbury was great for this team in 2024. Getting the OC hire right is pivotal but so is surrounding QB Jayden Daniels with better young talent at pass-catcher.
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New Orleans Saints – Playmakers for Tyler Shough
Tyler Shough strung together a strong end of the year for his rookie season. From Week 9 on he ranked 14th in EPA per dropback and 11th in adjusted yards per attempt. We’ll see how high the ceiling is on Shough but he absolutely looks like someone who can start in the NFL. Now that the Saints have that answer, it’s time to load up on some playmakers. Chris Olave is coming off a breakthrough season and is capable of being this team’s multi-year WR1 but let’s stock the cupboard around him. This is especially glaring at running back, where the team never found a stride with Alvin Kamara and wasn’t any better without him after his injury.
Kansas City Chiefs – Look in the mirror
Back in November, I wrote a long piece detailing what’s gone wrong for the Kansas City Chiefs on offense this season and why those structural problems are big. Their season only got worse since that moment and I stand on everything written in that article — no need to regurgitate it. The issue is that there is no quick fix for any of that and Step 1 requires a pretty significant “look in the mirror” moment by the folks who have built what’s been the defining NFL team of the last decade.
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If we’re looking for clues as to whether Andy Reid and Co. have the awareness needed to proceed to the next steps, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is a free agent this offseason and his status will tell us a lot. By no means do I think Nagy is some kind of boogeyman and his removal will fix everything. Rather, what the Chiefs do at offensive coordinator next season will indicate if they think some changes in vision are needed (they are) or if it’s a run it all back type of deal.
Cincinnati Bengals – Build around Joe Burrow and the trio
The Bengals have Joe Burrow. They have a great set of offensive skill position players, namely Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. And? This team has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and while Burrow’s injuries are a big factor in that reality, they’re fooling themselves if they think that is the only variable. If Cincinnati runs back the same product — all those offensive pieces surrounded by middling play in the trenches and a poor defense — for another season, there might actually be some consequences. The Bengals as the NFL’s leading Carnival Team has been a goldmine for fantasy value but it’s become a tiresome operation going nowhere.
The Dolphins are bringing Mike McDaniel back, presumably under the assumption that he can make it work with a different quarterback going forward. What they do about his contract is a big question but it’s beyond over between Tua Tagovailoa and this team. McDaniel’s early offenses revolved around getting the best out of the quarterback’s limitations but as always, that ran out of rope. This will be a fascinating team to watch going forward at the quarterback position and what it indicates for McDaniels’ vision. There are star skill position players like De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle to work with for whoever is under center.
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Dallas Cowboys – Retain George Pickens
Pretty simple; the Cowboys can’t allow George Pickens to hit the open market. Dallas is currently over the cap by a significant amount, but can create plenty of room via cuts and restructures to star players like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. I’d be stunned if Pickens plays anywhere else next season, whether they come to an agreement on an extension or he’s retained with the franchise tag.
Atlanta made two big bets at the quarterback position in the 2024 offseason and as we head into 2026, I don’t think you can label either as a hit. Perhaps Michael Penix Jr. becomes that guy. However, I’d bet against a new front office and coaching staff hanging their hat on that as their answer, considering the soon-to-be 26-year-old quarterback is both still unproven and coming off his third ACL reconstruction. I’m not exactly sure what the path forward is for this team, which lacks a Round 1 selection in the upcoming draft, but I doubt either Penix or Kirk Cousins opens the season as the starting quarterback.
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Baltimore Ravens – Add more around Lamar Jackson
There will be sensationalist headlines about Lamar Jackson in the coming months regarding his future with the team. My guess is that he’ll be back with this team in 2026, especially after the Ravens fired John Harbaugh. With that in mind, I think it’s time for the Ravens to get serious about what they’re putting around him — especially considering where the soon-to-be 29-year-old quarterback might be at this stage of his career. He’s carried a huge burden in the offense as a creator and elevator. Those days might be done, especially coming off several injuries. If I’m Baltimore, I’m going hard this offseason to try and make sure I field an above-average offensive line and pass-catching corps in 2026. I don’t think you can say either of those rooms deserved that designation this past season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Clean up some clutter
By the end of the season, it felt all too crowded in both the running back and wide receiver rooms for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That can work if you have a play-caller who can maximize everyone. I think it’s fair to say the Buccaneers no longer have an offensive coordinator who can manage that “burden.” As it stands, several names from both rooms could move on in the offseason. Rachaad White is an unrestricted free agent, while Sean Tucker is a restricted free agent at running back. All of Mike Evans, Cade Otton and Sterling Shepard are set to see their contracts expire. Of those players, Evans would be the one I’d consider most likely to return and most difficult to replace. However, he’s set to turn 33 this August and is constantly dealing with injuries. Evans may retire.
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Indianapolis Colts – Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce free agency
The Colts enter the offseason with plenty of cap space but have two big offensive free agents to consider. Daniel Jones is a tricky evaluation after he tore his Achilles tendon in November. The team likely still wants to retain him and he could even be a franchise tag candidate. Alec Pierce had a breakout season in 2025 and ended up being the Colts most important wideout in a really good room. While they’d love to retain him, he could end up being the best wide receiver on the market. He has the size, speed and true X-receiver skills that don’t come available often. A sneaky bidding war could ensue and the Colts may end up losing out on that one, especially with right tackle Braden Smith also up for free agency. The Colts’ first moves of the offseason will be the biggest.
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Detroit Lions – Remake the offensive line
Much of the Lions’ step back this season will be blamed on the coaching brain-drain and specifically the exit of Ben Johnson. That played a significant role but we might not be having this conversation at all if the offensive line even remotely resembled the unit we watched the previous few seasons in Detroit. As it stands now, Penei Sewell, who is one of the best right tackles in the NFL, is the only high-end starter locked in for 2026. Left tackle Taylor Decker will turn 33 in August and sounded like a man ready to consider retirement post-Week 18 for the same grueling health concerns of his former teammate Frank Ragnow. You can probably project some growth from Tate Ratledge at one of the guard spots going into Year 2; the other two spots are areas that held them back in 2025. Detroit needs to hammer this position if it wants to get back to the offensive identity it has long held under Dan Campbell’s regime.
Simple to say, hard to do. The Vikings can’t realistically go into next season with J.J. McCarthy as the unquestioned starting quarterback. Some degree of competition will need to be acquired. How high they reach to get such a competitor will be fascinating to watch. The Vikings were one of the most disappointing offenses in the NFL this season, with Justin Jefferson’s lack of production a weekly talking point. You can trace most of it back to the state of the quarterback position. You don’t have to bail on McCarthy altogether but they just need more options.