NFL Trade Rumors
We’re just over halfway through the 2025 NFL season, with Thursday Night Football kicking off Week 11 as we close in on the home stretch. Teams are seeing their last chances to change their playoff fortunes and players have one more push to make to enter serious contention for most major awards.
With that, I thought I’d look at some potential risers and fallers over the final eight weeks of the season. What teams, players, or units have been flying high and might come back down to earth the rest of the season? Or, alternatively, who’s been going a bit under the radar and is poised for a breakout? Let’s break it down:
I don’t think people realize just how good of a season Jackson is having. He did miss three games with a hamstring injury, and the Ravens got off to a very slow start. But in a relatively weak MVP field (the current frontrunners are Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Seahawks QB Sam Darnold, and Colts RB Jonathan Taylor), there’s a world where Jackson wins his third MVP this season.
In just six games, Jackson has 1,249 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s completing passes at a 70.1-percent clip and has thrown just one interception on the season. On top of that, he’s added 216 yards and a touchdown on the ground. That is an absurd level of efficiency — Jackson is having one of the best seasons of his career, injuries aside.
Another thing in Jackson’s favor is the Ravens’ upcoming schedule. After starting 1-5 against an absolute gauntlet (Bills, Browns, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Rams) Baltimore has won three straight and has an appealing upcoming schedule. The Browns are on deck again Sunday before games against the Jets, Bengals, Steelers, Bengals, Patriots, Packers, and Steelers.
That’s one of the easier remaining schedules in the league, which should help get the Ravens back into playoff contention and boost Jackson’s numbers. He may not be able to put up the raw counting stats needed to seriously compete for the MVP trophy given the three games he’s missed, but what he’s doing should not be overlooked.
This one is tough, because the 49ers are only really here due to injuries. The long list of Niners players out for the season is well documented, with LB Fred Warner and ED Nick Bosa topping that list, two of the best defensive players in the entire league.
It’s not just the guys done for the year, either. Starting QB Brock Purdy has only played in three games this year, though he’s set to return against the Cardinals on Sunday. Top WR Brandon Aiyuk has yet to make his season debut after suffering a serious knee injury last season. WRs Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have both missed time, as has LB Dee Winters. ED Bryce Huff, the team’s best pass rusher with Bosa out, had to miss a few games with a hamstring...
