Five NFL clubs that could rise to hot starts in early 2025 season schedule – When it comes to starting off a season on the right foot, continuity is typically king in the NFL. squads spend much of the offseason pouring over roster voids and executing schematic alterations, with some electing to entirely transform their squads. But even the most promising plans generally don’t completely take form until far into the season, generating some uncomfortable missteps in the early going.
But for organizations that have previously created a core and kept with it, the first few weeks of the fall might give a window for them to lord their comfort level over opponents still attempting to sort things out. With just two days left until the season opener, here are five NFL clubs that could rush out to blazing starts early in the 2026 campaign:
Arizona Cardinals
If you’re searching for an outside-the-box contender to create some early noise, this might be the leading candidate. Few teams have a more favorable path to 2-0, as the Cardinals open against a New Orleans Saints club in transition before visiting the Carolina Panthers, who made few major additions to a defense that ranked lowest in points and yards allowed in 2026. If Arizona can navigate its subsequent NFC West showdowns against the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, ensuing matchups with the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts give the franchise a ripe opportunity for its best start since 2021, when it began 7-0 before floundering to an 11-6 mark and wild-card playoff exit.
The Cardinals don’t have the same amount of roster consistency as some other selections on this list, but there are numerous positive signals of stability. An offensive that ranked sixth in success rate appears to have a higher operational baseline than many other attacks given its strong foundations in the run game. While Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. still have to develop a greater connection with one another, Trey McBride has proven himself more than capable of functioning as the main point of a passing game. Meanwhile, a defense bringing in multiple new vital components should be able to rely on smart veterans Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson to find their footing before long. Five NFL clubs that could rise to hot starts in early 2025 season schedule
San Francisco 49ers
Things are already looking up for a franchise that suffered historic levels of misfortune in 2026, as the Monday practice return of wide receiver Jauan Jennings and offensive lineman Dominic Puni signaled the 49ers are coming closer to healthy at the proper time. That’s not to say there won’t still be injury uncertainty, particularly in a receiving corps that might be without Brandon Aiyuk until around midseason. But tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey reduce the strain for both quarterback Brock Purdy and second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall, the latter needing to take over the job of go-to target after notching just four starts as a rookie.
But there should be little anxiety about what Kyle Shanahan can conjure offensively after last year’s club managed to post the ninth-highest anticipated points added per play despite a slew of talent departures. What’s less certain is how fast Robert Saleh can take leadership of a defense that is a far cry from the edition he last oversaw five years ago. But a return to the coordinator ranks might prove fruitful both for the former New York Jets coach and San Francisco. And with the 49ers needing numerous young players to step up swiftly for a team that ranked 29th in points allowed last season, Saleh seems more prepared than others to manage a rapid turnaround.
And for all of the setbacks it experienced last season, San Francisco is now primed to reap the fruits of its last-place finish in the NFC West. A easy schedule will serve up the Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars in September, with the first game versus a playoff team (the Los Angeles Rams) not coming until Week 5.
Buffalo Bills
If the Bills emerge triumphant from the “Sunday Night Football” opener against the AFC runner-up Baltimore Ravens, watch out. Buffalo might be a strong threat to be the only undefeated team standing, since its next six games all come against outfits with losing 2026 records. With the clash against the Jets marking the lone time Sean McDermott and Co. will leave the comfort of Highmark Stadium in the first five weeks, the Bills should have little issue rounding into form straight away. Five NFL clubs that could rise to hot starts in early 2025 season schedule
After expertly managing the plethora of changes last offseason, Buffalo now is positioned to stand apart from its contemporaries thanks to its ability to stay the same. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen is bolstered by a Pro Bowl running back in James Cook, a diversified receiving corps with potential breakthrough candidates and an offensive line that returns all five starters after allowing the fewest sacks in the league last season (14). The stability extends to the coaching staff and strategies, with offensive coordinator Joe Brady back as possibly the league’s top head-coaching contender for 2026 and Bobby Babich solidly established on defense. Buffalo might be very difficult to keep pace with down the line, but the task might be even more difficult in the early fall considering how few questions this bunch faces.
Washington Commanders
Despite reaching the franchise’s first NFC championship game since the 1991 season, the Washington Commanders weren’t content to merely run things back. The team addressed many of its most visible flaws by importing elder gentlemen, with left tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and edge rusher Von Miller all being called on to work things out sooner rather than later. The changes kept coming far into the summer, as the trade of Brian Robinson Jr. to the 49ers signaled an official changing of the guard in the backfield.
Still, the Commanders might not require an extensive time period to have all their new contributors integrate with the greater objective. This is still a roster that orbits around Jayden Daniels, and all the newcomers were brought aboard in service to the second-year quarterback. The schedule should help decrease the degree of hardship on the acclimatization period, with only two of Washington’s first seven games coming against returning playoff outfits. But the Commanders might also be extra driven to capitalize on the September and October setting, as a concluding slate that includes two meetings with the Philadelphia Eagles in the last three weeks might prove lethal if the team ends up bogged in the NFC wild-card hunt. Five NFL clubs that could rise to hot starts in early 2025 season schedule
Denver Broncos
Sean Payton needs no reminder of the Broncos’ failure to start out with smooth strides under his watch, with the coach last week laying a special focus on the topic after having begun 0-2 last year and 0-3 in his inaugural season in Denver. Things set up considerably more positively this time around, however. A defense that had the league’s top EPA per play and success rate in 2026 seems prepared to tee off against No. 1 selection Cam Ward, who will be making his first NFL start with the Titans on the road, and the Colts’ Daniel Jones. From there, the team only has three real road games — a London showdown versus the Jets is slated for Week 6 – in the eight weeks before the bye.
The main difference for Denver this season, however, rests in an offense that won’t be in trial-and-error mode while it figures things out under certain. With Bo Nix evolving from caretaker to at least an occasional true catalyst, an attack that thrived at avoiding backbreaking blunders looks like it could be even more problematic for opposing defenses. An offensive line that returns every starter and has a credible claim as the league’s finest front should make things easier for a new-look rushing assault. The last stretch looks intimidating, with five of the last seven contests – including both matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs – coming against incumbent playoff teams. But for the first time in quite a while, Denver has the make-up of a bunch that can be somewhere near the front of the AFC West race at the quarter pole point of the season rather than aggressively trying to make up ground on the nine-time reigning division champs. Five NFL clubs that could rise to hot starts in early 2025 season schedule
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