Ranking Eliminated NFL Teams Most Likely to Bounce Back Next Season | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

It’s a harsh reality that with 13 teams out of the playoff race at this point, there are going to be several teams next year that will end up in the same spot they’re in right now. Some teams simply have too many major issues to fix in one offseason.

These teams can make big strides during the offseason and still be out of the playoff picture next season.

2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $57.3 million (15th)

2025 NFL Draft Picks: 9 Total (one on Day 1, two on Day 2, six on Day 3)

The Giants don’t have an answer at quarterback and don’t have the environment in place for a rookie to succeed either way. They are essentially where the Patriots were this season. Even if they get the No. 1 pick and nail the selection, they still have a porous defense, a struggling offensive line and not a lot of weapons outside of Malik Nabers.

2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $111.6 million (2nd)

2025 NFL Draft Picks: 10 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2, six on Day 3)

Head coach Antonio Pierce’s first year on the job couldn’t have gone much worse. The Raiders defense, which looked great at the end of 2023, took a nosedive in 2024, and the Raiders’ quarterback situation was bleak the whole season.

Their chances of fixing their need issues at the game’s most important position took a hit when they won last week against the Jaguars and went from having a top-two pick all but wrapped up to currently picking sixth. If the Raiders can’t land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, it becomes a harder sell that they’ll be much better in 2025.

2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $34.1 million (20th)

2025 NFL Draft Picks: 9 Total (one on Day 1, two on Day 2, six on Day 3)

There are just so many questions. Has Bryce Young done enough to continue being the starter? Will Panthers owner David Tepper give Dave Canales enough time to establish himself as a head coach? The Panthers’ cap situation isn’t as good as some of the other teams on this list, which is wild given the lack of talent in some areas of the roster.

2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $64.4 million (10th)

2025 NFL Draft Picks: 8 Total (one on Day 1, one on Day 2 and six on Day 3)

The Titans seem set on moving on from Will Levis. Benching him in favor of Mason Rudolph to close out the season isn’t a move they would make if they believed he was the future. So there’s a major question at quarterback.

The good news is that the basis for a decent defense is already in place. L’Jarius Sneed heads up a decent secondary, and the Titans are seventh in yards allowed per play. The team has given up a lot of points this season, but they don’t feel far off from having a good defense.

2025 Cap Space (per Spotrac): $132.4 million (1st)

2025 NFL Draft Picks: 9 Total (one on Day 1, three on Day 2 and five on Day 3)

If general manager Eliot Wolf has a home run offseason, then this ranking might look foolish. The Patriots have found their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye. It’s just that they have questions at just about every other premium position. The good news is that they are stocked with cap space to make a splash in free agency. That’s not a strategy that has worked for them in the past, though.