Numerous NFL teams broke in new starting quarterbacks during Week 1 of the 2025 season. Many of them enjoyed success in their new digs.
That included Daniel Jones, who surprised many by thriving in his first start with the Indianapolis Colts. He made history by leading the Colts to points on all seven of their possessions during the game and also guided the team to its first Week 1 win since 2013.
Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields also performed well in their ‘trading places’ game. Rodgers became the first Pittsburgh quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger in 2020 to record four passing touchdowns in a single game. Meanwhile, Fields showed off the dual-threat ability that made him a top target of the Jets’ new leadership team of coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.
Can Fields, Jones and Rodgers continue to perform well? And what about players who didn’t thrive with their new clubs, like Russell Wilson? Those questions will be burning in the minds of football fans as they react to the first NFL action of 2025.
Here are some of the most notable overreactions from Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season:
Daniel Jones has found a perfect fit with the Colts
Few gave Jones a chance to win the Colts’ starting job when he signed a one-year deal with the team during the 2025 NFL offseason. The 28-year-old rewarded Indianapolis’ faith in him with a stellar showing in Indianapolis’ 33-8 blowout win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.
Jones thrived as a passer during the contest, demonstrating great accuracy throughout it. He completed 22 of 29 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown while adding 26 yards and two scores on the ground.
Nobody will mistake Jones for Jalen Hurts, but the 2019 first-round pick certainly looked comfortable in Shane Steichen’s offense. The system suits Jones’ short-to-intermediate accuracy while the chemistry he showed with veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie tight end Tyler Warren should make it easier for him to stay in rhythm from week to week.
Still, NFL fans should be careful not to read too much into Jones’ strong showing. After all, it came against the Dolphins, who have minimal talent at cornerback could end up being one of the NFL’s worst teams. Fans should reserve judgment until they see what Jones can do in Week 2 against a much stronger Denver Broncos defense.
The Jets have fixed Justin Fields
Like Jones, Fields enjoyed an excellent debut for his new team. Fields completed 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown while adding 48 yards and two scores on the ground in the New York Jets’ 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
More encouragingly, Fields looked very comfortable in Tanner Engstrand’s offense. The 26-year-old eliminated some of the bad habits he showed in his previous stops in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Notably, Fields showed a willingness to keep his eyes downfield while on the move. He didn’t default to scrambling when pressured, which allowed him to make explosive throws on the run.
That Fields thrived against a Steelers defense many expect to be a good overall unit should encourage the Jets and their fans. So too should New York scoring 32 points, which matched the team’s season-high point total from 2024.
But like Jones, the Jets will want to see if Fields can build on his momentum in Week 2 before anointing the 26-year-old the team’s savior. And it will be important for him to eventually get in the winner’s column as well.
Aaron Rodgers is set for an MVP-caliber swan song
Rodgers recorded just one, four-touchdown game during his two years with the Jets. It took him just one game to achieve that feat with the Steelers.
Rodgers looked like his old self in his first game with the Steelers. Sure, the 41-year-old was significantly less mobile than he was at his peak, which led to him being sacked four times. Still, he was accurate throughout the game and managed to keep Pittsburgh’s offense on-schedule while completing 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
Can Rodgers continue to play like this? That will be the big test for the veteran. Nonetheless, his high-qualify performance came against what many expect to be a solid Jets defense, and Rodgers seems to be meshing well with his new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.
That could be enough to help Rodgers once again emerge as an MVP candidate, especially if he can catapult the Steelers into NFC North contention. His lack of mobility will make it hard for him to catch the likes of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes in such a race, but the Steelers will settle for having an above-average quarterback after years of mediocrity at the position.
The Giants should bench Russell Wilson for Jaxson Dart
The Giants’ Russell Wilson era began the way many expected it would. The Giants sputtered to just six total points in a 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Wilson was a big part of New York’s offensive struggles. The veteran was victimized by a few drops but still completed just 17 of 37 passes for 168 yards. He didn’t see the field particularly well and couldn’t help the Giants consistently move the chains, as they generated 15 or fewer yards on five of their nine drives during the game.
The Giants may not bench Wilson after just one start. Brian Daboll didn’t strongly commit to him during his postgame news conference but did say he has ‘confidence’ in Wilson.
‘This game isn’t on Russell Wilson,’ Daboll said. ‘It’s not on Russell Wilson. Let me make that clear. I have confidence in Russ. We gotta do a better job all the way around.’
How might the Giants look to support Wilson and make his job easier? It may start with trying to get more out of the team’s running backs, who generated just 30 rushing yards on 15 carries against Washington. By comparison, Wilson led the team with 44 yards on eight scrambles.
Still, it’s worth wondering whether Wilson can provide the Giants with the spark they need. If Brian Daboll and Co. conclude he can’t, that would position Dart to see the field sooner rather than later.
The Lions are in trouble without Ben Johnson
The Lions entered the 2025 NFL season with new offensive and defensive coordinators after Johnson and Glenn took head coaching jobs during the offseason. The upheaval in Detroit was apparent in their season-opening 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, particularly on offense.
The Lions’ offense looked lost without Johnson’s leadership. Jared Goff seemed to prefer passing horizontally instead of finding his weapons downfield. He was sacked four times and threw an interception while looking far less confident than usual behind his strong offensive line.
Goff’s overall numbers weren’t too bad – he completed 31 of 39 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown and one interception – but it’s worth noting the score only came in the game’s final minute, when Green Bay was leading by three scores.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s running game also wasn’t nearly as strong as usual against Green Bay. The Lions racked up just 46 rushing yards during Sunday’s game. Granted, they had to abandon the run a bit while trailing, but they only averaged 2.1 yards per carry on their 22 totes behind the team’s Frank Ragnow-less offensive line.
Could the Lions’ poor offensive performance simply be a bad day at the office? Surely. But Sunday will nonetheless put Detroit fans – and Dan Campbell, for that matter – on edge as the Lions look to bounce back against the Chicago Bears in Week 2.
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