Worst-case Seahawks 2025: an injury-plagued line, a Sam Darnold–led offense that never hits top gear, and Jalen Milroe trying to accelerate his development. Jaxon Smith-Njigba carries a heavy load without DK Metcalf, while Geno Smith’s absence looms as a narrative driver. The defense remains competent, but Seattle still struggles to slow elite offenses, pinning playoff hopes to a volatile QB path.

Schneider and Macdonald face a ticking clock: a draft-up for a franchise QB could redefine this regime. Yet there’s a glimmer—that a resilient defense and a rising rookie QB could unlock a sharp fantasy ceiling if the offense stabilizes and Metcalf or others return to form midseason.

Seattle’s 2025 cap narrative centers on rookie contracts as the backbone. Rookie deals take up 18.4% of the cap in 2025, with 41 of 53 Seahawks players on rookie deals, and cap space higher than most teams. Yet dead money from exits like Metcalf, Geno Smith, Dre'Mont Jones, and Tyler Lockett casts a cloud over 2024 departures, while the core rookies Cross, Abe Lucas, Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba lay groundwork for a cost-controlled future that could pay dividends in fantasy upside as the roster matures.

Colts fans voiced a clear split on the Week 1 quarterback decision, with Daniel Jones drawing 51% support over Anthony Richardson after an offseason competition. Richardson’s Year 3 development questions—scheme mastery and off-field concerns—loom large, while Jones offers a steadier floor and potential resurgence. Indy faces a playoff odds tilt around the high-30s as Buckner anchors the defense and the franchise eyes a path forward that even invokes reclamation precedents like Mayfield and Darnold.

Fantasy-minded readers should weigh Jones’s efficiency versus Richardson’s rushing upside, the evolving offensive system, and Buckner’s stabilizing impact on a unit aiming to climb back into contention after a drought dating to 2020.

Fields lands with the Jets on a two-year, $40 million deal, a real shot at starting in 2025 as Mougey touts visible camp progress and a fresh path to redemption. New York bets on a clearer scheme and growth, avoiding the quick bust label by giving Fields room to mature in a stable system.

The move keeps options open if Fields proves himself, while emphasizing a high-upside bet on a young quarterback in a rebuilding Jets era and offering fantasy managers a speculative upside with Jets pass-catchers and backs if execution tightens.