During the offseason, it can be overwhelming to sift through various opinions and perspectives, and it can be exhausting to listen to endless opinions on social media. If you are an NFL diehard, it’s all about the new season.
Whether you are piecing together your fantasy football team for the new campaign, you’re simply looking for a bit of insight before the new season unfolds or you are after a bit of knowledge to supplement a bet or two, there are plenty of potential wild cards to examine as we head into the new campaign.
At askgamblers.com, their experts dedicate a considerable amount of time and effort to compiling betting odds and identifying which sports betting brands offer the widest range of markets and promotions for NFL bettors.
Supplementary knowledge can be an essential skill if you are looking to find value in the betting market, whether it’s information about upcoming soccer games and what the experts have to say or outright markets that span the entire season. However, remember it carries risk, and you should only ever bet with money you can afford to lose.
With all that said, here’s our top 10 NFL wild cards going into the 2025 season.
San Francisco 49ers WR room
With Brandon Aiyuk still on the injury list, there remains a lot of uncertainty about the 49ers’ WR room going into the new campaign. Without Debo, it brings Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall into the main spotlight. There’ll still be plenty of chopping and changing, but with so much uncertainty still revolving around the team, if they can bring it all together for the start of the season, they could be a wild card to keep an eye on.
Broncos leading line
With a finely tuned defensive line, the Broncos only need a couple of missing pieces to add to their puzzle, especially if they are going to mount a deep playoff run, as many NFL experts and fans expect them to.
Bo Nix was a phenomenon last year, and the tight-end addition of Evan Engram was also a welcome addition. The Broncos could be the main wild card this year if they can get their offence to the same level as their defence.
Atlanta Falcons
Falcons fans will be hopeful that Darnell Mooney’s recent shoulder injury will not keep him off the field for too long. The 2020 draft pick will be hoping to find his form with the Falcons, but there are plenty who believe injuries will knock him off course this season.
While he might have been brought in as a third choice behind Pitts and London, there’s potential that he could thrive in Zac Robinson’s offence with Kirk Cousins — and if he can avoid injury, there’s potential there.
Michael Penix Jr. as a QB
Sticking to the Falcons, Penix Jr. is a QB that is not short of admirers. At many times, he feels like a first-round pick; he has a serious star quality if the Falcons can unlock it. The skill positions are already there, as we alluded to in the last point, but Penix Jr. has the potential to fire them into contention this season. If he can keep himself focused and avoid injury, it could be a perfect storm.
Ben Johnson
The Chicago Bears are causing considerable buzz this year. Ben Johnson has been the most sought-after coach in recent memory, and while it’s a stretch to say he’s an unknown quantity or wild card, there are plenty of offensive coordinators who have failed to leap to head coach. If he’s not able to bring such a talented group together, then the Bears could find themselves as a huge wild card.
Aaron Rodgers
Of course, Aaron was going to find himself on this list. It’s not the first time he’ll have been considered a wild card for an upcoming season. He’s an icon of the game, a legend, but now that he’s entered his 40s and looks to be entering his final season with the Steelers, will he go out in a blaze of glory and grab the headlines, or will he find himself watching from the sidelines?
JJ McCarthy and The Vikings
After an MVP performance in the Rose Bowl, calling JJ McCarthy an unknown quantity or suggesting he might surprise anyone if he breaks out would be quite the stretch. However, the Vikings are putting massive pressure on the young man’s shoulders, and if he can replicate his college form and hit the ground running, then this could be one of the biggest wild cards of the season.
Justin Fields and The Jets
Not many fans or experts expect much from the Jets this year, but Justin Fields, a first-round, revered QB, could spearhead them to an unexpected fortune this season.
Despite recent struggles in training camp, which have been well-documented, Fields isn’t on a bumper contract, especially for quarterback standards. If he can find some consistency and start working cohesively with Garrett Wilson, having played together at Ohio State, this could be another one to watch.
Jim Harbaugh
Dividing opinion among Chargers fans, Harbaugh led them to the playoffs in his first season. However, there are those fans who believe he could lead them down a dead end, with their offensive line battle being the main talking point, while others have faith in his system. If he does get it right, though, the Chargers could truly surprise a few people.
Bengals and their defence
Last year, the Bengals were one of the most talented teams not to make the playoffs in recent memory. It was their defence that was the main problem and it was in stark contrast to their attacking threat.
Their PPG in losses is comparable to some of the worst teams in the NFL. It’s easy to roast their defence, but if the offence can keep purring the way they have, and the defence can at least improve and look competent, it could be a season to remember for the Bengals.
Summary
We’ve tried to pick a mix of players, coaches and teams as our wild cards this season. Picking anything definitive can be notoriously problematic in the offseason, especially when there are still many moving parts that could change. However, if a handful of these wild cards materialise, then we’re certainly in for an entertaining season.