NFL: Aaron Rodgers, New Coaches, Tush Push, and More in the Offseason

The NFL Offseason Rundown: Moves, Rules, and Drama

Although it’s technically the offseason, activity in the league has been intense since the Philadelphia Eagles were crowned champions in New Orleans. This period has been marked by new coaches, new quarterbacks, and rule changes. And, of course, it wouldn’t be an offseason without the Aaron Rodgers drama. Here at Alofoke Deportes, we bring you a summary of everything you’ve missed or forgotten, as the 32 teams prepare for training camps and the start of the preseason.

New Destinations

After this offseason, there will be many changes of direction in postal shipments. The Steelers, traditionally discreet in free agency and in the transfer market, broke tradition with general manager Omar Khan, who was very active in the negotiations. Hours before the start of the legal contact period with free agency, Khan began the renovation of the Steelers’ squad by negotiating for the Seahawks’ wide receiver, DK Metcalf.

Since then, the Steelers have been a whirlwind of transactions. They signed cornerback Darius Slay and Rodgers (more on him later), traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith, and traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins and wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. But the Steelers weren’t the only ones on the move. Quarterback Geno Smith was the first to fall, being acquired by the Las Vegas Raiders on March 7. The Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract, while former New York Giants first-rounder Daniel Jones signed with the Indianapolis Colts to compete with Anthony Richardson Sr. for the starting position. Former Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson moved to New York, though Fields went to the Jets and Wilson signed with the Giants. There were also moves among the wide receivers, with Stefon Diggs signing with the New England Patriots, Deebo Samuel Sr. being traded to the Washington Commanders, Cooper Kupp signing with the Seahawks, and Davante Adams arriving at the Los Angeles Rams.

New Coaches in the League

Almost a quarter of NFL teams changed coaches this year, with seven franchises making changes in 2025. Among the most notable is the expected move of former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was highly sought after last year but chose to wait for the right opportunity. That led him to Chicago, where this season he will lead the Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams in the hope that the team can meet high expectations. It will not be an easy task if Johnson, who coordinated a prolific offense in Detroit, can unlock Williams’ potential and guide the Bears. Chicago has yet to have a 4,000-yard passer, but Johnson will try to make Williams the first. The return to the game of two renowned former coaches, Mike Vrabel with the New England Patriots and Pete Carroll with the Raiders, will be stories worth following. Both had unceremonious departures from their former teams, the Tennessee Titans and the Seahawks, respectively, and are now tasked with revitalizing two teams that won four games last season. Will they rise to the challenge? One of the most observed situations in 2025 will be in Dallas, where the Cowboys promoted former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach. Will he be able to achieve better postseason results than his predecessors for a team that has only managed two postseason wins in the last 10 seasons? Other new coaches include Liam Coen with the Jacksonville Jaguars, after his controversial departure from Tampa Bay, Aaron Glenn with the New York Jets, and Kellen Moore with the New Orleans Saints.

The “Tush Push” Lives On

Rarely has the NFL’s legislative process been as public and intriguing as it was during the spring debate over the future of the so-called “tush push”. Ultimately, the highly successful short-yardage play perfected by the Philadelphia Eagles survived those who wished to ban it. A rule proposal that would have specifically banned the play failed to pass at the league’s annual meeting in March. Then, a revised proposal that was considered more palatable (it was designed to prohibit pushing ball carriers from behind in all scenarios) also failed at the league’s May meeting. That measure did not reach the necessary votes.

The situation produced considerable debate among owners and executives. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie delivered a passionate one-hour speech during a closed-door meeting defending the play. He then enlisted former Eagles center Jason Kelce to add additional context and address injury concerns that helped fuel the effort to ban the play.

I don’t think it’s a great American football play. It’s more of a rugby play.

Matt LeFleur, Packers coach

But, for now, quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles can keep running their play. Philadelphia has run the play 124 times since 2022 and has an 85.5% conversion rate. Elsewhere, the kickoff remained in motion this offseason. After last year’s significant shift to the “dynamic kickoff” approach, the owners approved a small change they hope will have a big impact. For 2025, kickoffs that result in touchbacks will give the offense possession at the 35-yard line instead of the 30. NFL owners expect the change to increase the kickoff return rate from the 32.8% of kicks that were returned last season, a disappointing number that didn’t meet what NFL officials had envisioned. Teams may be less likely to kick the ball into the end zone knowing that a touchback will start at the 35-yard line. The overtime procedures were also modified for 2025, with the NFL now adopting its postseason approach in the regular season of guaranteeing both teams the opportunity to possess the ball in the extra period. Previously, regular season games ended if a team scored a touchdown on the initial possession of overtime. Finally, replay assistance will be expanded this season, providing greater latitude to replay officials to address specific calls without a coach’s challenge when there is “clear and obvious” video evidence.

Another Rodgers Saga

“While Aaron Rodgers turns” was the soap opera of the offseason. Again. Released by the Jets after a tumultuous two-year stay, Rodgers hit free agency for the first time in his career in March.

Although he was quickly linked to the Steelers, Rodgers maximized his time as a free agent by taking more than three months to officially decide not to retire and sign with the team. He signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract just before the team’s minicamp in early June, and promised his new teammates that he was “committed”.

I don’t need it for my ego. I don’t need it to keep playing. Many decisions I’ve made throughout my career and my life, strictly for ego, even if they turn out well, are always unsatisfying. But decisions made from the soul are usually quite satisfying.

Aaron Rodgers

Although Rodgers showed his commitment to playing American football this season, he admitted that it will probably be his last in an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show”.

Yes, I’m pretty sure this is it. That’s why we just did a one-year deal. The Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on it or anything, so this was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career I’ve had.

Aaron Rodgers

While Rodgers has one more year to chase another Super Bowl, he already added a ring this year: a wedding ring. The 41-year-old quarterback confirmed that he has been wearing a wedding ring on his left hand after getting married earlier in the offseason.

Chaos in the NFLPA

Instead of fighting the NFL on behalf of its players, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) was consumed by infighting in recent months.

Following a series of revelations, CEO Lloyd Howell resigned after two years in office last week. Lloyd, in a statement, said that his “leadership has become a distraction to the important work that the NFLPA is advancing”.

The growing number of problems facing the union under Howell became too much to ignore. In May, it was reported that the FBI was investigating the financial affairs of the NFLPA and the Major League Baseball Players Association with a group licensing firm, OneTeam Partners. That led the NFLPA to hire an outside law firm to review Howell’s activities. The FBI investigation is ongoing, sources said. Later, news emerged that Howell was working as a part-time consultant for Carlyle Group, a private equity firm seeking ownership stakes in NFL teams. That raised questions about a potential conflict of interest. Howell also faced scrutiny for a confidentiality agreement with the NFL earlier this year that hid from players the details of an arbitration decision that found NFL executives urged team owners to reduce guaranteed money in player contracts. Additionally, it was recently reported that Howell was sued for sexual discrimination and retaliation in 2011 while serving as an executive at the consulting firm Booz Allen. There remains ambiguity about whether the players who voted for him during the 2023 election for CEO knew about the lawsuit. On Friday, it was reported that an external investigator who reviewed Howell’s activities found improper expenses charged to the organization, including car service trips to a strip club.

And over the weekend, NFLPA’s chief strategy officer, JC Tretter, announced that he is resigning from his position and has withdrawn from consideration for the interim executive director position of the NFLPA.

A story to follow is the NFLPA’s appeal of the collusion case related to the discussions about reducing salary guarantees. The arbitrator ruled against the NFLPA, but did find that league executives “contemplated and invited concerted action”.

Other Headlines

Filling the armored truck: It was a good offseason for a pass rusher looking for an extension. Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and T.J. Watt took turns being the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the league by agreeing to lucrative extensions. As the last of the three to finalize his deal, Watt currently holds the title of highest-paid with an average annual salary of $41 million. And the pass rusher wasn’t the only position that received a raise this offseason. After his first MVP season, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was rewarded with a new six-year contract that will pay him $330 million with $250 million guaranteed. Super Bowl-winning running back Saquon Barkley was also rewarded for his achievements with a two-year, $41.2 million contract. The Jets also negotiated lucrative extensions for wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, and the Lions made Kerby Joseph the league’s highest-paid safety with a four-year, $86 million contract. And while the Bengals secured their explosive wide receiver duo in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, they are still at a standstill with the 2024 sack leader, Trey Hendrickson.Shedeur’s Fall: Once considered a first-round prospect, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders experienced an unprecedented fall in the draft until the third day before being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Sanders was the second quarterback drafted by the Browns after they selected Dillon Gabriel from Oregon in the third round. The Browns also have veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco competing for the starting position. Travis Hunter, however, did not have the same problem as his former Colorado teammate. The two-way Heisman winner went to Jacksonville after the Jaguars traded up with the Browns to draft him at No. 2 overall, and he is expected to play both ways in the NFL.

Happy trails: Former Saints and Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, 34, announced his retirement in May after feeling pain in his throwing shoulder during his first extensive throwing session of the offseason. Images showed that Carr had a tear in his right labrum and “significant degenerative changes in his rotator cuff”.

Wide receiver Mike Williams, defensive end Brandon Graham, and tackle Tyron Smith also announced their retirement.Law and Order: Vikings receiver Jordan Addison resolved a 2024 DUI case by pleading no contest to a lesser charge, according to his attorney. The adjudication resulted in a 12-month probation sentence that could be reduced to six months if Addison fulfills other obligations. In other places, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation for a high-speed chain-reaction crash in 2024 that resulted in injuries on a Dallas highway. Rice, who pleaded guilty to two third-degree felonies, will be able to serve the jail sentence at any time during the probation period. Police said Rice was traveling at 119 mph just before the accident. Both players are subject to NFL suspensions now that their cases are resolved.