NFL season preview: 2025 predictions, teams to watch and Super Bowl picks ahead of Week 1

The 2025 NFL season is finally here, and as always there is no shortage of storylines to watch. NBC News breaks down the biggest angles, including MVP and Super Bowl picks.

The 2025 NFL season is finally here, and as always there is no shortage of storylines to watch.

Can the Philadelphia Eagles repeat as Super Bowl champions or is this finally the year Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen take their teams all the way? What impact will Micah Parsons have on the Green Bay Packers' chances? Could Aaron Rodgers actually be a difference-maker for the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Follow along for live coverage of Eagles vs. Cowboys

All of that will soon be answered. Here's how NBC News' sports staff sees the season playing out.

Greif: Remember the San Francisco 49ers? They went from a trendy pick to make their second consecutive Super Bowl last season to a 6-11 record while being devastated by injuries to starters such as running back Christian McCaffrey, key offensive lineman Trent Williams and nearly everyone capable of catching passes. The reason to believe San Francisco has a chance as a contender, even in a conference boasting the defending champion Eagles, rests on the fact that the team is healthier now and that key players aren’t the only familiar faces returning. Robert Salah, who was the defensive coordinator during San Francisco’s run to the Super Bowl in 2020, is back to man his previous post. San Francisco will also play what is projected to be one of the league’s easiest schedules.