The 2025 NFL season is on the horizon, meaning we have 105 years of stats, milestones and records to observe. Every season sees several noteworthy records fall, and this year should be no different, whether they involve players, teams, coaches or otherwise. Here are some of the records and milestones fans can keep an eye on.
Aaron Rodgers
Whenever you’ve been playing football as long as Aaron Rodgers has, you’re bound to find your name littered throughout the record books, and Rodgers could see his name move up a couple of notable lists this year. Now a Pittsburgh Steeler, he needs just six passing touchdowns to pass former Packers teammate Brett Favre (508) for fourth-most all-time, and 37 to surpass Peyton Manning (539) for third place.
Outside of another early-year season-ending injury, passing Favre seems inevitable, while leapfrogging Manning may be a stretch. Rodgers has reached 37 TDs six times in his career—four of those being MVP years—with the last coming in 2021. His yardage could also have him rise up the record books—with 1,137 passing yards, Rodgers would pass both Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger and have the fifth-most passing yards all-time.
Derrick Henry
A 1,921-yard season last year moved Derrick Henry into 19th place in NFL history in rushing yards. A modest season, by his lofty expectations, could place him in the top 10. King Henry needs just 1,317 rushing yards to go from 19th to 10th place, passing Hall of Famers Franco Harris, Marcus Allen, and Jim Brown in the process.
The Baltimore Ravens running back also needs five rushing scores to crack the top five all-time. His 106 rushing scores are tied with Brown for sixth, while Walter Payton sits fifth with 110 scores on the ground.
Veteran Wide Receivers
A trio of veteran wideouts is knocking on the door of the 1,000-reception club. The Ravens’ DeAndre Hopkins (984 catches), Keenan Allen (974) of the Los Angeles Chargers, and Davante Adams (957) of the Los Angeles Rams should all reach the milestone this year, and the club currently has 15 members, including Kansas City’s Travis Kelce (1,004), the only active player with 1,000. Others, such as Stefon Diggs of New England and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, are likely two seasons away from reaching the club.
Myles Garrett
Cleveland’s Myles Garrett will turn 30 on Dec. 29, meaning he’ll have played 16 of the 17 games this season before his birthday. That’s notable because it gives plenty of time for Garrett to notch 6.0 sacks, the number he needs to make NFL history. Racking up six sacks would allow him to pass Reggie White (108) for the most sacks ever before the age of 30. Garrett’s had 14 sacks in each of the last two seasons and has at least 7.0 sacks in every year of his eight-year career.
Harrison Smith
Just one active player has at least 30 interceptions, and it’s Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (37). This era’s quarterbacks are much more cautious, making it harder to get picks. Smith knocking on 40 interceptions is commendable—he would join Ed Reed (64) and Darren Sharper (58) as the only safeties with at least 40 picks since 2000. After going pickless in 2023, Smith nabbed three last season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Much has been made about Mike Tomlin’s 18 straight seasons without a losing record, but even a 19th this season would still have him trailing Tom Landry’s record of 21. However, the Steelers franchise could make history by avoiding a losing record. They’ve done that every year since 2004, which predates Tomlin’s tenure, for a total of 21 straight years. One more year finishing at .500 or above would pass the Dallas Cowboys’ (1965-85) all-time record, and Pittsburgh would become the first franchise with 22 consecutive years without a losing record.
Andy Reid
Bill Belichick (six) has twice as many Super Bowls as Andy Reid (three), but Big Red is nearly even with the now UNC head coach in terms of postseason wins. Reid enters the 2025 NFL season with 28 playoff wins, which is just three away from tying Belichick’s 31 for the most by a coach in league history. The Chiefs had two playoff wins last year before losing in the Super Bowl, but they had four the prior year—advancing from the Wild Card Round—so Reid could very well pass Belichick with another Super Bowl victory.
The NFL
The NFL, perhaps more so than any other sports league, has the most year-over-year turnover when it comes to playoff teams. Every year since the 1990 season—a streak of 35 years—at least four teams have made the playoffs that didn’t make it the previous year. The Broncos, Chargers, Vikings, and Commanders were those four teams in 2024.
Will this 35-year streak finally come to an end in 2025?
