The NFL playoffs are in full swing, but many of you are probably already thinking about the offseason.
Ahead of the divisional-round games, Yardbarker NFL writers offer a prediction about the offseason for each AFC team. (The regular-season record for each team is in parentheses.)
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS (13-4) | WR Amari Cooper moves on | Buffalo gave up third- and seventh-round picks to get the 30-year-old receiver from the Browns, but he had just 20 catches for 297 yards in eight games with the Bills. Buffalo averaged 5.2 more yards per game with Cooper on the roster, but with only $7M left on next year’s salary cap, the Bills won’t give the pending free agent anything near the $14.2M per year he’s expected to command this offseason (h/t: Spotrac).
MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-9) | WR Tyreek Hill gets traded | Now that agent Drew Rosenhaus said his client has committed to the Dolphins, it’s safe to say Hill is anything but. Hill told reporters he was done with Miami after the team’s loss to the Jets, so expect Dolphins management to move the disgruntled 30-year-old to an NFC contender, perhaps during the offseason but definitely by the trade deadline.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-13) | Sign Tee Higgins | The Patriots had the NFL’s worst passing game (176.1 YPG) in 2024 while the Bengals owned the league’s best passing offense (272.9 YPG). Cincinnati’s Higgins reluctantly played on a franchise tag in 2024, racking up 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games. He could have even better numbers as the No. 1 option for QB Drake Maye in New England.
NEW YORK JETS (5-12) | Aaron Rodgers gets a protege | With a reasonable cap number for Rodgers ($23M) in 2025, the Jets take a page from the Atlanta Falcons’ playbook and pair the veteran QB with either Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward. Moving up from the No.7 spot in the draft won’t be easy, but cornerback Sauce Gardner and running back Breece Hall could be involved in a deal as both will be free agents in 2026. — Bruce Ewing
AFC West
DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) | Draft Penn State TE Tyler Warren | An executive recently told The Athletic’s Mike Sando, “If [the Broncos] had a tight end or runner that could separate against man coverage, they would be really tough to deal with.” Warren — who had 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdown catches in 16 games this season — could fill this crucial need for Denver, which has pick No. 20 in the draft.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2) | Draft replacement for TE Travis Kelce | In 16 regular-season games, Kelce had career lows in receiving yards (823) and touchdown catches (three). The draft class features possible replacements for the 35-year-old TE, including Michigan’s Colston Loveland and Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-13) | Draft Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders |
Per Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, Raiders minority owner Tom Brady “has a great amount of respect” for Sanders’ preparation and toughness. Don’t be stunned if Vegas considers trading up from No. 6 in the draft to take Sanders, who tossed 37 touchdown passes in 13 starts.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6) | Release edge-rusher Joey Bosa | Bosa could become a salary-cap casualty after he had five sacks and 22 tackles in 14 regular-season games. According to Spotrac, the four-time Pro Bowler has the team’s second-largest cap hit ($36.47M) in 2025. — Clark Dalton
AFC North
BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5) | Make Kyle Hamilton the highest-paid safety in NFL history | Hamilton is due for a contract extension this offseason, and considering he’s arguably the best safety in the NFL, the Ravens would be wise to keep him for a long time. Spotrac projects a three-year, $60.8M extension for Hamilton, which would make him the highest-paid safety in league history.
CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-8) | Let Tee Higgins walk | Higgins will be too expensive for Cincinnati to keep around, especially with a massive Ja’Marr Chase extension looming. The Bengals will have no choice but to let Higgins walk in free agency and try to replace him with a younger option in the draft.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-14) | Trade Myles Garrett, draft Abdul Carter | The Browns have a gloomy future ahead with two years of Deshaun Watson’s $230M contract still rotting in the books, so they need to start rebuilding this roster with young talent. The first step will be to trade Garrett while his value is at its peak and draft his replacement at No. 2 overall.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) | Draft Alabama QB Jalen Milroe | The Steelers need to gun for the highest upside possible with their next QB, and that’s exactly what Milroe presents as a Lamar Jackson-esque prospect. If Milroe doesn’t pan out, at least Pittsburgh can say it finally swung for the fences. — Jack Dougherty
AFC South
HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7) | Trade for wide receiver Tyreek Hill | With Stefon Diggs a pending free agent and Tank Dell’s status for the beginning of the 2025 season uncertain after suffering a lower leg injury late in the regular season, Hill would fill a void as Houston tries to build on its promising foundation.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-9) | Sign QB Russell Wilson | Wilson will follow the likes of Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz and sign with the Colts, who have an iffy QB situation after Anthony Richardson completed 47.7 percent of his passes this season. Wilson could push the young QB on the practice field and would be a better option than Joe Flacco if head coach Shane Steichen benches Richardson again.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-13) | Hires Ben Johnson as head coach | The Jags’ opening isn’t as attractive as it would have been if owner Shad Khan had fired GM Trent Baalke. However, the idea of coaching QB Trevor Lawrence will be a proposition too attractive for Johnson to pass up. Plus, he’ll get a boatload of money from Khan.
TENNESSEE TITANS (3-14) | QB Shedeur Sanders pulls an Eli Manning, tells Titans not to draft him | The Titans proved they don’t have a plan after firing GM Ran Carthon two years after hiring him from the 49ers. Head coach Brian Callahan didn’t inspire much confidence with his mentoring of QB Will Levis, which could lead Sanders to follow Manning’s lead and tell Tennessee to look elsewhere for its next QB. — Eric Smithling
