2025-2026 Football Seasons: My recap on the NFL/College football seasons
The 2025-2026 football seasons in both the NFL and college threw out some of the most intense and unpredictable storylines we've seen in a while. From crazy Cinderella runs to huge letdowns, these seasons showed us why we love this game. Once the confetti settled and some dreams either came true or were crushed, it’s worth looking back at the teams and players who surprised us—both in good and bad ways.
The NFL Season: The Disappointing Teams
Kansas City Chiefs
The NFL season was especially rough for some big-name teams, especially the Chiefs. No one saw their fall coming after they made it to the Super Bowl in 2024 and looked unstoppable. Instead, they showed just how fast the mood can turn when the wheels come off.
The stats paint a pretty bleak picture. Kansas City ended the year with a 6-11 record, missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. That’s a big deal since they’ve been pretty much a playoff regular since Patrick Mahomes took over in 2018. They also went just 1-9 in close games—a huge drop from their usual clutch performance.
The biggest moment of the season was Week 16, when Mahomes tore his ACL. That injury might keep him out at the start of 2026, and it threw the entire team into chaos. Without their star quarterback, the Chiefs lost their identity. The season had already been rough, with inconsistency and struggles on offense, but that injury really sealed the deal.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions went from a 15-2 record in 2024 to a disappointing 9-8 in 2025. Everything fell apart after a strong start; they scored about 5 fewer points per game than the previous year. Losing their offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, who left to become the Bears' head coach, really hurt them. They fought their way back to 8-5 but then had a rough finish, ending their playoff run. The team that looked like Super Bowl favorites couldn’t keep the same spark they had a year earlier.
The Washington Commanders
Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders had a tough time after making it to the NFC Championship in Jayden Daniels’s rookie season. Daniels struggled with injuries all year, and the team didn’t do much better, losing all five primetime games. Many described their defense as "absolutely miserable,” and fans in the DMV area were pretty let down seeing their team fall apart so quickly. They ended up needing a total rebuild on defense through the draft.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals also struggled, finishing 6-11 for the third year in a row. Even with star players like Ja’Marr Chase, who had 1,400 yards receiving, and Chase Brown, with over 1,000 rushing yards, they couldn’t get past Joe Burrow’s injury and their weak defense. They fired their longtime defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, and brought in Al Golden from Notre Dame, but the defense got worse. Their first-round pick, Shemar Stewart, looked terrible before ending up on IR with a knee injury. Overall, they couldn’t figure out how to build around Burrow, which was really frustrating for one of the league’s top quarterbacks.
The Dallas Cowboys
As expected, the Cowboys had another average season despite scoring the second-most points per game in the NFL. Their defense was terrible, ranking third-worst in yards allowed, which made things uneven. Running back Javonte Williams had a solid year with 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns after coming over from Denver, giving their offense a boost.
But their 7-9-1 record showed that having a strong offense isn’t enough if the defense can’t keep up. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will probably spend the offseason looking for defensive players to help balance out an offense that did well but couldn’t actually pull out wins.
The Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles, fresh off winning Super Bowl LIX in 2024, had a rough run in 2025. Their new offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo, turned things into a snooze fest, looking predictable and not nearly as unstoppable as they were earlier. Opposing teams attacked Jalen Hurts’ weaknesses, and Saquon Barkley didn’t look like his record-breaking self from 2024. In a Week 12 game against Dallas, Barkley only got 22 yards on 10 carries and fumbled in the fourth quarter, helping Dallas turn a big deficit into a win. The Eagles’ offense kept stalling, and they couldn’t finish games strongly.
A.J. Brown even voiced his frustration with his role, which added some drama. The team missed the big plays that helped them win the title, and Barkley wasn’t able to make the game-changing runs he did the year before. Their wild-card loss to San Francisco pretty much summed up a season that most of the team probably found pretty frustrating.
NFL season: The Surprise Teams
The Seattle Seahawks
The 2025 NFL season was all about the Seattle Seahawks, who had a really strong year and finished with a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Seattle finished 14-3 in the regular season, the best in the NFC, and then crushed it in the playoffs, beating division rivals San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams on their way to their second Super Bowl win.
What really stood out was their tough, quick, swarm-like defense that completely shut down some of the league’s most explosive offenses on the biggest stage. In the Super Bowl, the Seahawks sacked rookie star Drake Maye six times, forced three turnovers, and kept New England scoreless through three quarters, turning the game into a gritty, old-school, physical battle with a modern twist.
Running back Kenneth Walker III led the offense and earned Super Bowl MVP with 161 yards from scrimmage, while kicker Jason Myers broke a Super Bowl record with five field goals, calmly adding points every time Seattle crossed midfield. Head coach Mike Macdonald, in just his second year, proved he's one of the top defensive minds in the league, and their 10-game winning streak at the end of the season made their championship feel less like a fluke and more like the start of something new for Seattle.
The New England Patriots
The 2025 NFL season was full of surprises, especially the incredible run of the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl LX. With new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots went from a 4-13 record in 2024 to 14-3 in 2025, winning their first AFC East title since 2019. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye stepped up big, tossing for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just eight picks, while also rushing for 450 yards and four scores. He set several franchise records, like highest completion percentage and yards per attempt, and tied for second in passer rating. Their turnaround was thanks to smart free-agent signings and good draft picks, including wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive end Milton Williams, linebacker Robert Spillane, and cornerback Carlton Davis.
The draft class also made an immediate impact, with players like running back TreVeyon Henderson and linemen Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. The Pats went 8-0 on the road during the season, showing real resilience and teamwork. They even came back from an 11-point deficit against Baltimore and managed to hold on after losing a 21-point lead in another game. Although they lost to the Seahawks 29-13 in Super Bowl LX, their rise from last to first is one of the most impressive single-season turnarounds in NFL history. Maye’s rough game in the Super Bowl—completing 27 of 42 passes with three turnovers—doesn’t take away from what was an exciting and improbable season.
Indianapolis Colts
One of the most surprising stories involves Daniel Jones and the Colts. After getting released by the Giants after a tough 2024 season, Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with Indy and grabbed the starting spot.
Jones started strong, helping the Colts kick off the season 8-2 and take the top seed in the AFC. Through six weeks, he was hitting 71.7% of his passes for over 1,500 yards, with eight touchdowns and three picks, putting him in early MVP talks. His quick, efficient throwing style fit perfectly with Shane Steichen’s offense.
Running back Jonathan Taylor also had a great year, leading the league in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns, and became a legit MVP candidate himself. The Colts looked like real Super Bowl contenders for most of the season.
But things fell apart late, ending with a seven-game losing streak, and Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. Even with the rough finish, Jones proved he can still play at a high level when he’s got the right support. Colts’ GM Chris Ballard said he’s really interested in bringing Jones back for 2026, calling him someone with a "really bright future here in Indianapolis."
Chicago Bears
Under new coach Ben Johnson, the Bears turned into one of the most exciting teams in 2025. They finished 12-5 and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs.
What made Chicago stand out was how tough they were. They set an NFL record with six comeback wins in the fourth quarter during the regular season. Their biggest comeback was in Week 16 against Green Bay, when they erased an 18-point deficit and scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Packers.
Second-year QB Caleb Williams showed a lot of improvement under Johnson. After getting sacked 68 times as a rookie—the most in the league—he benefited from big upgrades on the offensive line, including trades for Pro Bowl guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, plus signing center Drew Dalman.
Their wild-card win over Green Bay, overcoming that 18-point deficit, became one of the season’s most memorable moments and proved Johnson was the right guy for the job. Even though their run ended in the divisional round, Chicago showed they found their franchise QB-coach combo.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers dealt with a lot of injuries in 2025 but still finished 12-5. Their ability to handle all the setbacks while still playing at a high level showed how deep and well-coached this team is.
They made it through the playoffs but fell short against Seattle, who ended up with the NFC title. Still, their regular-season performance was pretty impressive considering all they had to deal with.
College Football: Surprise Teams
Indiana Hoosiers
The most amazing story in college football—maybe even in the sport’s entire history—belongs to the Indiana Hoosiers. Just two years after finishing 3-9 and firing head coach Tom Allen, Indiana pulled off an incredible 16-0 season under Curt Cignetti and won the program’s first national title.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who transferred from California, won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana through a perfect playoff run. Mendoza threw for 3,004 yards and 41 touchdowns during the regular season, topping the FBS in passing TDs and the Power Four in total TDs responsible for (48).
In the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami—Mendoza’s hometown—Indiana beat the Miami Hurricanes 27-21. The key moment came on fourth-and-four at the Miami 12-yard line in the fourth quarter. Mendoza, on a designed run, leapt over his center, threw past two defenders, ran over a third, then spun and dove into the end zone while taking a brutal hit. Head coach Curt Cignetti called him “a total warrior” with “the heart of a lion.”
Indiana joined the 1894 Yale Bulldogs as the only teams to go 16-0 in Division I football history. The Hoosiers’ jump from 3-9 to 27-2 in two seasons under Cignetti is arguably the biggest turnaround in college football history.
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores had their first 10-win season ever, led by quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia finished second in Heisman votes with 189 first-place votes, making one of the most unlikely rises in college football history.
Pavia started at New Mexico Military Institute after not getting much attention from FBS programs. He then caught the eye of New Mexico State before transferring to Vanderbilt. In 2025, he threw for 3,192 yards and ran for 826 yards with a total of 36 touchdowns, leading the Power Four in total offense at 334.8 yards per game.
The Commodores wrapped up the regular season with a big 45-24 win over rival Tennessee, locking in their historic 10-win season. Vanderbilt’s success, along with five-star quarterback Jared Curtis—the highest-rated recruit in program history—switching from Georgia to Vanderbilt, suggests this might not just be a one-year wonder.
Miami Hurricanes
Carson Beck transferred from Georgia to Miami after backing up Stetson Bennett during two national title runs. In 2025, Beck led the 10th-seeded Hurricanes on an unlikely playoff run that included upsetting No. 7 Texas A&M, defending champ No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 6 Ole Miss.
Beck completed 74.7% of his passes during the regular season—leading the ACC—and threw for 3,072 yards with 25 touchdowns. He also scored on the ground and caught a touchdown for good measure. Even though the Hurricanes lost to Indiana in the national title game, their playoff run was beyond expectations for a team that finished 10-2 in the regular season.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders went 12-2, including 8-1 in their conference. They won the Big 12 Championship by beating BYU 34-7 and made it to the College Football Playoff as the No. 7 seed.
Texas Tech’s offense was really strong, scoring at least 22 points in every game and often overwhelming opponents. Their defense also got really tough towards the end, allowing just 0, 7, 9, and 7 points in their last four regular-season games.
Unfortunately, their dream season ended with a tough 23-0 loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl. They were held scoreless for only the second time all season and struggled with two interceptions, two fumbles, a missed field goal, and a failed fourth-down play. It was a tough end to what had been a breakout year.
College Football: The Biggest Disappointments
Penn State Nittany Lions
Few collapses in college football were as crazy as Penn State’s 2025 season. The Nittany Lions started strong at 3-0 and were ranked No. 2 in the country, looking like legit title contenders.
Then everything fell apart. Penn State lost to Oregon in overtime at home, then shockingly dropped back-to-back games to UCLA and Northwestern, with the last being a close 22-21 home loss. They became the first team since the FBS-FCS split in 1978 to lose consecutive games while favored by 20+ points in each.
After losing to Northwestern, Penn State fired head coach James Franklin, even though they still owed him over $49 million on his buyout—the second-largest in college football history after Jimbo Fisher’s $76 million from Texas A&M. Franklin left with a 104-45 record but a tough 4-21 record against AP top-10 teams, including 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams in conference play.
Five recruits, including five-star running back Kemon Spell, decommitted right after Franklin got fired. QB Drew Allar tore his season-ending injury during the Northwestern game, and chaos took over. Assistant head coach Terry Smith stepped in as interim coach for the rest of the season as Penn State finished 7-6.
Clemson Tigers
Clemson came into 2025 ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP poll, feeling confident about winning a title with lots of returning starters. But the Tigers finished 7-5 in the regular season.
Their season kicked off with a 17-10 loss to LSU, which seemed like a big-name matchup but turned out to be two middle-of-the-road teams. After barely beating Troy, Clemson lost to Georgia Tech and fell out of the Top 25 for good.
The team that won two national titles in the late 2010s couldn’t get that magic back. Their season wrapped up with a loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl, making it a pretty disappointing year for a program that had high hopes.
Ohio State Buckeyes
After taking the 2024 national title with a solid 34-23 win over Notre Dame, Ohio State went into 2025 as the reigning champs. But they couldn’t quite pull it off again and lost to Miami in an upset.
That loss was a real blow for a team hoping to defend their title and go back-to-back.
LSU Tigers/Alabama Crimson Tide
Both LSU and Alabama didn’t have the seasons they’d hoped for in 2025. When LSU headed to Tuscaloosa in November, they lost 20-9 and didn’t score a single touchdown — the first time since the 2012 national championship game when LSU scored zero points.
Interim coach Frank Wilson struggled in his first game, with Garrett Nussmeier completing 18 of 21 passes for just 121 yards before being replaced by Michael Van Buren. LSU’s red-zone problems cost them; they made four trips inside Alabama’s 25-yard line but only came away with three field goals.
The game showed that neither team was really firing on all cylinders this season. Alabama managed only 56 rushing yards but still came out on top, showing their offense had issues, too. Neither team made it to the College Football Playoff, which is pretty unusual for big SEC schools like these.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators had a rough and chaotic season, ending with a 4-8 record and firing head coach Billy Napier halfway through. They started ranked No. 15 and were hoping for a shot at the College Football Playoff, but things went downhill fast, making them one of the most disappointing teams of the year. Their season kicked off with a shocking 18-16 loss at home to South Florida, which was the first loss to an in-state team besides Miami or Florida State since 1938. That set a bad tone for the rest of the year.
Losing back-to-back to LSU, Miami, they did pull off an upset win against Texas, but then they lost to Texas A&M, dropping to 3-4, and athletic director Scott Stricklin decided to fire Napier on October 19, 2025. That was just a day after barely beating Mississippi State 23-21.
Napier finished with a 22-23 record over more than three seasons, including 12-16 in the SEC. He became the first full-time Florida coach since Raymond Wolf (1946-49) to have a losing record, and his winning percentage (.477) was the worst for any Florida coach through 30 games since that time. His record against big rivals like Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, and Tennessee was the worst in decades, with only three wins in those matchups since the late 1930s. Florida still owed Napier about $21 million, with half of that due within 30 days and the rest split over three years—meaning they’d be paying three different head coaches at once once they hired his replacement, since they still owed money to former coach Dan Mullen.
Florida picked Jon Sumrall from Tulane as their new head coach, hoping he can turn around a program that had four straight losing seasons and hasn't won an SEC title since 2008. They finished 4-8, a huge setback for a team with a long championship history and one of the toughest schedules in college football.
Looking Back/Anticipating Ahead
The 2025-2026 season showed that nothing’s certain in football. The Kansas City Chiefs saw their dynasty fade in just one season. Penn State learned that even secure coaching jobs can get shaky after tough losses. The Philadelphia Eagles found out that defending a Super Bowl title is way tougher than winning it. And Florida realized that having high expectations without executing properly leads to disappointment and coaching changes.
Meanwhile, Indiana proved that with the right coach and quarterback, even teams with little success in the past can reach the top. The Patriots showed that smart roster moves and quarterback development can speed up rebuilding. Daniel Jones showed that sometimes a change of scenery is all a talented player needs to regain his form.
As we look to 2026, these stories will shape our expectations. The Seahawks will defend their Super Bowl title. Indiana wants to show their win wasn’t a fluke. The Bears and Patriots are establishing themselves as contenders. Florida is starting the Jon Sumrall era, ready to bring back Gator greatness. And many teams from 2025 are looking for redemption.
That’s what makes football so exciting—each season brings new heroes, unexpected villains, crushing setbacks, and incredible comebacks. The 2025-2026 seasons had all that and more, making their mark in the story of unforgettable sports moments.
