Ranking the NFL's top 10 offenses heading into 2025
Football is almost back, folks. What better time to rank some stuff?
In an offense-driven league, it's no coincidence that all but one of the top 10 scoring teams (*glares at Bengals*) made the playoffs last season. Putting points on the board is kind of a big deal.
So, how might the league stack up in that regard heading into 2025? Here's my top 10.
Another heartbreaking playoff defeat will probably be the lasting memory from the Ravens' 2024 campaign, but let's not completely dismiss what we saw in the regular season. For those four months, Baltimore fielded one of the best offenses we've ever seen. Among the unit's many accomplishments: Jackson becoming the first quarterback to throw 40-plus touchdowns with fewer than five interceptions; the Ravens becoming the first team ever to record 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards; and the club's 6.85 yards per play ranking third in NFL history.
Henry's arrival proved to be the perfect complement to Jackson's perennial MVP-caliber play. Being able to tie it all together with some genius play design from offensive coordinator Todd Monken doesn't hurt, either. While another all-time great season would be a big ask, these Ravens remain every bit as dangerous looking ahead to the fall. Hopkins also adds the kind of big-body red-zone threat this receiver group has long been missing. The Ravens have everything they need to win. Now's the time to finally make it happen when it counts.
We'd all love for the Bills to have a more well-established receiving corps. After again passing on any particularly bold moves at the position this offseason, Buffalo's offense is banking on at least one of Palmer, Coleman, and Kincaid to break out alongside Shakir. It's a reasonable gamble, but the stakes probably aren't as high as they would be for other teams. That's the luxury of having a quarterback who elevates everything around him.
Allen earned his first career MVP for doing precisely that with a mediocre receiving corps last year, tying for second among all quarterbacks with 0.25 EPA/dropback, according to Next Gen Stats. The Bills also happen to have an elite run game. Allen's athleticism plays a big part in that equation, but so does a talented backfield running behind one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Cook enjoyed an incredible breakout season in 2024, posting 1,009 yards on 207 carries (4.9 YPC) and a league-leading 16 rushing scores. Any meaningful growth from the young receiving corps could be enough to turn this thing into an unstoppable force.
How could the Eagles not be near the top of this list? Philly is returning all but one starter from last year's Super Bowl juggernaut unit, with the lone change being a competition to replace the departed Mekhi Becton at guard. Even if there's a substantial drop-off at that one position, this remains the NFL's premier offensive line heading into 2025. A front five of that caliber leading the way for an outstanding group of skill-position players is borderline unfair.
Brown and Smith may well be the best receiver duo in football. And after a 2,005-yard debut in Philly, it'd be tough to rank any running backs over Barkley. Hurts is somewhat of a polarizing quarterback, as he may never become an elite dropback passer. That's led to some truly insufferable offseason debates when we have nothing else to talk about. However, the reality is that he pushes the ball downfield effectively, adds plenty of value with his legs, and has a knack for rising to the occasion in the biggest moments. Hurts wins. This offense is a big reason he and the Eagles should be doing plenty more of that in the years to come.
It would be fair to expect the Lions' offense to take a step back following the departure of Ben Johnson. The new Bears head coach was the genius behind Detroit's well-oiled machine. Further complicating matters under new offensive coordinator John Morton, the front five will look much different after losing Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler in the offseason. Still, it's tough to imagine this unit falling too far.
Gibbs, Montgomery, St. Brown, Williams, and LaPorta provide a truly elite group of playmakers, the majority of whom are still ascending talents. And while Goff's production could theoretically take a hit if the offensive line turnover leads to more pressure up the middle, this is also a quarterback who continues to improve with every passing year. He certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt on account of everything he's done in Detroit. This will still be one of the best scoring units in the game, even if its ceiling is slightly lower than it was in years past.
I have some significant reservations about the way the Bengals approach building their rosters. On the offensive side, specifically, it's tough to understand why Cincinnati wasn't more aggressive in upgrading the interior offensive line. Counting on your playmakers to elevate a subpar front five is a risky strategy. At the same time, it's not like these same issues didn't exist last year.
This cast of superstars has proven that they can make it work no matter what's happening up front. Burrow returned from a major wrist injury last season to put together the best year of his career. At worst, he's a top-four quarterback in the game right now. Chase and Higgins are right up there with the Eagles duo among the league's best receiver tandems, and Brown appears poised to take his game to yet another level after putting up big numbers across 10 starts last year. An underwhelming offensive line could certainly cap the ceiling, but a collection of skill talent like this is enough for a top-10 floor. The Bengals are built for shootouts.
Tampa Bay's offense joined the NFL's elite in 2024. The passing attack took a significant step forward for the second consecutive year, with Mayfield's continued growth sparking a fourth-ranked finish in EPA/dropback. The Bucs also became more balanced in the process. With Liam Coen replacing Dave Canales at offensive coordinator and Irving flying out of the gate as a fourth-round rookie, this unit made staggering gains in the ground game. Tampa Bay finished the regular season tied for fifth in EPA/Rush, up from 27th in 2023.
Coen's departure does open the door for some regression, as new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard has never called plays at any level. But the Bucs' system shouldn't change significantly, and the talent in place is too good for any substantial drop-off. A top-five offensive line should continue to provide Mayfield and Irving the foundation to build on last year's success, while an already-stacked receiving corps gets even better with the addition of Egbuka in the first round of this year's draft.
It's been a strange few years for the Chiefs' offense. On one hand, the numbers aren't nearly what you'd expect with the best quarterback on the planet running a unit designed by Andy Reid. As a result, we often find ourselves wondering if Kansas City will ever regain its high-powered scoring attack of the early Mahomes era. But then an end-of-game scenario arrives, and this club reminds us that nobody does it better.
If the situational perfection doesn't quite do it for you on a list like this, consider the case for this being the year the Chiefs offense finally starts putting up the numbers we've long expected. A once-underwhelming receiving corps now has plenty of exciting, young options in Worthy, Rice, and fourth-round rookie Jalen Royals. With Rice going to work in the short and intermediate levels of the field, perhaps the team can utilize Worthy's record-breaking speed to have him become the field stretcher this offense has been missing since Tyreek Hill. And after a season in which opponents regularly exploited a weakness at left tackle, teams made the mistake of allowing Simmons to slide to the Chiefs at the end of the draft's first round. Easily the most talented pass-protector in his class, the Ohio State product may have been a top-five pick if it weren't for last year's knee injury. But Kansas City's gamble appears set to pay immediate dividends, as Simmons is seemingly already back to full strength and working with starters at training camp. Fans hoping for some parity in the AFC might be disappointed.
The case for the Packers as a top-10 offense is fairly straightforward. This unit already achieved that status last season, and there's no reason to think it won't continue to get better from here. Love is an ascending young quarterback whose big-play ability unlocks a potential for explosiveness that most other teams only wish they could muster. His decision-making still gets him into trouble on occasion, but the Packers will live with that risk for this kind of upside.
Green Bay's passing attack (seventh in EPA/dropback) should take another step forward with Love entering his third full season as a starter, and he'll have even more support with the additions of Golden and Banks. Don't forget about this run game, either. Jacobs proved more than worthy of the deal he landed in free agency last offseason, putting up 1,329 yards and 15 scores in the previous campaign. Crucially, this team also has a coach capable of putting all of this talent in a position to succeed. That was never more clear than during Love's two-game absence last September, when Matt LaFleur and his staff turned to a newly acquired Malik Willis and pivoted to a creative, run-heavy approach to win back-to-back contests. The Packers can score with anyone.
I can't wait to watch the Rams' offense in 2025. Stafford is still playing at a much higher level than his numbers would suggest. After reaching a deal to run it back with its veteran quarterback, L.A. made an effort to ensure Stafford has all the help he needs. Adams, most notably, is a substantial upgrade over a fading Cooper Kupp. Although he's a year older than the departed Rams star and coming off an adventurous year split between Las Vegas and New York, Adams' game is aging predictably gracefully. His ability to eat up one-on-one matchups on the outside should make him an outstanding complement for Nacua. And that's not all.
It may not be long before Terrance Ferguson also makes his presence felt in the passing game, as the second-round tight end offers a unique skill set after the catch. The ground attack did just fine last year, with Williams posting a career-high 1,299 rushing yards. However, fourth-round rookie Jarquez Hunter adds a much-needed element of explosiveness that could raise the ceiling further. Sean McVay having this group of playmakers at his disposal should be a lot of fun.
McCarthy steps in as the starter after losing his entire rookie season to a knee injury. For that reason alone, there's a real possibility the Vikings' offense doesn't quite live up to expectations. I'm not too concerned, though. A small part of my confidence comes from having been convinced of McCarthy's potential by the end of last year's draft process. But more importantly, this is a dream scenario for a young passer.
Sam Darnold enjoyed a true breakout season as the starter in Minnesota last year, taking full advantage of his opportunity to run a Kevin O'Connell offense while throwing to, among others, the best receiver in football in Jefferson. Minnesota's front office has made sure that its new franchise quarterback inherits an even better situation. A trio of moves to overhaul the interior offensive line was the highlight of an aggressive offseason. Jackson, Kelly, and Fries taking over as new starters between Darrisaw and O'Neill could immediately turn a problem area into one of the better offensive lines in football. And with Jodan Mason joining the backfield to complement Aaron Jones, things are also looking up for the run game. The Vikings' offense could be better with a de facto rookie quarterback than it was during last year's 14-win season.
Just missed
It might be a mistake to leave the 49ers out of the top 10. Kyle Shanahan has a long track record of fielding elite offenses regardless of the personnel at his disposal. And with some better injury luck, there won't be much standing in his way of doing it again. However, the receiver position remains a major question mark, with Brandon Aiyuk still having no clear timeline for return from last season's ACL injury. San Francisco also declined to make any significant additions to the offensive line after a particularly frustrating campaign up front. And following a year in which Christian McCaffrey played all of four games, it feels a little dangerous to be relying so heavily on a running back heading into Year 9. This group could be great again if all goes according to plan, but the floor may be a little lower than it is for other top scoring units.
It probably seems strange to have the Commanders outside the top 10 after an outstanding 2024 season. Washington's offense was legitimately great in what was supposed to be the first year of a full-scale rebuild. Kliff Kingsbury appears to have figured out how to avoid his scheme getting stale, and Jayden Daniels could be even better in Year 2. However, his sensational debut will be a tough act to follow, as defenses will be making adjustments. And I'm just not that excited about a declining Deebo Samuel being the big move to upgrade this skill-position group. The running back room is a little uninspiring for my liking, too. The Commanders should be plenty good on offense this year, but I like the others at the back end of this list a little bit more.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.