Biggest offseason storyline for AFC teams: Who needs a QB, OL aid … and a ‘joker’?

With the page turned on the 2024 NFL season, it’s time to dive headlong into the offseason. 

All teams have looming contract decisions and are turning their focus to free agency (March 12) and the NFL Draft (April 24-26).

Ahead of those huge dates on the NFL calendar, Yardbarker NFL writers identify the biggest offseason storyline for each AFC team. (2024 regular-season records are in parentheses.)

AFC East

BUFFALO BILLS (13-4) | What will it take to beat the Chiefs? | Bills head coach Sean McDermott is 5-1 against the Chiefs in the regular season but 0-4 in the playoffs, losing each game by six points or less. Buffalo should be thrilled to have NFL MVP Josh Allen at QB, but until the team finds a way to get past Kansas City, there’s little the team can do to truly excite fans. 

MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-9) | Mike McDaniel on the “hot seat” | Owner Stephen Ross took to social media to say the head coach would be back in 2025 but also said that “continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough.” McDaniel is signed through 2028 and has a 28-23 record in three years with Miami, but his 0-2 record in playoff games will remain a hot topic among Dolphins fans. 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-13) | New toys for the young QB | With the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and more projected cap room than any other team ($123M), the Patriots have a great opportunity to surround second-year QB Drake Maye with better weapons. Tight end Hunter Henry led the team in receiving with 674 yards but failed to crack the top 50 in that category. Meanwhile, RB Rhamondre Stevenson finished as the NFL’s 26th-leading rusher with 801 yards. 

NEW YORK JETS (5-12) | Time to find another QB | Just hours before kickoff of Super Bowl LIX, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer revealed the Jets had informed Aaron Rodgers they’d be “moving on” from the 41-year-old QB. Backup Tyrod Taylor is signed through 2025, but he hasn’t started more than six games in a season since 2017, which could force the team to trade up from the No. 7 spot on draft day. — Bruce Ewing

AFC West

DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) | Find the “joker” | Broncos head coach Sean Payton recently told FanDuel’s Kay Adams they must find a “joker,” a versatile TE or RB the coach can use to create mismatches. The 2025 NFL Draft may have prospects who could thrive in this role, including Penn State TE Tyler Warren and Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson. 

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2) | Will they respond after Super Bowl loss? | No Super Bowl loser has returned to the big game and won it the following season since the 2018 New England Patriots. After losing to the Eagles, 40-22, in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs must upgrade their roster to rebound and win their fifth title next season. 

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-13) | Find a viable starting QB | Vegas shouldn’t roll with QBs Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, who collectively posted a subpar 83.9 passer rating in 2024. The Raiders could hope Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders falls to them at pick No. 6 or sign one in free agency, perhaps Sam Darnold. 

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6) | Spending big on a WR in free agency | Spotrac estimates the Chargers have $65.6M in cap space, so this offseason seems like a great time to splurge on a free-agent wideout, perhaps Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins or Buffalo’s Amari Cooper. Either WR could give L.A. — which finished 19th in the league in passing yards (213.5) in 2024 — more juice. — Clark Dalton

AFC North

BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5) | Offensive line (again) | Baltimore’s offensive line played well despite replacing three starters this season, but left tackle Ronnie Stanley and left guard Patrick Mekari are about to enter free agency. The Ravens must decide whether to re-sign Stanley and/or Mekari or replace them before focusing on other positional needs. 

CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-8) | To Tee or not to Tee? | Tee Higgins is set to become a free agent, but QB Joe Burrow has been vocal about bringing back the star WR. Considering the Bengals are 2-7 in the last nine games without Higgins on the field, they might want to break out their checkbooks to keep their franchise QB happy. 

CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-14) | Let the Myles Garrett bidding war begin | Garrett has requested a trade, and the Browns would be wise to grant his wish seeing as this is one of the bleakest rosters in the NFL. Will Cleveland trade Garrett before the draft and snag his replacement in Penn State’s Abdul Carter? Or does it like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward enough to take a QB No. 2 overall?

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) | Who’s playing QB in 2025? | The Steelers must decide whether to run it back with Russell Wilson, take a chance on Justin Fields or hit the reset button with a new QB (Aaron Rodgers?). Unfortunately for Pittsburgh fans, none of those options will make this team a Super Bowl contender in 2025. — Jack Dougherty

AFC South

HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7) | Offensive line | QB C.J. Stroud’s second-season slump was directly tied to one of the league’s worst offensive lines. Per Over the Cap, Houston is $99,447 above the estimated 2025 salary cap, and it must allocate funds to rectify the glaring weakness up front. 

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-9) | Competition for Anthony Richardson? | The third-year QB will get another crack to earn the “franchise QB” label, which looks less and less applicable after Richardson completed 47.7 percent of his attempts in 2024. He has also missed 19 games already in his career, increasing the value of the team’s backup, whoever that may be. 

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-13) | Who makes the final decision on offseason moves? | First-year head coach Liam Coen already spurred one major change when he declined the job, only to flip after Jags owner Shad Khan fired Trent Baalke as GM. Nearly three weeks later and a month until the start of the 2025 league year on March 12, Jacksonville is still searching for an executive to lead a pivotal offseason. 

TENNESSEE TITANS (3-14) | To trade or not to trade the No. 1 pick? | Expect trade speculation to heat up before the draft. Without a surefire QB prospect in this year’s class and several needs on their roster, the Titans might be better served trading the pick for extra draft capital and looking elsewhere for a QB. — Eric Smithling