Aussie giant sits among the NFL storylines about to explode

It's that time of the year where for Australians, the weather is getting warmer and the sun is starting to shine, with footy finals kicking off and cricket season on the horizon.

But for those who love setting their alarms for 3am, the month of September means that the incomparable circus of the NFL season is about to begin.

Last season, Philadelphia produced an epic victory to claim the championship and one beloved Aussie wrote his name into the history books.

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This time around, the Eagles go from the hunters to the hunted and there will be no shortage of genuine Super Bowl contenders chasing them, while there are plenty of other major talking points ahead of the first game of the regular season.

Wide World of Sports takes a look at the five biggest question marks heading into 2025.

CAN JORDAN MAILATA'S EAGLES DEFEND THEIR CROWN?

It will forever go down as one of the greatest feats in Australian sporting history - but can Jordan Mailata become a two-time Super Bowl champion?

The former rugby league hopeful has become a household name overseas and played a pivotal role in the Philadelphia Eagles claiming the title last season.

Mailata received high praise for his ever-improving work on the offensive line, especially after the retirement of Jason Kelce in the off-season.

The hulking Bankstown product's influence allowed the likes of Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts to have career-best seasons and it culminated with a crushing victory over the Chiefs in the biggest event on the American calendar.

Hurts in particular took his game to a whole new level with Mailata and Lane Johnson wreaking havoc up front and was ultimately awarded Super Bowl MVP.

The biggest question now is whether the Eagles have what it takes to back it up.

Philly bade farewell to veterans James Bradberry and Darius Slay almost immediately after lifting the Lombardi Trophy, but other than that their core group remains in tact.

The last time the Eagles made it to the final game of the post-season, they started hot the following year but ran out of gas, so it will be up to coach Nick Sirianni and the senior players on the roster to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself.

The defending champions sit on the second line of betting to win the big one again.

ARE TRAVIS KELCE'S CHIEFS ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK?

After winning back-to-back championships, many believed the Kansas City dynasty was destined to roll through the Eagles in last year's season finale.

What ensued was a demoralising 40-22 defeat, stopping the Chiefs from becoming the first team in Super Bowl history to secure an elusive three-peat.

While nobody can discount what the Chiefs have achieved over the past half a decade, the loss could carry some mental wounds into their 2025 campaign.

Travis Kelce is another year older and was starting to show signs of slowing down, while the walls looked like they were closing in on star quarterback Patrick Mahomes plenty of times - most notably in the biggest game of the season against Philadelphia.

Mahomes is one of the all-time greats and it would take a brave man or woman to write him off from bouncing back to the pinnacle of the sport, especially with the iconic Andy Reid still on the headset and handling the clipboard.

The other reality is the Chiefs papered over a lot of cracks last season, scraping by in a plethora of games by one score or less - but that's what winning organisations can do and sometimes that's all they need to do through the regular season.

Kansas City are right near the top of the betting market for the Super Bowl this season, but a stacked AFC conference that also features the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens means it won't be an easy task to even make it that far.

WHO TAKES OUT THE MVP? 

If the race for the Super Bowl is as stacked as ever heading into this season, the league MVP race is even more so with some elite talents in the mix.

Last year, Josh Allen won the award for the first time after an incredible campaign that saw him throw for 28 touchdowns and another 12 rushing scores himself.

The fact that the top individual award skews heavily towards quarterbacks means Allen will be right up there again, especially given the fact the Bills are Super Bowl hopefuls.

A victory for the fan-favourite would see him join both Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as current players with two MVP awards, while Aaron Rodgers sits clear with four gongs.

Rodgers - who is entering his 22nd and potentially last season in new colours - is seen as a long shot to move level with Peyton Manning and win a fifth MVP award.

Despite a down year for the Cincinnati Bengals that saw them miss the playoffs, Joe Burrow continued to put up fantastic numbers on offence and will be in contention, with his two main weapons - Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins - signing new contracts.

Burrow sat at the top of the pile for passing touchdowns last season with 43 and there's reason to believe the eccentric poster boy can put up similar numbers again.

The likes of Detroit's Jared Goff and Washington's Jayden Daniels look to be primed for standout seasons, while third-year quarterback Jordan Love should benefit from an ever-improving roster at the Green Bay Packers and looks to be growing in confidence.

Jalen Hurts can't be discounted either, while Justin Herbert and Baker Mayfield would need plenty to go their way to be named as the league's best player.

Mahomes, Allen and Jackson have established themselves as the cream of the current quarterback crop, but don't be surprised to see a fresh face take out the MVP.

WILL AARON RODGERS HELP SNAP STEELERS CURSE?

He's one of the greatest players to ever put on an NFL helmet, but the legendary career of Aaron Rodgers looks set to be coming to an end.

The four-time league MVP will enter his 22nd season but will be donning new colours, with his well-documented move to the Pittsburgh Steelers dividing opinion.

Rodgers, at least from a numbers perspective, is an upgrade on what Mike Tomlin has had at his disposal in the quarterback position for the past few years.

However, there are question marks over Rodgers given he turns 42 in December and is also coming off a tough two-year run with New York Jets, where he missed an entire season due to an Achilles rupture and tasted victory just five games last year.

Despite the fact Tomlin has never coached a losing season in his 20-year stint, the issue for the Steelers is that they haven't won a playoff game in almost a decade and have been bundled out on wildcard weekend in two-straight years.

Could the polarising and eccentric Rodgers be the one to end that unwanted streak and end his career with some type of unlikely fairytale?

With one of the NFL's best defences headlined by TJ Watt, Jalen Ramsey and Cameron Heyward at their disposal, Pittsburgh will always find a way to be in the contest - but the offence has been a major concern since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement in 2020.

Last season, the Steelers averaged just 22.4 points per game - which ranked them 15th for the league - as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields shared the quarterback role.

Rodgers has some weapons to work with in the form of DK Metcalf and Pat Freirermuth, but the depth in the wide receiver room looks rather dicey after George Pickens' exit.

Roethlisberger said on his own "Footbahlin" podcast that this current Steelers team has been built to push for a championship this season with Rodgers under centre.

But in reality - even if it would be a dream way for Rodgers to go out - there won't be many tipping the Steelers to claim an elusive, record-breaking seventh Super Bowl.

CAN THE LIONS END SUPER BOWL DROUGHT?

It has been heartbreak central for Detroit over the past two seasons and their fans will be desperate for a turn of fortunes this time around.

In the 2023 playoffs, the Lions were one half away from reaching their first Super Bowl but blew a 24-7 lead against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.

Last season, Detroit started off incredibly hot and it looked like it was going to be their year, especially with Jared Goff playing the best football of his career.

Unfortunately, despite finishing with the best record in the NFC, a mounting injury toll saw the Lions limp into the post-season and they were soon bundled out by a red-hot Commanders outfit in the divisional round.

One of the key men who spent much of last season on the sidelines was former No.2 draft pick Aidan Hutchinson, who went down with a broken leg in week six of the regular season and failed to return after Detroit's premature playoff exit.

With the stud defensive end returning to the field for the 2025 pre-season and coach Dan Campbell already singing Hutchinson's praises, that should give the rest of the Lions defence a massive boost in confidence. 

On the offensive side of the field, wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown and tight end Sam Laporta continue to cement themselves as some of the elite players in their respective positions, while the one-two punch of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs at running back makes the Lions a damaging threat with Goff in the chief playmaking role.

Detroit did lose offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching roles at rival franchises, but if Campbell and Goff can help the squad overcome those setbacks, there's still plenty of reason to be optimistic.

If they can't overcome their Super Bowl hoodoo this season, things may get a little testy in the Motor City for a fanbase desperate to cheer their team towards glory.