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It feels like we say this every year, and maybe we're just so spoiled or I'm a prisoner of the moment, but this NFL season was awesome and felt like one of the best ever because of how unpredictable it was.

Philip Rivers came out of retirement. Let me repeat. Philip Rivers came out of retirement. In the NFL. In the year 2025. Yeah, it was 100 times more surprising than Bill Belichick getting snubbed by the Hall of Fame, and that caused an uproar across the football world. 

There were turnarounds galore (on both ends of the spectrum) in the most wide-open Super Bowl race of all time. The Bears, Jaguars and Panthers made the playoffs. The Chiefs, Bengals and Ravens did not. Pandemonium. 

There were endless amounts of comebacks and thrilling finishes. Thank you, Chicago Bears.

It was such a crazy year that the final game will be between starting QBs Drake Maye and Sam Darnold. Imagine going back in time and telling someone that before the season. You may have gotten the same reaction if you had told them there would be a Super Bowl between Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, borderline franchise QBs who were both benched this year.

Even the kicking was exciting! 

My teammates and I in the CBS Sports Research group loved every minute of it, as there were endless stats to churn out to support story after story. 

The social group here, our writers and editors and more contributed so many memorable stats, so here's our favorite 60 entering Super Bowl 60:

1. Philip Rivers came out of retirement and played his first game in 1,800 days at age 44 as a grandfather. That is, hands down, the craziest happening of the season.

2. Seahawks/Patriots is the first Super Bowl matchup between teams with preseason Super Bowl odds of 50-1 or longer since 1981 (49ers/Bengals). In some respects, it's the most surprising Super Bowl matchup ever.

3. None of the top seven teams in preseason Super Bowl odds made conference title games for the first time since 2008. The Chiefs, Ravens and Lions were a combined 23-28 this year after going 42-9 last year. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. 

4. This was the first postseason since 2008 without Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes and Brady both tore the ACL in their left knee in their ninth season after winning three Super Bowls in their first eight seasons (and both lost in the Super Bowl in their eighth season). This, of course, means Mahomes will win another four rings, but only after he goes about a decade without winning. 

5. There were an NFL-record five playoff teams coming off 11+ loss seasons this year (Patriots, Jaguars, Bears, Panthers, 49ers). 

6. Three teams in NFL history have gone from a 13+ loss season to a 13+ win season. The 1999 Colts, 2025 Jaguars and 2025 Patriots. Hats off to Liam Coen and Mike Vrabel. 

7. The Patriots improved their win total from four in 2024 to 17 in 2025, including playoffs, passing the 1998-99 Rams for the largest turnaround in NFL history (+13). They also played the easiest regular-season strength of schedule since the 1999 Rams (who won a Super Bowl that year). Patriots fans aren't annoyed with that stat at all (lol). 

8. We didn't even have to play every Wild Card game this postseason to set NFL single-postseason records for fourth-quarter lead changes (12) and comeback wins in the final three minutes (four). Both records were broken through five games this postseason. 

9. It was a year of crazy comebacks. There were an NFL-record seven wins by teams down by 15+ points in the fourth quarter this season, including playoffs. There had never been more than four such comebacks in a season in league history. 

10. The Broncos had an NFL-record 12 comeback wins and tied an NFL record with 11 one-score wins (2024 Chiefs). 

Their most impressive comeback was against the Giants, which they won after trailing 19-0 in the fourth quarter. They recorded the most points in the fourth quarter in NFL history by a team shut out through three quarters (33). 

Broncos set two NFL records in stunning comeback win over Giants: How Denver rewrote the record book
John Breech
Broncos set two NFL records in stunning comeback win over Giants: How Denver rewrote the record book

11. It was a pretty cool feat, even if it was vs. the Giants! They lost an NFL-record five games when leading by 10+ points on the road this season. 

12. The Bears were the cardiac kids all the way until their final play of the year. They won an NFL-record seven games when trailing in the final two minutes this season, including playoffs. They were 3-3 when down 10+ points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, while the rest of the NFL was 3-162. 

13. Caleb Williams set a Bears record with 3,942 pass yards this season. But the Bears are still the only franchise in NFL history without a 4,000-yard passer. That is one of the most befuddling stats in all of sports history. 

14. Four teams in NFL history have lost three times in a season with 34+ points scored. Two of them are the 2024 Bengals and 2025 Bengals (also the 1985 Chargers and 2002 Chiefs)

Cincinnati is 2-4 in the last two seasons when scoring 38+ points. The rest of the NFL is 78-5. No wonder Joe Burrow is unhappy. 

15. This pretty much sums up how close the MVP race is. 

Drake Maye became the first quarterback with the NFL's best record, completion rate and yards per attempt since Tom Brady in 2007. 

Matthew Stafford became the first quarterback to lead the NFL in pass yards, touchdown passes and touchdown-to-interception ratio since Tom Brady in 2007. This is a Tom Brady stat! His 2007 season is often imitated, never truly duplicated. 

16. Matthew Stafford threw 28 consecutive touchdown passes without an interception during the 2025 season, the longest streak in NFL history. 

17. Drake Maye had the highest completion rate on throws of at least 15+ air yards this year (58%) after ranking last (29%) in 2024. The deep ball was the key catalyst for his MVP leap. 

18. Matthew Stafford reached .500 (115-115-1) for the first time in his career (besides starting 0-0) with a Week 10 win vs. the 49ers. He had the most career starts in NFL history among quarterbacks before reaching .500 for the first time (231). What a climb from his time in Detroit, you can't retire now!

19. Four of the top nine receiving yard totals in NFL history (including playoffs) have come by players with Matthew Stafford at quarterback (2021 Cooper Kupp, 2025 Puka Nacua, 2012 Calvin Johnson, 2011 Calvin Johnson)

20. Stafford lost two games in Seattle in the last month-plus with 370+ pass yards, at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Tom Brady lost two games with a 370-3-0 stat line in his entire 23-year career.

2025 NFL award finalists for MVP, Coach of the Year, more: Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford in two-horse race
John Breech
2025 NFL award finalists for MVP, Coach of the Year, more: Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford in two-horse race

21. Sam Darnold joined Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with 14+ wins in two straight seasons. Two quarterbacks in NFL history have won 14 games in their first season after changing teams. Sam Darnold in 2024. Sam Darnold in 2025. He did need the 17th game to record his 14th win this year.

22. The Seahawks had the No. 1 scoring defense for the first time since 2015, but their calling card was not in the secondary like the 'Legion of Boom'. They allowed the fewest yards per rush (3.7) this year despite playing the least amount of base defense in the NFL (6%). Mike Macdonald is at the forefront of defensive scheming.

23. Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards (1,793) despite the Seahawks passing the ball only 50% of the time, the third-lowest rate in the NFL. That is the definition of doing more with less. It added up to the most receiving yards per team pass attempt (3.73) by any player in a season in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). 

24. Jaxon Smith-Njigba set the Seahawks single-season receiving yards record (1,313) with six games to play (passed DK Metcalf: 1,303). 

25.  It's not about how you start … it continues to be a bad omen to be the final unbeaten team. The Bills and Eagles (4-0) held that crown this year. The last time the final unbeaten team won the Super Bowl was in 2006 (Colts). 

26. The Eagles repeated as NFC East champions, snapping a streak of 20 straight seasons without a repeat champion in NFC East (the longest streak by any division in NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL history)

27. The Eagles' identity crisis on offense was real. Here's a three-for-one special. Discounts on the house.

  • The Eagles went three-and-out on 38% of their drives this season, the highest rate by any NFC team
  • They had two games without a second-half completion this year. The rest of the NFL had zero (and Philadelphia won both games!). 
  • A.J. Brown had five games without a catch in the second half, the same amount as all of these players combined this season (Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, Jaxon-Smith Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens). 

28. Now onto the most depressing stat of the year. The Bills were eliminated in overtime by Denver, as Josh Allen's career record in overtime fell to 0-7 (including 0-3 in the playoffs), the worst mark in NFL history. 

29. The Bills became the fourth team in NFL history to win a playoff game in six straight seasons. The other franchises to do this (Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs) all won at least three titles during their stretches. 

30. Josh Allen has the most total touchdowns (301) through nine seasons in NFL history. He just finished his eighth season. He has accounted for more touchdowns than six teams (Broncos, Jaguars, Panthers, Raiders, Giants, Jets) since entering the NFL in 2018. 

31. James Cook had 216 rush yards in Week 8 at Carolina, which was at the time the most by any player in a game this season. He did it without playing in the fourth quarter! It was the most rushing yards on record (data exists since 1991) by a player with zero rushing attempts in the fourth quarter. 

That performance helped him become the first Bills player to win a rushing title since O.J. Simpson in 1976. 

32. Derrick Henry recorded his second season in his 30s with 1,500+ rush yards and 15+ rush TD on 5.0+ yards per carry. The only other player with multiple such seasons over an entire career is Jim Brown. All hail King Henry!

33. Jahmyr Gibbs has the most career touchdowns scored (49) by any player age-23 or younger in NFL history. Bijan Robinson has the career most scrimmage yards (5,648) by any player age-23 or younger in NFL history. Say hello to the top two picks in 2026 fantasy drafts. 

34. De'Von Achane may have been the only bright spot on the Dolphins, who have still not won a playoff game since 2000, benched their franchise quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa) and fired their head coach (Mike McDaniel). 

Achane led the NFL in yards per rush (5.7) this year and owns the second-highest rushing average in NFL history (5.62) among running backs with 500+ rushes behind Marion Motley (he last played in 1955). 

35. Christian McCaffrey recorded the most touches (413) in a season since DeMarco Murray in 2014. It was the most touches by a player in his ninth season or later since Walter Payton in 1984. A truly remarkable workload after he played four games in 2024 with bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a sprained PCL.

36. The six highest-paid players on the 49ers (Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Williams, Fred Warner and George Kittle) combined to miss 64 games, including the playoffs. The 49ers had the most missed games due to injury by any playoff team. They win the award for stat of the year most tied to a conspiracy theory. 

37. Brock Purdy had back-to-back games with five total touchdowns (Week 16 vs. Bears and Week 17 at Colts) after a 49ers player had not reached that mark in a game in 22 years (Jeff Garcia in 2003). 

An NFL-record 58% of Purdy's passes on third and fourth down converted first downs this year. As if that wasn't impressive enough, he averaged an NFL-low 2.5 YAC per completion on those downs. Finally, the death of the Brock Purdy "game manager" narrative. 

38. Myles Garrett set an NFL single-season record with 23.0 sacks. He had more sacks (23.0) than the 49ers' entire team (20). 

39. The Browns have ranked outside the top 10 in passer rating in 30 straight seasons, the longest streak in NFL history. That last time they ranked in the top 10 was in 1992 when Bill Belichick was their head coach and Bernie Kosar was their quarterback. Not even "Pro Bowl" selection Shedeur Sanders could snap that streak!

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Zachary Pereles
Why Pro Bowl has lost its luster ... and why it should lose importance regarding players' legacies, too

40. Quinnen Williams had more interceptions (one) than the Jets (zero) this season. The Jets became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without intercepting a pass. This stat is way too low on the list, I know!

41. Garrett Wilson led the Jets with 395 receiving yards despite not catching a pass since October 12. He joined Terrell Owens (2005 Eagles) as the only players in NFL history to lead their team in receiving yards despite playing fewer than half their games. 

42. The Jets were outscored by 107 points in December, the worst points differential in December by any team in NFL history.

43. The Jets (3-14) and Giants (4-13) went 7-27 this season, their worst combined win percentage (.206) in a season all-time. Hear that? That's the sound of both hitting rock bottom. Tough to do for a pair of teams with the worst two records in the NFL over the past 10 seasons. 

44. The Panthers were favored in the same number of games as the Jets and Giants this year (two). Carolina made the playoffs and they still haven't won a game as a favorite since 2021. 

45. The Steelers gave us all the streaks this year. The most head scratching was this: They lost to the Browns in Week 17 with a chance to clinch the AFC North. They extended their winless streak (0-4-1 record) to five games vs. teams entering at least eight games below .500, tying the longest streak in NFL history. 

46. The Steelers recorded their 22nd straight season without a losing record, passing the 1965-85 Cowboys for the longest streak in NFL history. They also lost their seventh straight playoff game and they've trailed by at least 21 points in each game of the losing streak. 

47. The Texans are one of 32 teams to face both Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in the same season and the only one to hold both without a touchdown. Their defense was a nightmare. Too bad nobody told C.J. Stroud to hold onto the ball. 

48. The Colts became the first team in 30 years (1995 Raiders) to miss the playoffs after an 8-2 start. The Texans became the first team in seven seasons (2018 Texans) to make the playoffs after an 0-3 start. 

49. Alec Pierce became the first player to average 20+ yards per reception in back-to-back years since Flipper Anderson from 1989-90 (minimum 35 catches each year). He averaged the most yards per catch (21.3) by a 1,000-yard receiver since DeSean Jackson in 2010. 

50. The Lions finished in last place in the NFC North despite recording the best points differential in the division (+68). The only other team since 1990 to finish last in a division with the best score diff was the 2022 Saints.

51. The Packers had four sacks and four losses in four games after Micah Parsons tore his ACL. Parsons became the first player in NFL history with 12.0+ sacks in each of his first five seasons.

52. The Broncos set a franchise record for sacks for a second straight year (68 in 2025), and defensive lineman Zach Allen had 51 quarterback hits this season, including playoffs, tying JJ Watt (2014) for the most in a season in recorded history (stat is available for the last 20 seasons). 

53. Chimere Dike set the NFL rookie record for all-purpose yards in a season (2,427), passing Hall of Famer Tim Brown (2,317 in 1988). 

54. Michael Wilson was a fantasy hero, ranking second in the NFL in receiving yards (775) over the final eight weeks of the regular season behind only Puka Nacua (940). That's a league winner right there. 

55. Trey McBride became the first tight end in NFL history with 100+ catches in two straight seasons. He broke the single-season tight end record with 126 catches in 2025. 

56. Joe Flacco made his usual cameo to the delight of Ja'Marr Chase fantasy owners. Chase was targeted 42 times from Weeks 7-8, the most targets by any player in a span of two games on record (data exists for past 45 seasons on Pro Football Reference). 

57. Sam Darnold became the first quarterback to commit the most turnovers in the NFL and still reach the Super Bowl since Eli Manning in 2007. Darnold can also exorcise the demons (or the ghosts) by beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl. 

58. The last three times a new pope was elected, the Seahawks made the Super Bowl. This has a case for the best stat of the year. Why is it 58th on the list? Well, one, these aren't really in order of best to 60th-best. Plus, just keeping you on your toes and teaching you to always read until the end of a story!

59. Mike Evans failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career (368 in eight games). His 11 straight seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards were tied for the longest streak in NFL history (Jerry Rice). 

60. There were 12 60-yard field goals made this season, blowing away the previous record (five in 2022 and 2023). Cam Little made the two longest field goals in NFL history (67, 68) and is now 2-2 on 67+ yard field goals in his career, while everyone else is 0-22 all-time (h/t ESPN research on this one).