Most players from the 2025 NFL Draft have made their NFL debut already, but that doesn't mean that every player has. For various reasons, some dudes just haven't gotten a chance.
Maybe they've been injured. Maybe there are too many good players in front of them on the depth chart. Maybe they're just, like ... not ready for the NFL, and maybe they won't ever be ready. Just because you're drafted to be an NFL player doesn't mean you'll be an NFL player.
Let's take a look at eight rookies who have yet to see the field and, at this point, might not play a snap in 2025.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland Browns
Should Shedeur Sanders play? Probably. Will he? IDK!
I think that out of all the rookie quarterbacks who've yet to see the field, Sanders is the most likely to get snaps, but he would first have to replace fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel looked decent against the Vikings in his NFL debut, throwing a pair of touchdowns, but four games in and things feel very uneven. He's 1-3 as Cleveland's starting quarterback and has two starts with zero touchdown passes and just one game with 200 or more passing yards.
The thing is, Gabriel also hasn't been, like, a complete disaster, which will probably save him. The Browns need to know if he's their quarterback of the future, so at the moment, there's zero incentive for Sanders to see the field.
In fact, I'm not sure how safe Sanders is in his role as the No. 2. Deshaun Watson might be able to return from his Achilles injury at some point and while he wouldn't replace Gabriel, he might make more sense as the No. 2 guy over keeping another rookie in that role.
Ricky White III, WR, Seattle Seahawks
I love watching Ricky White III at UNLV and had him penciled in as one of the best sleeper wideouts in this draft class. It appears that I was wrong.
White didn't make the initial 53-man roster for Seattle and was stashed on the practice squad, which is where he still remains. Maybe he'll get an opportunity at some point, but his best shot at snaps would likely be as a punt returner, a role that fellow rookie Tory Horton is already in.
Phil Mafah, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Phil Mafah suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason and was placed on the IR. The last update I could find about him came from the Cowboys official website on Oct. 1, where it was mentioned he was eligible to return, but had no further updates.
Cowboys fans have called for Mafah to play on social media, but for now, he remains sidelined, and it appears the team is content to run out a two-man rotation of Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue, even though Blue is struggling.
Kyonte Hamilton, DT, Houston Texans
Here's one we almost certainly won't see, as former Rutgers defensive tackle Kyonte Hamilton suffered a fractured ankle back in July that was expected to sideline him for four months. There won't be much football left when Hamilton is healthy and it'd probably be smart for Houston to just let him keep healing up so they can start fresh with him in the offseason.
Damien Martinez, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Damien Martinez is one of the most interesting situations from this draft class. He looked like a solid running back at Miami. Not someone who'd be a star in the NFL, but at least a rotational back.
Seattle was a bad landing spot since there were multiple good backs blocking his path to playing time, so it wasn't a surprise when Martinez ended up on the team's practice squad. What was a surprise was when the Seahawks released him from the practice squad. No one else has picked him up yet, so ... yeah. I don't think we're seeing Martinez this season.
Graham Mertz, QB, Houston Texans
Alright, time to start the parade of third-string and practice-squad quarterbacks who need multiple injuries to get a chance, starting with former Florida quarterback Graham Mertz.
Houston traded up for Mertz, something that seemed puzzling at the time, since the team had Davis Mills as the backup to C.J. Stroud. Mills was in the last year of his contract, but Houston signed him to an extension through 2026 back in September, so the Mertz pick makes even less sense now.
Kyle McCord, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have three quarterbacks on the active roster. None are sixth-round pick Kyle McCord, who sits on the practice squad while Tanner McKee and Sam Howell serve as the backups for the Eagles. There's a good chance here that McCord not only doesn't play in 2025, but that he never plays at all in the NFL.
Will Howard, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers needed a quarterback this offseason. Instead of drafting one early in a weak class, the team used a sixth-round pick on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and then signed veteran Aaron Rodgers.
Howard is currently on the IR due to a hand injury, but should be back fairly soon. When he returns, he'll be third on the depth chart behind Rodgers and Mason Rudolph. There's no scenario where a healthy Rodgers is benched, so barring injury, Howard will ride the bench for the rest of his rookie season.