10 bold predictions for Boston sports in 2025

By Conor Ryan After an eventful 2024 calendar saw green confetti rain down on the TD Garden parquet and Bill Belichick handed a pink slip, what twists and turns lie ahead for Boston sports in 2025? Here are some of our bold predictions for the new year.

Patriots retain Jerod Mayo, only to fire him in November The writing has seemingly been on the wall for weeks that Jerod Mayo is staring at the real possibility of being canned after one season on the job.

Things have only continued to get worse as the season has gone on for Mayo and the Patriots with disheartening returns bottoming out with a 40-7 beatdown at the hands of the Chargers.

But even with Mike Vrabel and other intriguing options like Ben Johnson available in this latest coaching carousel, Robert Kraft unwilling to admit that New Englands lack of a coaching search last January was a misfire sticks with the guy he selected for the job five years ago.

It proves to be yet another stumble by New England, with the Patriots ultimately moving on from Mayo in mid-November amid yet another disappointing start to the 2025 campaign.

With Drake Maye making even more strides, a porous defensive unit up front and lackluster O-line sinks New England once again.

After missing out on Vrabel and several other blue-chip hirings in January, the Patriots prepare to throw the bag at Oregon head coach Dan Lanning once the 2025 season wraps.

Patriots come up short in Tee Higgins sweepstakes The Patriots have plenty of cap space this offseason to improve their roster.

As such, its almost been viewed as a given that New England will be able to make sizable upgrades in free agency to add proven pass-catchers and shore up the offensive line.

Thats all well and good, especially with Drake Maye looking like the real deal at QB.

But even if New England gives Tee Higgins a blank check this winter, several other teams like the Commanders are also in the same boat and project to be a far more stable environment compared to what weve seen in Foxborough this year.

David Andrews has a message for Tee Higgins pic.twitter.com/R24CZsoj6N Cap space and a legit star QB are two of the most appealing pitches to players on the open market.

General competence also goes a long way, and there was little of that to be found in New England this past year.

New England does add a tackle in Cam Robinson and a wideout (coming off injury) in Chris Godwin, but fail to land the big fish in Higgins.

Kristian Campbell wins AL Rookie of the Year Believe the hype.

After seemingly excelling after every promotion from Greenville to Worcester, Campbell once again tees off against pitching in spring training en route to a roster spot with Boston on Opening Day.

There goes Kristian Campbell! That one was 109 off the bat.

pic.twitter.com/cQGEH4pkBw The once-unheralded prospect quickly proves hes a middle-of-the-order bat worth building around after batting .283 with 23 home runs and 87 RBI.

He steals some of the thunder of Roman Anthony, who earns his spot up with Fenway after a call-up in late May.

Patriots take Travis Hunter with No.

1 pick After months of debate over whether or not New England should trade down from the No.

1 spot in the 2025 NFL Draft, Eliot Wolf and Co.

opt to take the best player available in Hunter after not getting a haul to their liking.

(A weak QB class headlined by Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders also hurts the Patriots odds of landing several quality picks).

Travis Hunter slowmo.

Absolute cinema pic.twitter.com/2ktRGTarQZ Hunter quickly turns into a lockdown corner alongside Christian Gonzalez, but is only utilized for about 10 offensive snaps per game.

While his athleticism and versatility are welcomed in New England, Hunters big-play capabilities are hindered by New Englands O-line issues and the lack of a proven No.

1 wideout like Higgins to take some of the heat off of him.

Celtics have ...

an uneventful change in leadership For all the rumors of a deep-pocketed individual like Jeff Bezos jumping into the bidding war for the Boston Celtics, dont expect any sizable fireworks when this sale eventually goes down.

Beyond the fact that lead owner Wyc Grousbeck has already pledged to remain involved in operations until 2028, the winning bid ultimately goes to a consortium of investors headlined by current Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca and limited partner Robert Hale.

As intriguing as itd be to have someone with Bezos fiscal flexibility on hand to deal with the Celtics already hefty payroll and tax ramifications, this new ownership group offers stability after what was a surprising announcement made by Grousbeck weeks after winning Banner 18.

Bruins win two playoff rounds as a wild-card team The 2024-25 Bruins are a flawed team especially when it comes to putting the puck in the back of the net at both 5-on-5 play and on the power play.

But when the Bruins are playing to their capabilities as a physical, grind-out defensive squad, they can be a tough out especially when Jeremy Swayman finds his game.

Despite entering the postseason as the first wild-card team in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins avoid the bar fight that comes with scrapping against the Atlantic Division upsetting the Capitals in the first round before taking down the Devils in the next round.

Another heater from Swayman keeps Boston off the ropes throughout the postseason, while a deadline deal that sends Trent Frederic (and Fabian Lysell) to Vancouver for Conor Garland pays dividends with a pair of OT tallies from the Scituate native.

But Bostons Cinderella run ends in the Eastern Conference Finals when they are defeated once again by the Panthers.

Back to the drawing board.

Celtics win Banner 19 Sure, the Celtics are currently fighting through a bit of a mid-season slump.

But no need to overthink this one.

So long as theyre healthy, the Celtics have the talent, depth and most importantly, the veteran mettle to handle whatever is thrown their way.

This run wont be the same 16-3 cakewalk as last season (especially with the Bucks, Knicks, Cavs, and Pacers all looking legit), but Boston goes back-to-back after defeating the Thunder in 7 games.

After Jaylen Brown took home Finals MVP honors in 2024, Jayson Tatum secures the honors this year with a 48-point clincher on the parquet floor.

"TIME TO SAY IT AGAIN BOSTON, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE....

THE CELTICS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS!" pic.twitter.com/oWiyI8BYUJ Kristaps Porzingis is traded during the offseason The Celtics are at their best when a healthy Porzingis is on the floor thanks to his shot-blocking talents, 3-point shooting, and post play.

But beyond the injury concerns that come with the 7-foot-2 big man, Boston might need to make some hard choices this summer when it comes to its fiscal outlook especially with the team already above the second tax apron and tied up with a pair of hefty contracts between Tatum ($313 million) and Brown ($285 million).

Somethings got to give when it comes to shedding a contract off of a stacked roster, and Brad Stevens ultimately decides to move on from a cheat code (but potential luxury) in Porzingis.

Red Sox make playoffs ...

but its a short stint The good news? For the first time since 2021, Fenway Park is hosting baseball in October again.

The bad news? The Red Sox who finish with 92 wins and the top Wild Card spot in the AL still lose to the Baltimore Orioles in three games during the Wild-Card round.

While both Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler both impress on the mound, Crochet runs out of steam in September in just his second full season as a starter.

Both the Red Sox and Orioles kick themselves that they didnt hand over the money to sign Corbin Burnes who logs 212 innings with a 3.02 ERA in Arizona.

Bill Belichick returns to the NFL after one season at UNC Well, that didnt last long.

After leading the Tar Heels to a bowl victory in his first year on the job, Belichick gives the keys at Chapel Hill to Steve Belichick and heads back to the NFL ranks.

Once again tempted with what might be his final shot at breaking Don Shulas career-coaching record, Belichick joins the Raiders after getting wooed by Vegas minority owner (and still-lackluster broadcaster) Tom Brady.

Conor Ryan Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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