The NFL season kicked off on Sept. 5, bringing many unique storylines with it. Here are some of the biggest shake-ups around the league that you’ll want to keep an eye on, whether for fantasy or just for some juicy entertainment.
We may crunch the numbers and break down the odds, but as the saying goes, anything can happen on “any given Sunday,” and that’s what keeps us watching.
Atlanta Falcons
Returning from a torn Achilles, quarterback Kirk Cousins is finding himself in an unexpected position. After he signed a four-year, $180 million deal with Atlanta this offseason, his new team shocked him by drafting Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of this year’s draft.
Although Cousins seems to be safe from getting the bench, it will be interesting to see how Penix’s presence affects his performance. Known for his primetime and playoff follies, NFL critics are anxious to see what a Cousins-led Falcons team can do this season.
Chicago Bears
With the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, the Bears drafted QB Caleb Williams. Williams is a Heisman Trophy winner and University of Southern California star, whose jersey number was just retired at his alma mater.
Despite a 7-5 season in his last year at USC, Bears fans have reason for hope with Williams’s strong performance record. With wide receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze at his side, Williams will have strong weapons to utilize during his rookie year.
Los Angeles Chargers
Former head football coach at the University of Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, is joining the Chargers following Michigan’s perfect season and subsequent championship victory. This will be Harbaugh’s first time back in the NFL since his stint with the 49ers from 2011 to 2014.
Jim’s brother John Harbaugh is one of the longest-tenured active coaches in the NFL, entering his seventeenth season with the Baltimore Ravens. The brothers will go head-to-head this season in Week 12 for what fans have termed “the Harbaugh Bowl.”
New England Patriots
Newly christened head coach Jerod Mayo has his work cut out for him with the Patriots as he tries to fill the shoes of the unrivaled Bill Belichick and address a pressing question – why isn’t he starting the better QB?
Rookie Drake Maye, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, outshined veteran Jacoby Brissett in the preseason by Mayo’s own admission, but Brissett got the nod to start the season as Maye hangs back to develop. Now, fans wonder if Brissett’s call to action will last through the season or be short-lived.
New York Jets
“This is our year,” said the Jets before QB Aaron Rodgers sustained a season-ending injury during the team’s first drive during Week One of the 2023 season. With 2023 ending as a disappointing wash for the team, the Jets are eager to replace the bad memories with an exciting season.
Formerly a Green Bay Packers great, we still don’t know what a Rodgers-Jets offense looks like, but many expect the team to be playoff contenders. Maybe, just maybe, this is their year.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback carousel is the name of the game in Pittsburgh as the Steelers find themselves with a completely different QB room than the previous season and a different starter for the third year in a row.
NFL veteran Russell Wilson was brought in after a less-than-stellar stint in Denver but was sidelined with a calf injury in Week 1. Former Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields, another off-season addition for the Steelers, got the start and led the team to an 18-10 victory over the Falcons.
Wilson will have to continue to compete to keep his starting spot because Fields is waiting in the wings and already has a win under his belt.
Tennessee Titans
It’s out with the old and in with the new in Tennessee as the Titans went on the ultimate spending spree during free agency this offseason, picking up wide receiver Calvin Ridley, running back Tony Pollard, center Lloyd Cushenberry III and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie to name a few.
With second-year QB Will Levis at the helm, time will tell if the Titans made the right decisions in their rebuilding campaign, or if their purchasing decisions turn into liabilities.
