This offseason has been an eventful one.
Aaron Rodgers got traded to the Jets. Tom Brady officially retired (we think). The Panthers, Texans and Colts got new quarterbacks through the draft and the Raiders, Saints and Packers made trades for new quarterbacks.
But this is only the beginning.
The Detroit Lions took on the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City last night, opening the 2023-2024 season by beating them 21-20.
The Lions ruined the Chiefs’ eight-season-opening win streak. The Lions came off a 9-8 season, where they beat the Green Bay Packers in the last game of the regular season to keep them out of the playoffs.
Before we turn to the regular season though, we need to identify which teams are the best in the league before the season begins.
Find out who made my top five this year:
- Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have been No. 1 for a while and will continue to be No. 1 at least for this exercise. The defending champions are bringing back a large core of their team from last year, and while they did lose offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has been a huge part of this team while they’ve won two super bowls in the past four years, quarterback Patrick Mahomes III and head coach Andy Reid have returned. This should be enough for this offense to keep producing.
- Philadelphia Eagles
Last year’s Super Bowl runners-up should be hungry after last season’s loss. While the Eagles did lose a lot of players from last season’s defense, they drafted well yet again and return a lot of the offensive production that netted them the second most points per game last season.
- Buffalo Bills
This spot was a toss-up between either the Bills or the Cincinnati Bengals. I ultimately went with the Bills because their defense is a little more trusted and their offense line is a little better. This year is a make-or-break year for quarterback Josh Allen and this team, though. Losing in the first two rounds of the playoffs or losing to the Chiefs again, could make people question whether they will ever get it done when it matters most.
- Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals fell to the fourth spot over the Bills in this exercise mainly because of their poor offensive line, but signing left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. away from the Chiefs will certainly help. This core has gotten extremely close in the past, even making an appearance in the super bowl in 2022, now it’s time to put it all together.
- San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers might have the most talented team in the NFL. But with Trey Lance off to the Cowboys, all eyes are on Brock Purdy and whether he can get the job done. The 49ers also need to do a better job at protecting their quarterbacks. In last season’s playoffs, their playoff run was derailed by their quarterbacks’ injuries.
The 2023/24 NFL season is predicted to be one of the best. With several key players finding new homes, some future star rookies, and some intriguing quarterback battles, this season will have some headlines and I’m ready to cover them all.
