Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) walks on the field at MetLife Stadium before the game against the Buffalo Bills. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports.
The NFL regular season is less than eight weeks away, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens kicking off festivities on September 8th.
The Chiefs and their Super Bowl dance partner, the San Francisco 49ers, are favored to meet again in February.
And with training camps about to heat up, these are five hot takes for the 2024 NFL season ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = hottest take).
Many are watching Hard Knocks on HBO this summer, and the overall vibe from that signals a lack of organizational love for Daniel Jones. It’s all on the line for Jones in 2024 — general manager Joe Schoen basically said so — but he may not have the juice to finish a season because of his injury history.
Lock, on the other hand, is incredibly lovable, producing a career moment last year in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Seattle Seahawk will find a way to take Jones’ job in 2024, and he might even convince New York that he can be trusted for the long haul.
Some believe the Los Angeles Rams will feature a running-back-by-committee system and to each their own. Blake Corum is capable of filling the role.
However, Sean McVay will learn — if he hasn’t already — that Williams is too productive for an equitably split committee. Williams ends up as the Rams’ bellcow back, something happens to Christian McCaffrey injury-wise in San Francisco, and Williams leads the NFL in rushing yards.
Pittsburgh hasn’t encountered a losing season since 2003, if that can be believed. But all good things end, and inside a brutally good AFC North, the Steelers finally finish 8-9, miss the postseason, and plot next steps at quarterback.
And if this hot take is wrong, Pittsburgh will end the season at 9-8.
Remember the era when the Dallas Cowboys habitually finished 8-8? That’s coming back.
Dallas conducted virtually no business during free agency, only adding Eric Kendricks and Royce Freeman as newcomers. Their draft was impressive, but the NFC will pass the Cowboys by in 2024, returning “America’s Team” to 8-9 or 9-8.
The consecutive 13-4 campaigns are kaput.
The New York Jets played on national television all the time in 2023, and onlookers would watch and think, “Geez. This team really is just a quarterback away from becoming the real deal.”
Well, Aaron Rodgers will stay healthy in 2024, the defense won’t slow down, and because of parity in the NFL, New York will finally hoist a Lombardi. The Jets will narrowly conquer the Philadelphia Eagles in February.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.