Editor’s note: This article was last updated Saturday, Sept. 6, before week one matchups commenced.
After an offseason filled with blockbuster trades, rule changes and quarterback drama, fans are excited for what’s shaping up to be one of the more unpredictable seasons in recent NFL memory.
The season commenced on Thursday, Sept. 4 for this year’s first rendition of Thursday Night Football, featuring the reigning super bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and divisional rival Dallas Cowboys.
Offseason Player Headlines:
Aaron Rodgers’ Last Ride: Considered one of the best quarterbacks of the past two decades, Rodgers announced on the Pat McAfee show that he’s “pretty sure” this will be his final season. He is hoping he can finish his career with “a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that [he’s] had.” The all-time great’s farewell campaign will begin against his former team, the New York Jets.
Micah Parsons’ Trade: After holding out of practice and preseason due to a contract dispute, the Cowboys finally granted Parsons — arguably the league’s best defensive player and the number one player to build a defense around according to NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks — a monster trade to the Green Bay Packers where he’ll have the chance to face off against his former team in Week 4.
Travis Hunter’s Intrigue: Hunter is perhaps the most interesting rookie the league has seen. Many are curious as to whether or not he is going to try to play both wide receiver and cornerback like he did at The University of Colorado. Playing both sides of the ball at an elite level is a feat that few have done in college and no players in recent memory have accomplished in the NFL. But, based on reports coming out of the Jacksonville Jaguars camp, it seems that Hunter will have a chance to do just that.
Rule Changes:
Dynamic Kickoff: The league has permanently adopted the dynamic kickoff after the NFL reported record low concussion rates last year, thanks in large part to the new kickoff format. In addition, the league saw an increase in percentage of kicks returned and kicks returned for touchdowns.
Regular Season Overtime: Overtime rules have been modified to guarantee both teams a possession, aligning regular season rules more closely with playoff standards.
The Death of the Chain Crew: To the surprise of some, the NFL has officially minimized the role of the traditional sideline chain crew, moving to fully electronic first-down markers and digital measurement systems to both speed up the game and reduce human error.
Top Contenders:
NFC:
Philadelphia Eagles: Philadelphia has elite talent across the board, highlighted by running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts. Many think they are the clear favorites to return to the Super Bowl.
Detroit Lions: Detroit lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs (Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears and Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets) and all-pro center Frank Ragnow unexpectedly retired. Still, they’ve maintained most of their core, headlined by the likes of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions are prepared for another playoff push.
Green Bay Packers: The addition of Parsons — perhaps the league’s premier defensive player — in addition to an anticipated jump from quarterback Jordan Love should catapult the Packers into contention.
San Francisco 49ers: After a 2024 season that was overshadowed by the injuries of Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Fred Warner, Malik Mustapha and others, San Francisco is returning stronger and eyeing a deep playoff push this season.
AFC:
Kansas City Chiefs: Kansas City is the obvious choice to make it out of the AFC, as they have done for the last three seasons. They return with veteran superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, in addition to youngster wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice (whom they won’t have the first six weeks due to suspension).
Baltimore Ravens: Many fans thought last year was the Ravens’ year, but they’ve reloaded and are prepared for another push this year. With the league’s best rushing attack returning behind quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry, they’re undebatably hard to stop.
Buffalo Bills: This feels like the same story year after year for Buffalo, as they contend each season but can’t seem to get past Kansas City. Come playoff time, all eyes will be on quarterback Josh Allen to see if he can finally dethrone Patrick Mahomes.
Cincinnati Bengals: After a Super Bowl appearance in 2021, Cincinnati has yet to get back to the big game. After a slow start last year, quarterback Joe Burrow and company look to get back to the playoffs this season.
Most Exciting Week One Matchups:
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys: The NFC East rivalry kicked off with massive stakes right out of the gate. Many fans anticipated whether or not the Cowboys would be able to reinvent their defensive identity without Parsons to keep pace with arguably the league’s most talented roster, the Philadelphia Eagles. This expectation fell short, as the Eagles beat the Cowboys in a close 24-20 match.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets: All eyes will be on the Steelers and Rodgers as he faces his former team in what could be an emotional and competitive game to start his farewell tour. However, on the other side of the coin, many people are also antsy to see the new-look Jets offense headlined by quarterback Justin Fields.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills: This highly anticipated AFC clash on Sunday Night Football will feature two teams who, over the past few seasons, have been very serious competitors, but have yet to make a breakthrough. The Ravens, named the NFL’s best rushing team last season, will look to hold off the Bills and reigning NFL MVP Allen’s high-powered passing attack in a game sure to carry major implications.
Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions: The battle for NFC North supremacy starts early here. This matchup will be an early tell for us to see if Parsons is going to be enough for Green Bay to reclaim control of the division or if Detroit will maintain last season’s momentum.
