Highlights
- Russell Wilson never lets Justin Fields see regular-season snaps with the Steelers.
- The Lions may miss the playoffs due to facing tougher competition within and outside their division.
- A new kickoff rule could lead to 10 kickoff touchdown returns in the 2024 NFL season.
The summer is always a fascinating time in the NFL offseason. With the NFL Draft completed, the schedule released, and free agency pretty much wrapped up, the field is set for the 2024 regular season.
It is still very early in the process (teams haven’t even considered a final 53-man roster), but that doesn’t stop people from making bold predictions based on everything that has happened.
If bold predictions are what you are looking for, look no further. Here are 10 bold early predictions for the 2024 NFL season, in no particular order.
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Justin Fields Never Sees A Regular Season Snap
Russell Wilson will hold down Steelers QB1 job for the entire campaign
The Pittsburgh Steelers made waves by trading for former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. The entire offseason has been a “this or that” argument about who will take snaps under center for the Steelers: Fields or Russell Wilson?
Wilson should retain his anticipated starting job and succeed in the Steelers’ offense, and if he is competent enough, he will lead the Steelers back to the playoffs.
A big struggle throughout Wilson’s career has been protection behind a good offensive line. The team beefed up the unit in the draft with Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, so expect better protection than last season for the black and yellow.
Where does that leave Fields?
Fields could impress the Steelers enough to earn a new contract, develop on the bench, and earn the title of “future of the franchise,” but 2024 won’t be Fields’ moment if Wilson stays healthy, though he may be involved in some red zone packages.
Detroit Lions Miss The Playoffs
The field in the NFC got a lot stronger during the offseason
The Detroit Lions look poised to be in the mix as Super Bowl favorites. With success comes higher mountains to climb, and the Lions don’t just face a tougher schedule, but a tougher division.
The Green Bay Packers and Bears arguably improved this offseason, so with new competition breathing down their necks, the Lions could face more competitive, tiring rivalry weeks.
The Lions finished 12-5 in the 2023 season and ranked eighth in point differential. They are well-deserved Super Bowl contenders on paper, but there’s always a “but.”
The NFC, as a whole, might fight back harder this season. The San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all look like playoff teams. There are only seven spots, and the Lions will have an uphill battle as the team with a target on their back.
This is a new era in the NFL where the Lions should be taken seriously—but they haven’t stamped themselves as perennial contenders just yet.
Carolina Panthers Find A Way To Win Five Or More Games
A new coaching staff and improved supporting cast are encouraging
The Carolina Panthers are not a good football team on paper and are not a favorite in a single game this season.
Despite the doubts surrounding them, the Panthers are in the weakest division in football and have some winnable home games against the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals on their schedule.
On defense, they lost pass rusher Brian Burns but gained some starting quality with players like linebacker Josey Jewell, pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, cornerback Troy Hill, and safeties Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott. It’s a major face-lift for a defense that already had some talent, like Shaq Thompson, Jaycee Horn, and Derrick Brown.
If second-year quarterback Bryce Young shows any progress at quarterback, the Panthers could still find themselves alive in the fourth quarter of games, which is key to squeezing out sneaky victories and winning more games than the two they got last year.
Houston Texans DE Will Anderson Jr. Records 20 Sacks
The reigning DROY has much better support across from him on the d-line
The Houston Texans gave up a future first-rounder to land defensive end Will Anderson Jr. with the third overall pick in 2023. There’s a reason why. He has all the tools to be an elite pass rusher in the NFL.
Last season, he recorded seven sacks and 45 combined tackles. He missed two games and still won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Despite dealing with nagging injuries, he was a disrupter and a game-wrecker at times for the Texans.
With the addition of star veteran Danielle Hunter, who had 16.5 sacks with the Vikings last year, Anderson’s pass-rushing opportunities will open up more if he is at full strength.
If the secondary can force more coverage sacks, expect No. 51 to be the first one to the quarterback.
Tom Brady Works In The Broadcast Booth And Plays An NFL Playoff Game
The GOAT can’t help himself from trying to do it all
Tom Brady has a history of being unable to walk away from the game, and the chance at his eighth ring might be enough to tempt him out of retirement.
Brady is set to be the color commentator alongside play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt for the top Fox broadcast team on Sundays. The G.O.A.T. quarterback reportedly struck a deal with Fox for 10 years worth $375M.
People seem doubtful that Brady would make an NFL return with such a sweet deal, but Fox would love it if their cash cow commentated on games during the season and then went on to join an NFL team. The press surrounding the story would be nuclear.
In his final season with the Buccaneers, Brady threw for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns, better than most active quarterbacks in 2023.
It only seems bold because it has never happened with such a high-profile player. Still, with Joe Flacco’s return last season and his subsequent steering of the Cleveland Browns into the playoffs, it seems more likely a competitive team would be able to woo Brady out of the broadcast booth. The right dominoes would need to fall for this prediction to happen, but it’s in the realm of possibility.
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Aaron Rodgers Misses The Playoffs Despite A Healthy & Productive Season
Do the Jets have enough around the 40-year-old QB to compete?
The New York Jets will be hoping for a better start than that disastrous Monday Night Football game in 2023, in which quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury on the first drive. The Jets loaded up the offensive line this season and expect to make a run for the division with Rodgers under center.
Despite the additions, the Jets will still miss the playoffs in a loaded AFC conference. Rodgers will find his form again and have impressive numbers as he has always had throughout his career, but he won’t be enough for the team to conquer the Buffalo Bills or Miami Dolphins.
Rodgers’ last season with the Packers saw him throw for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The team finished with an 8-9 record. New Packer quarterback Jordan Love took the Packers to the playoffs the next year.
Blame the weapons around him or his age, but the Jets are an organization with a history of losing, and it will be hard to compete with their track record.
Cowboys Win A Playoff Game, But Still Fire Mike McCarthy
Many believe the head coach should have been gone after last year’s playoff loss
It feels like Mike McCarthy has been on the hot seat almost every year despite producing consistent winning seasons for the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys are in “salary cap hell” right now, but they still have a very talented team. Whether winning the division or earning a Wild Card spot, the Cowboys will return to the playoffs and even beat their first opponent, but ultimately, they will part ways with McCarthy for Bill Belichick.
This isn’t too bold of a prediction, but a head coach winning a playoff game and getting canned is virtually unheard of. It’s championship or bust for the Cowboys, and odds are, the “Cowboys are gonna Cowboy,” or, more specifically, “Jerry Jones is gonna Jerry Jones”.
Rams Go To The Super Bowl
Los Angeles has quietly reloaded to create another serious contender
The Los Angeles Rams might be the most underrated team going into the 2024 season.
They are loaded with offensive talent and had a tremendous draft regarding high-ceiling prospects. Plus, this team stole Puka Nacua late in the draft in 2023, so every Rams fan should be excited about their 2024 draft selections, like Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Blake Corum, and Kamren Kinchens.
The NFC is a huge question mark, and despite having the NFC-best San Francisco 49ers in their division, the Rams should be in every game with their high-powered offense with Matthew Stafford, a healthy Cooper Kupp, and running back Kyren Williams leading the way.
Plus, their Super Bowl championship experience gives them an edge over teams like the Eagles and 49ers. No team this century has ever lost in the Super Bowl and returned with the same quarterback (except Brady and the Pats). Advantage: Rams.
Lamar Jackson Passes For 4,000 Yards For The First Time
Jackson’s passing prowess has increased with each passing year
There are a few elements to this prediction besides Lamar Jackson being super talented.
One: the Baltimore Ravens‘ addition of Derrick Henry will force more defensive schemes to put bodies in the box. Two: weapons like Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and Isaiah Likely will make strides in the play-action game if health stays on their side for 2024. And three: Jackson is getting older, so he will trust his arm more and look down the field while scrambling.
In 2023, Jackson won the MVP and threw for a career-high 3,678 yards. He also had his career-best completion percentage, at 67.2.
Another strange factor that might force Jackson to throw for 4,000 yards is that the Ravens are a little worse. It will be hard to replicate their 13-4 record, so Jackson will find himself in tight games or playing from behind. He will need to let it rip through the air more often.
Now, if he can do all this while still rushing for a healthy amount of yards, a back-to-back MVP run could also be in the cards.
There Will Be 10 Kickoff Touchdown Returns Due To The New Format
The league is hoping for more returns after league lows in recent years
The new kickoff rule is one of the most exciting stories going into the 2024 season. Players will be lined up further down the field, can no longer start running while the ball is in the air, and must wait for the returner to field the ball before moving, all of which serve to maintain the safety of the kickoff while increasing the incentive for returners to actually return kickoffs.
The coaches of the NFL always have a way of designing concepts that revolutionize the game of football. Instead of speedsters, coaches might put starting running backs, cornerbacks, or backup option quarterbacks as returners to find the hole and break through the only level of defenders.
Even with the tougher rules implemented last season, four kickoffs were still returned for touchdowns. With these new rules and the lack of a proper, proven return defense, the scoring game could have a new wrinkle through special teams.
All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.
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