As most of us are still trying to come to the conclusion that the NFL season is over, that doesn't mean we can't start looking forward to the 2024 season, right? Of course not. As we're now entering the NFL offseason, there's still plenty to look forward to, such as free agency, the combine, and the draft — all of which could have their effects on teams toward next season.
This year's Super Bowl 58 champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and even their opponents, the San Francisco 49ers, are already favorites to return to the big game next season, according to FanDuel. But the NFL isn't just about two teams, because as we all know, the league is meant to give that sense of parity.
In this case, we're not just talking about possible Super Bowl contenders; we're talking about teams that are possibly on the rise, maybe in the mix, or just ones to watch out for all the wrong reasons. With a little over seven months until kickoff, we'll have plenty of time to speculate over all 32 teams during the NFL offseason, but for now, let's talk about some that are on our minds.
New York Jets
Can the Jets get off on the right foot next season? Sorry, too soon? Their season crumbled within a matter of minutes after kickoff in Game 1 last season when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon, thus ending his season and any Super Bowl aspirations that came with him.
It's hard to say what this team is going to be next season. There still seems to be a lot of internal uncertainty within the organization, which only intensifies everything. That includes Robert Saleh's job status, Nathaniel Hackett's ability to be a successful offensive play-caller, and, of course, if a 40-year-old quarterback with a shoddy offensive line can make a contender out of a team that hasn't been to the playoffs in over a decade.
Who knows, things could get worse before they get better in New York next season.
Houston Texans
The Texans hadn't won more than four games in the last four years until last season. They were by far one of the worst teams in the NFL. But what ended up being a highly successful draft class that ended up having the Offensive Rookie of the Year (CJ Stroud) and Defensive Rookie of the Year (Will Anderson), the Texans found themselves at 10-7 with an AFC South Division title and back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
This team has plenty of young talent, and with guys like Stroud and Anderson as their core, they should be good for a long time, including next season. They won't have nearly as high of a draft pick in this year's draft like last (or as many), but what they do have is the fifth-most cap space in the league to work with. The ceiling seems to be pretty high for lift-off in Houston.
Baltimore Ravens
In a season that went right in so many ways, the Ravens, John Harbaugh, and Lamar Jackson couldn't make it to the Super Bowl. This was one of the more talented Ravens squads in some time, having both a top-5 total offense and defense. Now they face a number of important questions entering the offseason, starting with the gutting of nearly their entire defensive staff, which included defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who took the Seahawks head coaching gig.
The Ravens also face some major decisions during the NFL offseason, especially once free agency hits, with 23 players set to hit the market, including Jadeveon Clowney, Justin Madubuike, and Patrick Queen. Was last year the best team that Jackson will ever have in hopes of making his way to a Super Bowl? Remember, Jackson's cap hit only gets worse with every season from here on out. It will be $32.4 million next season, per spotrac.
Washington Commanders
New ownership, a new head coach (Dan Quinn), and what looks to be a new starting quarterback, depending on what the Commanders decide to do with the No. 2 pick. Oh, and don't forget the most cap space in the entire league to work with ($83.5 million). That means if they can hit on some draft picks and make critical free agency signings, who knows, maybe the Commanders could be next year's Texans. Nonetheless, the NFL offseason should be interesting for the Commanders.
For those fans in Washington D.C., this has to be the most optimism you've felt as a fan in a long while. Sure, it's probably going to take a little while to build it to what it needs to be, but at least things are finally starting to look up. Now, getting that stadium fixed is the next issue.
New England Patriots
There's such a large question mark over the Patriots next season. For the better part of 20 years, you knew what you were getting with New England. Now, with not only no Tom Brady but no Bill Belichick, what will the Patriots look like? They are actually similar to the Commanders in that they have the No. 3 overall pick, coupled with the third-highest cap space in the league, which makes this one of the more important NFL offeseasons in team history.
New head coach Jerod Mayo's first year could be a bumpy one, if for nothing else, replacing a legend that filled the Patriots' trophy room. Finding a quarterback is going to be one of the main goals, which is never truly easy. At least a top-3 pick helps, unless they decide to trade for more capital, which, as we all know, is the Patriots' way.
Chicago Bears
The Bears decide where the 2024 NFL Draft goes by having the No. 1 pick. Reports have said they plan on keeping the pick, picking quarterback Caleb Williams. But they could also trade the pick. They could also trade their current starting quarterback Justin Fields. This is what makes the Bears so interesting because not just for their No. 1 pick but also for their No. 9 pick they possess.
Depending on just what they do in the draft will determine how we look at them in 2024. But whatever move or moves they make during the NFL offseason, it will all make us keep a close eye on them, watching for surprising success or predictable disaster.
Philadelphia Eagles
Remember when the Eagles made the Super Bowl just over a year ago? That was fun, wasn't Philadelphia. That team didn't quite show back up for the 2023 season, especially down the stretch when they lost six out of their last seven. So, what's to be expected from the Eagles in 2024? Well, that's what makes them one of the teams to watch out for.
The Eagles are likely coming into the 2024 season with a lot of tension. When they came into 2023, they had lost both of their coordinators to head coaching jobs. At the end of 2023, they lost their coordinators again because head coach Sirianni fired them, while he himself had a tinge of heat to his seat. This Eagles team could easily make a bounceback next season, or they could fall flat on their face and waste a year where they still have plenty of talent to succeed. The tension, the uncertainty — who doesn't want to see how that plays out?
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