Football fans, we made it. We finally have made it to the start of the 2023 NFL season, so hope you have your Red Zone all set up and ready to go! As was the case last season, we are going to be putting together a weekly NFL Power Rankings series, starting with our Week 1 NFL Power Rankings.

How will the Kansas City Chiefs come out of the gate after winning it all last season? Will the Detroit Lions match their offseason hype and take over the NFC North divisional race? How will quarterbacks in new situations, like Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, and Desmond Ridder, fare to start the year?

All that, and more, is organized below, so enjoy the Week 1 NFL Power Rankings!

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The defending Super Bowl champions are looking quite good as they will help open the 2023 NFL season, but they will be without stout defensive tackle Chris Jones. As Jones still searches for a new contract, the defensive line for Kansas City will be missing its heartbeat.

Patrick Mahomes is still who we know him to be, and his WR1 in tight end Travis Kelce returns as the offensive leader, though he could miss Week 1 with a knee injury. A strong offensive attack will likely utilize Isiah Pacheco as their starting running back, and with plenty of sleeper options at wide receiver (Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney), this offense should be near the top of the leaderboard for all major stats and has them at the top of these Week 1 NFL Power Rankings.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

After coming up short in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles look even stronger than last season. Jalen Hurts has a new contract, the trio of A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, and DeVonta Smith are back, and the running game went through a revamp this offseason by adding D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny.

The defense lost Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers and T.J. Edwards to the Chicago Bears, but returns a strong unit that should be one of the best in the NFC. As long as Hurts is able to use his 2022 season as his floor for ‘23, the Eagles are in great hands to repeat as the NFC East champions.

3. San Francisco 49ers

A full season with Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey on the roster can lead to endless possibilities for the 49ers, and their defense got even better this offseason while finally locking up superstar Nick Bosa on a historic contract extension. With the NFC West really a two-headed race, the Niners have one of the easiest paths in the entire NFL to the Super Bowl.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan will need to make sure that Purdy stays upright and grows on a weekly basis, something that shouldn’t be too difficult for a QB who finished with a 13:4 TD:INT stat line to end his rookie campaign.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

The training camp injury to star QB Joe Burrow put a real hush over their fan base, but the Cincinnati Bengals look to have nothing to worry about, as their star is on track to start in Week 1. With both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins leading one of the best passing attacks in the league, the Cincinnati offense is what will take this roster far.

Defensively, this unit finished last season with four consecutive top-10 fantasy football finishes, something that hopefully can continue into this season. Having gone defense with their first three selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, the offense certainly isn’t the unit that will be blamed for any shortcomings this season.

5. Buffalo Bills

Giving Josh Allen another weapon in rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid is a scary thought for the rest of the league, especially with the type of connection he and Stefon Diggs have. James Cook looks to be stepping into the lead back role, bringing a pass-catching acumen to the position that will help unlock another element for this unit.

Buffalo produced one of the better defensive units last season, but playing six of their games against AFC East opponents will test them this year. Head coach Sean McDermott again heads up the roster, and the type of consistency this team has had really makes it feel like 2023 could finally be their year to take that next step.

6. Baltimore Ravens

The offseason has been filled with high-ceiling talk of what the Baltimore Ravens will be capable of on offense, spearheaded by the addition of Todd Monken as their new offensive coordinator. Couple that with the additions of both Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie first-rounder Zay Flowers to Rashod Bateman and the rest of the wide receiver room, and you have the makings of one of the best offenses in the league.

The defense looks like it will be strong yet again this year, something that has been a mainstay in Baltimore for what feels like the past 50 years. By adding more uptempo play to an offense that has a ton of speed to it will give defenses nightmares, especially since the offense is still led by walking highlight reel Lamar Jackson.

7. Dallas Cowboys

The end of their 2022 season was quite a disappointment, but with a good chunk of that roster returning, they will again be fighting with the Eagles for the NFC East crown. Dak Prescott will yet again be asked to cut down on his turnover-causing plays, something that plagued this offense in key moments last season.

Gone is Ezekiel Elliott and in his stead is Tony Pollard, ready to take on a full three-down workload. Brandin Cooks was acquired from their Texas neighbors to add another weapon to the receiver room, which hopefully will help replace some vacated targets left when Dalton Schultz signed with Houston. The potential for a fast start coupled with a last-season burnout feels typical for the Cowboys, but ranking them at seventh in the first NFL Power Rankings is a good metric to see how the rest of their season plays out.

8. Miami Dolphins

All eyes are on how Tua Tagovailoa will come out of the gate this season, and head coach Mike McDaniels seems to have enacted a plan this offseason that helped Tagovailoa grow, both as a person and as a quarterback.

No substantial additions were made to the offense, but rookie running back Devon Achane will likely be counted on early and often with Jeff Wilson Jr. already on IR. As Raheem Mostert assumes the starter role, don’t be surprised if Achane is earning the majority of touches from this backfield by Week 5.

9. New York Jets

Broadway has a new main act to go and watch, as it’s now the Aaron Rodgers Show. After his departure from the Green Bay Packers was dragged out far longer than needed, he now is leading the New York Jets, hopefully to greener pastures.

Garrett Wilson may very well be yet another No. 17 that Rodgers forms a bond with, and the addition of Dalvin Cook creates a solid 1-2 pairing alongside Breece Hall, who looks to be well on his way to making a full recovery from his torn ACL. The front-seven unit for the Jets is absolutely unstoppable, and the pass rush especially will wreak havoc on opponents this year. The possibilities are endless for the Jets this year, and their position in the weekly NFL Power Rankings will likely reflect that.

10. Los Angeles Chargers

It was the offseason of offensive coordinator movement, as the Los Angeles Chargers moved on from Joe Lombardi and brought in Cowboys castaway Kellen Moore. With an eye toward extending the passing attack further downfield, 2023 is the year of Justin Herbert.

The defense just needs to be average this season to help keep this team in every game, something that Derwin James, Khalil Mack, and Joey Bosa should be able to help with. In the strong AFC West, the Chargers are fighting an uphill battle, but the talent on their roster is hard to beat, especially on offense. Expecting a weekly top-10 finish in these NFL Power Rankings could be tough, but they should hover around it for most of the season.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars

A come-from-behind postseason victory over the Chargers in last year’s playoffs was the final part of the welcoming party for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. With Trevor Lawrence actually having a competent coach willing to develop him as a leader, the offense took off — and it got even better.

The addition of Calvin Ridley was one of the most intriguing ones that happened at last year’s trade deadline, so it will be interesting to see how the addition of the former Falcons wideout will open up an offense that is already humming on all cylinders. The hype train is real for the Jaguars, and it was tough to keep them out of the top 10 of these first NFL Power Rankings.

12. Seattle Seahawks

Geno Smith went from a journeyman signing to a long-term option for the Seattle Seahawks, one of the most unexpected turnarounds from last season. Smith has DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and first-round rookie Jaxon Smith-Njiba to target in the passing game, and the two-headed monster at running back has both Kenneth Walker III and rookie Zach Charbonnet.

With the NFC West having two teams playing for the playoffs and two teams playing for Caleb Williams, the Seahawks have a lot riding on their performance this year. While last year’s upstart record bought Pete Carroll some time, could a slow start this year see him be on his way out?

13. New York Giants

Having earned their first postseason win in 11 years by upsetting Minnesota, the New York Giants showed that they are finally back to belonging. Brian Daboll and his staff really did get a lot from the roster in his first year, something that will need to happen yet again this year.

There is a lot of doubt that the Giants can make a return to the playoffs again this season, and the doubt is warranted. With a tough division combined with a tough start to their schedule, a lot will be asked out of Daniel Jones yet again this year.

Oh, and Saquon Barkley is back on a one-year deal, helping give this offense its best playmaker back. They just need to hope that his injuries don’t flare up after a standout season last year. The Giants could very well be the most fluid team in the NFL Power Rankings this year.

14. Detroit Lions

It felt like there was no team talked about more this offseason than the Detroit Lions, but for good reason. After narrowly missing out on their first postseason berth since 2016, Dan Campbell has his roster locked and loaded as they try to make good on offseason predictions.

Drafting running back Jahmyr Gibbs was one of the early shockers in this year’s NFL Draft, but the role that it looks like he will have in Ben Johnson’s offense could very well put him on the shortlist to win Rookie of the Year. If he succeeds early, the sky is the limit for the Lions, and they could find themselves near the top 10 every week in these NFL Power Rankings.

15. Cleveland Browns

The roster talent is finally there for the Cleveland Browns, a long process that seems to have found its end. With Deshaun Watson entering into his first full season on the field for Cleveland, his connection with Amari Cooper will likely dictate just how successful this team is.

Fighting an uphill battle in the AFC North, the Browns will not have any sort of honeymoon period to get used to things this year. There will be a lot of eyes on how this team performs to start the season, and with three of their first four matchups against divisional foes, we will know very quickly just how good (or bad) this team will be this season.

16. Denver Broncos

In comes Sean Payton, with a goal of getting Russell Wilson back to his Seattle days of throwing the ball. After Payton retired from coaching and took the route of TV, he decided that the Broncos offered up a good chance to get back into coaching, so here we are.

It’s not the defense that is the issue for the Broncos, so if Wilson can find his groove again, if Javonte Williams has a good return to health after his torn ACL, and if Courtland Sutton looks like the Courtland Sutton of the old, this team has a fighting chance to become relevant again.

17. New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr is now the next QB given a chance with the New Orleans Saints, which should be great news for all the Chris Olave truthers. Hopefully, the days of fighting through quarterback mediocrity are over for the Saints, or at least for the time being.

Defensively, this team has probably the easiest opposing QB schedule to start the year, as they have matchups with the Titans, Panthers, Packers, Buccaneers, Patriots, and Texans to begin their campaign. If a team wants to win the hapless NFC South, the Saints have a great shot at getting out to a hot start to make that happen, which could push them near the top 12 in the NFL Power Rankings.

18. Atlanta Falcons

Welcome to the Desmond Ridder show — hope you bought tickets early. The coaching staff for the Atlanta Falcons seem to have bought into what Ridder brings to the table, even though they did hand out a bunch of money to Taylor Heinicke to be his backup.

A strong season for Ridder should mean breakout seasons for Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts. The offensive core is all on the same timeline for the Falcons, and if they get things right starting this year, they could turn into a formidable team that Atlanta has not seen for a long time.

19. Tennessee Titans

It feels tough to predict just how good or bad the Tennessee Titans will be this year. Their lack of faith at QB speaks volumes about how up and down this year could be. Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, and rookie Will Levis are all on the roster for the time being, and none of these three options really ignite any sort of confidence.

Derrick Henry is still the monster that he is, and having signed DeAndre Hopkins this offseason finally gives the Titans a solid 1-2 pairing at wideout (including Treylon Burks). The AFC South feels like a two-team race, but the Titans seem to be on the outside looking in.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

A weird aura seems to be settling around the offense as a whole this offseason, an odd occurrence seeing as how offensive coordinator Matt Canada is still calling the plays. As Kenny Pickett ascends into a team captain, the jury is still out on if the former Pittsburgh product is actually the long-term fit for the Steelers at QB.

Defensively, T.J. Watt is one of the best pass rushers in the whole league, and he doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. While the secondary has a few questionable pieces in it, if the pass rush can get home, those deficiencies really won’t be an issue. The AFC North is tough, so this will be a fascinating season to watch play out in Pittsburgh.

21. Green Bay Packers

For the first time since 2004, the Green Bay Packers have someone other than Aaron Rodgers as quarterback on their roster. Entering into his third season in the league, Jordan Love was handed the keys this offseason after the Rodgers trade, and the outlook is still optimistic for 2023.

The defense is going to have to carry this team, at least to start the year, while Love gets his feet under him. With a Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears, it will be baptism by fire for Love, but the franchise still has its sights set on the playoffs, putting them near the middle of these NFL Power Rankings.

22. Minnesota Vikings

The second of three consecutive NFC North foes, the Minnesota Vikings entered the offseason as the best team in the division and may very well be leaving it as the worst. With a pretty rough defensive unit and a lot of question marks on offense, this will be a very telling season for Minnesota after winning so many close games last season.

While Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson are still leading the way, Alexander Mattison is now the starting running back, rookie Jordan Addison is looking to fill Adam Thielen’s shoes, and the offensive line still has holes in it, which feels pretty typical. Getting into a shootout may be the easiest way for the Vikings to make sure they win games this season, because it certainly won’t be pretty for their defensive unit.

23. Chicago Bears

Justin Fields finally has a WR1 to throw to, as DJ Moore joined the team in the trade that sent out the No. 1 overall selection back in April. But, as is the case with every other NFC North franchise, there are a lot of questions left to be answered.

The offensive line is still in rough shape, the running game looks to have three options (but which one is the leader?), the defensive line is a work in progress, and the secondary needs a bounce-back season. While the pieces are there for the Bears to be dangerous, it really comes down to what kind of jump Justin Fields can make this season.

24. Washington Commanders

The feelings surrounding the Washington Commanders are finally optimistic. For the first time in what feels like forever, the fan base wants to get behind their team. With Dan Snyder finally out of the picture behind the scenes, Sam Howell is taking over as the team’s starting QB with a plethora of offensive weapons for new OC Eric Bieniemy to utilize.

As is a typical Commanders defense, their defensive line looks quite strong yet again, though here’s to hoping Chase Young can stay healthy this season. Frequently chosen to finish last in the NFC East, the Commanders are likely going through another building year, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

25. Las Vegas Raiders

After the whole offseason saga with Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo wrapped up, the Las Vegas Raiders don’t feel like they are in a much better spot — actually, it feels like they got worse.

Garoppolo is quite limited but got paid like a strong QB option, Davante Adams seems to be getting impatient in the Black and Silver, and after a brief holdout, Josh Jacobs is back to compound his awesome season last year. Oh, and the defense needs work, especially with all the Chandler Jones drama going on. It looks like it will be quite the long season out in Vegas for the Raiders.

26. New England Patriots

The shine for Bill Belichick seems to have worn off, and the prospects for the New England Patriots in 2023 don’t feel all that optimistic. With Mac Jones still as their quarterback and really no long-term solution in sight, plus with an offense devoid of a lot of talent outside of Rhamondre Stevenson, this team resembles a stick stuck in the mud. Maybe Ezekiel Elliott will help spark the offense?

The defense will be the best unit on the team yet again this season, but playing in the dangerous AFC East will only let them show out so often. While this likely isn’t the final season for Belichick in Foxborough, the calendar may be soon drawing to a close.

27. Carolina Panthers

With rookie Bryce Young set to take over as the next franchise QB, the Carolina Panthers have a plan for their future — it just may take a bit to accomplish it. With Frank Reich getting another shot at developing a young quarterback, it will be interesting to see how this offense improves over the season.

The outlook for the Panthers this year is not necessarily bleak, but there are a lot of roadblocks they need to overcome to have a successful start to their rebuild. Even in a weak NFC South, it’s hard to see an outcome that sees them sniffing a divisional title.

28. Indianapolis Colts

There is no end in sight to Jonathan Taylor’s holdout, and Jim Irsay looks to be willing to stand strong for the long haul. Not having their stud running back could hinder Anthony Richardson’s growth in his rookie season, but it will also give him more chances at running the ball, which also can help him.

The Colts are in a good situation moving forward, even if that situation involves moving on from Taylor. Richardson is the biggest wild card from April’s draft, but one that can restart the franchise clock and return this team to relevancy, an area they have been away from for far too long.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There is no Tom Brady coming around the corner to save the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, so things look to be pretty rough. Looking like they will be one of the worst teams in the NFC this season, the keys have been handed to the duo of Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask at QB.

With a draft heavy with young QB talent upcoming next year, these two options are likely just keeping the seat warm. While Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should still be able to tear up opposing secondaries, this offense likely will be one of the worst in the whole league, a far cry from how this team looked a few seasons ago.

30. Houston Texans

It feels weird not putting the Houston Texans at the bottom of this NFL Power Rankings list. Granted, two spots from the basement isn’t a huge improvement, but it is something. CJ Stroud is this franchise’s next shot at finding a franchise quarterback, and DeMeco Ryans came back to the team he once played for as their next head coach.

Don’t get confused, this will be another season that can be considered a success if the Texans win four-plus games. But this franchise feels like it is putting a good plan together to finally dig itself out of a deep hole, but it certainly won’t happen overnight.

31. Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford is coming off an injury-riddled season, Cooper Kupp is fighting yet another injury, and the defense really only has Aaron Donald to make note of. The Los Angeles Rams are officially in the running for the No. 1 overall pick.

If last season was any sort of look at what this year could turn into, there are a lot of concerning elements to this team that need to be figured out. The future of Sean McVay is still up in the air after retirement rumors surfaced this offseason, and the futures of Stafford, Donald, and Kupp are unknown at this time either. A fall from grace after pushing all their chips to the middle for their Super Bowl win looks to be falling over the Rams, comfortably placing them near the bottom of the NFL Power Rankings.

32. Arizona Cardinals

We have reached the final team on our Week 1 NFL Power Rankings list, and the Arizona Cardinals deservedly earn this last-place listing. Jonathan Gannon takes over as their head coach, Kyler Murray is still coming back from his torn ACL, and whispers about Caleb Williams already being their goal for this year are coming out of the woodwork.

Things aren’t good in the desert, and this is a roster that is quite devoid of any long-term talent. Names like Budda Baker, James Conner, and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown could all see their names floated in midseason trade rumors. If Arizona wins more than three games this season, it will be quite surprising.