2024 NFL offseason power rankings countdown and season preview

Frank Schwab counts down his NFL power rankings, grades each team’s offseason, provides fantasy football advice, and previews what the 2024 season might have in store for each team. The No. 1 team will be revealed on July 31, one day before the Hall of Fame Game kicks off the preseason with the Chicago Bears facing the Houston Texans.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers hired Dave Canales, the former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator who revitalized Baker Mayfield’s career, as their new head coach. With high hopes for QB Bryce Young, Carolina invested $153 million in guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, traded for receiver Diontae Johnson, and drafted receiver Xavier Legette, running back Jonathon Brooks, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders to bolster their offense.

However, challenges remain. Owner David Tepper’s impatience and interference are ongoing concerns, and Young faces high expectations with a roster still filled with significant gaps on both sides of the ball.

New England Patriots

The Patriots selected North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye in the draft, signaling a new era under head coach Jerod Mayo. Despite multiple teams showing interest in trading up for the third overall pick, the Patriots’ decision to secure Maye could be a game-changer.

Maye, praised for his skills by Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice, has the potential to transform the Patriots’ fortunes, though concerns about his aggressive style leading to turnovers remain. The team also struggled to attract top talent, failing to secure free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley, who chose the Tennessee Titans. Owner Robert Kraft acknowledged the quarterback situation might have influenced Ridley’s decision. The Patriots’ rebuild hinges on Maye’s success and his ability to attract other top players.

Denver Broncos

Rookie Bo Nix may not start in Week 1, but his debut is anticipated soon. The Broncos face a challenging season with limited talent around him. Patrick Surtain II shines as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, and while the offensive line is serviceable and receiver Courtland Sutton scored 10 touchdowns last season, the overall roster lacks depth.

The team is still dealing with the fallout from trading for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton. Despite an 8-9 finish last season under Payton’s leadership, the road ahead looks tough, with the Broncos potentially facing struggles through 2026.

Washington Commanders

Washington had a strong offseason, hiring a coveted coach, securing a highly-regarded GM, and drafting a quarterback ranked second by many analysts. This promising trio could spearhead a rapid turnaround for the franchise.

However, replicating the success of teams like the Texans, who enjoyed an exceptional turnaround, will be difficult. The Texans’ unique situation, including drafting DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud, who became one of the greatest rookie quarterbacks in NFL history, serves as an example of how many factors need to align perfectly for such a transformation.

New York Giants

The Giants faced a pivotal decision with quarterback Daniel Jones, whose playoff appearance two seasons ago earned him $92 million in guaranteed money. This success may have clouded their judgment regarding the team’s actual potential.

The decision to trade a third-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for 30-year-old tight end Darren Waller, who later retired, exemplifies the challenges the Giants faced. Following a disappointing 6-11 season, the Giants must reassess their roster and strategy to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have ushered in a new era with the hiring of Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to replace Mike Vrabel. Although Callahan didn’t call plays for the Bengals, he has earned a strong reputation as a sharp offensive mind. Under Vrabel, the Titans focused on defense, running the ball with Derrick Henry, and a low-volume play-action passing game. Callahan plans to transition the team to a more pass-heavy offense, primarily using the shotgun formation.

Quarterback Will Levis, who showed promise late last season, will need to prove himself to the new coaching staff. Levis had standout moments, including a four-touchdown debut against the Atlanta Falcons and a comeback win against the Miami Dolphins, but also displayed inconsistency typical of a rookie. His performance this season will be critical in determining his future with the team.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders aim to set the foundation for their future quarterback by ensuring a supportive environment. Tight end Brock Bowers is expected to be a key piece, and Davante Adams remains a top talent, though a potential trade of the superstar receiver looms. The defensive line should be strong, bolstered by the $110 million acquisition of Christian Wilkins from the Miami Dolphins. Head coach Antonio Pierce could provide long-term stability.

Despite these positive moves, the Raiders are still in transition. They are building momentum, but the rebuild is ongoing, and the timeline for contention remains uncertain. At the very least, the Raiders have moved on from the tumultuous Josh McDaniels era.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals, despite a four-win season, secured impressive victories against playoff teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia Eagles. The absence of quarterback Kyler Murray for the first half of the season due to a torn ACL impacted their overall performance, but head coach Jonathan Gannon’s first season showed some promising signs.

The Cardinals’ draft luck resulted in them securing Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick, despite their record. Harrison, a dominant force at Ohio State, is considered one of the best college receivers in years and has the potential to become a franchise-defining player for the next decade.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints’ hopes rest on quarterback Derek Carr, who delivered an average performance last season, ranking 19th out of 38 quarterbacks according to Pro Football Focus. A change in offensive coordinators from Pete Carmichael to Klint Kubiak might rejuvenate the offense. The Saints restructured Carr’s contract to address salary cap issues, saving $23 million but pushing money into the future, complicating potential future cuts if Carr underperforms.

The Saints face the dilemma of whether to rebuild or hope for a sudden turnaround. With the oldest roster in the NFL last season (per ESPN’s Bill Barnwell), they are likely to remain in a state of mediocrity unless significant changes are made.

Los Angeles Chargers

Jim Harbaugh’s arrival as head coach brings a history of success, with impressive records at every previous stop. The Chargers hope Harbaugh can bring both relevance and victories to the franchise.

Quarterback Justin Herbert remains the team’s cornerstone, though salary cap issues forced the departure of top receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, as well as running back Austin Ekeler. Despite retaining Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack with pay cuts, the overall roster is weaker than last season when the Chargers finished 5-12.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings made a bold move by parting ways with quarterback Kirk Cousins, who provided consistent, if not spectacular, play. While Cousins offered stability, the Vikings recognized that he was unlikely to lead them to a Super Bowl.

Minnesota’s decision to draft Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who fell to No. 10 in the draft, marks a new direction. While it’s uncertain if McCarthy will surpass Cousins’ performance, the Vikings are optimistic about their future with this fresh start at quarterback.

Seattle Seahawks

Pete Carroll’s departure marks the end of an era for the Seahawks, with Mike Macdonald stepping in as the new head coach. Macdonald, who impressed with his two seasons running the Baltimore Ravens’ defense, brings a youthful energy at 36 years old, contrasting Carroll’s seasoned experience at 72. Although Carroll’s energy was never lacking, the change might be beneficial for the team.

Geno Smith’s performance will be crucial for the Seahawks’ success this season. After a stellar 2022 season, Smith’s performance dipped in 2023. The Seahawks re-signed him, but he must return to his 2022 form to secure his position beyond this season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield’s unexpected success last season earned him a three-year, $100 million contract. The Buccaneers exceeded expectations by finishing 9-8, winning the NFC South, and beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round. Mayfield threw for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, nearly leading the team to an upset over the Detroit Lions in the playoffs.

The question remains whether Mayfield and the Buccaneers can replicate last season’s success. The NFC South won’t be weak forever, and the Buccaneers need to build on their surprising performance to maintain their competitive edge.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence’s performance remains a hot topic among NFL fans. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, he hasn’t yet proven himself as a $55 million-per-year quarterback. Last season, a high ankle sprain derailed the Jaguars’ playoff hopes as they lost five of their last six games.

With the Jaguars confident in Lawrence’s potential, this season is crucial for him to demonstrate that he’s worth the investment and can lead the team to sustained success.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons made headlines this offseason by drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick, a decision that will be scrutinized for years. They also replaced head coach Arthur Smith with Raheem Morris and signed Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal, significantly altering their offensive strategy.

The Penix pick could either pay off or backfire, but the Falcons’ offseason moves have certainly made them a team to watch. The success of these decisions will shape the franchise’s future.

Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson’s brief but electrifying rookie season has Colts fans excited for what’s to come. In limited action, Richardson showcased his dual-threat capabilities, passing for 577 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 136 yards and four touchdowns.

Despite concerns about his durability and inexperience, Richardson’s potential is undeniable. This season will be a crucial test to see if he can consistently perform at a high level and avoid injuries.

Chicago Bears

The Bears’ acquisition of Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, following a trade with the Panthers, has generated significant excitement. Williams joins a team that ended last season on a positive note, bolstered by the additions of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze.

With a vastly improved receiving corps and a promising young quarterback, the Bears are poised for a potential turnaround. However, challenges remain, particularly on defense, and head coach Matt Eberflus will need to build on last season’s momentum.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin’s streak of non-losing seasons continues, but the Steelers face uncertainty at quarterback. After moving on from Kenny Pickett, they signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal and traded for Justin Fields, hoping to find a long-term solution.

The defense, led by T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, remains strong, but the offense needs improvement. The Steelers will likely remain competitive, but fans are eager for a return to Super Bowl contention and a clear answer at quarterback.

Los Angeles Rams

There’s a new challenge for a seemingly recharged Sean McVay, and it’s replacing one of the greatest players in NFL history. Not many defensive players define a championship era for a franchise, but defensive tackle Aaron Donald was special. He has an argument as the best defensive player in NFL history. He retired after 10 NFL seasons. It’s impossible to replace him, but it’s probably best to not completely discount the Rams again.

Like McVay, Matthew Stafford looks rejuvenated coming off an excellent season at age 35. Kyren Williams scored 12 touchdowns as a true workhorse back, and rookie running back Blake Corum could mix in this season and be productive. Puka Nacua had an unbelievable 105 catches for 1,486 yards, both of which are NFL rookie records, then followed that up with a rookie playoff record 181 yards in the Rams’ loss to the Detroit Lions. Cooper Kupp dealt with injuries but is still capable of big games. A young defense was better than expected, though coordinator Raheem Morris left to be the Atlanta Falcons’ new head coach. The Rams promoted linebackers coach Chris Shula to defensive coordinator, a job Shula has never held in the NFL.

The Rams made the playoffs and lost a close 24-23 wild-card game to the Lions, who are one of the favorites to win this season’s Super Bowl. That was a disappointing finish, but it didn’t stop McVay’s exuberance. A little more than a year ago, it seemed like a good bet that McVay was going to step away. The Rams don’t need to worry about their coach anymore. That makes the future plenty bright, even with Donald calling it a career.

Cincinnati Bengals

Here’s how history will look back at the 2023 season of the Joe Burrow era with the Cincinnati Bengals: Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury, and that was the only reason the Bengals missed the playoffs and a shot at a long-awaited Super Bowl.

It won’t be entirely true. Losing Burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, obviously didn’t help. But the Bengals had other issues.

Everything might be back to normal if Burrow is healthy. Burrow says he feels good, though we can’t know for sure until the games start. Burrow said he researched his injury (specifically it’s a tear in the scapholunate ligament on his right wrist) and couldn’t find another quarterback that had it. That’s a bit scary. But if Burrow plays anywhere near his normal level, Cincinnati should feel like it can get back to the levels of 2021 and 2022, when it lost very close games in the Super Bowl and AFC championship. Ja’Marr Chase is one of the best players in football. Tee Higgins is still around, even if he might not be that happy to be playing on a one-year deal. There were improvements to the offensive line and some additions to the defense, though some losses as well. And Burrow has an MVP ceiling.

We’ll just have to see if the Bengals are still among the NFL’s elite. They were for two seasons. A very questionable holding penalty on a third-and-goal late in Super Bowl LVI might be the reason Burrow doesn’t have a ring already. Last season knocked the Bengals back a bit, but perhaps that was an outlier. Burrow’s health is one part of the equation. So is fixing whatever was amiss with Cincinnati last season.

Miami Dolphins

In some ways, that fun and creative offense is what we should remember about the 2023 Dolphins. No, they weren’t the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams as you might have heard at times last year, but they were exciting. And good. They were second in the NFL in points and first in yardage. Mike McDaniel’s team always seemed to have a big play to dial up when they wanted it.

And yet, it felt empty at the end. There was no AFC East title, which Miami blew down the stretch. There wasn’t a playoff win either. The Dolphins lost 26-7 in freezer-like conditions to the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami is still looking for its first playoff win since 2000 and its first division title since 2008. Even the 11 regular season wins feel a little light since only one came against a winning team.

This season will say a lot about whether the Dolphins are going to stick as a playoff team and possibly a contender for a while. Tua Tagovailoa’s contract situation is another obstacle the Dolphins will have to manage, as he’ll either get a deal that’s somewhere around the $50 million-a-year range or Miami will be looking for a new quarterback. Miami was already juggling its salary cap this offseason, before getting to Tagovailoa’s future. Everything has been on an upward turn since McDaniel was hired. The Dolphins hope that last season’s collapse wasn’t the start of a new trajectory.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a fascinating study in how fast things can turn sour in the NFL. From the start of the 2022 season through Week 12 last season, the Eagles were 26-5 including playoffs. They were considered a shining example of supreme roster building. Then, the Eagles suddenly became one of the worst teams in the NFL. They lost six of their last seven, including a first-round playoff loss. Less than two months after that 10-1 start, and less than a year after barely losing a Super Bowl, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni almost was fired.

The immediate future will include Sirianni, but it’s awkward now. A media conference to announce his return was delayed as he met with GM Howie Roseman, and after that meeting reporters were told that a new offensive coordinator would oversee that unit, which Sirianni had done. Sirianni will be more of a CEO head coach going forward. Sirianni said it was his idea to give up control of the offense to new coordinator Kellen Moore, including game planning.

Moore takes over the offense. Vic Fangio is the new defensive coordinator. The Eagles missed 2022 coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon last season, and a big change at both spots was inevitable after the collapse. Having two big names in the coordinator positions turns the heat up on Sirianni another notch.

The Eagles could win a Super Bowl and it wouldn’t be a shock. They have the talent for it. It also wouldn’t be too surprising to see Sirianni fired by Halloween if the Eagles play like they did last December and January. Any outcome seems possible for the 2024 Eagles, good or bad. Life comes at you fast, especially in the NFL.

New York Jets

The Jets put all their chips in the middle of the table for Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback who will be 41 years old in December and is coming off a major injury, and they’re down to one last shot to get something special out of their Rodgers investment.

The Jets are exceptionally talented around Rodgers. Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson could battle for NFL Offensive Player of the Year, like they battled for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year two seasons ago. The Jets added receivers Mike Williams and rookie Malachi Corley. They improved the offensive line through free agency, a trade and the draft. The defense was again elite, and the main reason the team was competitive most of the season. It could be the NFL’s best defense this year. The special teams were good last season too.

If the Jets have another losing season, regardless of bad injury luck or any other factors, they’ll almost surely sweep out the coach, general manager, quarterback, quarterback’s cronies and many others. But also, the Jets realize a Super Bowl is well within their realistic outcomes.

After a season that was lost four plays into it, it’s now or never for the Jets. And there’s no ambiguity over what’s on the line.

Green Bay Packers

If we saw Jordan Love’s true level over the last half of the season, the Packers are set up remarkably well. The Packers were the youngest team in the NFL last season. They had a 6-2 finish to the regular season, won a playoff game at Dallas and led at San Francisco until the 49ers scored a touchdown with 1:07 remaining. Then the Packers followed that up with a solid offseason.

Green Bay wasn’t expected to be very good last season after trading Aaron Rodgers. Not many teams seamlessly move on from a Hall of Fame quarterback. But the first-round pick of Love back in 2020, which was criticized for years as he sat behind Rodgers, is looking pretty good now. The rest of the roster is in really good shape, thanks to some productive drafts. Matt LaFleur, oddly dismissed for years because he happened to coach Rodgers, is getting a little more credit now for his 56-27 career record. The Packers are already onto a new era. It seems like their rebuild took about a half of a season.

Houston Texans

C.J. Stroud looked like a 10-year veteran quarterback — and an elite one — last season. While it’s nearly impossible for a rookie QB to get enough votes to win MVP, Stroud was playing well enough that he deserved to be in that conversation. He took the Texans, a laughingstock for the few seasons before Stroud and coach DeMeco Ryans arrived, to a division title and a playoff win.

The Texans’ startling revival was about more than just one player. But there’s no doubt Stroud was the biggest key.

Houston’s story gives hope for every other down-and-out franchise, but it won’t be easy to replicate. Stroud had perhaps the best rookie season for any quarterback in NFL history, and it wouldn’t have happened in Houston if Stroud went first overall in the draft instead of falling to No. 2. Stroud falling one spot was a franchise-changing break. DeMeco Ryans, a fortunate hire because he had fond memories of his playing days in Houston, looks like another home run. The Texans overpaid to move up and draft Will Anderson Jr. last year, but he made an immediate impact with seven sacks. Other young players like receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. had breakthrough seasons.

It was a magical season, but it also seems like there’s much more to come over the next few years. If the Texans’ new quarterback’s precocious rookie season was a sign, Houston is going to be a factor for a while.

Cleveland Browns

When the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson, they tossed aside moral dilemmas because they were desperate to add a quarterback who was one of the NFL’s best when he was with the Texans. Cleveland invited a ton of criticism and hasn’t even gotten the benefit of having a good quarterback. Watson has been decidedly below average with the Browns. It had been a long time since Watson looked like the quarterback he was at Clemson and Houston. But a great second half in a win at Baltimore was finally it.

If Watson simply plays to the level of Joe Flacco last season, the Browns will be good. They went 11-6 despite 12 starts from Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, and Jeff Driskel. When the Browns had a somewhat capable starter (Watson or Flacco), they went 9-2. That’s due to an offensive line that is considered to be top five in the NFL, skill-position talent like Amari Cooper and David Njoku, and a spectacular defense that includes NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Cleveland led the NFL in yards allowed and was exceptional against the pass last season, allowing a 74.7 passer rating that ranked second in the NFL. The Browns practically turned all quarterbacks into rookie-year Bryce Young.

Cleveland has waited a long time to be a Super Bowl contender. There’s no guarantee Watson can get the Browns there. But everything else is set up. Now it’s on the quarterback to take them to the next level.