Seven months later, football finally returns.
The NFL is back this week, beginning with an AFC Championship Game rematch Thursday on NBC and Peacock.
Before the regular season officially gets underway, let’s see how the 32 teams stack up. Can anyone knock off the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs? How do the San Francisco 49ers bounce back after their crushing loss? Will there be any surprise contenders?
Here’s the first power rankings of the 2024 NFL season:
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Until they are beaten, it’s tough to bet against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The team added rookie receiver Xavier Worthy and free agent Hollywood Brown, so don’t be surprised if Kansas City’s offense is even better in 2024.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Every year, the 49ers seemingly have to recover from a devastating postseason loss. This season is no different after their latest Super Bowl defeat. But with Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams’ contracts finally sorted out, San Francisco should be right back in the mix.
3. Detroit Lions
If the 49ers slip up at all, the Lions are poised to pounce. Detroit only improved on its NFC finalist squad from last season, trading for Carlton Davis and drafting Terrion Arnold to bolster its secondary.
4. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore starts its 2024 season on Thursday against the team that ended its 2023 season. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will be under pressure to finally make the Super Bowl this season after last year looked like their best opportunity.
5. Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud completely transformed this franchise, and suddenly it looks like a Super Bowl contender. Houston won a playoff game last season, then added veterans Joe Mixon, Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter to its young roster.
6. Green Bay Packers
Much like the Texans, the Packers had a first-year starting QB and went on a postseason run in 2023. Jordan Love, after two years backing up Aaron Rodgers, looks like a rising star and free agent additions Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney should make the team even better.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
After losing six of their final seven games last season, Howie Roseman went to work. The Eagles added Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, plus a few intriguing draft picks. If Philly isn’t back on track this season, major changes could be coming.
8. Buffalo Bills
The Bills had to shed a lot of salary this offseason, and the offense could look completely different in 2024. Josh Allen will rely heavily on second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid as he attempts to finally knock off Mahomes and the Chiefs.
9. Miami Dolphins
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and coach Mike McDaniel are locked in with new contract extensions, but the Dolphins still have a lot to prove. Miami has fallen apart late in each of the last two seasons. The key in 2024 isn’t how it starts, but how it finishes.
10. Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones mostly stood pat during a quiet offseason in Dallas. With their head coach and quarterback entering the season in the final year of their contracts, this could be a make-or-break season for a Cowboys core that has never delivered in the postseason.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow missed seven games last season and Cincinnati still made it to 9-8. If the star QB can stay healthy in 2024, the Bengals should expect to compete with the Chiefs again. They added to their O-line in free agency and the draft, addressing a clear weakness.
12. Los Angeles Rams
Losing all-time great Aaron Donald will undoubtedly hurt the Rams’ defense. They did address the D-line with their first two draft picks (Jared Verse and Braden Fiske), but there could be growing pains early. Luckily for Sean McVay, his offense should be rolling with Matthew Stafford and Co.
13. New York Jets
Robert Saleh’s defense has carried the Jets to seven wins in each of the last two seasons, all in spite of the quarterback play. But Aaron Rodgers is back and – if he looks like himself (a big if at age 40 coming off a torn Achilles!) – the Jets should be a playoff contender.
14. Cleveland Browns
The league’s best defense last season should theoretically be ranked higher. But questions still surround quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has never played like his old self since arriving in Cleveland and signing a massive guaranteed contract.
15. Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins’ stability will be a welcome sign for the Falcons at quarterback. He joins a talented offense with a new head coach and a suddenly solid defense after recent additions in Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin always gets the Steelers to .500 or better, so it’s only right that we have them ranked exactly in the middle of the first power rankings. Russell Wilson should be an upgrade at QB, but the defense will again have to do the heavy lifting for Pittsburgh to make the playoffs again.
17. Chicago Bears
The Bears won seven games last season and added one of the most highly-touted QB prospects in recent memory. It’s fair to expect them to contend for a wild-card spot after loading up on weapons for Caleb Williams.
18. Seattle Seahawks
New head coach Mike Macdonald inherited a solid roster from Pete Carroll, and he should help improve a defense that has struggled in recent years. Perhaps the coaching change will reinvigorate a team that has been stagnant since 2020.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The lowest playoff team from 2023 in the power rankings brought back most of its roster. The Bucs lost their offensive coordinator, though, which could be detrimental to Baker Mayfield.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are fresh off their second straight 9-8 season and the AFC South is only improving. Expectations aren’t nearly as high this season, but jobs could be on the line if they underperform again in 2024.
21. Indianapolis Colts
Shane Steichen coached the Colts to 9-8 in his first season despite an early injury to quarterback Anthony Richardson. If the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft can stay healthy and make it to January, then a postseason berth is attainable for an Indianapolis team that knocked on the door a year ago.
22. Los Angeles Chargers
Throughout his career, Jim Harbaugh has always turned teams around in his first year. He has the chance to do so again in Los Angeles, but the Chargers’ roster was depleted in the offseason and it could take some time to get back into the postseason hunt.
23. Tennessee Titans
The Titans loaded up on veterans this offseason – L’Jarius Snead, Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Chidobe Awuzie. Everything comes down to second-year QB Will Levis, who had some flashes in brief action as a rookie.
24. Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold hasn’t been a starter entering a season since 2021, but he has the keys in Minnesota. The 27-year-old QB is in the best situation of his career with coach Kevin O’Connell and receiver Justin Jefferson, so we’ll see what the former first-rounder can do with it.
25. Las Vegas Raiders
On paper, the Raiders have a sneaky strong roster. Adding Christian Wilkins to pair with Maxx Crosby created an elite D-line duo. Davante Adams is still a star receiver. It’s just going to be tough to compete with the QB combination of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.
26. Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels has Washington fans feeling things they haven’t felt since Robert Griffin III was a rookie. It might not be a contending season in D.C., but the franchise is heading in a positive direction with the LSU product and a handful of defensive free agent additions.
27. Denver Broncos
Bo Nix’s encouraging preseason has given the Broncos some extra intrigue this season. Even if the rookie isn’t a star, his playing style fits Sean Payton’s offense better than Russell Wilson ever did.
28. New Orleans Saints
Despite hiring a new offensive coordinator, the Saints look destined for a tough season. The offensive and defensive lines are on the decline, and the QB-coach combo of Derek Carr and Dennis Allen isn’t a proven pair of winners.
29. Arizona Cardinals
A full year of healthy Kyler Murray with rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. could quickly change the narrative surrounding the Cardinals. The team improved down the stretch last winter, an encouraging sign for 2024 with second-year coach Jonathan Gannon.
30. New England Patriots
It’s a rebuilding year for New England, with a new head coach for the first time since 2000 and a roster with young players across the board. For the first time in decades, player development will be more important than the standings for the Patriots.
31. New York Giants
First-round receiver Malik Nabers looks like a potential star, but the rest of the offense isn’t pretty. The Giants will have to rely on their star-studded defensive line (Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux) to keep them in games this season.
32. Carolina Panthers
Coming off a two-win season and not adding a first-round pick, Carolina is clearly the most grim situation in the NFL. New coach Dave Canales will have his work cut out for him in 2024.
