Tonight the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Baltimore Ravens for the official start of the 2024 season. One of the most compelling things about the NFL is how unpredictable it is. Whether your discussing it over happy hour or watching it on sports media, there is endless banter month to month, week to week and even day to day about power rankings, division winners, playoff teams, MVP and so on. Below I’ll add to the banter by laying out my predictions for the upcoming season and when its all said and done, I will revisit this post to see how very wrong I am.
Super Bowl: Kansas City Chiefs def. Green Bay Packers – In a rematch of Super Bowl I – Patrick Mahomes and company continue to fire on all cylinders and have the potential to be even better in 2024, which is a scary thought. Andy Reid builds on his resume to be recognized as the greatest coach of all time not named Bill Belichick.
Division Standings & Playoff Teams *playoffs **first round bye
| AFC North | AFC East | NFC North | NFC East |
| *Cincinnati Bengals | *New York Jets | *Green Bay Packers | *Philadelphia Eagles |
| *Baltimore Ravens | *Buffalo Bills | *Detroit Lions | *Dallas Cowboys |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Miami Dolphins | Chicago Bears | Washington Commanders |
| Cleveland Browns | New England Patriots | Minnesota Vikings | New York Giants |
| AFC South | AFC West | NFC South | NFC West |
| *Houston Texans | **Kansas City Chiefs | *Atlanta Falcons | **San Francisco 49ers |
| *Indianapolis Colts | Los Angeles Chargers | New Orleans Saints | *Los Angeles Rams |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Denver Broncos | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Seattle Seahawks |
| Tennessee Titans | Las Vegas Raiders | Carolina Panthers | Arizona Cardinals |
Most Valuable Player: Joe Burrow – After finishing 2 of his 4 seasons on IR, the Bengals franchise QB will be playing like he has something to prove. I can’t tell if he’s just bulked up and dyed his hair or gone full Super-Saiyan but regardless, the league should be on notice. HM: Jordan Love
Offensive Player of the Year: Jahmyr Gibbs – Amon-Ra St. Brown bet Gibbs that he can’t reach 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. It’s only been done 3 times in NFL history but the Lions back has all the tools to be the next one to do it, even with David Montgomery stealing some of his TDs. HM: Bijan Robinson, Ja’Marr Chase
Defensive Player of the Year: Maxx Crosby – Voters tend to favor playoff teams which makes it an uphill battle for Crosby, but his relentless pursuit is unmatched. Look for his sack and pressure numbers to increase with the addition of Christian Wilkins and a full season under Head Coach Antonio Pierce. HM: Kyle Hamilton,
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams – With his plethora of weapons and big play ability, Williams will turn in a great rookie season. Marvin Harrison Jr. may outplay him, but the QB bias always gets the nod with the voters. HM: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Payton Wilson – A strangely average defensive rookie class doesn’t offer many standout choices. The Steelers linebacker will gain snaps in the rotation and eventually replace Elandon Roberts as the starter and proceed to outplay the newly acquired Patrick Queen.
Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers – Now fully recovered from his torn Achilles, the 4-time MVP will finally lead the Jets to the playoffs.
Coach of the Year: Shane Steichen – On the back of a healthy Anthony Richardson and an elite running game, Steichen will lead the Colts to a playoff berth and once again be in contention for the AFC South Championship.
Assistant Coach of the Year: Ben Johnson – The Lions offensive coordinator has been a hot commodity for a head coach job for years and by time he wins this award, he will have agreed to one. Johnson gets the credit he deserves for the work he’s done with Jared Goff over the years, as well as producing the OPOY in Jahmyr Gibbs. HM: Zac Robinson
Executive of the Year: Brian Gutekunst – Drafting Jordan Love and then trading future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers was a bold move, but by surrounding Love with exceptional young talent, he’s turned the Packers into what should be a perennial playoff team and Super Bowl contender.
You may think my choices are way off or spot on. The fun is in the debate and deliberation. Cheering for your own picks just for the “I told you so” at the end of the season (and maybe pocket some money for bettors). Let me know what you think of my picks and include your own in the comment section below.
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