NFL's top 25 games of 2024
Wed May 15 2:01pm ET
Field Level Media
Christmas Day for NFL marketing and ticket sales departments finally arrived Wednesday with the release of the 2024 season schedule.
With subplots and peripheral angles multiplying before our eyes - hello, Netflix, welcome to NFL holiday football broadcasts - Field Level Media's football-minded contributors assembled the top 25 games of 2024.
24. Cardinals at Jets, TBD: We're grabbing our popcorn for one matchup, and one matchup alone: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. Top five draft picks likely to be near the top of the pecking order at their position for a decade.
23. Colts at Patriots, TBD: Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, meet Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall in 2023. Indianapolis appeared to have a hit on its hands before Richardson was shut down to undergo shoulder surgery. If he can stay healthy and Maye isn't relegated to clipboard duty behind former Colts starter Jacoby Brissett, we're eager to make early evaluations of purported franchise QBs.
22. Jaguars at Eagles, TBD: Young QBs and strong pass rush are common bonds, sure, but the plotline we're looking at is the reception for Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson. He played for the Eagles (1999) but was essentially a coach-in-training for Donovan McNabb, then served as an assistant for Andy Reid and came back from a stint in KC for a five-year run that included a Super Bowl.
21. Bears at Texans, TBD: The Bears also get a meeting with the Carolina Panthers for the second consecutive season. With all due respect to Panthers 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, the top rookie quarterback last season was Houston's C.J. Stroud. His numbers would have been the best ever single-season passing total for a Bears QB (4,108 to Erik Kramer's team record of 3,803). Stroud had 26 TD passes including the playoffs despite missing time with a concussion). The Bears hitched their wagon to No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with the rookie carrying massive talent - and expectations - in Year 1.
20. Vikings at Giants, TBD: All of the QB uncertainty one can handle on the undercard, LSU products Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Malik Nabers (Giants) in the main event.
19. 49ers at Seahawks, TBD: Maybe you overlooked it. There's not a chance Brock Purdy did. He knows new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald's defense - that of the Ravens - had him seeing ghosts in a five-interception laugher on Christmas Night last season. Macdonald's new club has a bunch of cross-training chess pieces determined to unseat the 49ers from the NFC West perch.
18. Jets at 49ers, Sept. 9: Week 1 on "Monday Night Football" is a familiar refrain for the Jets, who are hoping Aaron Rodgers has some magic left following a season-ending injury four snaps into his first start with the team in 2023. Rodgers is local - Chico, Calif., Butte JC and Cal - and went 6-3 against the 49ers with the Packers. Now 40 years old, he'll try to tip the scales toward the Jets, who are 3-11 all-time in the series with San Francisco. Jets head coach Robert Saleh has known 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan since breaking into the NFL as a low-level assistant with the Texans 15 years ago and was defensive coordinator on his staff before taking over with the Jets.
17. Cowboys at Commanders, TBD: Dan Quinn gets his second chance as a head coach in Washington and to be the champ in the NFC East, he'll have to take down his previous employer and boss, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. Given the amount of time Quinn spent with McCarthy and Dak Prescott, don't discount the level of concern the Cowboys have entering two games with Washington.
16. Eagles vs. Packers (Brazil), Sept. 6: The youngest roster in the NFL last season belonged to the Packers, and nobody can fault what Green Bay did in the offseason. Head coach Matt LaFleur debuts his offense with Josh Jacobs at running back and a new-look defense. It'll also be a big reveal game for the Eagles, unleashing their own big-ticket offseason item, Saquon Barkley, and a number of new faces on defense.
15. Falcons at Vikings, TBD: Welcome back, Kirk Cousins, congratulations on finding a team that didn't want to invest in a young quarterback to insure its $100M guarantee to a 35-year-old starter coming off an Achilles injury. Oops. Cousins could be hailed or hated for bailing on the Vikings in free agency following 50 regular-season wins in six seasons of Skol-ing.
14. Ravens at Chargers, TBD: Los Angeles and new hire Jim Harbaugh welcome John Harbaugh and the Ravens with entertainment expected to be rich before, during and after a matchup of AFC heavyweights. John Harbaugh won the last meeting and survived a brief power outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans to take home the Lombardi and deal Jim's 49ers a painful defeat.
13. Steelers at Broncos, Week 2: Revenge games bring out the spirit and emotion you might not otherwise find in games that don't include Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh picked up Russell Wilson after he was scrapped at a cost north of $80 million to Denver by second-year head coach Sean Payton. Payton, of course, is still in town and brought in a rookie, Oregon's Bo Nix, to train in the system that helped make Drew Brees a legend. Don't look now, but Pittsburgh had a sneaky excellent offseason while the Broncos shed leaders and linchpins on both sides of the ball (Wilson, Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy). If reunions are your thing, Payton also heads back to New Orleans this season.
12. Jets at Bills, Week 17: We know they'll get an earlier go at each other on "Monday Night Football" In October, but let's give the season time to breath and Aaron Rodgers time to round back into form. He'll be recently removed from his 41st birthday but should know the names of all of his wide receivers, a task Josh Allen might need more time to complete.
11. Ravens at Cowboys, TBD: Dak Prescott was great at home last season and Dallas fortified the offensive line through the draft. Whether new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has an answer for mobile quarterbacks - namely Lamar Jackson - might be the hot-button issue for the Cowboys. Baltimore's No. 1-ranked defense in 2023 also traveled well last season, battering Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert and limiting those three teams to a combined 36 points in Ravens' road wins.
10. 49ers at Packers, Nov. 24: Week 12 and the start of a pivotal, NFC-dominated, primetime featured stretch for Green Bay with nighttime marquee matchups at Detroit (Week 14) and Seattle (Week 15) ahead. Jordan Love's two interceptions stopped the Packers short of an upset at San Francisco in the divisional playoffs in January.
9. Texans at Cowboys, TBD: C.J. Stroud appears to be special and the Texans made sure his supporting cast wouldn't be a reason for a sophomore slump. But one warning: only the Bills and Patriots have a more difficult schedule based on 2023 results and offseason moves. Among the appealing underlying matchups: Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs vs. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.
8. Bears at Packers, Jan. 5: The Week 18 finale was meaningful for Green Bay last season, and Jordan Love guided the Packers into the postseason to sweep the Bears and continue the trend Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers started. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his first foray into the likely frozen tundra. Will the Bears be playing for more than a spoiler token?
7. Dolphins at 49ers, TBD: It was Dec. 4, 2022, and far more meaningful than we knew at the time when a seventh-round rookie - 49ers QB Brock Purdy - made his first career start with two TD passes in a 33-17 home win over the Miami Dolphins. Back to the scene come the Dolphins with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel a solid bet to share some unknown intel about old boss Kyle Shanahan in the game week buildup.
6. Ravens at Chiefs, Sept. 5: Had this one been bumped back a couple months to multiply the meaningfulness in the standings and AFC playoff picture, it had an angle on a top three game of the 2024 regular season. Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes remains must-see for all the right reasons.
5. 49ers at Bills, Dec. 4: The week-after-Thanksgiving primetime game on Sunday of Week 13 should be meaningful for teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
4. Rams at Lions, TBD: Two franchises on schedule to combine for more than $350 million in deposits into Jared Goff's bank account are back at it with Detroit out to duplicate their playoff win in January over one-time Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
3. Ravens at Eagles, TBD: Star power on display? Check-check. Potential Super Bowl preview? Sure thing. Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Derrick Henry (Ravens) add firepower to a pair of offenses with explosive potential.
2. Lions at 49ers, TBD: Other than tackle eligible, think of another phrase that could spike Dan Campbell's temperature more than "at San Francisco." Didn't think so. The Lions were halfway to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl leading the 49ers handily in the NFC Championship but coughed up a 17-point lead and bowed out of the playoffs in a 34-31 defeat instead. If Campbell circled this game on the schedule in ink, we're guessing you can't read it.
1. (tie) Chiefs at 49ers, TBD: Familiar enough to be rivals, the Chiefs left with the jewels in recent games that really mattered between teams with a combined 50-18 record the past two regular seasons. San Francisco took a lashing from the Chiefs, 44-23, at home in Oct. 23 before the dawning of the Brock Purdy era.
1. (tie) Bengals at Chiefs, TBD: Don't forget Joe Burrow, he's more than the highest-paid player in 2024. The Bengals quarterback is 3-1 against the Chiefs but was sidelined with a broken wrist when the teams played in 2023. Don't look for a warm reception in Kansas City, where fans aren't soon to forget Burrow's boys calling the Chiefs' stadium "Burrow-head" based on his success at the home of Patrick Mahomes.
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The Paur Report
Reigning Offensive Player of the Year and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has once again reset the running back market by signing a two-year contract extension on Tuesday that averages $19 million per year, according to sources. McCaffrey will receive an additional $8 million over what he was scheduled to make in the first two years while adding $24 million in guarantees. The 27-year-old's $19 million annual average makes him the league's highest-paid RB, for good reason. CMC finished third in the MVP voting in 2023 after going for 2,023 scrimmage yards with 21 touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. McCaffrey hasn't been immune to the injury bug in his career, but when he's healthy, he's a league-winner as the heartbeat of the Niners' offense. He should go first overall in most fantasy drafts this fall.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is present for mandatory minicamp. "In the flesh," McDaniel said. Tagovailoa is present this week, but he may not do much on the field as he seeks a contract extension that the two sides have been discussing for some time. The 26-year-old former first-rounder wasn't involved as much in voluntary organized team activities this offseason as he has been in years past, but that's also likely related to his contract demands, and it shouldn't be taken in a negative light concerning his 2024 fantasy value. A lighter Tagovailoa should be able to work something out with Miami before the start of the regular season. He had a career year in 2023 and should once again lead a high-scoring Dolphins offense with one of the best one-two punches at wideout in the lead. However, Tagovailoa lacks high-end QB1 upside because of his lack of rushing production.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the team will use a running-back-by-committee approach in 2024, although the exact members of the committee backfield aren't entirely clear yet. At the very least, it should be veteran Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle, with Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke, Malik Davis, Snoop Conner and rookie Nathaniel Peat competing for roster spots behind them. "Two or three [running backs], whatever it takes," McCarthy said. Elliott has the best credentials with 8,904 career rushing yards, but he won't be asked to do what he did in his first stint with Dallas, when he averaged 268.7 carries per season. He had career-lows in rushing yards (642), touchdowns (three) and carries (184) last year with the Patriots, and those numbers could dip further in 2024 back in Dallas in an RB committee.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette (hamstring) is still dealing with a hamstring issue that popped up last week as the voluntary organized team activities continue this week. The 23-year-old pass-catcher is dealing with a little tightness in his hamstring. The issue doesn't appear to be very serious, but the Panthers are taking it easy on their first draft pick from this year. Even though Legette's injury isn't serious, he's missing more valuable reps at OTAs as he learns a new offense and tries to gain chemistry with second-year quarterback Bryce Young. As long as Legette is ready to go for the start of training camp at the end of July, it shouldn't affect his fantasy draft stock much in 2024. The 32nd overall pick in April out of South Carolina will have an uphill battle for weekly fantasy relevance in his rookie campaign with both Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen stealing precious targets from him in an offense that looked terrible in 2023.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh said that linebacker Haason Reddick, who has been absent for voluntary organized team activities this offseason, should be in attendance for the team's mandatory minicamp next week. "We know he's working his tail off to get where he needs to get to to have a productive '24 season," Saleh said. The Jets acquired Reddick in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, but he has yet to join his new team. The 29-year-old has expressed a desire for a new contract as he enters the final year of his current contract, so that's the most likely reason he hasn't reported to the Jets yet. When he is back on the field, Reddick will join an already strong Jets defense. Reddick has been a Pro Bowler each of the last two years with the Eagles, racking up 27 sacks in 34 regular-season games.
From RotoBaller
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has not reported to the team's mandatory minicamp this week as he seeks a new contract. Aiyuk will be subject to fines for however long he's not in attendance. The 26-year-old former first-rounder hasn't been present for any of the voluntary organized team activities this offseason either, so his absence at minicamp isn't a big surprise as he seeks a new long-term contract extension from the team. If he plays under his current deal in 2024, he'll earn $14.124 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Aiyuk had the finest year of his career in 2023 with 75 receptions on 105 targets for a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season starts. He's now had back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns with 15 touchdowns and should eventually be paid a handsome sum to stay in the Bay Area.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh said that running back Breece Hall (lower body) is "dealing with some lower-half stuff," but the team isn't concerned about it right now. Hall is set to work off to the side again on Tuesday. The 23-year-old was also working off to the side in a rehab group at organized team activities open to the media last week. It sounds like a minor injury, but it's something to keep an eye on as we approach the start of training camp at the end of July. As long as Hall is back on the field then, fantasy managers looking to draft him as an RB1 this fall shouldn't have anything to worry about. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Iowa State tore his ACL in his rookie year but bounced back last year to finish with 994 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 223 carries, adding 76 receptions for 591 yards and another four scores. If Hall can stay healthy in 2024, he should be a lock for his first 1,000-yard season.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown (shoulder) is still recovering from labrum surgery on his shoulder for an injury that he suffered in the playoff game against the Cleveland Browns in January. However, the expectation is that he'll be ready for training camp at the end of July. Brown signed a one-year, $5 million maximum value deal in the offseason with $3 million guaranteed. As long as the 28-year-old pass-catcher doesn't suffer a setback in training camp or the preseason, he should be ready for Week 1 of the regular season. The former seventh-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 out of Ohio State caught 33 passes for a career-high 567 yards and two touchdowns in 10 regular-season games (seven starts) in his first year in Houston, but he'll probably have a tough time replicating that in 2024 after Houston added Stefon Diggs to the WR room.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (heel) did not practice on Tuesday due to a heel injury. The 27-year-old had a flare-up and is being held out as a precaution, according to head coach Dave Canales. While he's expected to be fine, missing practice time is not ideal after the team selected Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Sanders is coming off his worst season as a pro. He accounted for just 432 rushing yards and one touchdown while averaging an abysmal 3.3 yards per carry. Chuba Hubbard outperformed him last year, and Brooks is likely to be heavily involved in the Carolina rushing attack when he's fully healthy. It would be a surprise if Sanders becomes anything close to a weekly contributor to fantasy squads this season.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans offensive tackles Laremy Tunsil (knee) and Tytus Howard (knee) are expected to be ready for training camp this summer after undergoing offseason surgery. The two bookends can be one of the league's best tackle duos, but Tunsil missed three games in 2023, while Howard missed 10. It's a good sign that both players will be available when it matters most, and if they can stay healthy throughout the 2024 campaign, signal-caller C.J. Stroud has an even better chance to make the next step into the elite quarterback conversation. Joe Mixon could also be set to run behind one of the best offensive lines of his career, and the standout tackles have a lot to do with that.
From RotoBaller
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks was working as a gunner on the punt team on Tuesday, and he might need to carve out a role on special teams to ensure he's on the team's active roster in 2024. When asked if Burks will have to contribute on special teams, head coach Brian Callahan said, "Absolutely, he's going to have to contribute. You only get so many hats on game day, and if he's one of those guys on game day, we're going to have to find a place for him." This is far from a great sign for dynasty fantasy managers holding Burks on rosters, and the report will likely drop his 2024 fantasy value even further. If he fails to make an impact on special teams, he could find himself as a healthy scratch during the regular season. On the flip side, the team being willing to put him on special teams indicates he's likely stuck in the WR4 role behind DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd. Even if one of those players gets injured, his fantasy floor would be low, and his ceiling would be limited based on his production through his first 22 NFL games (665 yards).
From RotoBaller
The Washington Commanders signed free-agent kicker Ramiz Ahmed on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. The move comes just a day after the team released Brandon McManus following sexual assault allegations. Ahmed, who went undrafted out of Nevada in 2019, has not attempted a kick in the NFL, and he's only appeared in one game. He spent time with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL) in 2024 and made 10 of his 13 field goal tries. Although this signing is seemingly out of nowhere, he is currently the only kicker on the roster and could make a run at the starting gig.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts safety Daniel Scott (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles in practice last week, effectively putting an end to his 2024 campaign. This is unfortunate news, especially since Scott missed his entire rookie season last year with a torn ACL. The 2023 fifth-round pick out of California was a two-time All-Pac-12 performer in college and was expected to provide depth in the Colts' backend this season. After the new injury, Scott will be 26 years old before he has the chance to hit the field for a regular season game.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist) did not participate in Tuesday's workouts, according to NFL.com. However, head coach Zac Taylor said part of his return plan from last year's season-ending injury includes one day off each week this offseason. The organization is going to be extra cautious with the $275 million signal-caller, especially since he has missed at least six games in two of his first four NFL seasons. Assuming Burrow can stay healthy in 2024, he has mid-range QB1 upside in fantasy football. Tee Higgins is likely to remain on the roster for at least this season, and Ja'Marr Chase could be entering his prime heading into his age-24 season.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver N'Keal Harry is working with the team's tight ends this offseason to see if he can carve out a role, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. He is still being listed as a wide receiver, but the 6-foot-4 pass-catcher could make the transition to tight end. Harry was selected with the No. 32 overall pick by the New England Patriots in 2019, but he has not found his place in the NFL thus far. Through his first 40 games with the Patriots and Chicago Bears, he's collected just 64 receptions for 714 yards and five touchdowns. With T.J. Hockenson (knee) expected to miss the start of the season after suffering a late-season ACL tear in 2023, Harry could be an interesting player to monitor as this development progresses. For now, he is far from the fantasy football radar.
From RotoBaller
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said that cornerback James Bradberry is taking repetitions at safety during offseason organized team activities. It's unclear if it will be a permanent move for Bradberry in 2024 and beyond, but it's something interesting to track as we head into training camp at the end of July next month. The Eagles drafted rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first round in April, so he's penciled in to start across from Darius Slay in Philadelphia's secondary this year, which leaves the Eagles looking to take advantage of Bradberry's versatility at the safety position. The 30-year-old former second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2016 has 78 total solo tackles, four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and 30 passes defended in 33 regular-season starts for the Eagles the last two years.
From RotoBaller
Updating a previous report, Philadelphia Eagles CB James Bradberry (undisclosed) was taking some reps at safety before suffering an undisclosed injury during position drills on Tuesday, June 4.
From TheHuddle
Houston Texans WR Noah Brown (shoulder) is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
From TheHuddle
Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott will likely be the starting running back this season, but head coach Mike McCarthy sounds certain that as many as three running backs will be handling work - even if he doesn't know who the member of the committee are yet. 'Two or three (running backs), whatever it takes. ... I think you have to pay attention. Whether it's two or whether it's three, frankly, to be honest with you, the players will determine that,' McCarthy told ESPN.
Fantasy Spin: It appears more likely than not that Elliott will handle the bulk of the early-down work, while Rico Dowdle operates as his primary backup. Deuce Vaughn should be considered the favorite to handle most of the passing-down work and could end up carving out more of a role in the offense as the summer progresses, as he has the skill set to be used like Tony Pollard before 2023 - even if he lacks the size.
From TheHuddle
Philadelphia Eagles CB James Bradberry (undisclosed) suffered an undisclosed injury during position drills on Tuesday, June 4, and did not return for the rest of the session.
From TheHuddle
