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.
- 49ers sign 1st-round pick Ricky Pearsall
- Steelers sign WR Jacob Copeland to one-year deal
- Patriots, RB Rhamondre Stevenson agree to 4-year extension
- Browns DE Lonnie Phelps waived after crashing car into restaurant
- Broncos add ex-Stanford coach David Shaw to front office
- Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence signs $275M contract
- Saints signing free agent S Roderic Teamer
- Jaguars signing veteran WR Denzel Mims
- Pats sign former CFL, XFL and UFL G Liam Fornadel
- Cowboys sign DB Gareon Conley, LB Willie Harvey
- Steelers to release WR Denzel Mims
- Lions sign UFL K Jake Bates
- Brandon Aiyuk: 49ers 'don't want me back'
- Browns GM: Deshaun Watson ahead of schedule in rehab
- Bengals re-sign WR Tee Higgins to 1-year franchise tag
- 'Hard Knocks' to feature all AFC North teams in season
- Chiefs DL Isaiah Buggs arrested in Alabama
- Bengals WR Tee Higgins to sign $21.8M franchise tag
- Lions to sign UFL kicker Jake Bates
- Commanders sign No. 2 pick QB Jayden Daniels
- Fantasy Six Pack: Dynasty Football Trade Value Chart
- Fantasy Six Pack: ayden Daniels find immediate success? | 2024 Washington Commanders Fantasy Football Draft Guide
- Fantasy Six Pack: IDP Football AFC North Draft Guide
- Fantasy Six Pack: is Saquon Barkley’s Value? | 2024 Philadelphia Eagles Draft Guide
The Paur Report
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has agreed to terms on a four-year, $22.88 million deal that includes a $13.46 million signing bonus, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. If things play out the way the Falcons hope, the 24-year-old will see limited action for at least the next two seasons while Kirk Cousins leads the offense. The No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is coming off two monster collegiate seasons that included over 9,000 passing yards and 67 passing touchdowns. He should at least be one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL right away, and he is worth stashing in dynasty leagues and Superflex formats in 2024.
From RotoBaller
The San Francisco 49ers announced on Friday that they signed first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to his four-year rookie deal. The 49ers now have all eight of their 2024 draft picks under contract before the start of training camp at the end of July. San Fran surprisingly selected Pearsall at the tail end of this year's NFL draft despite not training Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk leading up to the draft. While the 23-year-old is an intriguing option for fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper formats in head coach Kyle Shanahan's system, his playing time in his rookie year in 2024 is probably going to be limited as long as Samuel and Aiyuk stay healthy. The Florida alum would immediately become fantasy relevant in redraft leagues if Samuel or Aiyuk are injured or traded this season.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said the offense won't be as pass-happy as his offense was with the University of Washington, and he also plans to use fewer pre-snap motions and shifts, but Grubb wants to put a lot of responsibility on quarterback Geno Smith. The 33-year-old veteran signal-caller has welcomed more responsibility, but the results have so far been mixed in offseason workouts. Head coach Mike Macdonald has been impressed with Smith's plan, and the offense will have an extra opportunity to test itself during the preseason in joint practices with the Tennessee Titans. Smith had a career year in 2022 and was the QB5 in fantasy, but he predictably fell to QB15 in 2023. Nobody is saying Smith is a QB1 in fantasy, but a bounce-back is entirely plausible in what could be a more dynamic offense. Target him as a low-end QB2 in superflex formats.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Mark Kaboly writes that the biggest surprise of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason is that they seem perfectly satisfied watching how the WR2 position plays out in training camp among middle-of-the-road receivers Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, Marquez Callaway and Dez Fitzpatrick behind George Pickens. Whether they address the position before the season could hinge on the play of rookie Roman Wilson, but the entire group has been underwhelming enough that a big swing seems imminent. Receiver depth is severely lacking in Pittsburgh after they traded away Diontae Johnson this offseason. Austin, a fourth-rounder in 2022, could be the most intriguing option for an increased role in deeper fantasy leagues if the Steelers don't make a splash addition at the position. Training camp will give us a better idea of how the receiver depth chart will shake out.
From RotoBaller
Entering training camp this summer, The Athletic's Nate Taylor writes that quarterback Patrick Mahomes appears to have a lot more viable passing options than he did in 2023. Last year, the Chiefs started the season with Kadarius Toney as their No. 1. But this year, Toney will likely be fourth or fifth on the wideout depth chart. Mahomes showed promising chemistry with new pass-catcher Marquise Brown in OTAs and minicamp, and rookie Xavier Worthy should give the team a strong deep passing attack. Rookie tight end Jared Wiley has shown strong receiving skills behind Travis Kelce. Even if Rashee Rice is suspended as expected, Mahomes should have plenty of receivers that he trusts enter the regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. As the Chiefs seek an unprecedented third straight championship, Mahomes is an easy top-four fantasy QB.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen said on The Rich Eisen Show that it's been an awesome offseason for the team, and second-year quarterback Bryce Young just looks "more comfortable." Thielen went on to explain that Young is just more immersed in the offense heading into his second season in the NFL and that the two have gained valuable chemistry on and off the field. It was a whirlwind for Young leading up to his first NFL campaign, which couldn't have gone much worse. The 22-year-old former Alabama product is already on his second head coach in two seasons, but there's nowhere for him to go but up in 2024. The Panthers added receiver Diontae Johnson to give Young some help in the passing game. Not many fantasy football managers are going to want anything to do with Young after what they saw in 2023, but he's not a bad low-end QB2 target in superflex leagues with upside.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young is getting more comfortable entering his second NFL season, according to WR Adam Thielen. ''You can tell, Bryce's demeanor in the building -- he's just more comfortable, right? And you don't realize it when you start getting to be a veteran guy, just because you forget about those times,' said Thielen.
Fantasy Spin: Young is coming off a pretty rough rookie season, but the Panthers have done a solid job adding protection and weapons around him. Even so, he's a QB2 option until he proves he has more upside.
From TheHuddle
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch is expected to have an expanded role in 2024, according to Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. Dortch has been a steady, reliable contributor to Arizona's wide receiver corps over his two seasons with the team. Now, even though Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the focal point of the offense, Dortch is expected to get plenty of looks. He'll operate ahead of Zay Jones and Chris Moore, instead mixing in with the likes of Harrison, Michael Wilson, and Trey McBride. The now-26-year-old had 23 catches for 278 yards over his final seven games last season, and he figures to rank as a high-end WR5 heading into fantasy football drafts this year.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley is still adjusting to NFL speed and the team's offense, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Specifically, Rosenblatt cautions against automatically viewing Corley as the Jets' No. 3 receiver over Xavier Gipson, who has made several players while taking a significant leap this offseason. As of now, it appears Gipson and Corley are the two candidates vying for the No. 3 receiver role, and it's possible that the former actually has a slight advantage. Of course, Rosenblatt also notes that Corley drew plenty of hype following the draft and "has a lot of talent and made some plays," even if his position on the depth chart is still in flux.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets wide receiver Xavier Gipson "made plays throughout OTAs and minicamp and seems to have taken a leap forward after a year of NFL experience," according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Rosenblatt even suggested that Gipson might have a leg up on the No. 3 receiver role over Malachi Corley, the fast-rising rookie who has turned some heads during camp but is still adjusting to NFL speed. If Gipson does open 2024 ahead of Corley on the depth chart, he'll still fall behind Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams in the pecking order. As a result, the second-year receiver is merely a bench option in deeper redraft leagues.
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has been impressive throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp. As expected, Harrison has emerged as the top option in the wide receiver room. This comes as no shock given his talent and the fact the Cardinals selected him as the 4th overall pick in this year's draft. The rookie wideout has reportedly had no issues with picking up the Cardinals playbook. The expectation is that he'll be the unquestioned top target for quarterback Kyler Murray. The hype is real as Harrison has risen to the early second round in many 2024 fantasy drafts.
From RotoBaller
Free-agent CB Adoree' Jackson (Giants) could be an option for the Carolina Panthers if they are looking to sign another cornerback, in the opinion of The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye.
From TheHuddle
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker put together a fairly quiet rookie campaign, but could see a bigger role next season. Tucker is a bit undersized but Raiders' head coach Antonio Pierce doesn't care about his size and says everyone should watch Tucker play. Tucker finished with 19 receptions for 331 receiving yards and two touchdowns during his rookie season. It seems possible that the Raiders use Tucker in a dual-threat type of role because they like his athleticism. On paper, Tucker is a distant No. 3 option behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers on the depth chart.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has reportedly put on weight this offseason. The second-year wideout is listed as 185 pounds heading into camp. Hyatt didn't provide the exact number, but he has added some bulk this offseason. The young wideout mentioned that he needed to get bigger in order to play more on the outside as a wide receiver. It'll be interesting to see how Hyatt is worked into the gameplan after a fairly quiet rookie campaign. The wide receiver room is only getting more crowded with Malik Nabers joining the team as their first-round draft pick. Hyatt could be a late-round flier on draft boards this fall.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Doug Haller writes that there is a lot of optimism from the Arizona Cardinals this offseason, with the biggest reason being that quarterback Kyler Murray is on the field. Murray was off to the side working with the team's conditioning staff at this time last year while trying to recover from ACL surgery. Murray's recovery affected Arizona's entire season in 2023 after he missed the first nine games. He spent the rest of the year learning a new offense and trying to find his way back, and it showed. An offseason built around Murray should make a difference in 2024. The 26-year-old put in extra work with his receivers on weekends, trying to perfect rhythm and timing. Murray probably isn't going to be an elite passer, especially given the lack of standout options at receiver in Arizona besides rookie first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr., but his elite rushing ability and upside should give him a solid fantasy floor as a top-10 quarterback heading into upcoming fantasy drafts.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | The Patriots have signed running back Rhamondre Stevenson to a contract extension. Dynasty Analysis: New England is giving Stevenson $17 million in guaranteed money, which also includes an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million more possible with incentives. In other words, he's the starter moving forward. This is a hefty sum of money to give a running back, especially one who struggled at times last year. Regardless, this contract makes him the seventh highest paid running back in football and cements him in as a RB2 for the foreseeable future.
Dynasty | Numerous reports are indicating Russell Wilson is the clear starter in Pittsburgh. Dynasty Analysis: There were some silly rumors about Justin Fields returning kicks earlier this off-season but those proved false. However, it certainly does seem Wilson is taking charge at quarterback and has a clear lead over Fields at this point in the process. After spending most of the post-Roethlisberger era spinning their wheels, it seems Pittsburgh has two capable players to lead the team and the veteran Wilson looks poised to have the first crack at it. While no longer a viable QB1 in dynasty leagues, Wilson could provide QB2 value this season.
Dynasty | The Jaguars have signed free agent wide receiver Denzel Mims. Dynasty Analysis: The former second round pick has been a bust thus far in his career but the Jags seem willing to give him one more shot. With just 42 career catches for 672 scoreless yards over four years, it's hard to get too excited about his prospects. Still, we know Mims has some talent and he's at least worthy of having on a watch list should he find his way on to the roster later this Summer.
Dynasty | Former Steelers wide receiver James Washington is attempting a comeback. Dynasty Analysis: Washington moved on from Pittsburgh and found little success in his time in Dallas. He also failed to impress in stops with the Giants, Saints, and Colts, failing to make their final rosters. It's a longshot to think he's going to emerge as a viable player in dynasty leagues but this is at least a fun story to watch during a summer of slow news.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected former Oregon running back Bucky Irving in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, just months after Rachaad White finished his breakout campaign that consisted of 1,539 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns on 336 touches. White was a rare workhorse in today's NFL, so Irving is likely to get work behind him in 2024. When speaking about Irving, White said the two could be a great one-two punch. "Bucky does a great job of, first thing, competing, and two, learning," White said. "They're all brilliant and they all want to understand the game more, and things like that. We talk a lot. We've got a good relationship. It's huge. I think he brings a playmaker [ability] and in this offense, the more playmakers, the better. It'll be huge. The one-two punch would be nice." It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Liam Cohen distributes the backfield touches, but White should remain the clear starter in Tampa Bay. Irving is a Day 3 rookie who had a disappointing pre-draft process, so expectations should be tempered.
From RotoBaller
