Six things that could happen in 2024 NFL season that would’ve seemed preposterous entering 2023

Things change quickly in NFL, not only in the classification, but in the bases of all 32 teams. Players and coaches come and go. Expectations are lowered and raised. And sometimes the speed, volume and consistency of activity across the league robs us of the opportunity to reflect on how drastically things have changed. As we look ahead to the 2024 season, for example, there are a number of plausible scenarios that might have been considered absurd just a year ago.

Here are six examples of things that could realistically happen in 2024 but would have been a bit outrageous to consider before the 2023 campaign:

Heading into 2023, Fields had just finished his first full year as a starter for the Chicago Bears, in which he became just the third quarterback to top 1,000 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Wilson was getting to know new Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, prepared to bounce back from a disastrous debut at Mile High. A year later, both veterans are competing in Pittsburgh following the abrupt departure of former first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Wilson is the safest bet to open the year at center due to his experience, but Fields’ upside could eventually convince Mike Tomlin and Co.

2. Jordan Love becomes the highest-paid QB in the NFL

The Green Bay Packers prospect certainly had some supporters in 2023. After all, the team moved up to draft him 26th overall in 2020. But Love entered last season, his first as a full-time player in place of the departed Aaron Rodgers , with just a single NFL game under his belt. A year later, fresh off an inspiring and explosive playoff run, the 25-year-old There is a case to mark above Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert in terms of annual earnings thanks to the ever-growing quarterback market.

3. Detroit Lions advance to second straight NFC title game

The Lions were the darlings of the NFL to close out 2022, halting a potential Aaron Rodgers retirement tour in Green Bay with a spirited Week 18 win to keep the Packers out of the playoffs. But few could have predicted where that drive would take them to this day. Jared Goff reached new career heights as the courageous signal-caller of his ultra-balanced 2023 setup, putting Detroit one win away from Super Bowl appearance. And now, entering 2024, with Goff and other essential pieces locked down, it’s hard not to call the Lions one of the few complete packages primed for another championship bid.

4. The Los Angeles Chargers return to form…under Jim Harbaugh

Brandon Staley didn’t exactly have support from fans or local analysts as the Chargers ended 2022 with a 27-point lead in the opening round of the playoffs. Even his exit from the season last December wasn’t too surprising. But few could have considered Harbaugh a legitimate option to take over. Repeatedly downplaying NFL interest, the former San Francisco 49ers coach was coming off his best season at Michigan yet in 2023, still eyeing a national title for the Wolverines. A year later, having secured the top prize for his school, Harbaugh is back to retool Justin Herbert’s team.

5. Kick returners become some of the most valuable players in the NFL

It wasn’t long ago that NFL executives openly admitted that the kickoff, with its encouraged touchbacks and emphasis on reducing high-speed contact, was on its way to becoming a “dead, ceremonial game.” Going into 2023, in fact, the introduction of a kick return fair catch has produced the lowest total number of run-backs since 1959. Suddenly, just a year later, return specialists have rediscovered a place in NFL lineups , with the league completely overhauling the game for 2024. The new rules establish setup and return “zones”, encouraging more, albeit slower-developing, returns behind revised formations.

6. The Houston Texans advance to the Super Bowl

Plenty predicted the Texans would be better in 2023, finally addressing the quarterback and head coach by drafting CJ Stroud and hiring DeMeco Ryans. But no one could have predicted how quickly — and drastically — the new power duo would boost Houston’s title hopes. Stroud bordered on MVP-level production for much of his even-keeled debut, single-handedly boosting the production of his good-but-not-great supporting cast while Ryans oversaw a resilient defense en route to an instant playoff run. A year later, with big names like Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter on board, the Lombardi Trophy seems within reach.