The NFL offseason is under way, and there will be much to talk about between now and September. Sometimes, there’s more to talk about during the NFL offseason than during the NFL regular season.
In the coming months, the names of specific people will come up in NFL offseason discussions more than others. They could be impending free agents, upcoming draft picks, retirement candidates, trade possibilities.
Read more: NFL offseason calendar: What are the most important dates to know in 2024?
The Kansas City Chiefs might have won their second Super Bowl in a row, but which person will reign supreme this NFL offseason as the No. 1 conversation starter?
Here are the 10 most intriguing names of the NFL offseason, listed in alphabetical order.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft order: Picks by team, Draft order for all 7 rounds
Brandon Aiyuk
The San Francisco 49ers picked up the fifth-year option on Aiyuk’s rookie contract, but they need to make a decision about where to offer their leading receiver a lucrative contract extension or trade him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Now, Aiyuk, his family and close friends are posting cryptic and not-so-cryptic messages to suggest he would like to be traded. What will the 49ers decide to do with Aiyuk? Stay tuned.
Related: 4 offseason moves the San Francisco 49ers need to make to return to the Super Bowl
Saquon Barkley
Barkley is set to become the top unrestricted free agent running back on the market after the New York Giants put the franchise tag on him last offseason. They will likely not do the same again, meaning the two-time Pro Bowl running back will be playing elsewhere in 2024 after spending his first six seasons with the Giants. Barkley, who’s been hobbled by injuries much of his career, produced 1,242 total yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023, and where he lands will be part of the NFL offseason chatter.
Related: NFL free agency predictions
Bill Belichick
After a 24-year run in which he won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, Belichick surprisingly didn’t land any of the seven NFL head-coaching openings. The question now becomes, what will Belichick end up doing? Will he become a TV broadcaster, calling games each week? Will he sit in a New York studio on Sundays, working as an NFL expert? Will he join an NFL team as defensive specialist? It’s anyone’s guess, but it will be fun to see where Belichick ends up.
Related: NFL insider reveals ‘teams to watch’ for Bill Belichick in 2025
Kirk Cousins
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback was in the midst of a fantastic season when he tore his Achilles tendon against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 29 and was lost for the season. Now, Cousins, 35, is set to become the top quarterback on the free agent market. Will the Vikings re-sign him or will he end up elsewhere? No matter what, the Vikings want clarity on his situation soon.
Read more: Vikings coverage on MinnesotaSportsFan.com
Justin Fields
The Chicago Bears are on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, which is rich with quality quarterback prospects. The Bears are faced with the biggest decision of the offseason: Will they keep Fields, their starting quarterback for the past three seasons, and trade the No. 1 pick to another team, as they did with the Carolina Panthers last year? Or will they trade Fields, who’s been 10-28 as a starter, and then draft his replacement? Odds are the Bears will choose the latter scenario, but we shall see.
Related: Atlanta Falcons early favorites to make blockbuster trade for Justin Fields?
Jim Harbaugh
Harbaugh finally won a national championship in his ninth season at Michigan, and then promptly returned to the NFL to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh, who coached the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons, is known as a quick-fix coach who improves every team in his first season. So, it will be interesting to see what moves he makes this NFL offseason to turn around the fortunes of the Chargers, who went 5-12 in 2023.
Chris Jones
Jones put on a defensive show during the Kansas City Chiefs’ OT win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, his third Super Bowl title in five seasons. But he might have played his final game for the Chiefs. Jones, an eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, is set to hit the free agent market; it’s unlikely the Chiefs will place the franchise tag on him because it will cost them around $32 million this NFL offseason. Will the Chiefs re-sign their defensive star or watch him sign with another team?
Related: 4 offseason moves the Kansas City Chiefs need to win a third straight Super Bowl
Jason and Travis Kelce
OK, we’re cheating a bit. Technically, there are 11 names on this NFL offseason list, but we’ve decided to group the Kelce brothers together. Jason and Travis are both considering retirement, with Jason reportedly more likely to follow through than Travis, who just won his third Super Bowl title in Kansas City, much to the delight of his superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift. The two do a weekly podcast together called “New Heights,” and perhaps they will reveal some nuggets about their upcoming plans. But it wouldn’t be shocking if Jason and Travis decide to retire simultaneously and then enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in five years as first-ballot inductees.
Related: Jason Kelce provides surprising update on NFL future after reported retirement
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers lasted only four plays until he tore his Achilles tendon and was done for the season, his first with the New York Jets. He’s now fully recovered from the injury and will be ready for Jets training camp in July. The question with Rodgers is, who else will he try to lure to the Jets? Maybe Davante Adams? The Jets already have a contending defense, but there’s no doubt Rodgers, 40, will continue to pull some strings this NFL offseason to ensure that his team is set up for a potential Super Bowl run in 2024.
Related: NFL insider addresses Davante Adams likelihood of trade to New York Jets
Caleb Williams
Williams completed a brilliant college career that took him from Oklahoma to USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2022. And now he’s considered a lock (well, almost) to become the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. But does he want to play for the Chicago Bears, who own the pick, or another team instead? There will be continuing speculation this NFL offseason about whether Williams will try to dictate where he lands, with Washington, which owns the No. 2 pick, being the strongest possibility because Williams is a DC native and former USC assistant Kliff Kingsbury is the new offensive coordinator.