10 Biggest storylines heading into Week 1 of NFL Season

By James Jefferson

·Updated: August 24, 2024

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL season is less than two weeks away from kickoff. There is a lot of anticipation league-wide, from New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning from last year’s Achilles injury, to new eras in Chicago, Washington, and Denver. Not to mention, the Kansas City Chiefs are beginning their quest to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. Here, we give our 10 biggest storylines heading into Week 1.

10. Who starts at quarterback in Pittsburgh?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a decision to make on who will be their starting quarterback in Week 1. Both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson have been… subpar at best during the preseason. Wilson lacks mobility to escape pressure and takes a ton of sacks. Fields has trouble with turnovers.

As of now, Wilson is listed as the starter on the depth chart ahead of Fields but that could change, depending on how preparation and practices go after the preseason. Bottom line, it’s a mess right now in the Steel City.

9. Old faces in new places

Many big names across the league found new homes this offseason. Among the notables: quarterback Kirk Cousins is now with the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans, and perhaps the biggest move of all: running back Saquon Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles after six seasons with the New York Giants.

We will see how each player fits in with their new teams once the regular season begins. But there’s no doubt the Eagles, Falcons, and Texans each made major upgrades to bolster their rosters.

8. Drama in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot on their plate before the regular season begins, specifically trying to get a certain contract deal done: wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He did not report during training camp and missed the entire preseason. The type of deal Lamb is looking for is to surpass Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson for the highest-paid receiver in the league.

Jefferson currently earns an average of $35 million a year as part of his four-year, $140 million contract. Lamb wants $36 million a year at least, but GM Jerry Jones has looked in the $34 million range. Will Lamb and the Cowboys find a way to come to terms before the season begins?

7. Rookie quarterbacks taking the reins

At least three rookie quarterbacks will be starting for their teams in Week 1. The Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams out of USC. He is drawing rave reviews because of his ability to throw on the run and escape pressure. His first start will be against the Tennessee Titans. The Denver Broncos drafted Bo Nix out of Oregon, who’s had five years of playing experience from his college days and he was impressive during the preseason too. His first NFL start will be against the Seattle Seahawks.

Last but not least, the Washington Commanders have Jayden Daniels out of LSU. He was, in some people’s opinion, the better prospect over Williams heading into this year’s draft because of his poise under pressure. Daniels’ first NFL start will be against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s even possible Drake Maye earns the starting job in New England too.

6. Chiefs look for history

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to set a precedent across the NFL this season. They are trying to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls, which has never been done in NFL history. If they are able to accomplish such a feat, they will become the eighth team in sports history to win three consecutive championships. Their journey begins with a Week 1 battle against the Baltimore Ravens.

5. NFL’s new kickoff rule

The NFL has a new kickoff rule in place this year to help revive the play. In the simplest of terms, it’s an extension of a running play where tacklers from the kicking team will line up on the opponent’s 40 yard line and the return man must return the kick when it’s put in play between the goal line and his 20 yard line, or the landing zone.

If the kick goes through that area and lands in the end zone, it will be a touchback. The important note to this rule is that until the ball lands, nobody is allowed to move.

4. Who will be the king of the NFC North?

The NFC North might arguably be the best division in football on paper. Last year with the emergence of the Detroit Lions winning the division with a 12-5 record and going to the NFC Championship Game. The Green Bay Packers made history being the youngest team in NFL history to win a playoff game, so the sky is the limit for both teams. However, there could potentially be one more playoff team out of this division: the Chicago Bears.

Chicago loaded up on offensive talent during the offseason, starting with drafting quarterback Caleb Williams from USC. They also signed running back D’Andre Swift and traded for wide receiver Keenan Allen. In all, the NFC North division crown will be a fight to the finish.

3. Jim Harbaugh returns to NFL sidelines

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For the first time since 2014, Jim Harbaugh will be coaching in the NFL. He was hired as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason. After an eight-year run at Michigan that included a national championship win in 2023, there was also some unfortunate controversy along the way. Harbaugh was suspended for the first three games of that year because of college player recruitment violations.

However, Harbaugh recently had a four year show-cause penalty issued to him by the NCAA earlier this spring due to him being untruthful during the investigation of the recruitment violations. Essentially, the show-cause penalty is another way of saying suspension. For better or worse, the bottom line is Harbaugh is back coaching in the NFL. What is in store for his second act?

2. Return of superstar quarterbacks

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So many quarterbacks went down with injuries last year: Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers both suffered a torn Achilles. Cousins suffered the injury in Week 13, Rodgers only played four snaps for the New York Jets in Week 1 before his season ended. Not to mention, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a wrist injury in Week 10 that ended his season. Week 1 of the 2024 season can’t come fast enough.

Related: 2024 NFL schedule

1. New York Jets: Super Bowl or bust

With the New York Jets, it’s now or never for them to try to make the Super Bowl. With the return of their quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is coming off a torn Achilles, as mentioned earlier, they must take advantage of the short window of opportunity. They have all the makings of being a legitimate championship contender: a great running game with running back Breece Hall leading the way, a group of good pass catchers led by wide receiver Garret Wilson, and most importantly, they have a top-five defensive unit in the entire league led by cornerback Sauce Gardner.

After going 7-10 last season with subpar quarterback play (Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle), imagine what they do with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. It is all systems go now in New York.