We asked our Sports Illustrated NFL team publishers to break down the best-case/worst-case scenarios entering 2024 training camps. All of the publishers explained the determining factors for the team they cover.
Here’s what you should keep an eye on in all 32 training camps.
Arizona Cardinals
Best case: Arizona’s offense lives up to its potential. The Cardinals have firepower at each position group, and if Arizona can see everybody contribute as expected, the Cardinals will fly high thanks to one of the more underrated offenses in the league. A healthy Kyler Murray humming with weapons galore is a recipe for a surprising postseason push.
Worst case: Arizona’s youthful secondary is exposed. The Cardinals’ lone key veteran in the cornerback room is Sean Murphy-Bunting. After that, most names are either rookies or heading into their second season. Arizona is truly banking on some young guys to step up in a major way defensively—and if they don’t—the Cardinals are liable to see the scoreboard lit up on a weekly basis once again. —Donnie Druin, Cardinals On SI
Atlanta Falcons
Best case: Kirk Cousins plays to the MVP level he was near before getting hurt last year, taking advantage of the young weapons Atlanta has acquired in the previous three drafts. Edge Arnold Ebiketie takes the next step after a solid sophomore season in 2023 and makes people forget the Falcons passed on defense in the first round.
Worst case: Cousins doesn’t return to form, Michael Penix Jr. isn’t ready, and first-time offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is in over his head calling plays. The defense still can’t rush the passer, and the lack of additions to the secondary next to Jessie Bates III and A.J. Terrell comes back to haunt general manager Terry Fontenot —Scott Kennedy, Falcons On SI
Baltimore Ravens
Best case: The Ravens came so tantalizingly close to a Super Bowl LVIII appearance last season, only losing to the Kansas City Chiefs after getting away from their identity as a run-first team. Baltimore’s losses this offseason will be tough to overcome, particularly on defense, but the lessons learned from last season could easily put this team over the top..
Worst case: Jackson is coming off his second MVP season in the past five years, but before that, he missed the end of back-to-back seasons due to injury and Baltimore spiraled without him. The Ravens play in what is easily the NFL’s toughest division, and if their superstar quarterback misses time, it could very well cost them a playoff spot. —Jon Alfano, Ravens On SI
Buffalo Bills
Best case: Bills win their fifth consecutive AFC East title. Buffalo’s offense benefits from taking a more egalitarian approach to aerial production and Sean McDermott leads the slightly tweaked defense to continued success.
Worst Case: The Bills are the sixth or seventh seed in the AFC. Buffalo, though still stout, is not as strong as it has been in past seasons, but it still possesses a world-beater at quarterback in Josh Allen. He drags the retooled roster to double-digit wins and a wild-card berth. —Kyle Silagyi, Bills On SI
Carolina Panthers
Best case: The Panthers find an identity and compete for the NFC South title. Last year, the coaching staff couldn’t tell you the team’s offensive identity, even in Week 18. If Carolina is able to identify that in the first month or so of the season, it’ll be in the mix for the division, which could be won with a losing record.
Worst case: Bryce Young fails to show signs of being a franchise quarterback. As a rookie, Young was set up for failure. He had no protection, no one to throw the ball to outside of Adam Thielen, and a coaching staff that was not on the same page. This offseason, they hired a QB whisperer in Dave Canales, spent $154 million on the offensive line, and added several receivers. If Young fails in this environment, Carolina is in trouble. —Schuyler Callihan, Panthers On SI
Chicago Bears
Best case: A soft schedule early in the season allows quarterback Caleb Williams to build confidence before Chicago moves into NFC North games after midseason, where it seizes upon momentum for a division title thanks largely to a defense among the league’s best at producing takeaways.
Worst case: The Bears finish last in the division again as Williams struggles, forcing too many passes into coverage for interceptions. Their defense never develops a second pass rusher to assist Montez Sweat and can’t produce pressure to force turnovers like it did during the second half of last season. —Gene Chamberlain, Bears On SI
Cincinnati Bengals
Best case: Joe Burrow is fully recovered from wrist surgery and the new additions on offense and defense make an instant impact. The Bengals win their third AFC North title in four seasons and become legitimate Super Bowl contenders going into the playoffs with the No. 1 seed.
Worst case: Burrow’s wrist gives him problems. The new additions in the trenches don’t work out and the AFC North continues to be the best division in football. Health is such a factor with this team. From Burrow to Tee Higgins, they need to be healthy this season. —James Rapien, Bengals On SI
Cleveland Browns
Best case: Deshaun Watson finds his footing and gets back to being an elite NFL quarterback. If that happens, Cleveland could be a serious AFC contender. Behind an elite quarterback surrounded by top-notch playmakers and one of the top defenses in the NFL, the Browns could very well end up being a sleeper Super Bowl contender.
Worst case: Watson has another down season. Without good quarterback play, the season will end with missing the playoffs. After the year, the Browns would have to strongly consider trying to part ways with Watson and attempt to find a new long-term starting quarterback. Basically, a rebuild would begin. —Evan Massey, Browns On SI
Dallas Cowboys
Best case: A deep playoff run. The Cowboys last reached an NFC championship game in January 1996, the last year they won a Super Bowl. Every other team in Dallas—Mavericks, Rangers, Stars—has reached their respective league championships in recent seasons, and it’s time for the Cowboys to join the party.
Worst Case: Missing the postseason or another one-and-done. The Cowboys start the season facing seven 2023 playoff teams over the first 10 games. It is a real possibility that the Cowboys will stumble out of the gate and have to fight for their postseason lives for the remainder of the season. And with Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott entering the final years of their contracts, crashing and burning will lead to a complete roster and coaching staff overhaul in the offseason. —Josh Sanchez, Cowboys On SI
Denver Broncos
Best case: The Broncos earn a wild-card berth in Year 2 of the Sean Payton era. This team is rebuilding and there are some weak spots. With rookie quarterback Bo Nix to break in, there will be some bumps along the trial-and-error road, but Payton has already proven he can extract blood from a football turnip.
Worst case: The Broncos miss the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. It could be that Nix needs more time than Payton perhaps judged initially. If so, 2024 will still be a vital year of utility for the Broncos because Nix is the future and the reps he’ll get as a rookie will eventually pay dividends. —Chad Jensen, Broncos On SI
Detroit Lions
Best case: If all the core players stay healthy, Detroit will contend for the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Dan Campbell’s team has its eyes on the Lombardi Trophy.
Worst case: An injury to one of its key contributors such as Jared Goff or Amon-Ra St. Brown. If Detroit deals with injuries that it cannot overcome, the rigorous schedule could lead to the team ultimately battling for a wild-card spot late in the year. —John Maakaron, Lions On SI
Green Bay Packers
Best case: Last year, Jordan Love threw for more than 4,000 yards without a single receiver or tight end with more than one year of NFL experience. Now that all of those receivers have accumulated a lot of big-game experience, they use it to vault the passing attack into one of the NFL’s best. There might not be a No. 1 receiver but there might be too many weapons for any defense to stop.
Worst case: Sometime before the start of training camp, Love is going to sign a contract extension worth more than $50 million per season. It’ll be based on a stupendous late-season run that included the full-fledged demolition of the Cowboys in the playoffs. What if Love is a good quarterback who played great for nine games and not a great quarterback? —Bill Huber, Packers On SI
Houston Texans
Best case: After arguably the best offseason in franchise history, the Texans reach the conference championship game, and possibly the Super Bowl.
Worst case: Quarterback C.J. Stroud has a sophomore slump. A bulk of Houston’s championship hopes rely upon Stroud’s on-field production. —Coty M. Davis, Texans On SI
Indianapolis Colts
Best case: The Colts simply stay healthy. It’s stunted them at so many crucial positions, and quarterback Anthony Richardson is the biggest X-factor for the whole team.
Worst case: Richardson not being able to shake the “injury prone” label in Year 2. The Colts need him healthy. —Jake Arthur, Colts On SI
Jacksonville Jaguars
Best case: Trevor Lawrence has been the catalyst to the Jaguars’ posting an above-.500 record over the past two seasons, but he was expected to take an MVP-type step in 2023. That didn’t happen and the Jaguars missed the playoffs as a result. If he makes that jump in ’24, the franchise could find itself in New Orleans in February.
Worst case: Injuries derail another season. While Lawrence wasn’t putting up MVP-type numbers before his injuries in 2023, he was playing efficient football and the Jaguars were 8–3. But with injuries to Lawrence, Christian Kirk, Tyson Campbell, Cam Robinson, Ezra Cleveland, Walker Little and others, the Jaguars saw their season squander away during the final six weeks. If they get banged up again, history could repeat itself. —John Shipley, Jaguars On SI
Kansas City Chiefs
Best case: Three-peat. The back-to-back champions make NFL history on the back of a rejuvenated downfield passing game with Patrick Mahomes spreading the ball around to a retooled group of pass catchers while defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Trent McDuffie keep Kansas City’s defense operating at a top-five level, even after trading away cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.
Worst case: Aside from an injury to Mahomes, it’s hard to see a world where the Chiefs miss the playoffs or even fail to win the AFC West for a ninth consecutive time. Last season was a recipe for offensive disaster and they still finished 11–6 before their Super Bowl run. Even if Travis Kelce looks a year older, the receivers don’t mesh, and Jones has a down year after signing a massive contract, the Chiefs would still be in a better position than the rest of the division. —Joshua Brisco, Chiefs on SI
Los Angeles Chargers
Best case: The Chargers ride the hype train of new coach Jim Harbaugh into a playoff berth. A winning record would be enough to count the first year under Harbaugh as a success, but the promise and delivery of a culture change leads to an unexpected deep playoff run—proving that Harbaugh knows how to put players in their absolute best positions to win.
Worst case: The hope that Harbaugh could lead the team out of the basement of the AFC West crashes and burns, and the Chargers fall back into a poor record. Though the defense kept its stars, the inexperienced and unproven wide receiver room showcases glaring holes in the team’s offseason acquisitions, leading to the Harbaugh era of winning being postponed until 2025. —James Brizuela, Chargers On SI
Los Angeles Rams
Best case: Despite being pegged as a “rebuilding” team in 2023, the Rams showed last season was not a fluke with an even deeper playoff run in ’24. Matthew Stafford continues his ascent along with Puka Nacua, and the young defense takes a giant leap forward, resulting in the team challenging the 49ers for the NFC crown.
Worst case: Stafford’s desire for a new contract becomes a big distraction, along with Nacua falling into the dreaded sophomore slump. With the offensive attack not being as dynamic as it was in 2023, the Rams cannot keep pace with the upper echelon teams in the NFC, resulting in another early postseason exit. —James Brizuela, Rams On SI
Las Vegas Raiders
Best case: QB Aidan O’Connell continues his impressive maturation in his sophomore campaign, and the Raiders win 10 regular-season games and make the AFC playoffs. The defense also becomes the No. 1 unit in the NFL.
Worst case: O’Connell can’t build off a successful rookie campaign, and the Raiders have to move to Gardner Minshew II. The defense takes a step back after dominating the NFL last season when Antonio Pierce took over. —Hondo S. Carpenter, Sr., Raiders On SI
Miami Dolphins
Best case: Tua Tagovailoa takes the next step as a quarterback and helps the offense, and the team, finish the season strong against a tough schedule the way they weren’t able to in 2023. That enables the Dolphins to finally get that elusive playoff victory and even make a deep postseason run.
Worst case: There are high hopes for the defense with the arrival of new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and some key acquisitions such as Calais Campbell, Jordyn Brooks and Kendall Fuller. But star pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb struggle coming off serious late-season injuries and the defense takes a step back. —Alain Poupart, Dolphins On SI
Minnesota Vikings
Best case: Sam Darnold has a Rich Gannon-like career revival and the offense proves to be extremely efficient while Year 2 under Brian Flores’s defensive scheme yields significantly better results. The Vikings have a very tough schedule but if they get requisite play from the QB position they have enough talent to compete for a playoff spot.
Worst case: Darnold flames out and J.J. McCarthy is thrown into the fire before he’s ready, and the Vikings tailspin to the bottom of the NFC North and potentially the entire NFL. Internal expectations are high but there are valid concerns all over the roster. —Joe Nelson, Vikings On SI
New England Patriots
Best case: Drake Maye bursts onto the scene in Week 1 as an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate. The offensive line exceeds expectations, facilitating a solid run game from Rhamondre Stevenson and protection for its rookie quarterback. The defense gets back to being among the top 10 in the NFL and leads this squad to a compelling case for an AFC wild-card appearance.
Worst case: The offensive line sees an utter collapse and can’t protect Maye. New England’s weapons also find a similar unsightly fate to last season, and the defense remains average, sinking this squad to a bottom-three record in the NFL. —Jared Koch, Patriots on SI
New Orleans Saints
Best case: Derek Carr will have a Pro Bowl season if the offensive line holds up after the offseason losses of LT James Hurst and LG Andrus Peat. Klint Kubiak’s new offense features Alvin Kamara, and he rebounds with an All-Pro season. New Orleans makes the postseason, wins in the NFC wild-card and divisional rounds, but falls short in the NFC championship game.
Worst case: Carr and several Saints defensive players are injured during the season. Kamara and the team haggle over a new contract, and no receiver fulfills Michael Thomas’s old role. The team falls short of making the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, and coaching changes are on the horizon. —Kyle T. Mosley, Saints On SI
New York Giants
Best case: Daniel Jones plays like, or better than, the quarterback everyone saw in 2022 when he led New York to its first playoff berth since ’16 and its first postseason win since ’11. Jones is coming off a forgettable ’23 campaign that not only included a season-ending ACL injury but was also one in which he didn’t play well at all.
Worst case: The Giants invested a lot of financial resources into an offensive line that finished 30th in pass-blocking efficiency rating last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The hope is that new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, who has a history of getting the most out of his offensive lines, can work wonders in straightening out the communication and technique issues that snowballed into a historically bad season for the Giants, whose 85 sacks allowed were the second-most in NFL history and set a new franchise record, topping the 62 sacks allowed in 1966. If that line ends up still not being fixed, for whatever reason, the Giants are in for another long season. —Patricia Traina, Giants On SI
New York Jets
Best case: With a Hall of Fame player such as Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl victory. The Jets are equipped with one of the best defenses in the entire league to pair with better offensive weapons and a vastly improved offensive line. Everything is there that’s needed to take home a championship this season.
Worst case: As good as Rodgers has been for a long time, he’s still entering his age-41 season and coming off an Achilles injury. Even if he makes it through the entire schedule this time around, there’s a chance he’s not the same level of player. If he takes a step back from his last healthy season, the Jets could flail and miss the playoffs in a tough division. In that scenario, New York will completely clean house and start to rebuild once more. —Dylan Sanders, Jets On SI
Philadelphia Eagles
Best case: Super Bowl or bust. The Eagles’ late-season collapse in 2023 was an anomaly and new, more experienced coordinators Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio hit the ground running. Moore’s fresh ideas on offense get quarterback Jalen Hurts back to an MVP level and integrate the playmaking skills of Saquon Barkley seamlessly into an already talented group. Meanwhile Fangio’s reputation as a defensive play-caller has the Eagles’ top unit closer to where it was with Jonathan Gannon.
Worst case: An end to the Nick Sirianni era. The head coach is perceived as a lame duck, Hurts grows tired of the revolving door at play-caller and Fangio isn’t a magic elixir for a defense that is going to rely on a host of younger players making big contributions. —John McMullen, Eagles On SI
Pittsburgh Steelers
Best case: The Steelers find a quarterback in Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith unlocks an offense that’s been absent for the past three years. With Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and George Pickens headlining the offense, Pittsburgh fights its way into the postseason, winning the AFC North, and is a contender in 2024.
Worst case: The Steelers can’t find the success they’re desperately looking for with either Wilson or Justin Fields. They find themselves in a place teams fear—their Hall of Fame quarterback has retired and they are struggling to find their next franchise leader on offense. —Noah Strackbein, Steelers On SI
San Francisco 49ers
Best case: The oldest roster in the NFL stays relatively healthy for the second consecutive season and makes it back to the Super Bowl. But this time when the 49ers have a lead in the second half, Kyle Shanahan actually knows what to do with it. He sticks with his running game, runs down the clock and ends the pattern of him coming from ahead to lose Super Bowls.
Worst case: The oldest roster in the NFL finally wears down after three consecutive trips to the NFC championship. Brock Purdy misses an extended period of time due to injury because the 49ers pass protection is their biggest weakness, backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs isn’t good enough to keep the 49ers afloat and they miss the playoffs for the first time since 2020. —Grant Cohn, 49ers On SI
Seattle Seahawks
Best case: Playing to their potential after underachieving in 2023, the Seahawks climb to the top five in points scored behind a dynamic skill-position group featuring DK Metcalf, Kenneth Walker III, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Meanwhile, the arrival of coach Mike Macdonald coincides with a much-improved defense anchored by a fierce interior defensive line, leading to an 11-win season and an NFC West title.
Worst case: Struggling to adapt as a first-time head coach, Macdonald’s defense in Seattle doesn’t find the same success as it did in Baltimore, finishing in the bottom third of the NFL in points allowed. Quarterback Geno Smith regresses in a new offensive scheme with lingering offensive line problems in front of him and eventually gets benched in favor of Sam Howell as the team limps to a 6–11 finish to earn a top-10 draft pick. —Corbin Smith, Seahawks On SI
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Best case: Randy Gregory signed with the Bucs this offseason for depth, but steps up and has a big season after missing all of minicamp. And Baker Mayfield has another big season in the first year of his contract extension.
Worst case: With moving parts such as new offensive coordinator Liam Coem, a potential step backward could see the Buccaneers’ streak of winning the NFC South come to an end. An injury to a key player or improved player from other divisional teams could be detrimental. —Kade Kimble, Buccaneers On SI
Tennessee Titans
Best case: Tennessee wins the AFC South. It only took 10 games to win the division a year ago, and the Titans were only four games back of that. If Will Levis takes a step in the right direction, the Titans could be a dynamic offense competing for a division title.
Worst case: Top-3 pick in the draft. If Levis struggles to learn Brian Callahan’s offense, things could get ugly for the Titans. They could win a handful of games and enter the 2025 NFL draft with one of the first few picks and in position to draft Levis’s replacement at QB. —Jeremy Brener, Titans On SI
Washington Commanders
Best case: The Texans were the latest worst-to-first team in the NFL and everyone is on the lookout for the next one. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is friends with Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, so a good best-case scenario here is to duplicate his friend’s rookie season from a year ago.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best-Case and Worst-Case Scenarios for Every NFL Team Entering 2024 Training Camps.
