The three biggest names in the quarterback market were taken off the board within 24 hours at the dawn of free agency, as Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson evaluated their markets and capitalized on their opportunities.

They all had different priorities at unique stages of their careers. And as they quickly secured their next contracts, the veteran trio also helped shape the QB market for the remainder of the offseason.

Mayfield started the chain reaction Sunday afternoon when he agreed to a three-year, $100 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wilson agreed to a one-year deal with the league minimum of $1.2 million on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cousins ​​capped it off Monday afternoon when he signed a four-year, $180 million pact with the Atlanta Falcons.

While the moves and financial parameters were unique, they were also somewhat connected when they came together, according to at least a half-dozen sources with direct knowledge of the situations.

Mayfield had the best season of his career in his first-round pick with the Bucs, and the 28-year-old wanted to stay in Tampa after bouncing around the league for a few years. He has had eight head coaches and seven offensive coordinators while playing for four teams in his first six seasons, so continuity has been a goal of his for some time, league sources say.

Mayfield appreciated the way the Bucs set him up for success last season, not only with former offensive coordinator Dave Canales, but also with coach Todd Bowles’ leadership and the culture of the veterans around the building. And while Canales left for Carolina, Mayfield is somewhat familiar with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen from their month together with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

The Bucs and Mayfield accelerated negotiations last week, and over the weekend they intensified with a series of offers and counter-offers. For Mayfield and that desire for continuity, the guaranteed money in the second year of the deal was especially important from a job security perspective.

He got $40 million fully guaranteed, with $30 million in 2024 and another $10 million in 2025, plus another $10 million for injuries. So as long as he plays well, Mayfield should be back with the Buccaneers in 2025. But if the Bucs decide to part ways after the 2024 season, he will have earned $40 million for his services.

Last month, league officials believed Mayfield could view New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones’ four-year, $160 million contract as a similar deal. And perhaps, if Mayfield had wanted to push his free agency in on Monday when the NFL negotiating window opened, he might have been able to find a deal with more total money.

But that’s not as easy as it sounds. Over the weekend, people around the league believed that Cousins ​​would choose between the Falcons and Minnesota Vikings, leaving the losing team and the Buccaneers alone in a competition for Mayfield. But the hypothetical risk of that strategy could have led to the Vikings offering a low number and the Buccaneers withdrawing their best offer. And while the New England Patriots were high on Mayfield internally, a union between the sides simply didn’t make sense — once again, Mayfield left behind two potential suitors with the right cap space to make a good offer and the personnel to challenge for a division title.

Ultimately, Mayfield wanted to return to the Bucs. He received an offer that should provide him with security for at least two years and he accepted it.

The best chance to start

Wilson’s situation was very different from Mayfield’s. The Denver Broncos will officially release him on Wednesday at the start of the new league year, but they informed him of that decision last week and allowed him to visit with teams in the meantime.

Then there was the wildcard with the economy. The Broncos are still dependent on Wilson’s $39 million salary in 2024, which is significantly more than he could have gotten in free agency. So Wilson informed the teams that he would play for the minimum — with the Broncos picking up the balance of the account — so they could use their cap space elsewhere.

Wilson had two quality meetings with the Giants and Steelers. Both were considered exploratory sessions and they got a sense of their vision for the offense and Wilson’s goals for the season.

The Giants made no guarantees about playing time, as Jones is expected to start once he is cleared of his torn ACL. As for the Steelers, who benched Kenny Pickett in the 2022 first-round pick last season, Wilson has a very realistic path to a starting job for a team that has consistently been in the playoff mix in coach Mike’s 17 seasons Tomlin never finished below .500.

Wilson met Friday with Steelers decision makers, including Tomlin, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and general manager Omar Khan. With Tomlin and Smith, the offense should again be physical with a strong ground game and provide plenty of opportunities for Wilson to throw the deep ball, assuming he wins the lane.

Wilson put together a better season in 2023 before the Broncos benched him in December, in part to ensure injury wouldn’t further complicate their offseason decision with the quarterback. If the 35-year-old can maintain that trajectory, he will increase his chances of a more lucrative payday in 2025, whether that be in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.

A two-team race for Cousins?

Cousins, despite coming off a torn Achilles tendon, was the central figure in the quarterback carousel, and he had indeed established himself in Atlanta and Minnesota, where he played from 2018 to 2023. If any of those options fell by the wayside and financial offers plummeted, a league source said the Broncos likely would have become involved.

But dwindling offers haven’t been an issue as the Falcons and Vikings push hard for Cousins, who is guaranteed $90 million in the first two years of the deal. Cousins ​​had previously crossed paths in Washington with new Falcons coach Raheem Morris, and quarterback should be a quick study with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, whose principles are similar to those of Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell from their days along with the Rams.

It’s been an eventful first day of NFL free agency!

Which team made the best move? pic.twitter.com/s9LP5GjdCI

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 12, 2024

The Falcons have also put together a better roster in recent years, and the arrival of Cousins ​​should help them compete for the NFC South title and a playoff spot. They have a strong running game, an improving offensive line and attractive pass catchers in Drake London and Kyle Pitts.

It was a perfect recipe for Cousins, who turns 36 early next season.

The Vikings tried to keep Cousins, but they also knew it was important to prepare for the future at the position and couldn’t make the same financial commitment. So when the Falcons upped their offer, given the appeal of the roster and coaching staff, it all came together for Cousins.

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The remaining QB market

There are still some moving pieces left. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and Patriots have the first three picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, and indications are that each team will take a quarterback, with USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels among the expected candidates.

That essentially left only the Vikings, Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders with openings. The Raiders agreed to a two-year, $15 million deal with Gardner Minshew that could be worth up to $25 million, and he will compete with Aidan O’Connell. The Broncos still have Jarrett Stidham, while the Vikings appear to be starting over.

With Jacoby Brissett rejoining the Patriots, the free agent market is being highlighted by Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill. It still feels inevitable that the Raiders will release Jimmy Garoppolo, and the Bears should still want to trade Justin Fields. It’s conceivable that the Commanders could move Sam Howell, and the Jets are expected to part ways with Zach Wilson in some capacity.

With deals completed for Mayfield, Russell Wilson and Cousins, there is one final fascinating element in play. The final three teams in need of quarterback reinforcements – the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders, respectively – are ranked Nos. 11-13 in the draft. They could compete again for Michigan’s JJ McCarthy or perhaps even Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix.

The veteran trio set the tone for more fireworks on the quarterback front over the next two months.

(Photos by Baker Mayfield, Kirk Cousins ​​​​and Russell Wilson:
Todd Rosenberg, Stephen Maturen and Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

One year ago, NFL executives emerged from the scouting combine thinking the Chicago Bears were open to trading the first pick in the draft. They were right. This year, sentiment from NFL front offices holds that the Bears will use the top pick, acquired from the Carolina Panthers one year ago next week, on USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Checking in with decision-makers this time of year provides a snapshot of their expectations coming out of the combine. What they think might happen in early March evolves as the draft nears, partly because coaches become more involved in the process. But I find value in taking a snapshot to establish a baseline.

I’ve put together a rough top 10 based on conversations with six executives during and after the combine. Clear themes emerged for quarterbacks, offensive linemen and receivers, with some intrigue surrounding a QB prospect whom teams haven’t assessed as fully.

Last year, execs correctly projected seven of the top 10 players selected. Bijan Robinson, Jalen Carter and Darnell Wright were the three players landing in the actual top 10 without appearing in the March 2023 projection.

Execs narrowly missed on offensive lineman Peter Skoronski (Tennessee picked him 11th). They missed on cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who went 17th to New England. And they whiffed on quarterback Will Levis, who was not selected until the 33rd slot — a reminder that when QBs fall, they can plummet, because only a subset of teams will consider one early in a given year.

This year, the general theme was for quarterbacks to go first, then offensive linemen, then wide receivers, with some overlap between those two final positions. Only a couple of defensive players made the projected top 10.

We are not projecting potential trades below because there are too many possibilities. Finding logical homes for the highest-ranked players based on the order as it stands today captures the general feel at the moment.

Four players appeared in the top 10 on all six ballots: Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Joe Alt.

Five players appeared on five of six ballots: Dallas Turner, Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, Olu Fashanu and Malik Nabers.

JC Latham appeared on four ballots. Jared Verse appeared on three. Brock Bowers appeared on two. Chop Robinson and Byron Murphy II each appeared on one.

The top 10 picks below have been formed from a consensus of the six ballots. Nabers and Latham were not selected in the top 10 because there was no consensus on where either would land, but they would be part of any consensus top 10 overall.

Most also thought J.J. McCarthy would be selected among the top 10, probably to a team that traded up, such as the Denver Broncos. But none of the six execs penciled him in for one of the teams already picking in the top 10, at least not yet.

1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Vote distribution: Williams 6

All six execs had the Bears selecting Williams and trading incumbent starter Justin Fields. All endorsed Chicago heading down this path.

“I would be evaluating the other quarterbacks like crazy right now and saying, ‘What if I moved down to two or three and got a historic return?’” one of the execs said. “Would I still be getting a franchise quarterback?”

The strongest concern voiced regarding Williams was his tendency to hold onto the ball longer than is ideal for a timing-based offense. In a worst-case scenario, that could lead to more third-and-long situations, robbing an offense of consistency. But the feeling among execs was that Chicago should not hesitate in making Williams the first selection.

2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

Vote distribution: Daniels 5, Maye 1

Five of six execs had Daniels heading to Washington in this slot. One of the five initially had Maye, then changed to Daniels a few days later.

“I think people struggle with Maye’s mechanics,” this exec said.

The one holdout for Maye in this slot said he heard Commanders general manager Adam Peters was “really into” Maye. The fit could be appealing. Maye and incumbent Commanders starter Sam Howell were teammates at North Carolina. Howell could open the 2024 season as the starter if the Commanders wanted to give Maye time to assimilate.

Another exec left open the possibility that Michigan’s McCarthy could compete with Daniels and Maye for this slot.

“If he throws well,” this exec said of McCarthy, “he is competing for the No. 2 spot. I don’t see him overtaking them, though.”

The Athletic’s Randy Mueller predicted months ago that McCarthy could rise into the top five as teams and specifically coaches learned more about him, before it was known whether McCarthy would enter the draft. Mueller, a three-time GM and one-time NFL Executive of the Year, also thinks analysts are overrating Maye based on prototypical size, and that some teams will not have Maye rated as highly.

“I think that whole quarterback thing between McCarthy and Maye is yet to play out,” a former GM said. “The other two I think are more set.”

For now, all six execs projected Maye being selected second or third.

“Could you say McCarthy could go in the top five? Yes,” the former GM said, “because everybody had him on the back burner this fall. And then Michigan was not centered around the quarterback like Oregon or Washington was, so he was not going to put up monster numbers. But then when you start looking at the talent and the makeup, he looks pretty good to people.”

Vote distribution: Maye 5, Daniels 1

Every exec had the Patriots selecting a quarterback in the first round. Maye was the choice more by default than because anyone thought New England was particularly high on him.

“I think they would probably rather have Jayden Daniels, but I’ll put Maye in there,” one exec said.

One GM whose team already has a franchise quarterback thought McCarthy would be “a huge reach” in this spot, but he conceded New England could make a bold selection with Eliot Wolf running the draft room.

“I think they go quarterback,” this GM said. “Do they take a shot at J.J.? Eliot won’t be afraid to if he believes in the player. Just look at what his dad has done.”

Ron Wolf famously acquired Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons three decades ago.

“Ron Wolf’s son is going to go for the biggest, fastest, most talented athlete in most cases,” a different exec said.

Vote distribution: Joe Alt 2, Dallas Turner 2, Marvin Harrison Jr. 2

There was zero consensus on Arizona in this slot. I gave Turner to the Cardinals because their defense badly needs reinforcements.

“Turner is squarely in the top 10 now,” one exec said, citing the Alabama product’s 4.46 in the 40-yard dash.

We could have sent Harrison or Alt to the Cardinals just the same.

“I think they have to go pass rush if they stay there,” one of the execs said. “It could be Dallas Turner. Verse might be a safer pick. I would think they will be looking to move down. There is enough rush, even a Chop Robinson, to get him lower. Seven (Titans) and six (Giants) could trade up for a tackle.”

Trading down from this spot makes perfect sense, perhaps regardless of how the top three picks play out.

“I would expect them to trade the pick,” one of the execs said. “Look at how they moved back last year, and then the fact that this is going to be an attractive spot because it allows someone to come up from a distance to get the player they want.”

This exec was picturing one of the quarterback-needy teams vaulting into this spot for McCarthy or Maye. The Cardinals have already committed to Kyler Murray as their quarterback. Moving back to, say, the 12th slot in a trade with Denver could still deliver the eighth-best non-quarterback in the draft for a team already set at the position.

“That is a perfect distance maybe for Arizona to go back, load up on picks, including a first next year, and there are still players there that are going to have equal opportunity to have a significant impact,” the exec said. “They could get the No. 1 corner, the No. 2 edge guy, still a good tackle, still a good receiver.”

Arizona has been a popular destination for Harrison in mock drafts. While four of the six execs projected Harrison to be the first receiver selected, Nabers and Odunze also got votes, and Harrison wasn’t necessarily seen as the best by a wide margin.

“I think they’ll take Marvin Harrison because I think he is the most talented, solid, all-the-way-around guy,” another exec said. “Let me put it to you this way: I see him being the best available player at that time. If you don’t look at him as better than Odunze or Nabers, then yeah, maybe you go with Alt or Dallas Turner. But they gotta keep giving their quarterback some players, too, and I think Marvin Harrison is going to check every box, and is more talented.”

Vote distribution: Alt 2, Fashanu 2, Turner 1, Nabers 1

The first four execs polled sent an offensive lineman to the Chargers, figuring the pick would make sense symbolically for the team’s old-school coach, Jim Harbaugh. But there was some strong pushback against this idea as well, which we’ll get to in a moment.

“Joe Alt might be the safest and most complete of the tackles,” one exec said. “They have a left tackle. They could play him at right tackle. You are going to want to give the quarterback a run game, and then you are going to want to protect him for the first time in his career.”

Solid thinking, but is it solid value?

“That is one thing I just don’t get,” another exec said. “Taking a guy to play right tackle, I just don’t understand that. Alt is clean, and I love Alt, but with pass rushers, there is a big difference in the value of the position to me. We can find a right tackle.”

This exec penciled in Turner for the Chargers. Another leaned toward the offensive line initially but thought Nabers would make the greater impact.

“To get Herbert a guy like Nabers would give them some L.A. fireworks,” he said.

6. New York Giants: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Vote distribution: Harrison 2, Nabers 1, Odunze 1, Latham 1, Alt 1

Four of the six execs had the Giants selecting a receiver, but there wasn’t strong conviction regarding which receiver would be the choice, partly because the top three wideouts could go in just about any order.

An exec who sent Harrison to the Cardinals at No. 4 settled on Odunze for the Giants.

“Nabers is more speed, while Odunze is more possession, big, strong, physical,” this exec said. “They might go with Odunze just because they took the speed guy out of Tennessee (Jalin Hyatt) last year, and this would be a good complement.”

The Giants need help on their offensive line, but they’ve invested recent high draft choices in the position. The exec sending Latham to the Giants noted that the team seems to like SEC players. What about a quarterback?

“If you are the Giants and J.J. McCarthy is there, I think you have to take him,” one exec said. “That doesn’t mean they will do it. They desperately need offensive line. Let’s just give them Alt. I could see them saying, ‘If Jones doesn’t work this year, we will have another top 10 pick next year and worry about it then.’”

Vote distribution: Fashanu 2, Latham 1, Alt 1, Nabers 1, Verse 1

Four of the six execs sent an offensive lineman to the Titans.

“They have not replaced Taylor Lewan, and they need to do that,” one of the execs said. “The guy they took last year (Skoronski) was really a guard. They need a left tackle.”

The lone exec sending a defensive player to the Titans did so based on what he knows about Tennessee’s GM, Ran Carthon.

“I think they go with the best pass rusher,” this exec said. “Ran would probably rely on his 49er days, probably take Verse. I have not personally studied Verse and Turner enough to have a strong opinion, but that is my gut based on what I have seen.”

8. Atlanta Falcons: Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State

Vote distribution: Verse 2, Turner 2, Robinson 1, Latham 1

The execs generally thought the Falcons would address their quarterback situation in free agency or by trade, although one GM offered up another possibility.

“They are the most likely to trade to 1 and get Caleb Williams, or trade for Fields,” this GM said.

Adding young pass rush help for a veteran defense wouldn’t be as exciting. It could be the best option.

“You can’t take another offensive skill player, can you?” one of the execs said. “I don’t see a quarterback necessarily because I think they are going to sign Russell Wilson. They could go corner, too, but I’ll give them a pass rusher.”

Another exec cautioned against ruling out a receiver, noting that the Falcons could still use help at the position. But he thought defense was more likely.

9. Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Vote distribution: Odunze 3, Nabers 1, Harrison 1, Byron Murphy II 1

Odunze was the highest-rated receiver available in this scenario and a straightforward pick for a team that targeted its franchise quarterback at the top of the draft. The Bears also could find a defensive player for their defensive-minded coach, Matt Eberflus, under the thinking that Williams would unlock more from their receivers, led by DJ Moore.

“To pair Caleb with a top-tier receiver, both of them young, both with a lot of time, yeah, it would be really hard not to do that,” one exec said.

10. New York Jets: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Vote distribution: Bowers 2, Nabers 1, Odunze 1, Fashanu 1, Latham 1

None of the execs thought selecting a tight end in this slot would be a sound move.

“When you are picking in the top 10 and you need offensive line help and you take a tight end, that is malpractice,” the exec sending Fashanu to the Jets said. “You can’t do that. That is just ridiculous.”

Another exec said the Jets needed to select a tackle in this slot, or trade back and select one. But he didn’t necessarily think the Jets would do that.

“It is hard in the top 10 to not take a building-block position, but the Jets are in a unique spot because they have to win this year or they don’t have jobs,” this exec said. “You are getting weapons for Aaron Rodgers and he is going to scheme it for you. They have swung and missed on so many offensive linemen. I would think they go offensive line in free agency.”

(Top photos of, Drake Maye, left, and Jayden Daniels: Grant Halverson, Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

Draft season kicks into high gear this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis as teams will put prospects under a microscope during private interviews, news conferences and workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Quarterbacks always dominate conversations at the combine, and this year will be no different with USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels expected to be among the first handful of picks come April. But a stellar wide receiver group, headlined by Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze, will also draw plenty of interest this week.

Beyond the draft prospects, new head coaches, led by the Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh, and GMs, including the Commanders’ Adam Peters, will be in the spotlight. And the futures of quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be hot topics.

We asked The Athletic’s team of beat and national writers to fill us in on who or what they’ll be watching or listening for as the NFL world descends upon Indianapolis.

How big of a priority is an upgrade at wide receiver?

The Cardinals need help there. That’s not a question. But they have several needs, and two of the biggest are on the offensive and defensive lines. Like many of his peers, general manager Monti Ossenfort believes the quickest way to build is through the trenches. The popular theory is that if wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is there, you take him. But what if he’s not? Does Arizona select Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, also considered elite receivers? Or do they go a different route and look to pick up a receiver in later rounds? Ossenfort, who traded back from No. 3 last year, won’t answer these questions, of course, but he might shed light on how he views Arizona’s roster priorities. — Doug Haller

How does Tier 2 of the quarterback class shake out?

The Falcons don’t have a shot at Caleb Williams or Drake Maye picking at No. 8, and trading up to No. 1 or No. 2 in this draft class doesn’t seem realistic for anyone. That means if Atlanta is going to rely on the draft to find its next quarterback, it’s going to have to decide who it likes from a group that includes LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and maybe even Oregon’s Bo Nix. Not only that, the Falcons have to figure out where they’re going to need to pick to get the player they want. McCarthy and Nix almost certainly will be available at eight, but getting Daniels might require a trade up to as high as No. 3. — Josh Kendall

Which agents is general manager Eric DeCosta meeting with?

The Ravens are picking 30th. They have myriad needs, particularly on the offensive line and at running back and edge rusher. However, they’ll stay at 30 and pick the best player available or they’ll trade back to accrue more picks. What they do in the draft is never sexy, but it’s who they are. It’s also why there will be no position focus at the combine. What will be more notable is whether DeCosta can gain any traction in re-signing his own free agents. The Ravens have nearly two dozen, including standouts Justin Madubuike and Patrick Queen. With a tight salary-cap situation, DeCosta will need to get creative to keep the core of a 13-4 team together for another run. — Jeff Zrebiec

How will the Bills navigate their currently nonexistent cap space?

The Bills have their work cut out for them this offseason. The team is in a projected $41 million hole for 2024 cap space, with only 53 players on their roster and a lot of holes to boot. The team will need to make some difficult decisions. Whom might they cut to make room? Which contracts will they restructure? Which players will they extend? How much do they want to negatively influence their 2025 cap sheet with some of their restructurings? General manager Brandon Beane hasn’t had to do anything quite like this since his early years as the team’s GM. — Joe Buscaglia

The team’s new coach and general manager

I’m interested in hearing what Dave Canales and Dan Morgan say at their first combine as the top of the Panthers’ football food chain. The two spoke in mostly general terms at their introductory news conference, where Morgan said the team needs more “dogs.” You might have heard: The Panthers don’t have a first-round pick. But this is an important offseason for a team that needs to get quarterback Bryce Young offensive line help and more weapons while figuring out how to handle a pair of key free agents in edge rusher Brian Burns and linebacker Frankie Luvu. — Joseph Person

How will Caleb Williams handle the limelight?

The most important elements of the combine for the presumptive No. 1 pick will take place behind the scenes during his conversations with teams, starting with the Bears. Most questions about Williams have more to do with what he’s like off the field, and while he’s experienced more fame than most college football players, he hasn’t experienced anything like the media onslaught that will be waiting for him Friday morning in Indianapolis. The Bears, and other teams, will likely take note of how he does in that environment. — Kevin Fishbain

The defensive tackle class

The Bengals need to attack needs at interior defensive line aggressively, so how the measurables (and interviews) shake out will go a long way to deciding if Byron Murphy of Texas and Jer’Zhan Newton of Illinois could connect at No. 18 or if a move up or down the board shakes them out of mid-first range. Will any new candidates enter the equation for Day 2 with a strong combine? The Bengals need to plot the draft path at DT and if they don’t see enough options, they could shift to a free-agent-laden approach. — Paul Dehner Jr.

The wide receivers

The Browns are focused on winning in 2024, so the “good” stuff at the combine will involve Browns GM Andrew Berry talking potential trades with his peers and potentially bumping into agents of upcoming free agents. None of that will be for public consumption. But the Browns need to upgrade their receiving corps — now and into the future — so it’s fair to think they’ll focus on their evaluations of this year’s wide receiver class. The Browns don’t pick until No. 54 of the second round, so they’ll have to determine how many wide receivers will be long gone, which ones they might like in the second or third rounds and how those receivers might fit into their ever-evolving offense. — Zac Jackson

What is the latest with Dak Prescott’s contract?

There are plenty of areas to address in free agency and the draft, from offensive line to linebacker and defensive tackle. But Prescott’s contract is the No. 1 issue because it affects everything else. The Cowboys have given no indication that they are considering an immediate future without Prescott, who is entering the final season of his current deal. The most likely scenario is that he signs a new contract next month. If the Cowboys leave his deal as is, he’d count just under $60 million against their 2024 cap, making it difficult to do anything to improve the roster outside of the draft. If Dallas is truly “all in,” like Jerry Jones said at the Senior Bowl, they need to figure out Prescott’s future so they can begin improving the rest of the roster. — Jon Machota

Russell Wilson watch

Sean Payton said after the season that a decision on the future of the 35-year-old Wilson would not be “a long, drawn-out process.” A few weeks later, at the Super Bowl, Payton said the decision would come “sooner rather than later.” The Broncos appear ready to move on from Wilson, whose $37 million in 2025 salary becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster on March 17, but there has been no movement yet publicly. I’m interested to see whether the activities at the combine reveal anything about what the Broncos will do with Wilson after two underwhelming seasons in Denver and what light will be shed on their quarterback plan to follow. — Nick Kosmider

The cornerback class

This is a really intriguing group of corners, with more than a handful of prospects looking like first-rounders. The Lions obviously could use some young talent at the position, whether it’s at No. 29 on the first night or on Day 2 with three picks — Nos. 61, 73 and 92. I’m curious to see which corners separate themselves in Indianapolis. Testing is obviously part of the equation, but defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn believes you have to be wired a certain way to excel at the position. Hearing from corners at the podium could help us get a better understanding of prospects the Lions might like. — Colton Pouncy

Jordan Love extension talks

I’m going to be parked next to the second-floor Starbucks at the JW Marriott for 96 consecutive hours, waiting for a glimpse of Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and super-agent David Mulugheta talking with each other. I’d even take just a glance in each other’s direction. Then, I’ll know exactly how much the Packers are paying Love. Gutekunst can’t sign his franchise quarterback until May 3 because that’s 12 months after Love’s last extension, but he and Mulugheta will surely meet in Indianapolis to exchange contract numbers. — Matt Schneidman

Nick Caserio’s plan to build on last season

This was supposed to be a gradual and potentially painful build as Caserio and new coach DeMeco Ryans began laying the foundation last season after the GM spent the two previous years dismantling and setting the table for a true rebuild. But Caserio struck gold with his hiring of Ryans and draft selections both in 2022 and 2023 and Houston came out of nowhere to win its first division title in four years. Now Caserio must further fortify the roster, giving C.J. Stroud additional support by way of consistent weapons and more impactful defensive playmakers. With adequate cap space and eight draft picks, the Texans have resources to build with a blend of free-agent talent and young prospects. Caserio and Ryans surely will not give away any state secrets next week, but they should shed light on some of their highest priorities. — Mike Jones

Who will catch the eye of Colts WRs coach Reggie Wayne?

Beyond the first-round prospects Indianapolis will consider with the No. 15 pick, this year’s draft class is supposed to be loaded with wide receiver talent. Last year, Wayne said he was very impressed with Josh Downs’ route running and sure-handedness during the combine, despite Downs being undersized coming out of North Carolina. Wayne relayed that message to GM Chris Ballard, Downs was drafted in the third round and had a standout rookie season. I’ll use my binoculars to keep a close eye on Wayne’s interactions during combine drills, while also asking several receivers if they’ve met with him and heard any feedback. — James Boyd

How they handle the tricky Calvin Ridley situation

By all accounts, the Jaguars want Ridley back after the 29-year-old receiver had 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season in Jacksonville. However, Ridley’s contract expired and his situation is fascinating to consider. If the Jaguars re-sign Ridley before free agency begins, it qualifies as an extension and they would owe Atlanta a second-round pick in the 2024 draft as per the terms of their trade. However, if Ridley gets to free agency but still returns to the Jaguars, the new deal wouldn’t be considered an extension — rather a free-agent contract — and the Jaguars would only have to send Atlanta their third-round pick. Allowing Ridley to get to the open market is risky, but if the Jaguars play their cards right, they could bring back Trevor Lawrence’s top weapon without losing a top-50 pick. — Jim Ayello

Tier 2 of the receiver and tight end prospects

A major question for next season is whether Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach can return the team’s offense to its previous potent form. One of the fastest ways to do that is to select the best pass-catching prospects available late in the first and second rounds. Travis Kelce will be 35 next season, so adding another tight end should be high on the Chiefs’ priority list. As for the receivers, the Chiefs should have plenty of options, considering the depth of this year’s class. Reid and Veach will use the combine to start identifying which receiver could most excel playing alongside Patrick Mahomes. — Nate Taylor

The quarterback prospects

This isn’t a unique answer, but it’s the most significant roster question for the Raiders in their first full season under general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell was solid in 10 starts as a rookie, but it’s hard to see the Raiders finishing this offseason without adding competition for the starting job either through the addition of a veteran or a rookie quarterback. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are widely considered the top three quarterbacks in this class. The Raiders will do plenty of work on them, but it’ll be difficult for them to draft any of them considering they hold pick No. 13 in the first round. With that in mind, they’ll also need to deeply study J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and the rest of the class. — Tashan Reed

Their salary-cap situation

The Chargers are effectively $31.7 million over the salary cap as they head into the combine, according to Over the Cap. Crucial decisions loom, particularly regarding receiver Mike Williams, receiver Keenan Allen, edge rusher Joey Bosa and edge rusher Khalil Mack. All four veterans have cap hits exceeding $30 million in 2024. How will new head coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz navigate these veteran contracts — and their cap situation in general? Who stays? Who goes? Do they inquire into the trade market? Do they offer extensions? Will they use void years? I’ll be looking for answers to these questions in Indy. — Daniel Popper

Sniffing around an offseason plan

The Rams don’t generally attend the NFL combine (here is why) other than their medical staff’s on-site collection of the all-important medical information on prospects. But Indianapolis is still a great place to gather data and tidbits from agents and other league sources about what their offseason plan could be and new trends in contract structures and team-building. The Rams will have approximately $40 million in workable cap space and a lot of needs despite a better-than-expected 2023 season. They also have brought in new assistant coaches — and the combine will be the perfect environment to mine for information about those additions. — Jourdan Rodrigue

Tua Tagovailoa extension talks

It certainly seems like a Tagovailoa extension is a foregone conclusion. But what will it look like and when will it happen? The Dolphins QB enters the 2024 season with a $23.1 million cap charge on the fifth-year option. The Dolphins then have the franchise tag at their disposal, so they don’t have to sign him to a long-term deal now or even next offseason. But for a team that could use some cap relief, lowering his cap figure with an extension could be appealing. But how much is it going to take to retain Tagovailoa? Is he the caliber of quarterback who should be paid in the neighborhood of a Joe Burrow ($55 million AAV)? Would he take less? These are the franchise-defining questions to keep in mind at the combine and beyond. — Jim Ayello

Where things stand between the Vikings and Kirk Cousins

This subject will shape the future of the Vikings organization. Keep Cousins, and Minnesota would likely be signaling its belief that it can contend in the short term. Move on from him, and the Vikings would be indicating that they’d be ready to chart a new path. Cousins’ contract is set to void March 12. If that happens, the Vikings will be on the hook for a hefty $28.5 million dead-cap hit. The only way to extend that money into the future is to come to terms on an extension with Cousins. The NFL combine stands as a prime opportunity for in-person discussions on this subject between the team and Cousins’ representatives. — Alec Lewis

Quarterback Jayden Daniels

The easiest way for the Patriots to address their issues at quarterback is to draft a signal caller — either Daniels or Drake Maye depending on who falls to them at No. 3. With Daniels, there are more unknowns. The Pats aren’t concerned about his height (6-foot-4) or hand size (9 5/8 inches), but scouts want to see him at or above 210 pounds at the combine because there are concerns about his slight frame and the big hits he too often takes. The other question for the Patriots is how Daniels will interview and how he’ll test when they run him through plays on the whiteboard. How Daniels (and Maye) do this week will go a long way in determining whether the Patriots draft a quarterback or wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the third pick. — Chad Graff

Offensive tackles and pass catchers

We’ll leave the annual “too far over the salary cap” discussion for after the combine because the Saints always find a way. And this year it should come in mass contract restructurings of several veteran players. As noted in our NFL reporters’ mock draft recently, the need for tackle and/or guard should stand high on the priority list. So you’d imagine players like Olu Fashanu (Penn State), JC Latham (Alabama), Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State), Amarius Mims (Georgia) and Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma) are all on the Saints’ radar. The Saints could also use another piece for Derek Carr at wide receiver (LSU’s Brian Thomas, Florida State’s Keon Coleman, Texas’ Adonai Mitchell) to add some more punch with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. — Larry Holder

Saquon Barkley watch

There’s a lot riding on this next period of the Giants offseason after an already noisy start to the business side of things with coaching changes aplenty. But the spotlight will be tuned to Barkley’s future at the combine as the front office and the running back’s representatives are expected to meet again. Will they be able to hammer out a deal? Will he get tagged again for $12.1 million or will he finally test the open market and venture into the interesting running back market? We’ll get a clearer picture by week’s end of where the two sides stand. — Charlotte Carroll

The pass catchers

The Jets have an obvious need at offensive tackle (and/or at guard, too, depending on some offseason decisions), but they also desperately need help at wide receiver for star Garrett Wilson. Allen Lazard won’t cut it as an option in 2024. There are some extremely talented receivers in this class who could be available at No. 10 when the Jets pick — after Marvin Harrison Jr., who will almost certainly be gone — and even if the Jets still need an offensive lineman, they might be tempted by the likes of Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze — or others later in the draft, when teams have found stars in past years while the Jets sat on their hands, like last year. — Zack Rosenblatt

Are they organized?

Fourth-year coach Nick Sirianni overhauled both coordinator positions, and there’s still not much clarity about how involved he will be in working with newly hired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to build a less predictable offensive system that supplies a deeply talented roster with more answers this offseason. And what kind of offense is that exactly? A Howie Roseman-led personnel department that remains largely intact must also upgrade several defensive positions. How more favorably positioned will defenders be in a revamped “Fangio System” that will this time be coached by … well, Vic Fangio? — Brooks Kubena

If it’s a clean sweep concerning Kenny Pickett

The Steelers interview every single player they can and they pretty much use the combine as an assurance of what they’ve scouted throughout the year. So there’s not much to glean there. Where there could be some clarification, or at least unity, is what general manager Omar Khan says about Pickett compared with what Mike Tomlin said days after the season and what owner Art Rooney II said two weeks later. Both alluded to Pickett being the No. 1 quarterback entering the season despite not regaining his starting position from Mason Rudolph over the final four games of the season. Will the Steelers triple down on that or walk it back and hammer home that Pickett won’t be entering the offseason as the clear-cut QB1 and either a re-signing of Rudolph or an outside free agent — or a potential trade — will provide legitimate competition? — Mark Kaboly

The offensive linemen

Three of the top center prospects — Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, Duke’s Graham Barton and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier — should all have multi-positional capability in the NFL. That could be tantalizing to the 49ers, whose biggest weakness to fix lies in the offensive line. More than one spot was a problem this past season. Essentially everyone but left tackle Trent Williams endured significant struggles at one point or another. So perhaps the 49ers, who don’t pick until No. 31, will be looking for an adaptable interior lineman who can immediately fortify their especially problematic right guard position before potentially becoming the long-term solution at center. The 49ers simply need more quality options up front. Imagine the boost that could give QB Brock Purdy. — David Lombardi

John Schneider flying solo

This will be Seattle’s first combine with GM Schneider leading football operations, so his messaging from the podium will be interesting to analyze. While Schneider has long figured prominently into key decisions, coach Pete Carroll set the vision for the franchise previously. Schneider is doing more of that now. We won’t hear from new coach Mike Macdonald at all at the combine; he and his staff are expected to remain behind to install their schemes. That will put additional attention on Schneider. — Mike Sando

How they approach the quarterback position

The Bucs want to re-sign Baker Mayfield, whose contract is up. Mayfield has said he wants to remain in Tampa. But he also told ESPN he wants market value. That probably means a deal similar to the one Geno Smith recently signed with Seattle — $75 million over three years. Whether the Bucs want to pay that is the issue. A franchise tag is an option but not ideal with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and wide receiver Mike Evans also on expiring contracts. It will be interesting to hear what GM Jason Licht says about the quarterback position, including the prospects in the draft. — Dan Pompei

Three tackles and two receivers

The free-agency picture suggests the Titans can get help at cornerback and interior offensive line before the draft but will likely have to focus their first two picks on their two biggest needs. The absence of a third-round pick increases the urgency. Second-year quarterback Will Levis needs a long-term receiver to grow with and a left tackle to protect him. The board may work out for the Titans to choose between Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu as a foundational tackle — but what about Taliese Fuaga? Does he continue his momentum in Indy? Could the Titans move down, get him and be happy with it? The board may also let Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze slide to No. 7. Would Brian Callahan prefer a playmaker over a blocker as the Bengals did when he was there and they took Ja’Marr Chase over Penei Sewell in 2021? — Joe Rexrode

The quarterbacks

It’s no secret that the holders of the No. 2 pick are expected to select a quarterback from the top group. The trick here is the new braintrust of GM Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and the scouting department holdovers are mostly new to each other. Do they have Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels graded in the same range? If Williams is a cut above, is the gap considered enough to offer the Bears a Godfather trade for the first pick? Has Daniels’ dual-threat shine caught up to Maye or do they prefer the UNC quarterback’s prototypical size? We won’t find out the staff’s hopes and dreams, but this is where the detective work begins by examining the trio on our own. — Ben Standig

(Top photos of J.J. McCarthy, Saquon Barkley and Malik Nabers: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images; Jim McIsaac, Getty Images; Matthew Hinton / USA Today)

A year ago, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced at the NFL Scouting Combine that his team was open for business: the first pick in the 2023 draft was available.

“We need a lot, and that (first choice) gives us more chances to sign more players,” Poles said at the time. “It's a good situation for where our club is now.”

The combination then became an intelligence gathering mission for Poles and the Bears. They had to do their due diligence on the quarterback class, including interviews with Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson.

But the Poles also needed to leave Indianapolis with an accurate view of the trade market for the top pick — and he got it. A few days after the combine ended, the Bears traded the top pick to the Carolina Panthers.

The goals for Poland in this year's competition should be similar. The Bears will face top quarterbacks: USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels, Michigan's JJ McCarthy and possibly others.

And then the Poles will also have trading markets that they can experiment with through his conversations with other General Managers. Just like last year, one market could be the first choice. Another could be for current starter Justin Fields.

What is the biggest risk for Poland and the Bears? Does it remain with a quarterback who has the belief of his teammates but still ranks in the bottom third in the league in many statistical areas? Or does it pass on the top QBs in the draft for the second year in a row?

Which teams could be interested in Fields?

According to NFL.com, 66 quarterbacks started for teams during the 2023 season. That's a lot. But two more started for teams during the 2022 season. That's wild.

Teams are always looking for quarterbacks – and some won't be able to find answers in free agency or the draft. Unlike other teams, the Bears have a certainty with the first pick.

There were 12 quarterbacks included in Randy Mueller's rankings of the top 150 free agents for The Athletics. Only two of them – Kirk Cousins ​​of the Minnesota Vikings and Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – made the top 20. San Francisco 49ers backup Sam Darnold was next at No. 98.

The trading market comes next. Teams will be looking for security at the most important position in the sport heading into the draft. There could be a competitive market for Fields.

With help of The Athletics's beat writers, here are five potential trade partners to consider as the NFL world descends on Indianapolis next week.

Atlanta Falcons

New Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson didn't give much away when talking about what the team wants in its next quarterback.

“Whether it's a pocket guy, whether it's a guy who can move a little bit, we're just going to look for the best guy,” Robinson said.

However, the fact that Robinson has spent his entire career under Rams coach Sean McVay in Los Angeles suggests he is looking for a Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford type. However, Fields' big arm will appeal to Robinson. Robinson said the first thing he looks for is “how someone throws the football and what that looks like.”

Whether the Falcons pursue Fields may simply come down to options. They don't have a clear path to their next quarterback, as they are the eighth pick in the first round, and Atlanta isn't one of the league's top destinations for free agency. — Josh Kendal

Denver Broncos

Sean Payton saw Fields at his best when the Broncos visited the Bears in Week 4 last season. Fields completed 28 of 35 passes for 335 yards and a career-high four touchdowns (a total he would match the following week). But in a narrow Bears loss, Fields also lost a fumble that was returned for a Broncos touchdown and threw an interception on Chicago's final drive, sealing the defeat.

After expressing frustration over Russell Wilson's inability to protect the football during key stretches of last season, I don't see the Broncos giving up significant draft capital for a quarterback in Fields who, while younger and more athletic than Wilson, isn't in it managed to fully address his ball security issues.

If the Broncos are going to move draft capital in a deal to acquire a quarterback, it's more likely to be a move for a rookie. Payton can fit his offense, even if it means sitting behind Jarrett Stidham for a season. . — Nick Kosmider

Las Vegas Raiders

It's highly unlikely the Raiders will pursue Fields because they hired the offensive coordinator who was fired after working with him in Chicago last season.

Luke Getsy was selected by the Raiders for his work as a passing game coordinator with the Packers and his run-game concepts with the Bears, as the Raiders decided that the biggest problem with the Bears offense over the past two seasons was the quarterback and not the offensive. coordinator. Getsy also worked with Raiders receiver Davante Adams in Green Bay. — Vic Tafur

New England Patriots

The Patriots are exploring all options to improve their quarterback situation, even if the most likely option means using the No. 3 pick at the position. But they might be tempted to sign Marvin Harrison Jr. to appoint, perhaps the best wide receiver of the past decade. So maybe there's an argument for trading for Fields and using that top pick on Harrison, immediately upgrading both the quarterback and wide receiver — perhaps the two biggest weaknesses on the roster.

Even if it appears the Pats are more likely to pursue a quarterback with their third pick, if those future picks (likely Maye and Daniels) disappoint in interviews at the combine, the Patriots might consider parting with their third-round pick ( No. 68) for fields. — Chad Graff

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have two paths they can take at quarterback: hope new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can unlock something in Kenny Pickett that the NFL hasn't seen yet, or look elsewhere for an upgrade.

While the Rooney family is known for its patient approach, general manager Omar Khan has done business with the Bears before, and Fields is perhaps the most realistic of the outside options. Fields' mobility would add another wrinkle to the run-heavy scheme Smith is likely to install, and the former Buckeye's big arm would showcase the skills of George Pickens' underutilized deep threat. The quarterback would also be backed by what is expected to be the NFL's highest-paid defense, so he wouldn't immediately be asked to be a finished product.

But what is the price? If you're giving up something to get him, it's probably wise to double down by picking up the estimated $23.3 million fifth-year option in May. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, the Steelers should be ready to take on Pickett. That's a big gamble for a quarterback the Bears aren't sold on just three years after giving up four picks to get him. — Mike DeFabo

How would a transaction proceed?

Last year the New York Jets went all-in. They traded for Aaron Rodgers.

In 2022, the Broncos put all their chips in. They acquired Russell Wilson.

A team interested in Fields and then acquiring him in a trade with the Bears wouldn't do the same. It could be hedging his bets on the position, and not just betting on Fields.

Fields' situation also looks different than the Panthers' desperate decision to acquire Darnold from the Jets in 2021 for a sixth-round pick in that draft and second- and fourth-rounders in 2022. The Panthers then guaranteed his fifth-year option.

However, these three transactions occurred before the draft. This is important. Some QB-needy teams will seek clarity due to the unpredictability of the draft. Other teams may be more compelled to wait until the draft.

The Polish plan will have to be flexible, but only to a certain extent. The Bears have complimented Fields since the end of the season. Poland, coach Matt Eberflus and president/CEO Kevin Warren have all done it. But that could be seen as an attempt to create leverage in trade talks that could come their way in Indianapolis.

For all his physical gifts and glimpses of potential stardom, Fields' numbers tell you not to pick his fifth-year option for the 2025 season.

Among qualified QBs, Fields finished the 2023 season ranked 29th in completion percentage, 23rd in passing yards per game, 22nd in passer rating, 24th in QBR, 26th in adjusted net yards per attempt, 31st in sack percentage and 22nd in interception percentage (per Professional Football Reference ). His numbers on third downs, in the fourth quarter and in late-game situations don't inspire much confidence either.

As always, more context is needed. The Bears as an organization should be blamed for his failures as much, if not more, than he is. But the situation is what it is. The Bears have built in the ability to pivot from fields if necessary.

However, Fields may still be the best option for other teams after free agency and before the draft. The difference between the Bears and those teams is that they have the first pick. The design still starts with them.

(Top photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

NFL free agency is fast approaching, offering the first window for teams to improve this offseason, provided they sign the right players.

These are my rankings and scouting reports of the top 150 free agents available, shaped by a ton of film work and perspective from many years leading NFL personnel departments. This might not be exactly how you see it, but that’s why Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors.

A few notes:

• While these rankings factor in age (as of Sept. 5, the scheduled date of the 2024 season opener) and known injury history, they do not consider medical or character information, as teams know much more about those subjects behind closed doors.

• At each position, I’ve included some stats I find valuable. At some positions, I’ve estimated play speed from what I can see on tape (not timed 40-yard-dash speed — there is a difference). At times, I’ve used play speed as a differentiator.

• If I were with an NFL team, this would be only one part of a multilevel process to establish consensus within the building. That consensus is missing from any rankings you’ll see, here or elsewhere. You can read more about my criteria and how an NFL GM approaches free agency here.

With that, let’s dive in.

— The Athletic’s James Boyd, Joe Buscaglia, Paul Dehner Jr., Michael-Shawn Dugar, Dan Duggan, Chad Graff, Zac Jackson, Mark Kaboly, Josh Kendall, Brooks Kubena, David Lombardi, Jon Machota, Daniel Popper, Tashan Reed, Matt Schneidman, Ben Standig and Jeff Zrebiec contributed to this story.

(Top illustration: Daniel Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of, from left, Kirk Cousins, Brian Burns and Saquon Barkley: Stephen Maturen, David Jensen / Getty Images, Michael Owens / Associated Press)

The NFL offseason began Sunday night after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to claim the Super Bowl LVIII title and (only slightly less importantly) the top spot in our postseason power rankings.

That means that all the fan bases that have been tuning out as their teams were eliminated from playoff contention or the playoffs are now back in the game. Hope is alive again for everyone with free agency and the draft coming into view.

With that in mind, we’re resetting our power rankings by combining some of the old (last season’s results) and some of the new (who’s getting a stud quarterback back, who might get a new coach lift, who has salary-cap space, etc.) to set the field going forward.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes, who was 8-for-8 passing on the drive that just won the Super Bowl, won his third Super Bowl MVP trophy and is one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to win at least three Super Bowl titles (and he was behind by double digits in all three of those games). He is 15-3 in the playoffs in his six-year career and has advanced at least to the AFC Championship Game in all six of those seasons. Kansas City has $24 million in salary-cap space but might as well use it all to make sure the defense stays stocked because Mahomes will make it work on offense.

2. San Francisco 49ers

This will be a tough week, but the future will be fine. The 49ers are over the salary cap (by just $3.7 million) but have all of their significant offensive weapons under contract. They also still have Kyle Shanahan, which despite what everyone is saying today, is a good thing. Shanahan is 72-54 as a head coach. San Francisco is second in the league in yards per play (5.9) and seventh in scoring (25.04) since Shanahan became the head coach in 2017, according to TruMedia.

Everyone’s favorite underdog had the 49ers on the ropes in the NFC Championship Game, has money to spend ($47 million in cap space) and, shockingly, still has offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who rebuffed the Washington Commanders to stay in Detroit. Every significant offensive contributor remains under contract on a team that finished fifth in the league in scoring (27.35 ppg). When coach Dan Campbell said after the loss to the Niners that it would be “twice as hard” to get back to that point next season, it wasn’t poor-mouthing, it was just his first motivational speech of the 2024 season.

A disappointing ending (scoring 10 points in the AFC Championship Game against the underdog Chiefs) shouldn’t overshadow the fact the Ravens, who have $7.3 million cap space, remain the class of the AFC’s B flight (which includes any team that doesn’t employ Patrick Mahomes). There won’t be any Lamar Jackson contract drama this offseason, which will allow Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Monken to strengthen their connection. That’s good news for the Ravens considering Jackson is coming off the second-best season of his career and second NFL MVP award. The quarterback’s yards per attempt (7.9) this year were a career-high and his passer rating (101.6) and touchdown passes (27) were the second best of his career.

The Texans are one of the big movers since the last publication of these rankings. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud put 45 points on one of the league’s most aggressive defenses in the playoffs, beating the Browns 45-14 in the wild-card round, and was named offensive rookie of the year. His offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik, is back after taking head coaching interviews, and Houston has $57.4 million in cap space.

A Matt LaFleur Appreciation Post: The Packers head coach somehow is the forgotten man in the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay conversation. LaFleur is 56-27 in five seasons in Green Bay. That .675 winning percentage is better than Shanahan or McVay, not to mention every other active coach in the league other than Jim Harbaugh (.695). Until last season, Aaron Rodgers got the credit for LaFleur’s accomplishments, but the Packers (who are $2.9 million above the salary cap) are doing it now with 25-year-old Jordan Love.

Things get a lot harder for Buffalo starting this offseason because Josh Allen’s cap hit just went from $18.6 million to $47 million, and it will be north of $40 million for the next five seasons. It’s why the Bills already are $51.3 million over the 2024 cap. The good news is they still have Allen, and he’s the reason Buffalo sits with Baltimore on the AFC’s second shelf. Remember, the Bills finished the season fourth in point margin (plus-140) despite six regular-season losses.

8. Cleveland Browns

Deshaun Watson is back, but we’re all still trying to figure out if that’s a good thing. Kevin Stefanski earned NFL coach of the year honors by getting the Browns to the playoffs with no Nick Chubb and with Joe Flacco at quarterback after Watson’s season-ending injury. Watson has started only 12 games since joining the Browns two years ago (8-4 record), and he’s 57th in the league in EPA per attempt (minus-.07) in that time, according to TruMedia. Still, the Browns, who are $19.6 million over the cap, have a great defense and Chubb returning from a devastating knee injury.

Are you ready for a lot of Tua Tagovailoa talk? Well, you better be. The Dolphins quarterback is under contract for 2024 at a $23.2 million cap hit, but that’s the last year of his deal and “Should Miami give Tua a market-setting deal?” is going to be one of the questions of the offseason. The Dolphins aren’t exactly rolling in spending money. They are $51.9 million over the salary cap at the moment and should pay defensive tackle Christian Wilkins this offseason.

Tua Tagovailoa got on stage with Darius Rucker to play the guitar & sing Wagon Wheel in Vegas

Daniel Jones was in the crowd cheering him on

(via @kasideekarsten) pic.twitter.com/LKizs1IVWs

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 10, 2024

No team has moved up this list more than the Bengals, who not only have $59.4 million cap space but are getting Joe Burrow back from a season-ending wrist injury. Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan is gone, but Burrow’s return more than makes up for it. Burrow is 27-15 as a starter in the last three seasons and cheap(-ish) for one more year. Burrow’s cap hit for 2024 is $29.7 million. After that, it goes over $46 million for each of the next five seasons.

The Cowboys are allowed to be in the top half of these rankings only because the playoffs are over. Dallas, which is $19.7 million over the salary cap, has won 12 regular-season games in each of the last three years but only one playoff game in that span. Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy are back, looking to move past last month’s embarrassing 48-32 loss to the Packers, but running back Tony Pollard is an unrestricted free agent.

Everyone of note is under contract, and the Rams have $27.7 million in salary-cap space. They won seven of their last nine regular-season games and came within a point of upsetting the Lions in the playoffs. Barring an unexpected (but you could see it at his age) retirement by Matthew Stafford, the Rams will enter 2024 as a dark-horse conference championship contender.

Did we underestimate the Bucs all season long? Did the Eagles just quit? Tampa Bay’s 32-9 win over Philadelphia in the wild-card round raised questions about both teams. Questions that probably won’t be answered until next season starts, but the Buccaneers do at least deserve some recognition here. Tampa Bay — which has $36.9 million in salary-cap space, some of which certainly will go to re-signing Baker Mayfield — has gone to the playoffs each of the last four seasons, winning the division title three times and a Super Bowl once in that span.

In a world where Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t exist, Indianapolis would be feeling very good about itself right now. The Colts are getting quarterback Anthony Richardson back from his season-ending shoulder surgery and are believers in Shane Steichen after his first year as head coach. Throw in $58.9 million of salary-cap space to plug holes, and Colts fans can talk themselves into a brewing rivalry with Stroud and the Texans.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

A case could be made to put the Eagles just about anywhere on this list. Many of the reasons they went to the Super Bowl a season ago (Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith) are still around, but questions abound. They have $20.2 million in salary-cap space but may lose Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham to retirement and/or free agency. Then there’s the coaching staff overhaul that ended with Kellen Moore in charge of the offense and Vic Fangio in charge of the defense. How good are the Eagles? Who knows?

This position is Kirk Cousins dependent. The 35-year-old free agent is coming off a torn Achilles tendon, but he’s still going to be the hottest quarterback commodity on the market. The Vikings have $24.7 million in cap space and will create as much more as they need to to get Cousins back. He’s expressed his contentment with Minnesota, and why not? In his two seasons playing for Kevin O’Connell, Cousins is third in the league in passing yards (275.12) and passing touchdowns (1.88) per game, according to TruMedia.

Robert Saleh should just pretend last year never happened. Seriously. Make it a bit starting now. Pretend this is Aaron Rodgers’ first season with the team. Claim he’s never heard the names Pat McAfee or Zach Wilson. Lean into it. The Jets have $5 million in salary-cap space, the No. 10 pick in the draft and a healthy Rodgers. New York still has Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator, but maybe Saleh can pretend that’s not real either.

Seattle gets a new head coach bump thanks to Mike Macdonald’s hiring, but it’s still in one of the league’s toughest divisions with the 49ers, Rams and perhaps ascendant Cardinals. The Seahawks need to create some salary-cap room (they’re minus-$5.2 million at the moment) and hope Geno Smith has a bounce-back season. The quarterback’s passer rating (100.8 to 92.1), touchdowns (32 to 20) and yards per attempt (7.5 to 7.3) all went down after a surprising 2022, according to TruMedia.

Mike Tomlin checked the “winning season” box again, but that’s about all the Steelers got out of the season. They weren’t competitive against Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs, and they don’t seem to know if Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph is the quarterback. Something everyone in Pittsburgh can look forward to, though, are some great sideline shots of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and mercurial wide receiver George Pickens throughout the season. Pittsburgh is $16 million over the cap.

Yes, Jim Harbaugh is quirky, but only Guy Chamberlin (who coached the Canton Bulldogs among others in the 1920s; I had to look it up), John Madden, Vince Lombardi and George Allen have a better career winning percentage in the NFL than Harbaugh’s .695. He also has Justin Herbert. There are issues, though, including an aging roster and the fact the Chargers are $45.8 million over the cap.

No team will have a longer offseason than the Jaguars, who lost five of their last six games to fall out of playoff contention. Jacksonville, which has $11.3 million in cap space, has only two more cheap years of Trevor Lawrence. The quarterback will be an $11 million cap hit this year and then either play on his fifth-year option or a new deal, either of which will be a bigger number. The Jags pick 17th in the first round.

The Raiders were 5-4 under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, which was good enough to make him full-time head coach Antonio Pierce. Now, he has his work cut out for him. The Raiders have some money to spend ($36 million in cap space) and the No. 13 pick in the upcoming draft, but they probably need a quarterback and are a long way from being able to compete with the division-dominating Chiefs.

It’s hard to see where this team will find a solution at quarterback. Sean Payton still won’t say if Russell Wilson will be back, but things aren’t trending in that direction. The Broncos are set to pick 12th so they’ll either have to trade up or decide they can live with one of the second-tier quarterback prospects if they want a rookie quarterback. They are $23.9 million over the salary cap and will take another big cap hit if they cut Wilson ($85 million in dead money if he’s released before June 1), so attracting a name in free agency seems unlikely.

Matt Eberflus is coming back. Now, what about Justin Fields? Thanks to last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers, the Bears have the No. 1 pick, which means they can take Caleb Williams (or Drake Maye or even Jayden Daniels, but probably Williams) or bank on more development by Fields. Either way, this is going to be an offseason of additions. The Bears have the Nos. 1 and 9 picks in the first round and $46.9 million of cap space.

Mike Vrabel is out, and Brian Callahan and a more “collaborative” mindset are in. Will that and $68.1 million in salary-cap space be enough to get Tennessee back into the playoff hunt after two years out of the mix? That depends mostly on quarterback Will Levis, who started nine games last year and whom Callahan, the former Bengals offensive coordinator, was hired to elevate. The Titans were 3-6 in Levis’ starts.

26. Washington Commanders

The Commanders’ offseason of optimism — new owner, No. 2 pick, $73.6 million in cap space — lost some momentum when Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson seemed to leave them at the head coaching altar late in the process. It may turn out that Washington stumbled into a great hire with Dan Quinn, whose positive attitude should help a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2005, or it may be a bust. A lot could depend on whether Quinn’s offensive coordinator hire, Kliff Kingsbury, works out.

Jerod Mayo is on the clock, and it seems as if he’s suddenly in charge of the first round of the NFL Draft. The Patriots pick No. 3. Quarterbacks are considered locks to be taken in the first two picks, but things get interesting at No. 3. Will Mayo decide it’s time to move on from Mac Jones and draft a quarterback or will he take Marvin Harrison Jr. to help Jones’ development? What New England does with its $66 million in cap space in March may give us some clue about that.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the Saints for always playing their role. General manager Mickey Loomis scoffs at the salary cap, and thus New Orleans is in the worst cap shape in the league heading into the offseason ($83.9 million over the cap). The other thing Loomis always does is figure it out by the time the fall arrives, although Saints fans might be starting to wonder about the long-term strategy. New Orleans hasn’t made the playoffs or won double-digit games in the last three seasons.

The Falcons have a new head coach, with Raheem Morris taking over for the fired Arthur Smith, and $25.8 million in salary-cap space. What they don’t have is a quarterback. That’s why they will be attached to every available one until the question is settled. Justin Fields? Sure, he could be an option. Kirk Cousins? He’s familiar with the new offensive system. Trading up from No. 8 in the draft to get Jayden Daniels? Might be an option. That’s a preview of the next two months for the Falcons.

Daniel Jones will count at least $41.6 million toward the salary cap each of the next three seasons. The Giants have the No. 6 pick in the first round. They have to at least consider making a change at quarterback. They also have to figure out what to do about Saquon Barkley. They couldn’t get a long-term deal done with their star running back last offseason but have $21.8 million in cap space available they want to try harder this offseason.

31. Arizona Cardinals

This is the offseason the Cardinals have been waiting for since last offseason. Arizona has $41.9 million in cap space and has three picks in the top 35 selections and seven of the top 104. No team will get a bigger facelift before the start of next season. One place where there won’t be a change is quarterback as the Cardinals have committed to keeping Kyler Murray.

32. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers hired a new head coach, Dave Canales, to fix their still-kind-of-new quarterback, Bryce Young. Canales was the surprise hire of the offseason, coming to Carolina after only one year of calling plays at division-rival Tampa Bay. Either he blew the Panthers away in the interview process or mercurial owner David Tepper was worried he wasn’t going to be able to attract a bigger-name hire. Carolina has $28.6 million in cap space heading into the offseason.

(Top photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images)

Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick smiled as they stood before a packed crowd at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 11 and emotionally recalled some of their fondest memories of their historic 24-year partnership with the New England Patriots.

The partnership between the team owner and the coach had just ended and it was an opportune time for the breakup. But if there had been any caveat, it was when Kraft said how difficult it would be to see Belichick “in a cut-off hoodie on the sideline” for another team.

The idea felt inevitable at the time, with the Patriots one of eight teams with a vacancy and the NFL's most successful coach on the market. Belichick, with 333 career wins, is 15 wins away from breaking Don Shula's record, and that seemed like a clear draw for ownership — on top of his coaching acumen, of course.

However, that perception fell flat. The remaining coaching vacancies were filled this week, and it appears Belichick won't be on the NFL sidelines for the first time in half a century.

For all the positives Belichick could bring to a new organization, numerous sources around the league, who were granted anonymity to speak freely without retaliation, cited a handful of reasons why the coaching legend remains out of a job, and it goes deeper than just the fact that he is not. is about to turn 72.

The Atlanta Falcons were the only known suitor with serious interest, but they hired Raheem Morris after interviewing Belichick a few times.

At one point, it seemed publicly as if Belichick and the Falcons were building momentum toward a partnership. However, sources close to both sides were cautious throughout the process.

I've been trying to get people to tell Belichick to the Falcons for a week now, but that was never a sure thing. Both sides were gathering information on each other, open to seeing where things would go, and the Falcons planned to keep their options wide open.

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 25, 2024

They were all on a fact-finding mission to determine if the organization's power structure was the right fit to sustain success with Belichick, who had grown accustomed to total control over football operations, while Falcons owner Arthur Blank was about to leave his leadership structure intact to hold. .

Sources close to Belichick also cited a frosty relationship with Falcons president Rich McKay as the main reason the sides may have decided they could or could not work together.

One wonders why Belichick didn't just put his head down, adapt to another team's way of doing business and focus on coaching his way to fifteen more wins before retiring with a monopoly on major coaching records.

But if Belichick wasn't going to go out of his way to pitch Kraft on a way to turn around the Patriots' recent misfortunes, he certainly wouldn't be doing it to a relative stranger. League sources believed that Kraft might have been persuaded to keep Belichick for another season if the coach had committed to changing certain strategies in personnel, roster construction and his offensive vision, but Belichick was accustomed to a specific approach and didn't want to bend that far. .

That's also relevant because it was related to the mutual fact-finding mission with the Falcons, and they were hardly alone among teams in the coaching market.

But most importantly, the Falcons were completely sold to Morris, according to a league source. Belichick's resume will surpass that of any coach — in an interview process, or historically — but his past performance was less important to the Falcons than what they thought Morris could bring to their future.

When the Falcons hired Morris, only the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders had vacancies. At the time, league sources called it a gamble for both organizations to consider Belichick, and even those odds seemed generous.

Three main reasons were echoed by numerous sources around the league: Belichick's mishandling of the Patriots' quarterback situation in recent years, his desire to maintain total control of football operations and a growing concern about the coach's ability to to deal with this generation of players.

At quarterback, people around the league still don't understand how Belichick could let Tom Brady leave in free agency, but the lack of a succession plan was almost as confusing. Belichick went the budget route with Cam Newton in 2020 and drafted Mac Jones in the 2021 first round, but failed to develop him to almost any measurable degree.

Jones had three offensive coordinators in three seasons, including Belichick's 2022 decision to hire longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia, which was almost universally criticized in league circles. The offense was poorly constructed with a patchwork and mostly sub-par skill players. Executives from opposing teams were also turned off by Belichick's public estrangement of Jones.

These issues led decision makers to wonder whether Belichick could build an offense without Brady or have enough patience to develop a young quarterback.

The power structure was another red flag. Belichick has been fiercely loyal to his coaching confidantes and like-minded personnel managers throughout his career, and those bonds can be traced to the Patriots' deteriorating performance in recent seasons — again most notably bringing Patricia into the offense.

Sources with multiple teams that just hired new head coaches expressed varying degrees of relief that Belichick did not join their team. Some were concerned that Belichick would overhaul the leadership structure and chain of command.

Others, especially on the draft side, heard stories from Patriots scouts who didn't feel like their opinions had any weight with Belichick. His draft record has been heavily scrutinized over the past decade, with rumors swirling around the league that he overruled his personnel department on major draft decisions. The fear, especially among scouts who spend so much time on the road, away from their families, is that they might be wasting their time.

There has also been a change in the way players want to be coached. Many current players want to interact with their coaches as human beings, often feeling that they will be at their best seven days a week, and they prefer to feel empowered by the staff.

The latest wave of new-age coaches has no such authoritarian complex, demanding players do whatever they say simply because they are their boss. Players want to know why they do things, whether it's the weightlifting routine or a schematic technique, and coaches who can deliver their message in such a way have become more attractive.

While league executives agree that Belichick can still lead a defense in today's era — and the way the Patriots played still showed revolutionary ideas, they say — concerns about the offensive approach have trumped defensive coaching.

History has shown us that the eight hires in this cycle will not have a high success rate. As the saying goes in the business, there are only two types of coaches: those who have been fired and those who will be fired. Time could determine whether these teams will regret bypassing Belichick, whether he gets another chance on the sidelines to prove he can still do it, or whether he retires as those teams' favorite hires be replaced at short notice.

However it turns out, there was a strong belief that Belichick would not be on most of their shortlists due to his performance over the past four years. They cited many of the same reasons why Kraft and the Patriots chose to replace Belichick with Jerod Mayo.

And that's why Belichick may have to wait at least a year before getting another chance to lead a franchise.

(Photo: Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, setting off a number of AFC playoff dominoes. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills clinched playoff spots with the loss to the Jags. This also gave the Houston Texans the AFC South title.

And later, the Bills clinched the AFC East title by beating the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night.

Additionally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers punched their ticket to the postseason on Sunday by capturing the NFC South crown with a sluggish win over the Carolina Panthers. And the Green Bay Packers clinched the last remaining NFC wild card berth by defeating the Chicago Bears.

Below is a preview of all the scenarios for each team with playoff lives remaining.

Follow here for live updates on NFL Week 18 and here for live updates on Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins.

AFC

Riveted

• Baltimore Ravens (13-4) – AFC North division title, No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home field advantage
• Buffalo notes (11-6) – AFC East division title
• Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) – AFC West division title
• Houston Texans (10-7) – AFC South Division Title
• Cleveland Browns (11-6) – play-off berth
• Miami Dolphins (11-6) – play-off berth
• Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) – play-off berth

Bracket sowing

1. Raven
2. Bills
3. Leaders
4. Texans
5. Tanning
6. Dolphins
7. Steelers

NFC

Riveted

• San Francisco 49ers (12-4) – NFC West division title, No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home field advantage
• Dallas Cowboys (12-5) – NFC East division title
• Detroit Lions (12-5) – NFC North division title
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) – NFC South division title
• Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) – play-off berth
• Los Angeles Rams (10-7) – play-off berth
• Green Bay Packers (9-8) – play-off berth

Bracket sowing

1. 49ers
2. Cowboys
3. Lions
4. Buccaneers
5. Eagles
6. Rams
7. Packers

Required reading

• NFL Week 18 playoff standings and projections: Which teams have the best chance to make the postseason?
• Russini: What I’m hearing about the NFL coaching carousel entering Week 18
• NFL Power Rankings Week 18: Browns and Packers rise, plus a lesson for each team

(Photo: John Fisher/Getty Images)

Like the rest of you, the Power Rankings are trying to make some sense of this NFL year as we head into the final week of the regular season. Nine playoff spots are spoken for — by the Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs and Browns in the AFC and 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Eagles and Rams in the NFC. That leaves five more to be decided by the results of Week 18.

Before all that, though, we’re going to try to take a lesson from each team’s season, even those seasons that are basically over.

1. Baltimore Ravens (13-3)

(Last week: 1)

Sunday: Beat Miami Dolphins 56-19

The lesson: Hire great assistants

John Harbaugh hit back-to-back home runs by hiring defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald in 2022 and offensive coordinator Todd Monken in 2023. As a result, his Ravens clinched the AFC’s top seed by thumping the Dolphins on Sunday. Well, that, and having Lamar Jackson, who was 18-for-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns against Miami. Jackson’s plus-28.2 passing EPA was the best single-game performance since Joe Burrow against the Ravens in 2021 (plus-34.1), according to NextGenStats, and probably clinched the MVP award.

Up next: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET

2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

(Last week: 2)

Sunday: Beat Washington Commanders 27-10

The lesson: Star power matters

The 49ers have made a quarterback nobody else in the league wanted look like a superstar by surrounding him with stars. On Sunday, San Francisco became the first team in league history to have a running back (Christian McCaffrey), two wide receivers (Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk) and a tight end (George Kittle) all surpass 1,000 yards in a single season. The 49ers also clinched the top seed in the NFC, meaning teams that love playing at home on turf (looking at you Dallas and Detroit) probably will have to win in the elements to get to the Super Bowl.

Up next: vs. Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

3. Cleveland Browns (11-5)

(Last week: 8)

Thursday: Beat New York Jets 37-20

The lesson: They didn’t even need Deshaun Watson

The Browns would be one of the feel-good stories in the league this year if not for the fact that they still have a scar from their pursuit of Watson, and it looks like it was a misguided self-inflicted wound. Cleveland has won seven of its last nine games, the last five of which have come with 38-year-old Joe Flacco at quarterback. Flacco has topped 300 yards passing in each of the last four games. He had 309 and three touchdowns against the Jets on Thursday. Why did they do all they did to get Watson again?

Up next: at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

4. Detroit Lions (11-5)

(Last week: 5)

Saturday: Lost to Dallas Cowboys 20-19

The lesson: NFL Draft maxims are flawed

Remember all the grief Detroit got for taking running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 and inside linebacker Jack Campbell at No. 18? Since Week 14, Gibbs is ninth in the league in rushing (72.25 yards per game). Campbell is second on the team in tackles for the season (77). Tight end Sam LaPorta, the No. 34 pick, hasn’t been bad either, catching 81 passes for 860 yards and nine touchdowns. (Sorry about the ref thing guys. We hope leaving you ahead of the Cowboys in these rankings makes it all better.)

Up next: vs. Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

5. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)

(Last week: 6)

Saturday: Beat Detroit Lions 20-19

The lesson: Throw the ball to your best players

Dallas has lost only once this season when CeeDee Lamb gets more than 10 targets in a game. Lamb averaged seven targets and 5.7 catches per game through Week 6, and the Cowboys were 4-2. Since then, he has averaged 12.6 targets and 8.8 catches per game, and Dallas is 7-3 in that span. Saturday night, he had a career-high 227 yards on 13 catches against the Lions.

Up next: at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

.@dak said GO LONG @_CeeDeeThree pic.twitter.com/xuP9pBgndi

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 31, 2023

6. Miami Dolphins (11-5)

(Last week: 3)

Sunday: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 56-19

The lesson: Speed kills

Six of the top 10 speeds achieved by ball carriers in the NFL this year have been by Dolphins — Tyreek Hill three times, Devone Achane twice and Raheem Mostert once. They have enough speed that they’ve been able to survive injuries to all three of those players at some point this season and still get to 11 wins. It didn’t help much Sunday, but Achane did have 107 yards on just 14 carries against one of the NFL’s best defenses.

Up next: vs. Buffalo Bills, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

(Last week: 4)

Sunday: Beat New England Patriots 27-21

The lesson: Josh Allen is the MVP runner-up

All the hand-wringing after Allen’s four-turnover start to the season is long gone as the second-most unique player in the league behind Lamar Jackson has the Bills sitting at No. 6 in the AFC playoff race after their fourth straight win Sunday, and Buffalo can win the AFC East by beating Miami on Sunday. Despite a pedestrian statistical performance against the Patriots, Allen is seventh in the NFL in passing yards (3,947) and second in scramble EPA per game (3.47), according to TruMedia.

Up next: at Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

Only Josh Allen could come up with this

@NFLpic.twitter.com/s60r1P9lUV

— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) December 31, 2023

8. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)

(Last week: 9)

Sunday: Beat Cincinnati Bengals 25-17

The lesson: There are no sure things

The Chiefs may win another Super Bowl, but it’s going to be an uphill climb. All of Patrick Mahomes’ magic could only generate one touchdown against the Bengals on Sunday. Kansas City got the win thanks to six Harrison Butker field goals, and Rashee Rice, who had five catches for 127 yards, remains the only reliable wide receiver. That’s a problem that is made worse by the fact that Travis Kelce had only three catches for 16 yards against the Bengals and hasn’t topped 45 yards in any of the last three games.

Up next: at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

9. Los Angeles Rams (9-7)

(Last week: 10)

Sunday: Beat New York Giants 26-25

The lesson: Sean McVay shouldn’t do TV

After flirting with retirement and a high-paying television job, McVay has proved he’s still really good at his current high-paying job. Los Angeles has won six of its last seven after holding off the Giants on Sunday, and the Rams will be a tough out in the playoffs as long as Matthew Stafford is playing like this. Stafford had another 317 yards Sunday and is eighth in the league in passing yards per game (264.3).

Up next: at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 13)

Sunday: Beat Tennessee Titans 26-3

The lesson: The right quarterback fixes everything

This was supposed to be a throwaway year in Houston. Instead, rookie C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 pick, is fourth in the NFL with 274.57 passing yards per game, and Houston is in the eighth spot in the AFC, still very much alive in the playoff race. After missing two games because of a concussion, Stroud returned Sunday to complete 24 of 32 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown against the Titans. Defensive end Will Anderson set the Texans’ rookie sack record with his seventh.

Up next: at Indianapolis Colts, Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET

11. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)

(Last week: 7)

Sunday: Lost to Arizona Cardinals 35-31

The lesson: Matt Patricia is never the answer

The Eagles have won 11 games this season and still can’t seem to help but panic. Their most recent abrupt move was to elevate Patricia to defensive play caller. On Sunday, the Eagles’ defensive success rate (40.8 percent) was their worst in a game since 2006, according to TruMedia. The Cardinals finished with 449 yards and marched 70 yards on their fourth-quarter, game-winning drive. The Eagles have lost four of their last five. (More lessons learned about former Patriots assistants below.)

Up next: at New York Giants, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 14)

Sunday: Beat Las Vegas Raiders 23-20

The lesson: Shane Steichen has been as good as any new hire

Steichen didn’t get the headlines among this offseason’s hires, but he’s playing Sunday for a spot in the playoffs despite losing starting quarterback Anthony Richardson for the season and not having Jonathan Taylor for seven games. Indianapolis is 10th in the league in scoring (23.56) with the former Eagles offensive coordinator in charge.

Up next: vs. Houston Texans, Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET

(Last week: 20)

Sunday: Beat Minnesota Vikings 33-10

The lesson: Draft quarterbacks early

Jordan Love is third in the NFL in touchdown passes (30) and ninth in EPA per attempt (.19) in his first season as the full-time starter. That’s after spending two seasons on the bench before replacing Aaron Rodgers, who spent three seasons on the bench before replacing Brett Favre. The Packers look like they’re going to end up having three good to very good, long-term quarterbacks, and there’s no secret to why. They draft the quarterbacks they like when that player is available and are patient enough to let him sit until the right time.

Up next: vs. Chicago Bears, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 15)

Sunday: Beat Seattle Seahawks 30-23

The lesson: Mike Tomlin is historically steady

After Sunday’s win, Tomlin is guaranteed his 17th straight season with a .500 or better record. Only Tom Landry (21) and Bill Belichick (19) have more. Steelers fans will point out that Tomlin has missed the playoffs in the last two seasons and in four of the last six. Even after Sunday’s win, in which George Pickens had 131 yards, Pittsburgh is only ninth in the AFC.

Up next: at Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET

(Last week: 11)

Sunday: Lost to New Orleans Saints 23-13

The lesson: The right timing and situation matter

Baker Mayfield didn’t play his best game Sunday, finishing 22-for-33 for 309 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he’s been a season-saver for Tampa Bay. Playing on a one-year, $4 million contract, Mayfield is tied for fourth in the NFL in touchdown passes (28) and eighth in EPA per attempt (.19). If he can lead the Buccaneers past Bryce Young and the Panthers, he will take Tampa Bay to the playoffs.

Up next: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 12)

Sunday: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 30-23

The lesson: Pete Carroll can really coach

Seattle still has a 23.8 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to The Athletic’s projections, despite Sunday’s loss. If the Seahawks can get there, it will be Carroll’s 10th trip in his last 13 seasons as head coach. There’s a lot of angst in Seattle right now because the Seahawks gave up 468 yards to Mason Rudolph and the Steelers on Sunday, but Seattle could do a lot worse than being in the mix every year under Carroll.

Up next: at Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 16)

Sunday: Beat Carolina Panthers 26-0

The lesson: There are two star Josh Allens

The Jaguars linebacker sacked Bryce Young three times on Sunday and now has the team’s single-season record with 16 1/2, which ranks third in the NFL. Allen is second in the league in quarterback hits (33) and eighth in hurries (53), according to TruMedia. He led a defensive effort Sunday that held the Panthers to 124 yards and also had six tackles, and probably should be getting more attention in the defensive player of the year conversation.

Up next: at Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 19)

Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 16-9

The lesson: Sean Payton is the dictator

This was mostly known when Payton took the job in the offseason, but the head coach made it official this week when he benched Russell Wilson in favor of Jarrett Stidham. Payton insisted it was a move made for football reasons only, and the Broncos did snap a two-game losing streak Sunday, but the move really was Payton officially winning the power play. Denver general manager George Paton, who gave Wilson his huge contract extension last year, may be next.

Up next: at Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

(Last week: 24)

Sunday: Beat Atlanta Falcons 37-17

The lesson: Justin Fields isn’t a quitter

The Bears might still fire Fields, but he’s going to make it as difficult a decision as he can. On Sunday, he made plays with his arms and legs and led Chicago to its fourth win in five games. Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell, a 16-year NFL veteran, said “give him his respect. I think he flashed a lot today. Obviously, it’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, so he could have a bad game next week and nobody cares, but today he was a premier NFL quarterback.”

Up next: at Green Bay Packers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

“I’m gonna remember this for the rest of my life.”

– Justin Fields talking to @Amanda_Balionis about hearing WE WANT FIELDS chants raining down from @ChicagoBears fans pic.twitter.com/OOXgKEIfBQ

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) December 31, 2023

20. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)

(Last week: 17)

Sunday: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 25-17

The lesson: Magical runs eventually end

It took a lot longer than we all thought, but Cincinnati was eliminated from the playoff race Sunday. Everyone assumed that had happened in Week 11 when Joe Burrow was lost for the season with a wrist injury. Instead, backup Jake Browning went on a tear. On Sunday, though, Browning had his lowest-output game since replacing Burrow, completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 197 yards. That came on the heels of a three-interception game. Burrow will be back next season and so will the Bengals.

Up next: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 21)

Sunday: Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-13

The lesson: The NFC South is a wreck

There’s just nothing else to be taken from this Saints’ season. They have gotten up-and-(mostly)-down play from free-agent quarterback Derek Carr. Alvin Kamara is averaging 3.7 yards per carry and still is New Orleans’ leading rusher. And yet, New Orleans will head to the playoffs if it beats Atlanta and Carolina beats Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Up next: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 18)

Sunday: Lost to Green Bay Packers 33-10

The lesson: Kirk Cousins is going to get paid

Viking coach Kevin O’Connell is 17-9 with Cousins as his starting quarterback. He is 3-5 without Cousins and is now very aware of what life is like in the NFL when you’re in quarterback limbo. Minnesota has cycled through Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens since Cousins tore his Achilles. That memory is going to loom large when Cousins, who will be a free agent, asks for his next deal.

Up next: at Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 22)

Sunday: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 23-20

The lesson: Hiring Josh McDaniels is a bad idea

The Raiders hired McDaniels after his 11-17 run in Denver, and he went 9-16 in Las Vegas before being fired. The Raiders fell to 4-4 under interim coach Antonio Pierce with Sunday’s loss, but that’s still a better career winning percentage than McDaniels has. Davante Adams was targeted 21 times Sunday against the Colts, catching 13 passes for 126 yards. His 21 targets are the most by any player this season. Second most were Adams’ 20 targets in Week 3.

Up next: vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

24. Atlanta Falcons (7-9)

(Last week: 23)

Sunday: Lost to Chicago Bears 37-17

The lesson: Quarterback still counts the most

The Falcons paid their offensive line, improved their defense and spent three straight top-10 picks on offensive skill players and still are 26th in the league in scoring (19 points per game). The reason is their quarterbacks — Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke — have turned the ball over 21 times. Coach Arthur Smith, hired for his offensive acumen, is on the hot seat after Sunday’s stinker.

Up next: at New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

25. New York Jets (6-10)

(Last week: 25)

Thursday: Lost to Cleveland Browns 37-20

The lesson: Don’t be stubborn

The Jets tried so hard to prove they could make Zach Wilson work that they ruined their season. Aaron Rodgers’ injury was bad luck. Keeping Wilson as the backstop for a Rodgers injury was just hard-headed. Wilson was 34th in the league in EPA per attempt (.04) and 37th in passer rating (77.2) in 12 games before finally being benched. Remember, Joe Flacco was on the Jets’ roster last year and was available with just a phone call until six weeks ago.

Up next: at New England Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

26. New York Giants (5-11)

(Last week: 26)

Sunday: Lost to Los Angeles Rams 26-25

The lesson: Don’t pay big money for average QB play

Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito both have a better EPA per attempt than Daniel Jones’ minus-.12 this season, according to TruMedia. Jones’ number ranks 44th among quarterbacks who had more than 100 pass attempts this season. Not many people thought it was a good idea for the Giants to give Jones a four-year, $160 million contract in the offseason. New York proved all those people right by playing just as well using players it picked up for next to nothing.

Up next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

27. Arizona Cardinals (4-12)

(Last week: 31)

Sunday: Beat Philadelphia Eagles 35-31

The lesson: We’ll see

The Cardinals are getting a pat on the back for beating a playoff team, but they also moved themselves from the No. 2 pick in the draft to the No. 4 pick for now. If that holds, it could be a costly turn of events even if the Cardinals want to hold on to Kyler Murray. A top-two pick in this draft means being able to take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye or shop the pick to someone who wants to do that. That might be worth more in the long run than feeling good on the last Monday of the regular season.

Up next: vs. Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

28. Tennessee Titans (5-11)

(Last week: 27)

Sunday: Lost to Houston Texans 26-3

The lesson: Competitive rebuilds are hard

After three straight trips to the playoffs, Tennessee is 12-21 in the last two seasons. The Titans went back to Ryan Tannehill on Sunday, but it didn’t bring back the good ol’ days. Tennessee had 187 yards of offense, was 1-for-12 on third down and didn’t manage a touchdown against the division-rival Texans, who swept Tennessee this season.

Up next: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

29. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)

(Last week: 28)

Sunday: Lost to Denver Broncos 16-9

The lesson: Coaching hires are a crap shoot

This is not a new lesson. The Chargers are just the most recent team to highlight it. They hired Brandon Staley in 2021 because he was the hot defensive name. They fired him after 14 games this year because he was 5-9 and his defense stunk. The coaching change hasn’t changed the team’s luck. The Chargers have lost four straight and seven of their last eight heading into the season finale against the Chiefs.

Up next: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

30. New England Patriots (4-12)

(Last week: 29)

Sunday: Lost to Buffalo Bills 27-21

The lesson: Bill Belichick shouldn’t get another GM job

Taking Mac Jones with the No. 15 pick of the 2021 draft is what got the Patriots into this mess, but Belichick’s drafting miscues don’t stop there. New England used a fourth-round pick on kicker Chad Ryland and he’s 15-for-24 after missing again Sunday. Belichick’s future hasn’t been discussed much of late. Is it possible he stays as head coach in New England but gives up personnel responsibilities?

Up next: vs. New York Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 30)

Sunday: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 27-10

The lesson: The Sam Howell talk was a smokescreen

It seems pretty clear that Ron Rivera was hoping that convincing everyone Howell was the long-term answer at quarterback would buy him some more time in Washington. Howell isn’t and it won’t. After Jacoby Brissett played well in Weeks 15 and 16, Howell was forced back into the lineup Sunday because of Brissett’s hamstring injury. The result was a 17-for-28 day with 169 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown. The Commanders will have a new coach and a new quarterback next season.

Up next: vs. Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

32. Carolina Panthers (2-14)

(Last week: 32)

Sunday: Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars 26-0

The lesson: The coach and QB are not the problem

Owner David Tepper appears to have been busted tossing a drink on a fan late in Sunday’s loss. The NFL is expected to respond with some sort of rebuke for the owner, but the biggest penalty for Tepper is that the incident confirms what everyone had expected — he’s the problem in Carolina. Hiring a coach just got harder and more expensive for the NFL’s heir apparent to Daniel Snyder.

Up next: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Top photo of Joe Flacco: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

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Scoring touchdowns during each offensive possession is the unspoken goal for every NFL team. For decades, celebrations have been the norm in accompanying touchdowns. It goes back all the way to the 1960s with Homer Jones and his touchdown spike.

Touchdown celebrations have become a choreographed production for some teams. Think back to the 1980s when Washington’s “Fun Bunch” made enemies after its group of players participated in a jumping high-five after a score. And think recently when the Seattle Seahawks did their best New Edition and *NSYNC impersonations, or when the Minnesota Vikings decided to play a game of Duck, Duck, Goose in the end zone.

The 2023 NFL season has had its share of memorable touchdown celebrations. Each team has had its moment. Some moments, however, have been bigger than others. The Athletic’s team of Jason Jones, Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur got together to reminisce over the season and discuss the best touchdown celebration for each team.

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AFC East

Buffalo Bills

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin would be proud of Stefon Diggs’ beer celebration during Week 4 as the Bills faced Miami.

After scoring against the Dolphins, Diggs ran to the fans, grabbed a couple of beers and smashed them together. It was an act similar to what the legendary pro wrestler did in the WWE.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins could be the subject of a celebration piece by themselves. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and the crew have provided several memorable celebrations.

During a Week 6 game against Carolina, Hill’s 41-yard touchdown reception, coupled with the use of a photographer’s phone, resulted in a backflip, as well as a unique selfie. It also ended up with the photographer being disciplined.

New England Patriots

The Patriots haven’t had a lot of opportunities to celebrate on offense this season. After one of their biggest touchdowns of 2023 — Mike Gesicki’s game-winning touchdown catch late to beat Buffalo in Week 7 — multiple players did the Griddy.

While some executed the dance, others still are unsure exactly what Mac Jones was doing. On top of that, former Patriot Rob Gronkowski, a fun-loving player in his day, criticized the team for being so happy about a regular-season win.

New York Jets

The end zone and the Jets haven’t been acquainted most of the season, but their most dramatic touchdown celebration might have come Week 1 against Buffalo.

Xavier Gipson used a 65-yard punt return to beat the Bills in overtime. He was mobbed by teammates and overcome with emotion for the win on the same night Aaron Rodgers left the game with an Achilles injury.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

This team does a lot of ball spinning and chest bumping. Two years ago, Jerry Jeudy was even fined for his bow-and-arrow celebration against Washington and thought about doing it again but had second thoughts in a game against Dallas.

Now, he just rides his horse around every time he scores.

Kansas City Chiefs

There hasn’t been a potato sack race like the one in 2017 or anything that cool this season. And no, we aren’t picking Taylor Swift’s touchdown dance with Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, from the Week 7 win over the Chargers.

Jerick McKinnon got a lift in after a touchdown during Week 14 against Buffalo. The bench-press celebration capped what was McKinnon’s first rushing touchdown of the season.

Las Vegas Raiders

It took the Christmas spirit — or, maybe, the Grinch spirit — to overtake the Raiders after a season of boring touchdown celebrations. Jack Jones picked off Patrick Mahomes on Christmas morning, and after staring down the Kansas City quarterback while running in for a touchdown, he offered the ball to a young Chiefs fan in the front row of the stands. When the excited fan reached for the ball, Jones pulled it back and merrily scampered off.

Los Angeles Chargers

There haven’t been a lot of reasons to choreograph for a Chargers team sitting at the bottom of the AFC West. Gerald Everett, however, did find a time to do his best Ray Lewis impersonation during Week 12 — against Baltimore, of all teams.

Austin Ekeler actually celebrated a first down with his team trailing Las Vegas by 42 points. But that doesn’t count.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens do a lot because they’re actually throwing talented receivers the ball this season.

There was Odell Beckham Jr.’s Michael Jackson tribute, but top honors should go to Zay Flowers — who did two in one game. We didn’t hate the bouquet throw, but we definitely liked the penalty kick more.

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Mixon proved that there are some Dillon Brooks fans out there.

Against Jacksonville in Week 13, Mixon scored on a 6-yard run to tie the game 7-7. That score — and Mixon’s dance, made popular by Brooks, the Houston Rockets small forward brought with him from his time with the Memphis Grizzlies — was important, as the Bengals needed overtime to beat the Jaguars 34-31.

Cleveland Browns

It’s always fun when the big fellas up front get to celebrate. It’s even better when a player comes home to celebrate.

Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones sustained a season-ending knee injury early in December, but during an October road matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Jones had the chance to deliver his own celebration after a Kareem Hunt touchdown run. Jones, who attended Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, was handed the ball, and the 6-foot-8, 374-pound lineman gave the Lucas Oil Stadium crowd a show with a spike and a dance.

Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s been a tough year for the Steelers wide receivers. And yet, they’re the ones on the team going out of their way to celebrate touchdowns.

We have to give George Pickens some love for his Week 2 performance against the Browns. Pickens took a pass from Kenny Pickett and raced 71 yards for a touchdown. He then celebrated with the Acrisure Stadium crowd by taking a victory lap.

AFC South

Houston Texans

C.J. Stroud was more than three months from being born when the film “Baby Boy” was released. Clearly someone had him watch the movie as he acted out one of the best scenes when Jody (played by Tyrese Gibson) and his friend Sweet Pea (Omar Gooding) tried to find out who stole Jody’s bicycle.

Stroud lined up his teammates and pretended to punch George Fant, who fell out as part of the revenge scene reenactment.

Indianapolis Colts

Fans were denied seeing what Colts tight end Kylen Granson would have done to celebrate his first career touchdown during Week 2, as his 4-yard, second-quarter catch needed an official review before being ruled a score.

But because Gardner Minshew dancing or Zack Moss dunking aren’t exactly unique reactions, Granson gets the nod for thinking outside of the box. He took to Instagram to celebrate his first score, treating the football like a newborn child for a photo shoot.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Christian Kirk gets props for pretending to be an Amazon delivery man in Week 7. But during Week 4, the defense got to have fun with the celebration.

After cornerback Darious Williams’ pick six against Atlanta, the defense reenacted the movie “Toy Story.” The defenders were the toys who were active but fell to the ground once Andy (Williams) walked into the room. Wide receiver Zay Jones said the celebration was his idea.

Tennessee Titans

With all respect to the Titans’ touchdowns this year, the team’s best celebration of the season wasn’t even after a score.

It happened in a Week 4 game after the Titans defense forced a turnover against Cincinnati. The defense had a sack fumble and a recovery, then lined up for its version of a drumline — similar to a scene from the film “Drumline,” starring Nick Cannon.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Let’s be clear: Salvation Army kettles are for coins and bills, not food items. But we’re fans of the Cowboys’ move to stash a few turkey legs in one of the oversized end zone kettles late in a Thanksgiving romp over the Washington Commanders.

After Dak Prescott hooked up with KaVontae Turpin on a 34-yard touchdown, Turpin hopped into one of the kettles to retrieve the prizes. Then he, Prescott and Jake Ferguson got a head start on their Thanksgiving meals.

New York Giants

No one is quite sure what you call it — maybe not even Tommy DeVito — but the Giants quarterback has MetLife Stadium, Northern New Jersey and the entire tri-state area doing his touchdown celebration.

DeVito started his old-school hand gesture — pinching his fingers together and shaking the wrist — in Week 11, and it’s caught fire since. “I kind of thought it was just the old Italians,” DeVito said. “When they talk, they start doing (the hand gesture). It’s just a little credit to them.” Could there be a more perfect gesture for the DeVito-led G-men?

Philadelphia Eagles

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are taking their talents to South Philly. That was the message after Brown scored a 4-yard touchdown against the Cowboys in Week 9. The two receivers took on the roles of former Miami Heat teammates Dwyane Wade and LeBron James with Smith tossing the ball in the air for the bigger Brown to slam.

Note: No crossbars were harmed in the making of this celebration. Brown stopped short of doing a LeBron-like dunk over the bar, an act that was banned in 2014.

Washington Commanders

After running back Brian Robinson scored a 15-yard touchdown in Week 4 against Philadelphia, he hopped to his feet and flapped his arms in wobbly fashion, a dig at Philly’s “Fly Eagles Fly” chant.

Or maybe it was a comment on the Eagles’ rickety defense, which had eight missed tackles that day — including one on Robinson’s touchdown run.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

You’d expect a guy nicknamed “Hollywood” to be a bit of a showman. Marquise Brown didn’t disappoint after catching a 25-yard touchdown pass from Josh Dobbs against the Bengals in Week 5.

After the score, he leaped into the first row of seats and celebrated with fans.

Los Angeles Rams

It might not win an Oscar for Most Original Score, but there seemed to be something behind Puka Nacua’s and Cooper Kupp’s leaping chest bump following Nacua’s 70-yard touchdown against the Browns in Week 13.

It was very similar to the celebrations Kupp used to have with a former teammate — current Houston Texan receiver Robert Woods. Nacua happens to wear the same No. 17 Woods once had in L.A., and the celebration was tantamount to a proclamation that there’s a new receiver duo in town.

San Francisco 49ers

Christian McCaffrey was in the midst of what would become a 17-game scoring streak when he took a shovel pass into the end zone from 13 yards out in Week 6 against Cleveland, then spun the ball in the corner of the end zone. The 49ers tailback was on such a hot streak that George Kittle bent over at the waist and pretended to warm his hands over the spinning football.

Kittle also retrieved the ball, something he usually does after anyone scores, though he said at some point he stopped doing it for McCaffrey. “He scores way too much,” Kittle said.

Seattle Seahawks

Maybe there are better trash talkers in the NFL, but no one is a better trash signer than DK Metcalf.

The Seahawks wideout, who is learning American Sign Language, dissed longtime rival Ahkello Witherspoon by signing “44 is my son” following a Week 11 touchdown against the Rams. After a 31-yard score against the 49ers, he signed, “I’m a dog: w-o-o-f,” which are lyrics from a 2016 Migos song.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

The Bears have had their share of fun this season. Jaylon Johnson brought back Randy Moss’ controversial fake mooning against Moss’ old team, Minnesota, in Week 12. D’Onta Foreman and Khari Blasingame re-enacted a viral video from a slapboxing match during a win over the Raiders.

But their best celebration came from tight end Cole Kmet during Week 4 against Denver. He scored a touchdown, and then had a fan in the end zone pretend to throw him a pitch, which Kmet hit for a home run that another fan tried to catch at the wall behind the end zone.

Detroit Lions

Amon-Ra St. Brown nearly brought a “Key & Peele” skit to life Week 1 with his hip thrust celebration. Detroit’s safe-for-work celebration of the season, however, came against the Raiders during Week 8 on Monday night.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored and took his leap into the stands to a new level. He actually got all the way into the stands and celebrated. He also had to be very careful climbing out the stands, as the wall was not a short climb like Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.

Green Bay Packers

The celebration that followed Malik Heath’s first-ever touchdown stands out because it was so spontaneous, so pure.

After Heath made a late-game catch at the pylon against the Giants in Week 14, he crashed into down judge Tom Stephan, taking him to the ground. That led to a couple of uncertain seconds while Stephan got to his feet. The Packers trailed 21-16 at the time, and everyone was waiting on whether it was ruled a touchdown — including Heath, an undrafted rookie whose helmet was knocked off after crashing into the official.

When Stephan finally signaled touchdown, Heath and the Packers went bonkers, and Heath ran the length of the end zone toward the Green Bay sideline.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings might take first prize for their keg stand celebration that followed Mekhi Blackmon’s fumble recovery late in a Week 14 game against the Raiders. His teammates hoisted Blackmon upside down into the air, and defensive lineman Harrison Phillips even pantomimed pumping the keg.

No, it technically wasn’t a touchdown celebration, but there were no touchdowns in that game. The score was 0-0 at the time, and Minnesota ultimately won 3-0, the lowest-scoring game since 2007.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Jonnu Smith ran a long way, 60 yards, for a touchdown in Week 9 against Minnesota. When the tight end finally got to the end zone and tried to stop, he slipped on his back.

No worries, Smith played it off with his first-ever snow angel in Atlanta.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers don’t score much, but when their No. 1 draft pick got his first touchdown, they … threw the ball in the stands?

In Carolina’s season opener against Atlanta, quarterback Bryce Young threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hayden Hurst, who hurled the ball toward the Mercedes-Benz Stadium crowd after scoring. Important note: The Panthers later got the ball back for Young.

New Orleans Saints

Is the best Saints celebration of the year a Jimmy Graham pump fake?

We mentioned earlier the banning of the crossbar dunking celebration in 2014. Graham was the first person to get penalized for that back in August 2014, as the league fined him $30,000 for dunking twice in a preseason game against the Titans.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers don’t get points for originality, but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

The Buccaneers broke out their annual row-the-boat celebration last month against the Titans. Ironically, the first time they did it was in 2018 — against their current quarterback, Baker Mayfield, when they stopped him at the 1-yard line to beat the Browns.

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This series is part of a partnership with Las Vegas.

The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Top photos of DK Metcalf, Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill: Michael Owens, Peter Nicholls and Megan Briggs / Getty Images)