After seven long months, September is finally here. And after a long wait, it brings the return of football and the NFL regular season. Ever since the 2022 NFL season went out with a bang, when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in a thrilling Super Bowl 57, regular season football has been dormant. While regular season NFL games may not have been active, the NFL never sleeps with its very exciting offseason.
Every offseason, teams will look to trade for superstar players who might help their team make the upcoming Super Bowl. This year was no different, with different teams trading for star players.
The New York Jets have struggled to find a quarterback for a long time. These QB struggles stem from not being able to draft a good QB, with their recent QB picks going to Zach Wilson, Sam Darnold and Geno Smith. After these struggles, the Jets decided to trade for the longtime Green Bay Packer and future hall of famer Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will look to Rodgers to help steer the ship towards a playoff run, having missed the playoffs since 2010.
Another team in the AFC East traded for one of the best corners in recent years after having corner issues the year before. The Los Angeles Rams had been looking to tear their team apart after winning a Super Bowl only two years prior, so they sent Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins. Ramsey, however, would get hurt early on in the Dolphins training camp, and the Dolphins will eye a Ramsey return in December, hopefully during their playoff push.
Along with the trades, free agency also makes the offseason exciting for football fans.
Some of the big free agency signings this year included former Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have had struggles on the offensive line, so they will look to Brown to help protect superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals will again try to replicate last year’s success after making the AFC championship game. Another big free agency signing was former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave signing with the San Francisco 49ers. Hargave will help bolster an already stacked 49ers defense, with the hopes to help lead the 49ers past the NFC championship game this year.
This season is bound to be exciting once again as teams will be vying to win the Super Bowl. The NFL season will open up on Thursday, Sept. 9, as the revamped Detroit Lions will travel to Kansas City to take on the defending Super Bowl champions Chiefs.
My Playoff Predictions
AFC
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Miami Dolphins
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Buffalo Bills
- Baltimore Ravens
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC
- San Francisco 49ers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Detroit Lions
- Atlanta Falcons
- Dallas Cowboys
- Minnesota Vikings
- Seattle Seahawks
