NFL's top 25 games of 2024
Wed May 15 2:01pm ET
Field Level Media
Christmas Day for NFL marketing and ticket sales departments finally arrived Wednesday with the release of the 2024 season schedule.
With subplots and peripheral angles multiplying before our eyes - hello, Netflix, welcome to NFL holiday football broadcasts - Field Level Media's football-minded contributors assembled the top 25 games of 2024.
24. Cardinals at Jets, TBD: We're grabbing our popcorn for one matchup, and one matchup alone: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. Top five draft picks likely to be near the top of the pecking order at their position for a decade.
23. Colts at Patriots, TBD: Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, meet Anthony Richardson, drafted fourth overall in 2023. Indianapolis appeared to have a hit on its hands before Richardson was shut down to undergo shoulder surgery. If he can stay healthy and Maye isn't relegated to clipboard duty behind former Colts starter Jacoby Brissett, we're eager to make early evaluations of purported franchise QBs.
22. Jaguars at Eagles, TBD: Young QBs and strong pass rush are common bonds, sure, but the plotline we're looking at is the reception for Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson. He played for the Eagles (1999) but was essentially a coach-in-training for Donovan McNabb, then served as an assistant for Andy Reid and came back from a stint in KC for a five-year run that included a Super Bowl.
21. Bears at Texans, TBD: The Bears also get a meeting with the Carolina Panthers for the second consecutive season. With all due respect to Panthers 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, the top rookie quarterback last season was Houston's C.J. Stroud. His numbers would have been the best ever single-season passing total for a Bears QB (4,108 to Erik Kramer's team record of 3,803). Stroud had 26 TD passes including the playoffs despite missing time with a concussion). The Bears hitched their wagon to No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with the rookie carrying massive talent - and expectations - in Year 1.
20. Vikings at Giants, TBD: All of the QB uncertainty one can handle on the undercard, LSU products Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and Malik Nabers (Giants) in the main event.
19. 49ers at Seahawks, TBD: Maybe you overlooked it. There's not a chance Brock Purdy did. He knows new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald's defense - that of the Ravens - had him seeing ghosts in a five-interception laugher on Christmas Night last season. Macdonald's new club has a bunch of cross-training chess pieces determined to unseat the 49ers from the NFC West perch.
18. Jets at 49ers, Sept. 9: Week 1 on "Monday Night Football" is a familiar refrain for the Jets, who are hoping Aaron Rodgers has some magic left following a season-ending injury four snaps into his first start with the team in 2023. Rodgers is local - Chico, Calif., Butte JC and Cal - and went 6-3 against the 49ers with the Packers. Now 40 years old, he'll try to tip the scales toward the Jets, who are 3-11 all-time in the series with San Francisco. Jets head coach Robert Saleh has known 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan since breaking into the NFL as a low-level assistant with the Texans 15 years ago and was defensive coordinator on his staff before taking over with the Jets.
17. Cowboys at Commanders, TBD: Dan Quinn gets his second chance as a head coach in Washington and to be the champ in the NFC East, he'll have to take down his previous employer and boss, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy. Given the amount of time Quinn spent with McCarthy and Dak Prescott, don't discount the level of concern the Cowboys have entering two games with Washington.
16. Eagles vs. Packers (Brazil), Sept. 6: The youngest roster in the NFL last season belonged to the Packers, and nobody can fault what Green Bay did in the offseason. Head coach Matt LaFleur debuts his offense with Josh Jacobs at running back and a new-look defense. It'll also be a big reveal game for the Eagles, unleashing their own big-ticket offseason item, Saquon Barkley, and a number of new faces on defense.
15. Falcons at Vikings, TBD: Welcome back, Kirk Cousins, congratulations on finding a team that didn't want to invest in a young quarterback to insure its $100M guarantee to a 35-year-old starter coming off an Achilles injury. Oops. Cousins could be hailed or hated for bailing on the Vikings in free agency following 50 regular-season wins in six seasons of Skol-ing.
14. Ravens at Chargers, TBD: Los Angeles and new hire Jim Harbaugh welcome John Harbaugh and the Ravens with entertainment expected to be rich before, during and after a matchup of AFC heavyweights. John Harbaugh won the last meeting and survived a brief power outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans to take home the Lombardi and deal Jim's 49ers a painful defeat.
13. Steelers at Broncos, Week 2: Revenge games bring out the spirit and emotion you might not otherwise find in games that don't include Mike Tomlin. Pittsburgh picked up Russell Wilson after he was scrapped at a cost north of $80 million to Denver by second-year head coach Sean Payton. Payton, of course, is still in town and brought in a rookie, Oregon's Bo Nix, to train in the system that helped make Drew Brees a legend. Don't look now, but Pittsburgh had a sneaky excellent offseason while the Broncos shed leaders and linchpins on both sides of the ball (Wilson, Justin Simmons, Jerry Jeudy). If reunions are your thing, Payton also heads back to New Orleans this season.
12. Jets at Bills, Week 17: We know they'll get an earlier go at each other on "Monday Night Football" In October, but let's give the season time to breath and Aaron Rodgers time to round back into form. He'll be recently removed from his 41st birthday but should know the names of all of his wide receivers, a task Josh Allen might need more time to complete.
11. Ravens at Cowboys, TBD: Dak Prescott was great at home last season and Dallas fortified the offensive line through the draft. Whether new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has an answer for mobile quarterbacks - namely Lamar Jackson - might be the hot-button issue for the Cowboys. Baltimore's No. 1-ranked defense in 2023 also traveled well last season, battering Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert and limiting those three teams to a combined 36 points in Ravens' road wins.
10. 49ers at Packers, Nov. 24: Week 12 and the start of a pivotal, NFC-dominated, primetime featured stretch for Green Bay with nighttime marquee matchups at Detroit (Week 14) and Seattle (Week 15) ahead. Jordan Love's two interceptions stopped the Packers short of an upset at San Francisco in the divisional playoffs in January.
9. Texans at Cowboys, TBD: C.J. Stroud appears to be special and the Texans made sure his supporting cast wouldn't be a reason for a sophomore slump. But one warning: only the Bills and Patriots have a more difficult schedule based on 2023 results and offseason moves. Among the appealing underlying matchups: Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs vs. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.
8. Bears at Packers, Jan. 5: The Week 18 finale was meaningful for Green Bay last season, and Jordan Love guided the Packers into the postseason to sweep the Bears and continue the trend Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers started. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his first foray into the likely frozen tundra. Will the Bears be playing for more than a spoiler token?
7. Dolphins at 49ers, TBD: It was Dec. 4, 2022, and far more meaningful than we knew at the time when a seventh-round rookie - 49ers QB Brock Purdy - made his first career start with two TD passes in a 33-17 home win over the Miami Dolphins. Back to the scene come the Dolphins with former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel a solid bet to share some unknown intel about old boss Kyle Shanahan in the game week buildup.
6. Ravens at Chiefs, Sept. 5: Had this one been bumped back a couple months to multiply the meaningfulness in the standings and AFC playoff picture, it had an angle on a top three game of the 2024 regular season. Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes remains must-see for all the right reasons.
5. 49ers at Bills, Dec. 4: The week-after-Thanksgiving primetime game on Sunday of Week 13 should be meaningful for teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
4. Rams at Lions, TBD: Two franchises on schedule to combine for more than $350 million in deposits into Jared Goff's bank account are back at it with Detroit out to duplicate their playoff win in January over one-time Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
3. Ravens at Eagles, TBD: Star power on display? Check-check. Potential Super Bowl preview? Sure thing. Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Derrick Henry (Ravens) add firepower to a pair of offenses with explosive potential.
2. Lions at 49ers, TBD: Other than tackle eligible, think of another phrase that could spike Dan Campbell's temperature more than "at San Francisco." Didn't think so. The Lions were halfway to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl leading the 49ers handily in the NFC Championship but coughed up a 17-point lead and bowed out of the playoffs in a 34-31 defeat instead. If Campbell circled this game on the schedule in ink, we're guessing you can't read it.
1. (tie) Chiefs at 49ers, TBD: Familiar enough to be rivals, the Chiefs left with the jewels in recent games that really mattered between teams with a combined 50-18 record the past two regular seasons. San Francisco took a lashing from the Chiefs, 44-23, at home in Oct. 23 before the dawning of the Brock Purdy era.
1. (tie) Bengals at Chiefs, TBD: Don't forget Joe Burrow, he's more than the highest-paid player in 2024. The Bengals quarterback is 3-1 against the Chiefs but was sidelined with a broken wrist when the teams played in 2023. Don't look for a warm reception in Kansas City, where fans aren't soon to forget Burrow's boys calling the Chiefs' stadium "Burrow-head" based on his success at the home of Patrick Mahomes.
- FANTASY EXCLUSIVE: RB Strength of Schedule
- FANTASY EXCLUSIVE: QB Strength of Schedule
- QB Stetson Bennett back with Rams after addressing mental health
- Texans extend WR Nico Collins for 3 years, $72.75 million
- Patriots sign first-round pick QB Drake Maye
- Saints DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles) out indefinitely
- Retired S Tony Jefferson wants to play in '24
- Two women sue K Brandon McManus, alleging sexual assault
- Ravens convert Malik Cunningham from QB to WR
- Veteran C Billy Price (blood clot) announces retirement
- Travis Kelce weighs in on Harrison Butker commencement speech
- Raiders DE Maxx Crosby receiving $6M raise
- Sean Payton calls Broncos' quarterbacks 'orphaned dogs'
- Cardinals first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. signs contract
- Giants coach on QB Daniel Jones: 'He's making progress'
- Steelers add RB La'Mical Perine on 1-year contract
- Eagles sign WR John Ross to 1-year deal
- Falcons release TE Tucker Fisk, sign two wide receivers
- Ravens QB Lamar Jackson aims to be more elusive at lighter weight
- Roger Goodell resurfaces potential 18-game season at NFL meetings
- Pittsburgh to host 2026 NFL Draft
- Rams RB Kyren Williams (foot) missing OTAs
- Fantasy Six Pack: IDP Football Green Dot Defenders
- Fantasy Six Pack: Dynasty Football Rankings
- Fantasy Six Pack: Dynasty Football Rankings – 1QB
The Paur Report
Dynasty | The Texans have signed wide receiver Nico Collins to a contract extension. Dynasty Analysis: It's a three-year, $72.75 million extension that includes $52 million guaranteed. If there was any doubt about what Houston thought of Collins, this erases all of that as he gets a pretty tidy sum of money. Houston clearly thinks Collins and CJ Stroud have a special connection and Collins will now look to build on his 80/1,297/8 breakout season. As our WR21, there is still some runway for a value bump and he could actually be a "buy low" candidate should dynasty managers continue to believe his season can't be replicated with a healthy Tank Dell and newly added Stefon Diggs in the fold.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur thinks cornerback Eric Stokes (hamstring) is in a great place physically and mentally this offseason after he missed most of the last two years with injuries. LaFleur also said he thinks Stokes is "in the best shape" he's ever seen him in. "When you look at him physically, his body looks different. He's hitting some fast speeds out there at practice. I can tell mentally he feels like he's in a great place," LaFleur said. The former first-round pick in 2021 was great as a rookie but suffered foot and knee injuries in Week 9 in 2022 and missed the final eight games. The 25-year-old played in just three games in 2023 due to hamstring issues. It's no surprise the Packers declined their fifth-year option on Stokes, so he's now in a contract year in 2024 as he looks to stay healthy. If healthy, the speedster could start opposite Jaire Alexander.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham is embracing the team's three-man QB competition this offseason between himself, former first-round Zach Wilson and this year's first-rounder Bo Nix. "I'm not going to just sit down and let someone else walk on in here -- I'm going to work my butt off to get the job. I'm super excited about it," Stidham said. The 27-year-old signed a two-year, $10 million deal prior to last season and could now be considered a mentor who could be an upset winner of the starting job this summer. Stidham, Wilson and Nix will get an equal split of the work during the offseason program, but we probably won't have a better sense of who is in the lead in the competition until training camp. Stidham has the advantage of knowing the offense from a season ago, but even if he's the starter in Week 1, he'll be on a short leash and will be a low-upside, low-end QB2 in fantasy.
From RotoBaller
Former Baltimore Ravens star safety Tony Jefferson is coming out of retirement and plans to play in 2024, according to a source. Jefferson has stayed in shape, has been training on his own, and wants to play again. He intends to start talking to teams in the near future after spending last year with the Baltimore Ravens as a scouting intern. In his last year in the NFL in 2022 with the New York Giants, Jefferson played in only nine games (one start) and had 23 tackles (16 solo). The 32-year-old former undrafted free agent entered the league in 2013 with the Arizona Cardinals and spent four years in the desert before joining the Ravens from 2017-21. Jefferson hasn't played in more than nine games in a single season since 2018 but could provide some nice veteran depth for a team in need of secondary help.
From RotoBaller
Updating a previous report, New Orleans Saints DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles) likely will not be ready for the start of the 2024 regular season but has a chance to play at some point during the season, according to head coach Dennis Allen.
From TheHuddle
Jacksonville Jaguars DT Arik Armstead (undisclosed) and DT Roy Robertson-Harris (undisclosed) did not participate in the voluntary workout Tuesday, May 28, because of undisclosed injuries.
From TheHuddle
Dynasty | Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is absent for OTAs. Dynasty Analysis: Chase is waiting for a lucrative long-term deal that will likely make him the highest paid receiver in the league (at least temporarily). The Bengals don't seem to be worried at the moment and dynasty managers shouldn't be, either. Chase is in the top three overall in terms of position players and there's no sense getting too concerned until Chase starts missing real practice time.
Dynasty | Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is sitting out voluntary OTAs. Dynasty Analysis: While the Bengals are saying they aren't concerned publicly, this holdout is a little more significant than that of Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins has been franchise tagged and it seems the team has little interest in negotiating a long-term deal. Higgins was more likely to be traded during the NFL Draft than now, but this is a situation to monitor. At this point, dynasty managers need to just hold on tight and see what happens.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields said he won't return kicks this season. "Nah, I think everybody kind of interpreted it wrong," said Fields when asked about the rumor. "It's funny how serious social media takes everything." The signal-caller was traded in March after spending the last three years in Chicago. He finished his most recent season in 2023-24 by throwing for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine picks while running for 657 yards and four touchdowns off 124 attempts. Fields hopes to compete with Russell Wilson for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. However, unless he's starting come Week 1, he won't offer much to fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton was present for Tuesday's OTAs. The wideout is coming off the best year of his career, catching 50 of his 79 targets for 770 yards and four touchdowns. As a result, he wants a new deal. While there's still time for both sides to work things out, there's also room for the situation to go in the wrong direction, especially as the offseason inches closer to training camp. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old wasn't a reliable fantasy producer throughout the 2023-24 campaign despite his increase in production. That isn't expected to change, considering the Giants added Malik Nabers out of LSU. The team also still has Daniel Jones (knee) under center, who hasn't been the most consistent fantasy signal-caller over the years.
From RotoBaller
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Texans and wide receiver Nico Collins agreed on a three-year, $72.75 million extension. The wideout, who will make $52 million in guaranteed cash on his new deal, had a breakout season in 2023-24, amassing 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. While Houston added Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon to the equation, two players who will command targets during the 2024-25 campaign, Collins remains a viable fantasy option in any format, considering the Texans could be one of the NFL's highest-scoring offenses.
From RotoBaller
Houston Texans DE Marquis Haynes (undisclosed) was waived with an injury settlement on Tuesday, May 28.
From TheHuddle
Retired S Tony Jefferson (Giants) intends to come out of retirement and resume his playing career in 2024, according to a source. Jefferson spent last season as a scouting intern for the Baltimore Ravens.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans Saints DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles during the offseason and will miss the entire 2024 season, according to head coach Dennis Allen.
From TheHuddle
Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Amare Barno (knee) finished last year on Injured Reserve and missed the final two games of the regular season, but he's progressing nicely and was limited in organized team activities last week, according to head coach Dave Canales. "The reports we're getting are great, so he's trending in the right direction. I don't have a specific date, but he is out there working and he's got his cleats on doing stuff, so I'm looking forward to getting him back up to speed so we can get him back in a practice at some point," Canales said. Barno saw an 11% increase in defensive snaps in 2023 and even made his first career start, finishing with 21 tackles and one tackle for loss in 15 games played. The 25-year-old is likely to serve as depth at the linebacker position again this year for Carolina.
From RotoBaller
The New England Patriots have agreed to terms with quarterback Drake Maye on his rookie deal on Tuesday, according to a source. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft is now under contract and ready to compete with veteran signal-caller Jacoby Brissett in training camp and the preseason for the starting job under center in New England. The 21-year-old former Tar Heel has plenty of high-end, long-term upside in fantasy at the QB position, but he wasn't quite seen as NFL-ready as much as Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, who went one and two, respectively, in the draft to the Bears and Commanders. Maye had only 26 starts in college and could benefit from sitting and learning for a year, and he doesn't turn 22 until August. Especially given the lack of standout weapons on the Patriots offense, Maye is much more of a dynasty asset than a redraft one in 2024 fantasy circles.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase wasn't present for voluntary organized team activities on Tuesday. Chase is heading into the fourth year of his rookie deal after the team picked up his fifth-year option for the 2025 season back in April. The 24-year-old is slated to make $5 million in 2024 and remains one of the best all-around receivers in the game. His absence during voluntary offseason workouts shouldn't raise too many eyebrows, although it would be nice to see him working with quarterback Joe Burrow after Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in 2023. Chase is unlikely to stage a long holdout into mandatory minicamp next month and training camp this summer, and he and the Bengals should eventually work out something long term that should make him one of, if not the highest, paid receiver in the NFL.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase are both not present for voluntary organized team activities on Tuesday as they seek new deals this offseason. Higgins has yet to sign his franchise tender for this year, so until he does, he will not be allowed to participate in offseason workouts with the team. The 25-year-old requested a trade from the Bengals when the team put the franchise tag on him just before the start of free agency in March, but he remains in Cincinnati for now as he angles for a new long-term deal. It's an offseason storyline to follow for fantasy managers after Higgins had an extremely disappointing 2023 campaign. It didn't help that quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury, but Higgins was also injured himself and finished with a career-low 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton is seeking a contract worth about $15-$16 million annually, according to ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler.
Fantasy Spin: Sutton had a 90-772-10 season last year and came in as the WR35 in PPR leagues. He'll be the top option to throw to in Denver, but there isn't a lot of upside there as a low-end WR3.
From TheHuddle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea has lost weight this offseason while training with longtime NFL defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. The 2018 first-round pick reportedly weighed a lot more than the 347 pounds he was listed out last season, and the team believes it hampered his play in 2023. Buccaneers defense line coach Kacy Rodgers said Vea "looks a lot different," and the team wants him to go from being "good" to "dominant." Over his first six NFL seasons, Vea has racked up 180 tackles (111 solo), 23.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, six pass deflections, and 23.5 run stuffs. He is a one-time Pro Bowler (2021).
