The NFL always has big stories. It’s our best soap opera in 2024. But some of the stories come and go in a few days.
Some of the things we’ve seen in the first half of the season will have ramifications that are felt in a year, a decade and in some cases as long as we talk about NFL history.
Here are the top 10 most important developments over the first half of the NFL season:
Commanders are here to stay
The Commanders’ surge is not just about Jayden Daniels, though he’s the centerpiece. The Commanders found the right coach in Dan Quinn and right GM in Adam Peters. The trade for cornerback Marshon Lattimore was the first in many moves to come. The Commanders have managed the cap well (they’re currently one of four teams with a projected $100 million in cap space for next offseason) and can invest like most other teams that have hit the lottery with a great quarterback on his rookie deal. Don’t be surprised if the Commanders come back in 2025 with a much improved roster. Oh, and they might win the NFC East this season too, before really starting the process of becoming a true title contender.
Cowboys might be bad for a while
The Cowboys are bad, and the paths out of the mess are hard to find. A coaching change might be inevitable. But with the Cowboys paying Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb with Micah Parsons on deck, cap space will be tight for a while. Overpaying for 2023 Panthers draft bust (so far) Jonathan Mingo was the type of desperate move Dallas will need to make for low-cost talent. This might not be an easy fix.
And so might the Jets
The Jets went all in for some glory with Aaron Rodgers and, barring a nearly miraculous push to a playoff spot after a 2-6 start, they missed. The ramifications are already being felt. Robert Saleh was fired as the team’s coach. There will be other dominoes, the biggest of which is what becomes of Rodgers. It’s possible the Jets start another rebuild after a 10-loss season. That’s not great for a team with the longest postseason drought in American professional sports.
The best QB class in decades?
The biggest news league-wide from the first half was the rookie quarterback class. A class with multiple stars at the position can change the face of the league. Jayden Daniels has been great while Caleb Williams and Drake Maye have had moments that remind people why they were top-three picks. Bo Nix might be the biggest surprise. He has been inconsistent but has also shown a lot of promise in Sean Payton’s offense. We also have J.J. McCarthy or Michael Penix Jr. to go in the future. This class could end up being historic.
Other young QBs struggle
C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love have taken small steps back from great 2023 seasons. Other young quarterbacks have fallen much harder. Already we’re wondering about some quarterbacks from the 2023 draft class. No. 1 pick Bryce Young and No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson were benched in the first half for poor play. Will Levis, a talented second-round pick from last year, has been a turnover machine. Trevor Lawrence might not be as young as them, but the former No. 1 pick and new $55 million per year quarterback hasn’t played great either. The league is dependent on stars at quarterback and while the rookies have been good, other young potential stars have regressed.
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Deshaun Watson’s injury
Watson’s contract and poor play was already complicated for the Cleveland Browns. Then Watson went down for the season with an Achilles injury and the hole got deeper. Can the Browns really depend on Watson to be their quarterback ever again? They can’t afford to cut him; the cap hit is too large for that. It will be interesting to see how the Browns navigate a nearly impossible situation.
Running backs are back
It has been quite a good year for running backs, especially those making decent money after changing teams in free agency. So much for not investing in running backs anymore. Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry signed with new teams in the offseason and should be 1-2 in the Offensive Player of the Year race. Josh Jacobs and Aaron Jones are two other backs to switch teams and have a big impact. The Lions might be the best team in football and part of the reason is their running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, the former of which got a nice extension and the latter of which should fairly soon. Joe Mixon, J.K. Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor, James Conner and Alvin Kamara are other old heads who have been highly productive. The running back revival has been strong.
Jim Harbaugh is back in a big way
When Jim Harbaugh left the NFL for the University of Michigan, he was one of the best coaches in the professional ranks. And he still is. Harbaugh didn’t need any time to get acclimated to the league again after nine years away. The Los Angeles Chargers are 5-3 and cruising to a wild-card spot. Finally, it looks like the Chiefs have a long-term contender in the AFC West. Just wait until Harbaugh gets a roster that fits what he wants to do.
A new conversation about Lamar Jackson
Jackson practically punched his Pro Football Hall of Fame ticket by winning a second MVP last year. How about a third MVP and a chat about whether Jackson is already a top 10 quarterback of all time? It’s reasonable. Jackson and Josh Allen should be considered co-favorites for MVP at the midway point of the season. Jackson leads the NFL with an unbelievable 120.7 passer rating. He also leads in yards per attempt. He’s also on pace for 954 rushing yards. Yes, Jackson needs to win a Super Bowl to climb up the all-time quarterback list. But here’s a list of three-time MVPs in NFL history: Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers. Recognize some of those names? If you haven’t started wrapping your brain around Jackson possibly being a top 10 all-time quarterback, now might be a good time to start.
The Chiefs
We knew the Chiefs would be a big story coming into the season and they haven’t disappointed. They’re 8-0, the NFL’s lone undefeated team. They’ve kept winning despite some major injuries and everyone just assumes Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will be great again in the playoffs. There have been other great, memorable developments through nine weeks, but the Chiefs’ quest for a historic third straight Super Bowl win is clearly the most important, enduring story from this season.