Every season in the NFL brings heaps of change, but one team that has remained consistent is the San Francisco 49ers.
The NFC has run through San Francisco the last few years, with the 49ers appearing in four of the past five conference championships. They’ve won two, including last season, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl both times.
But the winds this off-season have been whispering about a shift of power. After pushing the 49ers to their limit in last season’s NFC Championship, the Detroit Lions are no longer an underdog but a popular pick to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers loom, too, while a handful of other clubs look to make the jump into the playoffs.
How things shake out at the top is far from the only intriguing story in the NFC, as the conference also has two tantalizing rookie quarterbacks slated to start Week 1 and a few signal callers likely playing for their jobs.
So, after looking at AFC storylines, we shift our focus to the other half of the league with one key storyline to keep an eye on for all 16 NFC teams.
NORTH
DETROIT LIONS
2023 record: 12-5, first in NFC North, lost to 49ers in NFC championship
Storyline we’re watching: No more surprises. The days of being underestimated are over for the Lions. Detroit held a 17-point lead over the 49ers in the NFC Championship game at one point, proving they can go toe-to-toe with the best. However, that also means they’re going to get every team’s full attention this year. Head coach Dan Campbell is confident his roster is ready to prove that last season wasn’t just a feel-good story, but instead a sign of things to come.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
2023 record: 9-8, second in NFC North, lost to 49ers in divisional round
Storyline we’re watching: Chapter two: A Love story. The progression of Packers QB Jordan Love last season was truly special to watch. In his first campaign as the Packers’ full-time starter, Love led the NFL’s youngest team to a 10-9 record and a shocking playoff victory in Dallas. For his services, he was rewarded with a history-making four-year, $220 million contract extension this off-season. The Packers bet big off one season of work, and Love will be out to prove that they made the right decision.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
2023 record: 7-10, third in NFC North, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: O’Connell will need to make some more QB magic. A fresh start at the quarterback position after the departure of Kirk Cousins appeared to favour rookie J.J. McCarthy until knee surgery ruled him out for the entirety of 2024. That means seventh-year QB Sam Darnold will get the ball in Minnesota. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell proved last season he’s able to get capable production from backups after Cousins fell to injury in Week 8. Under O’Connell’s tutelage, can Darnold have a Baker Mayfield-like late-career resurgence and keep the Vikings competitive? Or is this already a lost season in Minnesota?
CHICAGO BEARS
2023 record: 7-10, fourth in NFC North, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: Chicago’s new hope is here. It’s been a dark stretch for the Bears, but for a team that’s endured 14 years without a playoff win, vibes are remarkably high thanks to the arrival of rookie QB Caleb Williams. The No. 1 overall pick has been touted as a generational prospect and inherits an offence that has arguably the best WR trio (D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze) in the league. If Williams is the star most think he is, it’s entirely possible he could be this season’s C.J. Stroud and lead a surprising run to the post-season.
EAST
DALLAS COWBOYS
2023 record: 12-5, first in NFC East, lost to Packers in wild-card round
Storyline we’re watching: Is Prescott playing for a contract? After winning the NFC East last season, the Cowboys suffered another early playoff exit, bringing Dak Prescott’s post-season record to 2-5 in seven seasons with Dallas. The 31-year-old is in the final year of a four-year contract, and despite reported talks that the two sides have been working on a deal, it looks like Prescott will head into the season without an extension. Will a deep playoff run be enough for Jerry Jones to back up the Brinks truck? Or will this be the final season we see Prescott with a star on his helmet?
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
2023 record: 11-6, second in NFC East, lost to Buccaneers in wild-card round
Storyline we’re watching: A clean slate. After a 10-1 start last season, the Eagles finished 1-6 and crashed out in the playoffs. Philadelphia brought in some new faces to help right the ship in offensive coordinator Kellen More and Vic Fangio on defence. They join an Eagles team that brought back most of its weapons from last season (they also added star RB Saquon Barkley and young receiver Jahan Dotson) but also bid farewell to a franchise cornerstone in Jason Kelce. The shocking end to the 2023 season is a distant memory now, and the Eagles will be looking to remind the NFL they are a force to be reckoned with.
NEW YORK GIANTS
2023 record: 6-11, third in NFC East, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: Is this Daniel Jones’ swan song in the Big Apple? Giants quarterback Daniel Jones earned a massive four-year, $160 million contract after he led New York to a wild-card victory in 2022, but things have been anything but smooth sailing for Jones since signing on the dotted line and this season feels like a referendum on his future. The team drafted star receiver Malik Nabers sixth overall to give Jones a true top weapon, but is the QB up to the task? Health is always a concern — Jones has struggled with injuries his entire career, playing in 16 games just once in his first five seasons.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
2023 record: 4-13, last in NFC East, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: Trial by fire for Jayden Daniels. The quarterback situation in Washington has been like a game of musical chairs. Over the past seven seasons, seven different quarterbacks have started for Washington in Week 1. They will have an eighth this year, as No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels takes the reins. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner flashed superstar potential in the pre-season and looks like the answer under centre, but Washington’s offensive line brings a few questions. The Commanders allowed 65 sacks last season, the second-highest total in the NFL.
SOUTH
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
20223 record: 9-8, first in NFC South, lost to Lions in divisional round
Storyline we’re watching: Mayfield’s career resurgence. When quarterback Baker Mayfield took over the Buccaneers last season, the “bridge QB” label was quickly applied to the veteran. He was supposed to provide capable quarterback play until the Buccaneers found “the guy.” But Mayfield changed those plans, posting career highs in completion percentage (64.3 per cent), passing yards (4,044) and touchdowns (28) and earned a commitment from the Buccaneers in the form of a three-year, $100 million contract this off-season as a result. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick seems to finally have found his form in Tampa Bay and we will see if it leads to a fourth-straight division title for the Bucs.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
2023 record: 9-8, second in NFC South, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: The clock is ticking for Carr, Allen. Veteran quarterback Derek Carr and head coach Dennis Allen have to be feeling the pressure. The Saints just missed out on winning a weak NFC South division last season, but it’s not as if their play inspired a ton of confidence. In his first season with the Saints after leaving the Raiders, Carr was middling at best, and Allen heads into his third season as head coach with a 16-18 overall record in New Orleans. If the Saints, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, struggle out of the gate, some hard changes could be coming in The Big Easy.
ATLANTA FALCONS
2023 record: 7-10, third in NFC South, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: Cousins’ arrival could be missing piece in Atlanta. The Falcons made a big swing this off-season by signing former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal, and in doing so raised the stakes for his comeback from an Achilles injury. Cousins, whose 2023 season was cut short in Week 8, will have no shortage of weapons in Atlanta as he makes his return to form. There’s no shortage of pressure, either, considering first-rounder Michael Penix Jr. is waiting in the wings should Cousins stumble. That, and the fact that anything less than a playoff appearance will be seen as a disappointment for this squad.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
2023 record: 2-15, fourth in NFC South, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: Things can only get better for Bryce Young, right? The 2023 No. 1 overall pick struggled in his first season with the Panthers, though considering the lack of talent around him, he wasn’t really put in the best position to succeed. Carolina did some things to support Young this off-season, hiring offensive-minded head coach (and undersized QB whisperer) Dave Canales, signing receiver Diontae Johnson and drafting speedy WR Xavier Legette. Getting back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 is a long shot, but the Panthers should at least get a better idea of what they have in Young.
WEST
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
2023 record: 12-5, first in NFC West, lost to Chiefs in Super Bowl
Storyline we’re watching: The cap crunch is coming. Top to bottom, the 49ers still probably have the most talented roster in the NFL. But in a salary-cap league, things can change fast. Getting star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk signed to a new deal was big, but quarterback Brock Purdy’s looming extension is going to cause the 49ers to make some difficult decisions with their other high-priced players in the near future. This might be the last year the current core is all together, so they better make it count.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
2023 record: 10-7, lost to Lions in wild-card round
Storyline we’re watching: Life after Aaron Donald brings questions on defence. If Matthew Stafford stays healthy, the Rams’ offence has the potential to be one of the top groups in the league. It’s the other side of the ball that could cause head coach Sean McVay some major headaches. The Rams had arguably the biggest subtraction of the off-season when three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald decided to call it a career. Los Angeles bulked up on defensive players in this year’s draft, but there is no replacing No. 99. If their young defensive core can manage to play even at a league-average level, the offence should be able to do most of the heavy lifting.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
2023 record: 9-8, third in NFC West, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: Macdonald tackles the defence. There will be a lot less gum chewed in Seattle this season. For the first time since 2009, it won’t be Pete Carroll calling the shots for the Seahawks. Former Ravens defensive co-ordinator Mike Macdonald gets his first shot as an NFL coach and takes over a roster that narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season. Under Macdonald, the 2023 Ravens allowed a league-low 16.2 points per game. We will see if Macdonald can work his magic with a Seahawks defence that finished 24th in points allowed in 2023.
ARIZONA CARDINALS
2023 record: 4-13, missed playoffs
Storyline we’re watching: Offence = woo! Defence = woof. If you like points, make sure you tune into some Cardinals games this season. After missing the first nine weeks with an ACL injury last season, Kyler Murray brought the Cardinals’ offence back to life — they ranked 9th in EPA per play with Murray calling the shots in Weeks 10-18. That was without explosive playmaking WR Marvin Harrison Jr., who the Cardinals drafted with the fourth-overall pick in April. Defence is questionable, but this offence could make a statement.
