In wrapping up OTA and mandatory minicamps, NFL teams have already started to lay the foundations for their 2024 seasons. Even with the slowest period of the football offseason approaching, coaches and executives are acutely aware of the importance of their goals for the upcoming campaign. Whether it's because of an upgrade in star power, underwhelming performance the year before, or head coaches on the hot seat, here are seven teams that need to turn a corner in 2024 or risk sweeping changes, underlining the high stakes of the season. The tension and excitement for the 2024 season are palpable.
New York Jets
There's no organization under more pressure to right the ship this upcoming season than the Jets finally. After the team acquired Aaron Rodgers last season, it seemed like a decade-plus streak of disappointment would end. But Rodgers, the key to the team's success, tore his Achilles on just the fourth play of the 2023 season, and his backup quarterbacks were awful in his stead.
The team's defense, another crucial element, was yet again phenomenal, finishing first in PFF grade and third in EPA per play, and should be lights-out yet again. The offense's weak points, the offensive line and expansive receiver room, were addressed by the additions of Mike Williams, Tyron Smith, John Simpson, Morgan Moses, Olu Fashanu, and Malachi Corley.
All-world talent on both sides of the ball is there for the Jets to make the playoffs and even win a game. Owner Woody Johnson entrusted Head Coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas for at least one more year. Still, if New York can't foster success in Rodgers' age-40 season, both leaders might unceremoniously head for the exits.
Philadelphia Eagles
After making it to Super Bowl 57, a significant achievement, the Eagles delivered an encore that wouldn't have won an Oscar. The team started a near-perfect 10-1 but imploded down the stretch, dropping six of its last seven, including an ugly wild-card loss to the Buccaneers. Their challenges were immense, and the pressure to bounce back in the 2024 season is significant.
Philly's defense was a black hole for much of the year, ranking 28th in PFF coverage grade. Consequently, general manager Howie Roseman strategically drafted defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean with his two selections. The Eagles also hired revered defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, replacing the makeshift tandem of Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.
This strategic overhaul indicates the team's commitment to improving its defense. The team's offense was also regularly a mess down the stretch, with five of its seven lowest-graded overall offensive showings coming in week 13 or later. As a result, Philadelphia swapped Brian Johnson for the well-traveled but young Kellen Moore.
At the beginning of the post-Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox days, will the Eagles return to their magnificent 2022 form, or will Nick Sirianni, one of the more polarizing coaches in the league, get the boot? What happens in Philadelphia this fall will be the focal point for this NFL season and beyond.
Miami Dolphins
Starting last year 11-4, the Dolphins sure looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. But two bad regular-season losses against the Ravens and Bills didn't bode well for the playoffs, as Miami was eviscerated 26-7 by the Chiefs in the wild-card round.
The Dolphins had two of the NFL's seven highest-graded receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and the highest-graded passer in Tua Tagovailoa. Yet, with injuries ravaging the defense and the team malfunctioning in cold weather, Miami crumbled as 2023 endured.
Hill, Waddle, and Tagovailoa are all back, and the quarterback will likely be earning a top-five salary at this point. The returns of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips should be monumental. The back end should be in better shape with a healthy Jalen Ramsey and the signings of Kendall Fuller and Jordan Poyer.
If the Dolphins can't end their 24-year stretch of not winning a playoff game in 2024, when will it happen? Ingenious head coach Mike McDaniel likely isn't going anywhere, but something deeper needs to jell in Miami this year.
Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles and their biggest nemesis both make the list. Dallas was one of the NFL's best in the 2023 regular season, finishing 12-5 and fourth in overall team grade. However, in classic Cowboys fashion, it all went awry in the playoffs, with the explosive Packers upsetting the No. 2 seed in AT&T Stadium.
Owner Jerry Jones has yet to pay Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but each is in a solid position to reset the quarterback and receiver markets, respectively. Whether Dallas can legitimately retain both is up in the air. Even if the Cowboys maintain their pair long-term, there may be cap casualties on the other end entering next offseason.
Then there's head coach Mike McCarthy, who has gone 42-25 in four years in Dallas, tied for the fourth-best record among head coaches in that span, but has yet to even get to the NFC Championship game with his second franchise.
With Prescott, Lamb, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys should be good again in 2024, barring an overhauled offensive line. However, if Dallas fades in January again, expect the team to look drastically different next year.
Atlanta Falcons
After going 7-10 in the past three seasons, the Falcons moved on from head coach Arthur Smith, making a splash hire in former Rams defensive coordinator and familiar face Raheem Morris. On top of that, Morris landed the team's burgeoning offensive mastermind and Sean McVay protégé, Zac Robinson, who will become the team's offensive coordinator.
While Atlanta's defense was surprisingly good last year, finishing 12th in overall grade and a stout second against the run, its passing offense faltered, with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke falling well short of the stick. Subsequently, general manager Terry Fontenot signed Kirk Cousins and Darnell Mooney and traded for Rondale Moore.
It's only the first year of Morris's second stint as Atlanta's head coach, but the franchise needs to turn a corner in 2024. With studs in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, an excellent offensive line, and a defense that still should be solid, Atlanta has laid the groundwork to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years and has little reason not to compete for the NFC South Crown.
