The 2023-24 NFL season officially ended on Sunday night when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to win their third Super Bowl in five years. Now, it’s time to move forward to the offseason, when free agency and the NFL Draft will allow teams to add talent to their rosters.
Before that happens, let’s take one final look at how the NFL looks before depth charts begin changing next month. The Chiefs have earned the right to be No. 1, but how does the rest of the league stack up?
Post-Super Bowl NFL Power Rankings
32) Carolina Panthers
New Panthers head coach Dave Canales helped resurrect Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield’s careers over the past two offseasons. He’ll try to do the same with second-year Carolina signal-caller Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft who struggled but was also failed by the Panthers’ offensive staff and environment.
31) Tennessee Titans
While the Titans might be viewed as a potential rebuild under first-year HC Brian Callahan, NFL teams no longer plan on long revamping processes.
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Tennessee has the second-most cap space in the league ($67.8 million), a young quarterback it believes in, and plays in an AFC South where 10 wins were enough to win the division title. Don’t be surprised if the Titans think they can win this season.
30) New England Patriots
Bill Belichick is out (of the NFL entirely), and Jerod Mayo is in. The Patriots could become interesting quickly if they select a quarterback at No. 3 overall, but early signs point to New England drafting an offensive tackle or trading back. The offense is still a question mark — can the defense remain elite without Belichick?
29) Washington Commanders
The four teams at the bottom of our power rankings all have new head coaches entering 2024. Dan Quinn stayed in the NFC East to become the Commanders’ HC, while new GM Adam Peters gets to work with the No. 2 pick and the NFL’s most cap space ($73.6 million). Washington could be next year’s version of the Houston Texans as the league’s instant turnaround.
28) Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray showed flashes in the Cardinals’ new offense once he returned from ACL surgery, and Arizona won’t be in range to select one of the draft’s top QB prospects. The Cardinals could give Murray a superstar wideout in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. — then still have five more picks before the end of Day 2.
27) New York Giants
Daniel Jones face-planted in his first year of a four-year, $160 million extension before tearing his ACL in Week 9. Now holding the sixth overall pick, the Giants must seriously consider drafting a first-round quarterback. They can get out of Jones’ deal after the upcoming season, allowing them to start fresh in 2025.
26) Atlanta Falcons
Among the teams in the bottom third of our power rankings, the Falcons might have the best odds of ending up inside the top 10. If Atlanta can lure Kirk Cousins, trade for another veteran, or land a QB with the No. 8 pick, it should be the favorite to win the NFC South.
25) Las Vegas Raiders
The vibes are excellent in Las Vegas after the Raiders retained interim HC Antonio Pierce. But the Raiders need a lot of help this offseason, including at critical positions — quarterback, offensive tackle, and cornerback. New Las Vegas GM Tom Telesco’s track record with the Los Angeles Chargers left a lot to be desired.
24) Denver Broncos
The Broncos might have to write off the 2024 campaign to get their books in order. Russell Wilson’s expected release will be a net neutral on the salary cap, but Denver is $24 million in the red without considering Wilson at all. Sean Payton can coax a few wins from Jarrett Stidham or another low-cost QB, but the Broncos are already looking ahead to 2025.
23) New Orleans Saints
The Saints surprisingly kept Dennis Allen as their head coach this offseason after missing the playoffs for the second straight year. New Orleans’ roster won’t look very different next season. They’ll be forced to bring back much of the team after restructuring nearly every possible contract to get under the cap. That might be enough to win the NFC South, but not much more.
22) Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin will always give the Steelers a high floor, but where’s the ceiling? Pittsburgh hasn’t advanced out of the first round of the playoffs since 2017. If they don’t find an upgrade over Kenny Pickett/Mason Rudolph, the Wild Card Round might not even be possible in 2024.
21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While the 2023 campaign wasn’t necessarily a fluke, no one expected the Buccaneers to make a run to the NFC Divisional Round. Tampa Bay has more young pieces than you might imagine, but QB Baker Mayfield and WR Mike Evans are pending free agents. The Bucs’ offseason approach will tell us where their front office believes they are.
20) Minnesota Vikings
Cousins ranks No. 1 on PFN’s Top 100 Free Agents list, and where he decides to play in 2024 will have a league-wide impact. Early tea leaves suggest he’ll re-sign with the Vikings, but Cousins could turn other teams — like the Falcons or Steelers — into surefire contenders, too.
19) Chicago Bears
Cousins isn’t the only NFC North quarterback whose destination will affect the entire league. The Bears are expected to add a new QB with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft, leaving incumbent Justin Fields without a home. Where will Fields land, and what is Chicago’s asking price? We should find out soon.
18) Indianapolis Colts
Colts head coach Shane Steichen received praise for his efforts with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II, but we’re all ready to see how Anthony Richardson can fare in Indy’s offense.
MORE: 2023-24 NFL QB Power Rankings
Richardson, the No. 4 pick in last year’s draft, was constantly banged up until suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October. Keeping Richardson healthy, extending WR Michael Pittman Jr., and aggressively using their $58.9 million in cap space should be on the Colts’ offseason itinerary.
17) Cleveland Browns
Cleveland will bring back every starter on defense, but what will Deshaun Watson look like in 2024? He was consistently injured last season and finished with a 42.9 QBR in six starts, which would have ranked 24th in the NFL if he’d had enough attempts to qualify. Watson’s contract makes him uncuttable, so reigning Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski will have to make things work.
16) Los Angeles Chargers
The mere presence of Jim Harbaugh raises the Chargers’ floor. He’s succeeded at every stop in his career, and there’s no reason to think Los Angeles will be any different. The Chargers need to get their salary cap in order and rebuild their defensive depth chart. But Harbaugh + Justin Herbert is a winning combination.
15) New York Jets
Remember the high hopes for the Jets before Aaron Rodgers went down in Week 1? PFN’s Consensus Power Rankings had Gang Green at No. 9 entering last season, and they should bring back a lot of the same roster in 2024. If Rodgers can recruit Davante Adams to New York, the Jets will be in the Super Bowl conversation again.
14) Seattle Seahawks
Maybe we’re too high on new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald. But Seattle’s offense is ready to win now, and Macdonald already proved in Baltimore he could lead a dominant defense with lower-profile players than the Seahawks boast. Can we fast-forward to September to see Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Boye Mafe in Macdonald’s scheme?
13) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars were widely expected to win the AFC South and compete for the Super Bowl. Instead, they missed the playoffs entirely and became one of the most disappointing teams in the league. Jacksonville has just $11.3 million in cap space and one franchise tag to retain WR Calvin Ridley and EDGE Josh Allen.
12) Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins’ $50 million question is whether to extend Tua Tagovailoa, who is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option in 2024. Only two quarterbacks — Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota — have played on the fifth-year option since it was introduced in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement. Miami could franchise Tagovailoa in 2025 if no deal is worked out.
11) Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are slated to make a first-round pick for the first time since 2016 and have some cap space ($20 million or so) to work with this offseason. Sean McVay, Cooper Kupp, and Puka Nacua should have the offense taken care of, but how much will coordinator Raheem Morris’ loss affect Los Angeles’ defense?
10) Green Bay Packers
The Packers snuck into the playoffs last season but won’t be sneaking up on anyone in 2024. Jordan Love returns to lead a roster that was the NFL’s youngest by snap-weighted age last year. Green Bay’s talented depth chart will continue to develop, while the club also has an additional pick in the second round of the upcoming draft.
9) Dallas Cowboys
This offseason will tell us how the Cowboys plan to proceed with Dak Prescott, who holds a $59.5 million cap charge in 2024, the final year of his contract.
If Dallas extends Prescott to reduce his cap figure and help the club (currently $20 million in the red) get under the salary cap, we’ll know he’ll be under center for years to come. But if the Cowboys don’t address Prescott’s contract and instead rework other players’ deals, 2024 will probably be his final season in Dallas.
8) Philadelphia Eagles
While the Eagles will bring back the same roster in 2024, the club’s schemes could look different. Kellen Moore will take over an offense that looked disjointed all offseason. On defense, Philadelphia stopped trying to hire the next Vic Fangio and simply hired Vic Fangio. The Eagles may have landed the best available coordinators on either side of the ball.
7) Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud is a wunderkind, but Texans GM Nick Caserio will be busy this offseason.
Houston will see 44.4% of its overall snaps played head to free agency next month, according to Over the Cap, with 54% of the Texans’ defensive snaps being played by pending free agents; no other club in the NFL will see more than half its snaps on either side of the ball reach free agency.
6) Cincinnati Bengals
It might be easy to forget about the Bengals, who missed the playoffs after Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 10. But with Burrow expected to be at full health, and WR Tee Higgins expected to be franchised, Cincinnati is well-positioned to compete for the Super Bowl next season.
5) Detroit Lions
The Lions’ storybook season ended with a heartbreaking NFC title game loss, but Detroit’s 2023 campaign can’t be considered anything other than a success. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s decision to stick with the Lions was one of the most important personnel moves of the offseason, while Detroit has the cap space to add talent at WR, EDGE, and CB in the coming months.
4) Buffalo Bills
Few teams are as overleveraged as the Bills heading into the 2024 offseason. Even if Buffalo creates every bit of cap space it can through cuts and restructures, it will only have $10 million or so to work with in free agency.
Sean McDermott and Co. will bring back much of the same corps that advanced to the AFC Divisional Round and finished fourth in point differential in 2023. While they still have the talent to be in the Super Bowl mix, this might be the Bills’ last, best chance before they have to eat their salary-cap vegetables.
3) Baltimore Ravens
With more free agents listed (eight) on PFN’s Top 100 than any other team and just $7.3 million in projected cap space, the Ravens have work to do this offseason.
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General manager Eric DeCosta won’t be able to retain everyone. Franchise-tagging DT Justin Madubuike while hoping to hit on more low-cost FA signings might be Baltimore’s best plan of attack.
2) San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are already the betting favorites to win next year’s Super Bowl, and there’s no reason San Francisco can’t get another shot at the Lombardi in 2024. Brock Purdy will be on an inexpensive rookie contract for two more seasons, allowing the 49ers to add even more pieces to an already-stacked roster.
1) Kansas City Chiefs
After winning their second consecutive Super Bowl (and their third in four years), the Chiefs are on the verge of a dynasty. Patrick Mahomes might already be the best player in NFL history — add in Andy Reid and a Steve Spagnuolo defense, and Kansas City seems unbeatable.
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