We will all wish each other a Happy New Year, but the reality is that 2024 won’t be kind to everyone.
That certainly rings true in the NFL, like with any sporting league.
As we open onto page one of our brand new calendars, we remind ourselves that not all teams are on the same timeline — some are eyeing Super Bowl glory, while others are looking a little further forward, focusing on more process-driven priorities.
It’s important to focus on what can be controlled moving forward; the next move, the next decision, that’s what is now important.
So on that note, here’s something every NFL team needs to be focusing on, as we move into 2024 — here’s a New Years resolution for each team.
Every NFL team’s New Year’s Resolution for 2024
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Grab the #1 seed in the AFC…
…and kick your feet up on Wild Card weekend.
This Ravens team has been exceptional in 2023, off the back of Lamar Jackson’s champagne form. So despite the loss of a couple of key skill position guys, there’s enough there to make a really serious run at the championship. Some New Year’s resolutions will be looking further ahead into the year, but Baltimore needs to have its focus sharpened for February.
Cincinnati Bengals
Extend Tee Higgins.
Don’t let your gun WR, who’s hitting free agency, land on a rival roster.
The Jake Browning run has been fun, but it’s about 2024-25 for the Bengals, when Joe Burrow is back. Having one elite receiver – Ja’Mar Chase – is great, but having two top 20 pass-catching options is even better.
The asking price might force the Bengals’ hand, but make sure you’re firmly in the fight for his signature.
Cleveland Browns
Fix your quarterback.
Since Cleveland made the disgraceful trade for Deshaun Watson – and the equally abdominal fully guaranteed contract extension – they’ve been hit by the karma bus — he’s been bad and/or unavailable.
Offensive-minded head coach Kevin Stefanski has had more success with journeymen and veteran signal-callers, like Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco, than with ‘their answer’.
The Browns’ defence has been insane this season, while the offence still has key pieces to continue building around. But Watson needs to look in the mirror, act with humility and accountability, and start justifying the ludicrous contract his agent was good enough to lure Cleveland into offering him.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Find a way out of purgatory.
Pittsburgh signed themselves up to an extended period of purgatory when they drafted Kenny Pickett in the middle of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Mike Tomlin continues to get the most out of a mediocre roster, which is unfortunately leading them nowhere in a hurry. Either Pickett takes a huge step forward, or the team takes a step back. And neither of those paths look overly feasible… that’s the problem.
Steelers fans realizing this blowout win means another year of 9-8 Mike Tomlin next season pic.twitter.com/g1CF6tmcuD
— NFL Memes (@NFLHateMemes) December 23, 2023
AFC South
Houston Texans
Support CJ Stroud
A Texans franchise that acted shamefully through the Deshaun Watson years won the lottery in April 2023, landing CJ Stroud with the second pick in the Draft.
While they won’t admit it, they probably would’ve taken Bryce Young, like Carolina, if they were in a position to do so. But the bottom line is, they have a star QB moving forward. Don’t ruin it.
Indianapolis Colts
Add another offensive weapon.
Houston wasn’t the only AFC South team that found their guy at quarterback in the 2023 Draft.
The Colts, though, weren’t silly enough to sell a future first to move up for a second swing in the top five… unlike the Texans. So Indy has the ammunition to add another difference-making talent to its promising offence, as Anthony Richardson returns to the fray in year two and continues his development.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Take another swing at receiver
The wheels have fallen off since Christian Kirk got injured, which is an indictment of the Jacksonville offence.
Trevor Lawrence simply hasn’t been good enough. Calvin Ridley is being misused. The offence is an inconsistent mess. The Jags need to make sure that, next season, their offence isn’t one injury away from disaster.
Tennessee Titans
Take a step back.
The Titans aren’t close to competing, but they have at least found something in rookie QB Will Levis.
It’s time for the GM to get active, liquidate an asset or two and make 2024 about finding a couple of cornerstone pieces in the Draft and fast-track this rebuild.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
Don’t waste a moment of Josh Allen’s prime.
In what’s been an up-and-down 2023, Buffalo needs to keep its focus firmly on making moves to maximise the window it’s in.
Don’t be judged by Super Bowls. But make sure every you’re doing everything to maximise your chances of reaching one and hope the football gods reciprocate.
Miami Dolphins
Build in the trenches.
It’s a privilege when a team is doing enough right to just add the best player available in the Draft, which is essentially the case for this impressive Miami team.
But it certainly wouldn’t hurt to find another giant up front, ideally on the offensive side, that can help keep Tua Tagovailoa out of harm’s way.
New England Patiots
Farewell Bill Belichick.
It’s over. The legendary coach has lost his grip on modern football and, as both a coach and general manager, has been depleting this team of talent and development for far too long.
The Pats face an extensive rebuild. It’s time to get cracking.
New York Jets
Take back control.
Aaron Rodgers is running the show in New York, which is not good.
The Achilles injury was bad luck, of course. But it didn’t take long for Jets fans to realise why Packers fans were celebrating his departure. He’s a selfish, distracting presence and since his arrival, the organisation’s leadership has lost its way.
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Make the Playoffs.
It’s been seven years and counting. Only the Jets have a longer post-season drought than Denver; the proud franchise hasn’t been on a deep run since the Peyton Manning days.
Kansas City Chiefs
Get Patrick Mahomes smiling again.
The best player in the NFL has been visibly frustrated for much of this season, with not enough team-mates playing their role around him.
Even Mahomes needs weapons, and Travis Kelce’s not getting any younger. Finding another trustworthy receiver is sure to get things back on the rails… and put a smile back on Pat’s dial.
LA Chargers
Nail the coaching hire.
Brandon Staley was relieved of his duties as head coach after a disastrous mid-December loss to the Raiders.
The Chargers continue to waste Justin Herbert’s best years… but at least – unlike the team below – they have a quarterback to build around.
Las Vegas Raiders
Stop kidding yourself.
Owner Mark Davis continues to hire the wrong people, at coach and at General Manager; this team continues thinking it can compete, when it very clearly cannot.
Bringing over free agent QB Jimmy Garoppolo was a laughable move that was never going to change the Raiders’ fortunes. It’s time for Davis to do a thorough self evaluation and take his hands off the steering wheel. Allow a qualified and competent boss to grab the reins; someone that can find the right staff going forward and give this franchise the direction it craves.
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Make a decision and don’t look back.
The Bears are in the truly unique predicament of having a talented quarterback, but also the number one pick in the upcoming Draft, in a year where there are some really promising options at that position.
Whether Chicago elects to stick with Justin Fields and build around him, or reset the clock and draft its QB of the future, leave no stone unturned in ensuring it was the right decision to make at the time.
Detroit Lions
Be open to a quarterback upgrade.
Detroit have shown great development this season, but will most likely never reach a Super Bowl with Jared Goff as quarterback.
Credit to the organisation for not acting on pure desperation in its QB search. But they were also one of many teams that never made Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson an offer, who was a restricted free agent last off-season.
If and when Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson is poached, scoring points might very quickly become a tougher task. There will come a time when this team needs a game-winner under centre, not just a game manager.
Green Bay Packers
Don’t let Matt LaFleur make any more coaching hires
MLF is a great coach, but a terrible hirer. He’s put too much faith in guys not up to the job, with no better example being his Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry. The Packers need to move on from Barry, move on from their passive defensive philosophy and not allow LaFleur to make the next hire. The defence has been pathetic for way too long.
The good news is, Green Bay’s 2024 New Year’s Resolution is a defence-focused one; the quarterback and offence of the now and future is firmly in place.
Minnesota Vikings
Let 2024 come to you.
Kirk Cousins will come back. The offence still has dudes.
Perhaps target one or two decent fits in free agency, but beyond that add the best available players when you’re on the clock in April’s Draft.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Fire Arthur Smith and convince the Bears to trade them Justin Fields.
Head coach Arthur Smith is in over his head with an offence that has more than enough weapons.
There’s no reason the Falcons can’t compete next season with a combination of competent head coaching and quarterbacking. Fields, for example, with the Falcons’ skill position group, in an offence that caters to the QB’s strengths, would be an unadulterated smoke show.
Staying in the Playoff hunt for no reason, Arthur Smith keeps his job, and our draft pick gets lower pic.twitter.com/urPaMWwHT3
— Not Bijan (@InBijanWeTrust) December 24, 2023
Carolina Panthers
Give Bryce Young a shot.
2023 was catastrophic; the head coach lasted 11 weeks and the team made a trade that will go into the Hall of Fame of bad trades.
The Panthers will obviously have major regrets that will likely linger moving forward. But at the very least, they need to find Young some quality weapons and determine whether he’s worth persisting with longer term, after his disappointing rookie season.
New Orleans Saints
Surrender.
New Orleans has been hanging onto this idea they can still compete for two-to-three years too many. And it’s time someone is held accountable.
General Manager Mickey Loomis brought in Derek Carr, an average QB that was never putting this ageing roster over the top. It was just yet another suboptimal move from a GM that prioritises relevance over what’s right.
Loomis should fall on his sword and let a fresh set of eyes take on what New Orleans needs; a thorough do-over.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Convince Dan Quinn to stick around for another season.
Dallas needs to double down on offensive talent in the off-season and find more depth at receiver.
But the top priority is staying the course with its aggressive defensive scheme, which has made this side a genuine contender in spite of head coach Mike McCarthy’s flaws. With better injury luck, he can make this unit one of the best in the league and then gun for a second opportunity as a head coach.
New York Giants
Land another cornerstone offensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Giants made a bad decision last off-season, extending Daniel Jones on an over-inflated contract. But they can cut their losses a year from now.
So whether it’s QB Jayden Daniels, TE Brock Bowers or an offensive tackle like Joe Alt, add another offensive player that the organisation can look to build around longer term and go from there.
Philadelphia Eagles
Stick to the plan.
Things have come a little unstuck down the stretch for Philly, with the back end of its defence being exposed by good teams.
But GM Howie Roseman continues dunking on rival franchises by extracting value out of free agency and the Draft and now’s not the time to move away from its proven process.
Washington Commanders
Draft Drake Maye.
Washington presumably moves on from out-dated head coach Ron Rivera.
The positive is, though, that the Commanders did enough losing in 2023 to potentially put themselves in a position to grab the consensus second-best QB talent in the upcoming NFL Draft.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Go and get Marvin Harrison Jr.
This season was about rebuilding and figuring out who the quarterback beyond 2023 needs to be.
If the franchise believes Kyler Murray is still the guy moving forward, as has been the conversation recently, then great. But don’t mess around — go and add Marvin Harrison Jr. early in the 2024 Draft and give Kyler every chance of repaying the faith shown in him.
A receiver group headlined by Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, along with others, will be lethal.
LA Rams
Win a Playoff game.
The Rams have taken incredible strides this season, after nailing a couple of picks in the 2023 Draft, and have put themselves in the box seat to claim a Playoffs Wild Card spot. Don’t waste it — go and give this emerging group valuable post-season experience ahead of an even deeper charge next year, before the Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp era wraps up.
San Francisco 49ers
Win a Super Bowl
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s legacy depends on it. And frankly, anything less will be a failure, given how dominant the team has looked this season.
Seattle Seahawks
Be flexible.
This Seahawks team enjoyed a bounce back campaign a year ago, off the back of a fortunate Draft where they nailed several picks.
But the reality is, they’re stuck in no-man’s land, not unlike Pittsburgh (see above) — they don’t know who their QB of the future is, but are too competitive to find a replacement in the Draft. So be ready to pounce on any opportunity that presents, that will help define the direction moving forward.
