The new NFL season starts September 5, in an opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens. This rematch of the AFC Championships finals kicks off the new six months of sweat, blood, and tears for the 32 clubs of the National Football League.
While each of these clubs is a team, some players get more time in the spotlight, mostly because of the influence their playing has on the result. They’re quarterbacks and this is a short overview of the most prominent quarterbacks in the season ahead.
Jared Goff – Leader of the Pride
Jared Goff had his ups and downs in his career, from getting to the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams to barely finding a new club after a few bad seasons.
Now he’s at the helm of the Detroit Lions, having reached the title match of the NFC Championship last season. The Lions were close to the Super Bowl, but the San Francisco 49ers defeated them 34-31 in a tight match.
In his 17 games played in the 2024 season, Goff made 30 touchdowns and suffered 12 interceptions. He successfully completed 67% of his attempts while collecting 4,575 passing yards (the second-best result in the NFL).
And Goff is only 30, so he’s just about to live through the best years for an NFL quarterback. It’s no wonder the Lions are the fourth most probable team to win the Super Bowl. If you look at the sportscasing.com’s list of offshore sportsbooks, you’ll see that most bookies give such odds to the Lions; much of which is thanks to Goff’s amazing performance. These sportsbooks also come with a range of sign up offers and there’s round-the-clock customer service if you ever need it, which are just a few reasons they are becoming extremely popular with NFL fans across the country.
Matthew Stafford – Taking the Rams Up
One of the most durable figures in the NFL, Matthew Stafford is expected to deliver another successful season at the LA Rams. Once a long-term quarterback at the Detroit Lions (2009-2020), he is now the point man at the LA Rams. In the direct clash between these two teams in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Stafford led his team to a great play overall. Unfortunately, the Lions won by only one point.
Nevertheless, Stafford’s stats from the previous season indicate what we could see in 2024: 24 touchdowns vs. 11 interceptions, plus 3,965 passing yards. With 62% of his completed attempts, he still gives remarkable performances.
Even though the Rams are in the league-middle of the Super Bowl odds, Stafford might lead them to the playoffs, and that’s where the miracle happens.
Tua Tagovailoa – Giving the Dolphins a Nudge
The Miami Dolphins had one of the best offensive lines in the 2023 season. Tua Tagovailoa is one of the most important players on that roster. By completing 68.1% of his attempts in the 18 games he played and boasting 4823 passing yards, Tagovailoa has cemented his place as one of the most powerful quarterbacks for the time being in the NFL.
That being said, the horrific 26-7 defeat to the Chiefs in the Wild Card playoffs raised some concerns about Tua’s maturity to take his team and teammates a few steps higher. In the following season, the Dolphins are the 12th most probable team to win the Super Bowl. if Tagovailoa manages to come back mentally stronger and more focused, he’ll nudge the entire team to outplay their performance from the previous season.
Lamar Jackson – Aiming at His First Bowl
A two-time NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson still has enough time to enrich his trophy cabinet with the Super Bowl. Given his outstanding performance in the 2023 season and the fact he’s only 27 years old, the following season might just be the right time. His show against the Miami Dolphins last December, when he scored five touchdowns and the Ravens destroyed the Dolphins, already indicated that this quarterback was going to challenge the likes of Payton Manning and Tom Brady in the near future.
Winning one Super Bowl would be another valuable milestone in reaching those greats. Last season, the Ravens lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship by only two points. For the time being, they’re the fourth most probable team to win the Super Bowl in 2024/2025. Still, given the subtractions they’ve experienced after the 2023 season, it will be a long and winding road for the Baltimore team.
Patrick Mahomes – The Boss of the Chiefs
Having won two NFL titles in a row with his Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes is relevant even when he’s not at his best. And that was exactly the case with his performance in the regular season last year. He was alright but that wasn’t the pedal-to-the-metal Mahomes we all know.
And yet, we saw this acceleration in the playoffs, where the Chiefs stormed down past the Dolphins, the Bills, and the Ravens, all the way to the Super Bowl. With his match-winning touchdown against the 49ers, Mahomes proved once again that he’s a player for big matches. In addition to some other incredible figures, Mahomes has won three Super Bowls so far and joined the company of Troy Aikman, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, and Terry Bradshaw as the only quarterbacks with three titles under the belt.
At the season’s end, he’s played 20 games to reach 67.7% and 5,234 passing yards.
As the Chiefs are the most probable team to win the 2024 season, we expect another furious performance from Mahomes.
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