National Football League Overviews by Division and Rookie Quarterbacks

By David Thatcher, Clarion Staff Reporter

The NFL is back and there are a million things to talk about, but this article will mainly focus on some of the new faces that made their NFL starts at quarterback and an overview of the eight divisions and what teams in those divisions are most likely to win their respective divisions. 

NFL Rookie Quarterbacks

With the start of the 2024-2025 NFL season there are a few new faces starting at the quarterback position. Three of the six first round drafted quarterbacks have made their first official NFL starts.

The first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, made his first starts against the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans. Caleb Williams in these outings has posted a combined 56.1% completion percentage (37/66), 267 passing yards, two interceptions, and 10 carries for 59 yards with no passing or rushing touchdowns so far with Chicago.

Jayden Daniels has had the best start of the season out of the three rookies posting a combined 75.5% completion percentage (40/53) for 410 passing yards along with 26 carries for 132 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns in his first two weeks as a Washington Commander. 

Denver’s Bo Nix has had a rough start to his NFL career with posting a combined 59.7% completion percentage (46/77) for 384 passing yards and four interceptions along with nine rushing carries for 60 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

It also needs to be acknowledged that while the rookie quarterbacks haven’t been amazing it’s also not expected for rookie quarterbacks to come into the league as Pro-Bowl or All-Pro caliber players. Each of these young players have their unique situations and challenges, but each of these players also need time to develop and learn skills that can potentially turn them into Pro-Bowl and All-Pro caliber players as their careers progress. 

Division Previews and Winner Predictions

NFC West, Winner - San Francisco 49ers

Looking at the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers are the likely division winners. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff consistently produce well coached teams and effective schemes which are being paired with a 49ers roster that is still loaded with talent and are hungry to bring home a Lombardi to San Francisco. In short, with the quality coaching and the caliber of roster the 49ers have it’s nearly an expectation that the 49ers are serious Super Bowl contenders and the NFC West winners. 

The Los Angeles Rams also have a quality Head Coach in Sean McVay who also has a talented roster but has questions on how competitive they can be with an aging quarterback in Matthew Stafford, future hall of famer Aaron Donald retiring, and gambling on young players to step up. The Rams success highly depends on whether or not their defense is able to consistently handle high-powered offenses due to the regression the defensive unit has taken.

The Seattle Seahawks are moving into a new era with first-year head coach Mike MacDonald who previously was defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens who had one of the best defensive units in the league last season. Seattle under coach MacDonald has so far already seen improvements in their defense but the Seahawks also must ensure their offense is capable of scoring points to fully capitalize on what has so far been an improved defense that is likely going to continue to improve as the season progresses.

Arizona potentially has an interesting season storyline brewing. The Cardinals have had one of the most surprising starts to the season with their first two games shocking fans in their offensive performance that led to a near upset over the Buffalo Bills and their blowout victory over the Los Angeles Rams. However, the Cardinals still have concerns with their offensive line and defense that may start to pose serious problems as the season continues and teams start scheming to attack those weaknesses. 

NFC East, Winner - Philadelphia Eagles 

With a division with two real competitors and a strength of schedule that is easier than last years the Philadelphia Eagles should be able to use these situations to their advantage and win the NFC East. The Eagles have an impressive offensive roster with serious talent all around to help quarterback Jalen Hurts and an offensive line that should still be a top unit even with the departure of center Jason Kelce being paired with a Vic Fangio ran defensive unit, the Eagles should win a lot of games and the division.

The other competitive team in the NFC East are the Dallas Cowboys. With some hefty extensions given out to retain key players such as quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Ceedee Lamb the Cowboys hope to still make a deep run into the playoffs. Dallas has earned a reputation of being a great regular season team but end up faltering in the wild card or divisional round these past few seasons while Dallas is still likely to be a good regular season team the real question is whether or not Dallas is able to keep momentum and push further into the playoffs?

Trouble may be brewing with the New York Giants. While a team that wasn’t projected to be all that competitive this year despite making some moves to improve their offensive line, drafting the highly regarded wide receiver prospect Malik Nabers from LSU, along with the addition of Brian Burns to be paired with Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the defensive line being some of the Giants top headlines this offseason the Giants have had disappointing production. The Giants are not expected to be competitive this season but it’s becoming clear that the team needs a couple more years of building and a resolution to their offensive line and quarterback play before the team can be competitive. 

The Washington Commanders are also another team that needs some time to continue to build their team. The Commanders, who have several good players on their roster still need to add some more talent and need to focus on developing rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. While it’s unlikely that the Commanders are competitive this year, as long as Jayden Daniels looks like the future of the franchise at quarterback and his development progresses well then it will be a successful season for the Commanders. 

NFC North, Winner - Detroit Lions 

In the Motor City, the Detroit Lions have a young and talented team. Head coach Dan Campbell and Detroit’s front office have done a very commendable job at rebuilding this organization and making them serious competitors for the Super Bowl. As talented and well coached this team is they should have no problems winning a lot of games and the NFC North.

The Green Bay Packers are another young team with high promise but were unfortunately already struck with a significant injury with quarterback Jordan Love suffering an MCL sprain in Green Bay’s week one matchup against Philadelphia in Sao Paulo (Sept. 6th, 2024) and is expected to miss three to six weeks. With Jordan Love being out for a few weeks this likely lowers Green Bay’s chances of having a shot at winning the division but should still have a good chance to make the playoffs once Jordan Love returns. 

The Minnesota Vikings are in a process of rebuilding or retooling their roster after letting go some veteran players and taking a significant dead cap hit in order to add younger players to their roster and to build a roster from a younger foundation. Rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy unfortunately suffered a meniscus tear during the preseason rendering him out for the rest of the season and will not make his debut any time this season. While the Vikings are also a roster with some quality players they are still in need to add some more quality pieces to the roster and hope to see in the following seasons that JJ McCarthy is their quarterback of the future.

Chicago is an interesting team that may potentially be an unexpected competitor for a playoff spot. The Chicago Bears have talent on both sides of the ball and have done a great job rebuilding their roster but still have to get over the hump of developing rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. While Caleb Williams does display impressive playmaking abilities and athleticism that were some key aspects of his prospect profile that made him the number one overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft he is at the end of the day a rookie quarterback that still needs to adjust to the NFL. If Williams learns and develops quickly then the Bears can see themselves competing for a playoff spot, but if he needs more time it may take until next season for the Bears to be a true competitor. 

NFC South, Winner - Atlanta Falcons 

With a weak NFC South division and a talented Atlanta Falcons roster with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins under center along with a coaching staff that hopes to get the most out of the talent on the roster the Falcons should be able to win a lot of games within their division and win some matchups outside of their division that should make Atlanta the NFC South winners this season. 

The only other threat to the division to the Falcons are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers while not being an upper echelon team also have some good pieces and saw an amazing four passing touchdown performance by quarterback Baker Mayfield should be able to challenge the Falcons for the division but have a tougher season schedule which makes their path more difficult to winning the division.

Shifting to the New Orleans Saints who are not projected to be all that competitive this season. They’re also another team that has some good pieces on their roster but still needs some more time to add more talent to the roster and get out of their salary cap situation. Despite their impressive start to the season that has featured New Orleans in two blowout victories over Carolina and Dallas the Saints are bound to slow down and potentially place second or third within the division. 

Regarded as the worst team in the NFL by some media members and fans the Carolina Panthers are in a horrid situation as a franchise. The team as an entire unit has played poorly to start the season which raises lots of concerns on the talent on the team and whether or not Bryce Young is capable of being an NFL quarterback who has been benched. Maybe the Panthers can find a way to drastically improve as the season goes on, but the future certainly looks bleak for the Carolina Panthers. 

AFC West, Winner - Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are once again Super Bowl contenders and are as of now the only true competitor in the AFC West. The Chiefs arguably have a better roster this season than their last season’s roster along with no sizable coaching changes with Head Coach Andy Reid and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo the Chiefs should have no issues this season winning the AFC West. 

In the Mile High City the Denver Broncos are in the process of rebuilding after letting go of notable players such as Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, and Justin Simmons while also striving to build a younger team through the team’s draft, free agency, and trade acquisitions. As of right now the Broncos are unlikely to be a competitive team due to a roster that needs some more talent and in the process of developing rookie quarterback Bo Nix which is Denver’s main priority. 

The Las Vegas Raiders have some pieces on defense that will make it a nightmare to play against, but the Raiders also lack a true franchise quarterback that may cause offensive deficiencies that can hold them back from winning games throughout the season. The Raiders for the previously stated issues will likely be a team that has close, winnable games but ultimately unable to finish the job in key games due to lackluster offensive performances. While they may find a way to sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card team the Raiders also are not projected to be a serious contender this season.

Jim Harbaugh’s arrival in Los Angeles as Head Coach of the Chargers certainly raises the hopes for Chargers fans for the future as he is a highly respected coach at the collegiate and professional levels, but the Chargers are a team that is currently depleted of talent as many of their previous players have been traded and cut signifying Harbaugh wanting a fresh slate for the team. The lack of talent will certainly make it a challenge for the Chargers to win a lot of their games but Harbaugh may find a way to win some games. 

AFC East,  Winner - New York Jets

Despite the New York Jets shaky start with a disappointing performance against the 49ers and a surprisingly competitive game with the Tennessee Titans the Jets eventually should have their characteristic elite defense return and start seeing Aaron Rodgers elevate their offense as the season progresses. While the AFC East will be no easy division with the Bills and Dolphins being formidable opponents the Jets have a lot of talent and with Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball the Jets should be able to win the AFC East. 

Buffalo has had an interesting start to the season with a scare against the Cardinals in a near upset followed by a blowout over their division rivals, the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Josh Allen still and the rest of the offense still look like a high-powered offense which still makes the Bills a formidable opponent, but there are concerns how successful they can be with a defense that has regressed, especially having to face teams with good offenses. 

The Dolphins are a roster that has a lot of pieces, especially on offense, making them an exciting team to watch. Although, last season their underachievement and disappointing playoff loss to the Chiefs could be attributed to injuries which is a big question for the Dolphins this year. They have a lot of talented players, but can they stay healthy and help the team win games?

The New England Patriots have arguably one of the worst rosters on paper along with a first year head coach in Jerod Mayo who is bound to have some struggles as he learns how to be a head coach of the Patriots. While the New England Patriots are having a good start to the season as time goes on the Patriots will likely be in contention for a top pick for the upcoming draft next April. However, their main goal this season is to develop young players and hopefully see rookie quarterback Drake Maye make his debut sometime in the season and look like the future for their franchise. 

AFC North, Winner - Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore has had a rough start to their season losing to the Chiefs and Raiders, but it should discredit their roster which is talented on both offense and defense along with one of the top coaches in the NFL in John Harbaugh. The Ravens find themselves in arguably the toughest division in the NFL but their defense is still likely to be one of the strongest units in the NFL along with an offense that features quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry which will be a difficult challenge for any team to face which will be key to winning a lot of their games and their division. 

The Cincinnati Bengals started their season less than ideal with losing to the New England Patriots in their week one matchup, but the Bengals have a reputation for starting out the season slow. The Bengals have the team to be competitive but the Bengals need to ensure that quarterback Joe Burrow’s wrist doesn’t become a persistent issue this season that brings further complications later in the season in order to have a chance at the playoffs.

Cleveland also started out their season in week one with a disappointing start against the Cowboys. Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s performance hasn’t invoked much hope as his performance last season wasn’t that promising in the few games he played and his off-field issues. The team is also talented and has a defense with a lot of playmakers, but quarterback play is holding this team back from making the playoffs. If they can’t resolve the quarterback issue Cleveland is going to have a tough time making the playoffs. 

Pittsburgh have started their season well by winning their two matchups against Atlanta and Denver. The Steelers have arguably the best front-seven in the league featuring outside linebacker TJ Watt who is a one-man gamewrecker. Pittsburgh also added Russell Wilson to the roster this offseason who is currently out on an injury but was signed to help elevate their offense and mentor quarterback Justin Fields. The additions Pittsburgh has made, their strong defensive unit the Steelers, and head coach Mike Tomlin’s ability to never have a losing a season the Steelers are certainly in the mix for the playoffs this season.  

AFC South, Winner - Houston Texans

Head Coach Demeco Ryans and quarterback CJ Stroud have made leaps and bounds to drastically improve a Houston Texans team that went from three seasons of three to four wins to a 10 win team that made the playoffs. CJ Stroud came into the league his rookie year and quickly looked like a veteran that helped elevate this Texans team which is likely to continue into this year. As long as Stroud is healthy, the Houston Texans will win the AFC South. 

With quarterback Anthony Richardson returning to the Indianapolis Colts after suffering a season-ending injury in his rookie season the Colts have optimism in their future. Richardson has displayed flashes of insane athleticism and arm talent that have many fans intrigued on Richardson’s potential. If Richardson is able to quickly develop and make up for lost time in his rookie season the Colts may be surprisingly competitive this year.

The Jaguars were at an 8-3 record last season before collapsing at the end of the season which can be attributed to the injuries quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered. Their roster definitely has enough talent to be a competitive team but the Jaguars have to find solutions with their offensive line in order to ensure Lawrence is adequately protected to ensure that Lawrence doesn’t miss any time from injuries.  

The Tennessee Titans are a team that still may be a couple of years away from being competitive but seem to be trending in the right direction. The Titans over the offseason hired Brian Callahan as their head coach, had a solid draft, and have been finding ways to add some more pieces to their roster. While they may not be that competitive this year the Titans may look bright if their draft picks do well and quarterback Will Levis is able to show that he’s the Titans’ quarterback of the future.