24 questions ahead of 2024 NFL season: Can 49ers make another push?

While history is made every time a team hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of a hard-fought Super Bowl, this season presents the opportunity for something truly special to unfold.

Fresh off winning back-to-back championships, the Kansas City Chiefs have their sights set on a three-peat — something that’s never been done before.

Can they do it? Surely, we’ve all learned by now to never count out the Chiefs, but there are at least a dozen serious contenders who’d like a word, and plenty more upstart squads ready to challenge them along the way.

With a new season of NFL action comes plenty more questions — the answers to which will help shape the year to come. The Chiefs edged the Baltimore Ravens in a thriller to open the season Thursday night We’ve sifted through storylines and highlighted the 24 most pressing questions for the 2024 NFL season.

1. Can Worthy bring Kansas City’s offence back up to speed? 

So strong is the on-field chemistry between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce that it’s almost as though there’s an invisible string connecting the two — but we know all too well there’s been a blank space in this offence since Tyreek Hill left for Florida (!!!) two years ago. Champagne problems, sure, considering the squad won back-to-back titles without the speedy playmaker, with last year’s ring won largely on the strength of their lockdown defence. But with the departure of game-shifting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed this off-season, it’s time to jumpstart the offence again and get back to business if they want to remain the last great American dynasty — and that’s where fleet-footed rookie Xavier Worthy comes in. He’s already getting Hill comparisons thanks to his breakouts, and he'll have his share of targets. He showed he's ready for it with a pair of touchdowns in the opener.

2. Just how great can the Ravens’ run game get? 

Start with the game’s most dynamic dual-threat QB, add in a revitalized Derrick Henry, and feed them play after play from offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s playbook (which, as we all saw last year, is tailor-made for Lamar Jackson’s style). Baltimore’s about to be must-see every week.

3. Can the 49ers keep their window open? 

An off-season that started with heartache following an overtime loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII didn’t exactly get any easier, with contract turmoil dominating the headlines through most of the spring and summer months. Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams are both newly signed and back in the fold in the nick of time, but it’s clear that the cap crunch is coming for this NFC powerhouse — and fast. The luxury of Brock Purdy’s rookie deal won’t last much longer, which means the dominant NFC squad could be confronting some tough decisions soon.

4. Can the Lions stave off the surging Packers and make another run? 

The Detroit Lions got the coveted primetime slot playing opposite the champion Chiefs in the first game of the 2023 season, and they were one miserable half of football away from meeting them again in the last one, too. As formidable as this roster looks, with its deep cast of weapons, ironclad o-line, and overhauled secondary behind a scary front four, a second straight run will be no easy feat — and the biggest threat is coming from inside the house division …

Just as everyone was enamoured with the Lions and their upstart success in 2022 and 2023, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love and the league’s youngest roster captured the full attention of the football world last year and promises to be even better in Year 2. While the AFC North still wears the crown as the best division in football, their NFC counterparts could challenge for that throne.

5. Does Caleb Williams really not get nervous? 

Of the six quarterbacks selected in the top 12 of the 2024 draft, three are suiting up as Day 1 starters — and none face quite as much pressure as Williams. The Chicago Bears’ well-documented QB woes have seen them flip through a Rolodex of failed top picks, but there’s something about Williams — his talent, yes, but also his absolute unflappability — that suggests this time will be different.

Unlike those who have come before him, though, Williams doesn’t need to wear the weight of a historic franchise on his shoulders alone. General manager Ryan Poles has done a masterful job of surrounding the new guy with plenty of talent up and down the lineup.

Maybe those aren’t nerves you’re feeling, Bears fans — maybe it’s actually just … excitement?

6. Just how good is this rookie QB class? 

We’ll have to wait a year to know what the Vikings have in J.J. McCarthy as he sits out the season following knee surgery, and Drake Maye is stowed safely on New England's sideline for the time being while Michael Penix Jr.’s assignment is to sit and learn under Kirk Cousins in Atlanta. But we’re about to learn a lot about what Day 1 starters Williams, Jayden Daniels (Washington), and Bo Nix (Denver) can do.

7. Wilson is the Steelers’ starter, but how long is that leash? 

So dismal was Russell Wilson’s first year in Denver, and so low were last year’s early-season woes, that it’s hard to reconcile the often cringe-inducing experience with the fact that… *whispers*: Wilson’s stats weren’t actually all that bad in 2023. He ranked in the top 10 for passer rating and touchdowns and did so in an offence bereft of many weapons and with a head coach that, well, wasn’t exactly a fan. Is Wilson about to harness his Seahawks-era self? Probably not, but while the camera will surely pan to Justin Fields with every misplay, we could be in for a much-needed bounce back (and, hopefully, a little less chaos) for Russ in a franchise built on systematic success.

8. Burrow’s back, but what’s going on with Chase? 

The AFC North’s last-place team in 2023 sorely missed their star QB last year, but Joe Burrow is healthy and everything’s fine now … right? The story of training camp has been Ja’Marr Chase, who’s been on site daily but dressed in street clothes, not football gear, as he continues to sit out practices in search of a new deal after just three seasons.

9. How many more chances will Watson get? 

There’s $230 million in guaranteed money that says as many as it takes to get back to 2020 form … but two years into his time with the Browns, and we haven’t seen anything close. With their elite shut-down defence, run-heavy offensive gameplan, and QB carousel that resulted in Joe Flacco guiding them into the post-season, Cleveland proved they’re a playoff team despite Deshaun Watson, not because of him.

10. How quickly can Harbaugh turn the Chargers around? 

Fresh off guiding Michigan to a national championship, Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL. He’s built his reputation on quick-turnaround success — just look at the 2011 49ers, who went from eight straight losing seasons to the NFC Championship, and the Super Bowl one year later.

11. Adams starts the season in Vegas, but where will he finish it? 

Davante Adams is on an island in Las Vegas — a team whose defence should be pretty fun, but whose offence needs more than a little work. How soon does the serious trade chatter start up, and which squad will emerge as the front-runner? (And please, football gods, can it be the Jets?)

12. Is the Legion of Boom about to make a comeback? 

Pete Carroll had a pretty remarkable run as head coach in Seattle, but 2024 brings a new voice in former Ravens defence coordinator Mike Macdonald. He’s coming off a standout season at the helm of Baltimore’s D, headlined by budding star Kyle Hamilton, and is now tasked with similarly shaping the Seahawks’ young defence. With dynamic players like cornerback Riq Woolen and nickel Devon Witherspoon, this could be the start of something special. 

13. How do you replace Aaron Donald? 

The short answer is, you don’t. First-round pick Jared Verse, who’s long studied Donald’s game, is going to try — and could quickly become a name to know. While the Rams’ hopes of returning to the post-season will largely rely on a revitalized offence, the defence feels like the real wild card here.

14. The Cowboys finally paid Lamb. Is Dak’s deal next? 

The Cowboys’ off-season to-do list was pretty straightforward: Sign franchise cornerstones CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons to extensions to keep this strong core intact. Instead, they just barely got Lamb signed before the season and Jerry Jones hasn’t done himself any favours in front of the microphone. Heading into the year with a QB on an expiring deal and a lame-duck coach should be … interesting. Weird vibes, Dallas.

15. Will the Eagles pick up where they left off? 

Let’s hope not, because Philly’s month-long stumble down the stretch of last season was more than a little bit concerning. The loss of o-line glue Jason Kelce cannot be overstated, but with a succession plan and a series of additions on offence, maybe Philadelphia can return to their division-topping ways.

16. Can Josh Allen do it all? 

Often accused of doing too much — something that’s led to both wonder and blunder, at times — the Bills quarterback was voted (anonymously) as the most overrated quarterback in the NFL. Well, he’s about to be leaned on more than ever this year as he hits the field with a largely unproven group of receivers. We’re about to find out just how much Allen can do. (And yes, he was also voted the biggest trash-talker.)

17. Can Tyreek Hill reach the 2,000-yard mountaintop? 

Hill entered the home stretch of the 2023 season on pace to become the first player to ever reach 2,000 receiving yards, but he ultimately fell just short, an ankle injury hindering his shot at history. His remarkable 1,799 yards — just 165 shy of Calvin Johnson’s all-time single-season record — was enough to earn him the honour of landing the No. 1 spot on the NFL’s annual player ranking, as voted by his peers. While Hill has made it clear his focus this year is solely on team success — and with a league-longest 21-year drought without a playoff win, the pressure is mounting — the rest of us will be tracking those stats closely.

18. Who are the post-Belichick Patriots? 

For the first time this century, the New England Patriots enter a season without legendary head coach Bill Belichick running the show from the sidelines. While Jerod Mayo is no stranger to the market — the former linebacker played his entire eight-year NFL career for Belichick before being hired as his understudy in 2019 — the coaching change ushers in a new era in New England.

19. How will Brady and Belichick fare on air? 

After easing into retired life, Brady is about to be back in the game every Sunday as a colour analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt on Fox Sports. His legendary longtime coach, Belichick, is also making the jump from the sidelines to the screens with a long list of weekly and special appearances, including the Monday night production of his former QB’s longtime (and most respected) rival.

20. Can Rodgers recapture last year’s excitement and help the J-E-T-S win, win, win? 

Aaron Rodgers’ move to New York was the biggest story of the summer last year, but his devastating Achilles injury just four snaps into his Jets tenure was the cruellest ending to the league’s most intriguing experiment. With Rodgers back in good health, the team revamped its offensive line (phew!) and brought back all the pieces of this elite defence and young offensive weapons. Let’s try this again, shall we?

Of course, he’s not the only former NFC North veteran with a healed-up Achilles and the weight of a playoff-starved franchise on his shoulders …

21. Seriously, why did the Falcons draft Penix Jr. eighth overall? 

We may never truly understand the logic of picking a pro-ready rookie QB after handing a massive-money deal to a veteran, but if all goes well for Cousins and the Falcons in this very winnable division, this question should fall by the wayside … for now, anyway. A playoff run can forgive even the biggest of draft blunders (just ask San Francisco).

22. Can Bryce Young bounce back? 

While he didn’t exactly burst onto the scene like the guy drafted one slot behind him over in Houston, it’s too soon to call the Panthers’ 2023 first-overall pick a bust considering the dearth of talent around him — not to mention, a mid-season coaching change. A fresh start with a few new weapons and a new voice in his ear in former Buccaneers offensive coordinator (and short-QB whisperer) Dave Canales as head coach could do Young plenty of good as he seeks a do-over in Year 2.

23. What else you got, C.J.? 

The Houston Texans’ 2023 rookie-led turnaround was one of the best — not to mention, most surprising — storylines to emerge last year, and their off-season tells us they’re not messing around. The team brought in another elite weapon for C.J. Stroud in Stefon Diggs while bulking up defence with the likes of Denico Autry and Danielle Hunter, among others. Suddenly, after years of mediocre football, the AFC South is looking really interesting …

24. Is the AFC South competition about to leave Jacksonville behind? 

The Jaguars were supposed to be the next great team of the AFC South, and while we’ve seen plenty of promise from Trevor Lawrence & Co., the team has struggled to make a real statement. Back-to-back roller-coaster seasons have yielded the same 9-8 record, and one look around this division will tell you that’s no longer enough to come away with the crown. It’s not just about the Texans — the Indianapolis Colts have quietly built themselves around Anthony Richardson, whose rookie year lasted just four games before an injury sidelined him. He’s spent almost a full season learning from Shane Steichen. And remember the Titans? Dismissing Mike Vrabel and Derrick Henry seemed questionable at the time, but their moves since — and Will Levis’ development — has them building more than a little intrigue as a potential over-achiever.