We. Are. Back. The air is crisp. Peak autumn foliage is approaching. And, of course, football is back! We have been waiting for this day since Feb. 12. All things considered, it was a pretty tame offseason. There is always a high level of turnover in the NFL, but few stars changed teams. The Chiefs are looking to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era, but it will not be easy. There are a plethora of contenders that have their eyes set on the Lombardi Trophy. Without further ado, we will give you our four hot takes for the 2024–25 NFL season!

#1: The Cincinnati Bengals Will Win the Super Bowl (Teddy)

Cincinnati’s season got derailed in 2023 after star quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a torn ligament in his wrist, but they entered 2024 healthy and motivated to prove that they belong as top contenders in the AFC. I believe they’ll make a massive statement by taking home the Lombardi.

For starters, Burrow is returning, and he will immediately reassert his status as a top-5 quarterback in the NFL. It seems like, as he’s missed time, people have forgotten how elite he and his offense can be. The Bengals return with perhaps the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and while there’s contract drama with both—they want longer extensions with the team—they’ll certainly be out there at the start of the season. Long-time running back Joe Mixon is gone, but in his stead is the underrated duo of Zack Moss and Chase Brown. While offensive coordinator Brian Callahan has also departed, I think head coach Zac Taylor and new coordinator Dan Pitcher will keep the offense extremely potent. With a solid offensive line, the return of their star quarterback, and dangerous weapons, expect the Bengals to put up loads of points. 

Cincinnati’s defense continues to be underrated. Led by defensive end Trey Hendrickson (who also had some offseason drama this year but is back), the Bengals boast a talented group of players. Safeties Geno Stone and Vonn Bell are solid and should help a young secondary, linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt are great options at the position, and Sam Hubbard and Myles Murphy will aid Hendrickson on the line. They’ll fly under the radar, but expect the Cincinnati defense to keep the team in games and make big plays when it counts. 

With a top-5 offense and a solid defense, there’s plenty of reason to believe in the Bengals. But there are some other intangibles I love about Cincinnati this year. First, they have a consensus top-5 easiest out-of-division schedule in the league, which will be a blessing in the brutal AFC North; by comparison, the mighty in-division Ravens have quite the challenging slate, starting with the defending champion Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. It’s pretty clear the path to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Kansas City, and the Bengals have fared pretty well against the Chiefs in the past; not only have they consistently beaten them in the regular season, but they also have an AFC championship win under their belt and, if not for an infamous late unnecessary roughness penalty in 2022, might have had another. If anyone can beat the juggernaut that is Patrick Mahomes and company, it’s gonna be Burrow and his hungry, motivated Cincinnati group. Catch the Bengals playing for the Super Bowl in 2025, where they’ll take down the Detroit Lions(!) for the team’s first-ever Lombardi trophy. 

#2: The Seattle Seahawks Win the NFC West (Sam) 

This isn’t just a hot take, it’s ghost pepper drenched in hellfire hot: Despite missing the playoffs last season, the Seattle Seahawks will win the NFC West. I’m making these two takes in one, because before I discuss what attracts me to Seattle, I must address the main counterargument: What about the San Francisco 49ers? The 49ers have boasted the league’s most well-rounded roster over the past two seasons, and they’re returning with their core players intact. However, their depth, already not a strong point, has taken a hit, particularly on defense. They lost key contributors like Tashuan Gipson, Arik Armstead, and Chase Young to free agency, and Dre Greenlaw is now sidelined with an Achilles tendon tear. Their defense struggled down the stretch last year, giving up 25.7 points per game (PPG) in the playoffs, and I expect that unit to be mediocre in 2024.

Offensively, Kyle Shanahan has developed a well-oiled machine with his array of weapons that includes Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and above all, Trent Williams, who has year in and year out carried an otherwise weak line to being above average. While I believe it is foolish to consider injury when making predictions, the 49ers’ injury luck over the past two seasons cannot be ignored. Apart from a few games here and there, all of their key offensive pieces have stayed healthy, but Williams is now 36, McCaffrey and Kittle are both injury-prone, and Aiyuk hasn’t practiced much. Though the 49ers’ offense is incredibly talented, they depend heavily on everyone staying healthy, as each player brings a unique skill set. When one or two of those guys are hurt, the 49ers have struggled, going 12–1 in games where all the aforementioned players played, and 1–3 when one or more were inactive. Because Purdy tends to force the ball and Shanahan isn’t a flexible play-caller, once things start going bad for the 49ers’ offense, they derail quickly. In short, the 49ers’ defense is average and their offense is being held together by a thread that will unravel this season and cause them to miss the playoffs. 

My faith in Seattle starts and ends with Geno Smith, who I believe is a top-10 guy. Geno had a late breakout in 2022 but his numbers dipped last season, largely because he was operating behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. The Seahawks addressed that issue this offseason, and their current line features three new starters, including Connor Williams, one of the league’s best centers. Not only should this give Geno more time in the pocket, but it will also open up the run game, which features an efficient one-two punch of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. The Seahawks also made a change at coordinator, bringing in Ryan Grubb from the University of Washington. Grubb led a high-powered Washington team that featured a precise pocket passer and three talented, complimentary receivers, a mold that Seattle also possesses. While my faith in Seattle’s offense stems from Geno, the reality will depend upon the offensive line holding up. If they do, there is no ceiling for this unit.

The Seahawks’ defense was especially poor last year, greatly underperforming given the talent on the roster. Deciding the Pete Carroll era had run its course, General Manager John Schneider hired Mike Macdonald, one of the best defensive minds in the league. Macdonald will have a plethora of defensive talent at his disposal, highlighted by an elite secondary led by Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, who in MacDonald’s scheme both have a clear path to becoming All-Pros. Although Seattle’s pass rush still leaves much to be desired, which limits the ceiling of this defense, a top-15 finish is still quite likely. 

This take is out there, I understand, but Seattle has the talent, and I think an overhaul to the coaching staff will help bring out the best in this team. As for the 49ers: Call it delusion, call it bias, but I sense things will begin to unravel in San Francisco.

#3 The Los Angeles Rams Will Make it to the NFC Championship Game (Teddy)

I didn’t think this was an incredibly hot take, but then I asked Sam and he said it absolutely was. Lord knows he has his delusions about the Seahawks, but I’m here to champion another NFC West team: the Rams. Los Angeles had a bit of a surprising run last season, as what began as a transition year turned into a playoff berth and a near upset of the Lions in the first round. As always, a massive part of that success was the star combo of quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay, but their young offensive players also exploded—rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua and second-year running back Kyren Williams became absolute studs at the position, and the offensive line improved mightily from a disappointing 2022, and the offense will be better in 2024! Stafford and McVay are the tip of the spear, Nacua and veteran star Cooper Kupp are a devastating receiver duo, and Williams and rookie running back Blake Corum are one of the most dangerous committees in the league. Watch out for the Rams’ attack. 

The defense certainly has some question marks—especially after the retirement of legendary defensive lineman Aaron Donald in the offseason—but there’s loads of talent here. First, Los Angeles took talented rusher Jared Verse in the first round of the 2024 draft, and he could potentially form a deadly duo with fellow lineman Byron Young; the hope is that these two, along with second-round pick Braden Fiske, will offset Donald’s loss. The secondary should also be much improved from last year, as the Rams signed Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams to man the corner positions and Kamren Curl to fortify the safety slot. Add tackles Bobby Brown and Kobie Turner, along with linebacker Ernest Jones, and there’s potential for a top-10 defense this season. 

The growth of the Rams’ young stars, both on offense and defense, is a significant reason for my confidence in Los Angeles, but my ultimate belief is in Stafford and McVay. If Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have shown us anything, it’s that we can never underestimate the power of a quarterback-coaching combo in the NFL, and the Chiefs and Rams have the two best in the league. I have the Rams losing to the Lions in the NFC championship, but don’t be surprised if they head back to the Super Bowl for a rematch with the Bengals. 

#4 The Indianapolis Colts win the AFC South (Sam)

Let me take you back to Jan. 6, 2024, when the Colts and Houston Texans faced each other in week 17 with the AFC South title on the line. Houston eked out a win on a game-losing drop by Tyler Goodson. The Texans went on to dismantle the Cleveland Browns before falling to the Ravens in the divisional round. Both the Texans and Colts upgraded their rosters. Houston added Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter (at the expense of Jonathon Greenard), while the Colts will have a healthy Anthony Richardson returning while not ensuing any major losses. This is all to say, if the Texans and Colts were essentially even last season and had similar offseason in terms of talent added and lost, why do bookmakers have Houston at an implied 44% chance to win the division as opposed to 20% for Indianapolis? 

And my Indianapolis pick does not stem solely from what I believe to be a mispricing by experts. There is a lot to like about the Colts’ offense. The offensive line cracks the top-5 in most rankings and Jonathan Taylor is of similar stature when healthy. Add one of the most athletic quarterbacks to step on a football field and a great play-caller in Shane Steichen and you’ve got a dominant rushing attack. The passing game will be a bit more of a question mark: For all of Richardson’s raw talent, his accuracy is still spotty, and he does not have many reps under his belt. While there will be growing pains for him, he has a solid receiving core and a coach in Steichen who should be able to make it easier on him. I expect his second year to look similar to Jalen Hurts’, where he shows flashes through the air but earns his stripes on the ground. The Colts ranked 13th in offensive Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) last season and replacing a mediocre Minshew with Richardson should do wonders.

The defense should also take a step forward. Laiatu Latu, the first defensive player drafted, is a key addition to an already lethal front four spearheaded by DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Behind the front four, things get a bit murkier for a Colts defense that finished 20th in defensive DVOA last season. Kenny Moore II and Julian Blackmon are game-changing players in the secondary, so even if they give up a lot of yards through the air, if they can force turnovers, they should be fine. While their defense likely makes a deep postseason run unrealistic, this team has the pieces to win a competitive AFC South.

Those are our four hot takes, but we’ll list four additional ones below, these ones being player-specific. Be sure to watch the Chiefs/Ravens game on Thursday night!

1. Caleb Williams has a C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert-like rookie season (Sam)
2. Marvin Harrison Jr. eclipses 1,500 yards and 10 TDs (Sam)
3. Jared Goff finishes top-3 in NFL MVP voting, Joe Burrow wins it (Teddy)
4. De’Von Achane is a top-5 running back in the NFL at the end of the season (Teddy)

Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at samweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.

Teddy Benchley can be reached at tbenchley@wesleyan.edu.