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The first week of the new NFL season has swept by like a whirlwind, with many familiar names moving to unfamiliar places. Fan-favorite characters have become villains, and newcomers have almost instantly become heroes. In some regions across the country, fans are surely wondering what their team has planned.
As they say, here are three winners and three losers from the early days of the new NFL year.
Winner: New York Giants
Did the Giants lose their two best players? Yes. Did they make the right decision in doing so? Well, yes, actually.
In simple terms, the Giants’ new leadership regime won’t pay top dollar at a non-premium position, hence the departures of Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney. It’s a nightmare scenario for Giants fans to see Barkley twice a year for the next three years in an Eagles uniform. But Devin Singletary is a solid replacement after a resurgence last season.
The Giants also made moves to rebuild an offense that has been in need of help for nearly a decade.
The Giants still have plenty of question marks, but after a disappointing 2023 campaign, they’re making moves to get back into contention.
Loser: New York Jets
Their quarterback, a 40-year-old recovering from an Achilles injury, might be running for office. At least they got Tyrod Taylor.
Joe Douglas is always a wizard in trades (see Jamal Adams), and he’s also won gold medals in the draft (he’s also drafted very poorly). But for a general manager who’s always had the ability to command a room, until recently seemingly having Rodgers in town, the biggest excitement Jets fans got was bringing in Morgan Moses for a pick swap.
The Jets are still a punchline, and they haven’t done much to change that. It’ll all be cured if Rodgers plays well, but at this point, are we sure he’s playing well?
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
After an explosion at the end of last year, Philly is looking to completely reverse course.
The Birds have added Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, and CJ Gardner-Johnson, three of the best players available at their respective positions. Jason Kelce has had a change of heart about retiring.
The Eagles probably won’t do much in free agency and are still playoff contenders. But adding potential superstars for both sides of the ball will make the Eagles a legitimate force.
Loser: Dallas Cowboys
Dallas won the championship last year, and many thought that was actually the year they would seriously contend in the playoffs. As the second seed, they were upset by the seventh-seeded Packers. So, how did they react? They didn’t.
The Cowboys typically stand pat in free agency, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. But one would think they would try to find a way to replace Tony Pollard. Derrick Henry says they haven’t even reached out to him.
The Cowboys even turned off commenting on X because their fans were too disappointed.
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It’s hard not to like the current Cowboys roster and the playing ability of CeeDee Lamb, but after a failed season, it seems like Dallas isn’t doing much else besides running it back.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins is the best quarterback the Falcons have had since Matt Ryan, and who’s second is a very distant second. One might wonder how a 36-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles tear will fare against a defensive-minded head coach, but Cousins is still one of the most underrated players of our generation.
Along with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson, Atlanta also brought in Rondale Moore and Darnell Mooney, both of whom have shown flashes of brilliance.
The weak NFC South has been up for grabs for a few years, and the Falcons will have a chance to claim the crown at the end of the season.
Loser: Minnesota Vikings
From Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold. Oh boy.
Justin Jefferson is set to receive a big contract, but severe downgrading at the quarterback position isn’t exactly the best way to keep your receiving corps intact.
There’s plenty of online speculation that Jefferson could join the Cincinnati Bengals and reunite with his LSU teammates Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. That would… be good.
And if that happens, the Vikings, with TJ Hockenson missing part of the season and Darnold at the helm, will… not be great.
Winner: Chicago Bears
A late entry here! The Bears made a strong impression late Thursday night when they acquired Keenan Allen for all their fourth-round picks. When on the field, Allen is still a monster, as his 108 receptions last season were a career-high, all while missing four games.
They also brought in Jaylon Johnson and also signed D’Andre Swift after much trade bait from their running game.
And considering they still have the ability to trade Justin Fields for a big haul and land Caleb Williams at No. 1 (oh, they also have the ninth pick), we might soon be saying the Bears are the biggest winners of the season.