How Chaotic Will the NFL Be in 2023? Hypotheticals That Would Turn League on Its Head
The late great motorsport commentator Murray Walker used to say that "Anything can happen in F1, and it usually does." But with all due respect to the spectacle that is Formula One racing, the NFL has proven in this era to be the ultimate "anything can happen" professional sports league.
Practically every year, certain storylines find a way to become more extreme and dramatic than most would have imagined prior to the season.
You truly have to expect the unexpected.
With that in mind, let's look at several wild hypotheticals that may be unlikely but remain within the realm of possibility and could turn the 2023 NFL season on its head.
Aaron Rodgers Abruptly Retires
1 of 8
Can anyone rule this out? Aaron Rodgers may have just reworked his contract in hopes of experiencing sustained success with his new team, but he's also 39 and a peculiar character. We also know he's been mulling retirement on and off for years, and considered it before becoming a member of the New York Jets this offseason.
If the Jets start the season poorly and fall out of contention, it's entirely possible Rodgers will take solace in the fact he's earned more than $300 million in his career and bail on the team and this league.
Such an occurrence would be big news not only for the Jets and their fans, but also the division rival Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins (both prime Super Bowl contenders) and the rest of the AFC's elite crop.
The San Francisco 49ers Acquire Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill
2 of 8
At DraftKings, only a few teams have better Super Bowl odds than an extremely talented San Francisco 49ers squad, despite the fact San Francisco enters the season facing major questions at quarterback.
Brock Purdy is a sophomore seventh-round pick with just five regular-season starts under his belt and is coming back from a significant shoulder injury. Trey Lance hasn't been able to stay on the field and has already seemingly taken a back seat to Mr. Irrelevant. And Sam Darnold hasn't done much of anything in five years to indicate he can become a solid NFL starter.
What if the 49ers discover early this season that none of those three have what it takes to get the job done? If they determine they can't let their season go off the rails because of one position, a deal for a proven veteran with an expiring contract on a potentially non-competitive team might make a lot of sense.
Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill fit the profile, and either's presence could certainly put San Francisco over the top with a refreshing feel in a new setting under the brilliant Kyle Shanahan.
Sean Payton and Russell Wilson Become Absolute Fire for the Denver Broncos
3 of 8
Nobody's giving anybody except the Super Bowl favorite Kansas City Chiefs much of a chance in the AFC West, but you have to wonder if the Super Bowl-winning head coach/quarterback duo of Sean Payton and Russell Wilson could come together and completely spoil that presumed development.
Have you heard that Wilson has similar traits to former Payton pupil Drew Brees? And obviously it's possible the nine-time Pro Bowler simply suffered an aberrational poor 2022 season while adjusting to a new team with failed one-and-done 2022 Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett running the show.
If Wilson can bounce back at the still-ripe-for-a-quarterback age of 34 and Payton can help by working the magic that saw him have so much success with the New Orleans Saints, the Broncos could disrupt the entire presumed pecking order in the AFC West as well as the entire AFC in 2023.
.jpg?w=256 "Titans Camp Football")
Elite Running Backs Move Left and Right
4 of 8
Obviously, the running back position has become a significant talking point this offseason.
The Indianapolis Colts are giving a hard time to star back Jonathan Taylor, the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants hardly gave in to disgruntled star backs Austin Ekeler and Saquon Barkley, franchise tag recipient Josh Jacobs didn't show up for the start of Las Vegas Raiders training camp, and fellow elite backs Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry and Najee Harris have publicly expressed displeasure with their financial situations.
Throw in that Tony Pollard is also operating under the franchise tag with the Dallas Cowboys and there's a lot of potential movement on the horizon at a position that is devalued in today's game but can still make a massive difference in the right situation.
Those dominos might not fall until free-agent Dalvin Cook finds a home and teams start to establish themselves as contenders, and injuries and slumps are likely to play roles as well. Still, imagine what it could do to the Super Bowl pecking order if, say, Henry were to wind up with the Bills, or Taylor were to land in Miami...
The Los Angeles Rams Hold a Mid-season Fire Sale
5 of 8
The Los Angeles Rams aren't the team they used to be. They've been hit hard by cap constraints in recent offseasons, but it's hard to consider them in full rebuild mode because Sean McVay remains the head coach and Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald remain one heck of an accomplished nucleus.
But if the Rams start slow again, the Super Bowl hierarchy establishes itself and veterans within that hierarchy begin to go down with injuries, the Rams might want to take advantage of those dynamics by finally cleaning house.
I'm envisioning a low-patience team like the New England Patriots or Green Bay Packers saying "screw it" and pulling the trigger on Stafford if either is on the cusp but struggling to get a lot out of the quarterback position. And Kupp or Donald could of course put many a contender over the top.
Imagine Donald in Miami? Cleveland? Denver? Cincinnati? Oh man.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Do the Same
6 of 8
Another team that is declining fast but seemingly hasn't fully accepted it? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who posted a losing record and were clobbered by the Cowboys in last year's playoffs and took more hits this offseason.
Yet the Bucs are aware their division is weak and have clung to several veterans from their Super Bowl run in 2020. If they discover they aren't competitive even in the wide-open NFC South relatively early this year, they could shake up the playoff picture inside or outside of their conference by dealing a veteran (or veterans) like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Lavonte David or Shaquil Barrett.
All are extremely experienced and proven difference-makers. And if they can be had mid-season for pennies on the dollar by teams desperate to add that final piece to the puzzle, playoff races could shift dramatically.
The Atlanta Falcons Happen to be Right About Desmond Ridder
7 of 8
Of course, a bow-out from the Buccaneers could also open things up further for an Atlanta Falcons team that had some promising moments in 2022 and is at least more intriguing with Bijan Robinson, Jesse Bates III and David Onyemata joining a core highlighted by Grady Jarrett, Drake London, Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom.
Absent from that group is a quarterback, which is a big reason nobody expects the Falcons to make much of an impact on the Super Bowl radar in the NFC. But the team seems to believe strongly in Desmond Ridder, despite the fact the third-round pick out of Cincinnati appeared in just four "meh" games as a rookie in 2022.
If they see something many of us don't, and if Ridder can become the latest Day 2 pick to bloom late under center and excel at the NFL level, the Falcons could have the ingredients to win a soft division and do some damage in January.
The Baltimore Ravens Offense Falls on Its Face
8 of 8
The Baltimore Ravens are clearly all-in on quarterback Lamar Jackson, who after quite a bit of tumult signed one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history this offseason. Now, a team that has won just a single playoff game during Jackson's tenure is feeling a lot of pressure to put it all together.
A lot of that will depend on Jackson staying healthy for the first time in a few years, but the 26-year-old will also need to get enough support from the offensive personnel in Baltimore.
There are valid questions. What exactly will the offense look like in new coordinator Todd Monken's debut season with the team? Can Monken tailor said unit to Jackson's unique skills? What does Odell Beckham Jr. actually have in him? And can Rashod Bateman get and stay healthy?
If it all doesn't come together for Jackson, Monken and Co. in 2023, big changes could again be in store for 2024. And more immediately, it could pave the way for the Bengals to finally break through with a weaker-than-expected divisional run.
.jpg?w=480 "Titans Camp Football")
.jpg?w=480 "49ers Eagles Football")
