The first few weeks of the 2024 NFL season are in the books, and the biggest surprise this early in the season has been the lack of offensive production compared to recent years.
The 2024 NFL draft produced four rookie quarterbacks expected to immediately take on a starting role for their teams, which has historically not turned out well. The jump from college football to the NFL can prove to be a challenge for young QBs, and being rushed into a starting position is not always the best formula for putting up points.
However, this class of rookie QBs may be starting to push against that stereotype, as they seem to have gotten better and more comfortable in their offenses, especially Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman trophy winner, who is playing lights-out football for the Washington Commanders and has led them to a 4-1 start to the season.
Daniels has put up 1,135 yards and four touchdowns in the air along with 300 yards rushing and another four touchdowns on the ground, starting the season off very strong as a rookie.
This year, QBs like Joe Burrow and Kirk Cousins sat out for the preseason because of major injuries they sustained last year. They not only missed out on playing time but also on building chemistry with their teammates on the field.
Joe Burrow, who was a Heisman winner and played in the Super Bowl, did not look great through his first four games of the season, but showed improvement in week five, playing at a level that NFL fans have been used to from him.
Cousins also bounced back in week five, becoming the first QB to throw for 500 yards in a game this season and leading the Atlanta Falcons to a Thursday night win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 4.
Many teams like the Falcons and New York Jets have tried to focus their offenses more on the run game with running backs like Bijan Robinson and Breece Hall. Some of this may have to do with the ages of their QBs, but that has been a big part of the game plan for both teams.
Aaron Rodgers, who has been unstoppable in past years, has not played like a four-time MVP so far this season. Some of that may be due to age, but he was another QB who did not play at all in the preseason. He also came off an injury like Cousins, both with the same Achilles injury.
“Preseason matters for NFL teams, especially quarterbacks, because it allows teams to form chemistry with each other before the season begins,” said Aidan Smith, a senior finance major. “An example of this is with Aaron Rodgers’s slow start with the New York Jets.”
With players signing contracts that seem to break records every year, fans expect these athletes to play at a level that reflects what they are paid.
“Offenses in the NFL this year have been underwhelming, to say the least,” said Luke Parris, a senior exercise science major. “I’ve seen this reflected in fantasy football as well as watching my own team. Deshaun Watson is one of the highest-paid players in the league and has done nothing to back that up. It is extremely disappointing as a fan, but it makes me wonder if defenses in the league are getting better or if quarterbacks and their offenses are just not what they used to be.”
Many offenses that struggled early in the season are finally showing signs of life in their production and must continue that trend to make a run for the Super Bowl.
