3 NFL teams making a last-minute push for contender status in 2024

There might be a handful of NFL teams poised to shock the league in 2024, although some would be more shocking than others. Now that we're on the doorstep of the 2024 regular season, we're getting our clearest look yet at these revamped rosters around the league.

Which teams could be poised for a late push into "contender" status, whether that means contending for a Super Bowl or potential playoff spot? Let's take a look at a few darkhorse teams who could end up being a lot better than people really expect this season.

3 dark-horse playoff/Super Bowl contenders for 2024 NFL season

1. Atlanta Falcons

This might seem like a bit of a hot take, but the Atlanta Falcons' resurgence this season shouldn't have been considered a sure thing, by any means. Kirk Cousins is coming off of a significant injury that not many guys come back from. The Falcons made a big change at head coach with Raheem Morris replacing Arthur Smith.

And prior to just a couple of days ago, there were still a lot of looming question marks about the team's defensive personnel going into the season.

That all was changed dramatically in less than 24 hours when the Falcons agreed to a trade with the New England Patriots for pass rusher Matthew Judon, a tremendous veteran presence off the edge, as well as with free agent safety Justin Simmons. Adding Judon and Simmons right on the doorstep of the 2024 season has potentially vaulted this Falcons team into the bigger discussions of the NFC as a whole.

Other pieces are going to have to stay healthy but with Judon and Simmons coming aboard, the Falcons are cooking with different ingredients than just a few days ago.

2. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans aren't operating this offseason as though they are a team expecting any sort of regression from last year. Although the Titans were not good last season, they fired head coach Mike Vrabel due to the perception that they were underachieving.

New head coach Brian Callahan has his work cut out for him in a very talented division, but what if Will Levis is a lot better than anyone expects him to be? There are some who like Levis, don't get me wrong, but it generally seems like the NFL world has written the Titans off this year. With so many key veteran additions on both sides of the ball, I wouldn't be so sure about that.

If Levis can pop, the Titans have the ingredients to be a dangerous team in the AFC.

3. Denver Broncos

I'm not ready to call the Denver Broncos "Super Bowl contenders" right now but I do think the reports of their demise in 2024 were probably premature.

The Broncos are a much younger team under head coach Sean Payton this year, and they drafted Bo Nix in the 1st round. The decisions to get younger and draft Nix weren't all popular among the NFL community but the loss of Russell Wilson could be addition by subtraction for this Denver team.

And it's easy to forget -- this Broncos team won eight games last year. Yes, it's a new-look roster, but don't be surprised if the Broncos jump into contention for one of the seven playoff spots in the AFC this season. And once you get to the dance, anything can happen.