The AFC East may have up to three playoff teams in it for the 2024 NFL Season. Let's power rank the division before the regular season begins. Another quality division in the NFL, the AFC East has definitely had their share of major storylines this offseason.
With the 2024 NFL regular season soon beginning, we'll begin to see which team here separates themselves from the rest. The big X-factor in the AFC East for 2024 is obviously the New York Jets, who are slated to get Aaron Rodgers back from his torn Achilles.
Let's dive into power rankings for the AFC East ahead of the 2024 NFL Season.
AFC East power rankings: Final rankings ahead of the 2024 NFL Season
4. New England Patriots
A team clearly in rebuild mode, the New England Patriots figure to be among the worst teams in the NFL in 2024, which may not be the worst thing ever. This team has dire needs at tackle and wide receiver, so them coming away with a blue-chip prospect in the next NFL Draft would be great.
The team is also in the first year of the Jerod Mayo era, and I am just not personally high on the head coaching change they made. The Patriots winning more than four games in 2024 would truly shock me. This team is bad, folks.
3. New York Jets
While the New York Jets may just have one of the best rosters in the NFL, the big factor here is Aaron Rodgers, who is set to enter his age-40 season and is also coming off the most devastating injury of his career, a torn Achilles he suffered in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL Season.
The Jets getting a fully-restored Rodgers would be a problem for the NFL. But the last time that Rodgers did play a full season, he wasn't all that efficient. There isn't a clear reason to rank the Jets much higher than this, but they can indeed be a very good team in the 2024 NFL Season.
2. Buffalo Bills
One of my more bold predictions for this season is that the Buffalo Bills do not win the AFC East in the 2024 NFL Season, and as of now, I do believe the Miami Dolphins are the better team with the better roster. Josh Allen lost two WRs in Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this past offseason, and this is while Buffalo had did to some re-working on defense.
They're also dealing with an abnormal amount of injuries, so I just do not see this team being more than good in 2024. They could end up winning nine or 10 games, but they aren't among the very best in the NFL or even the AFC heading into 2024.
1. Miami Dolphins
Loading up this offseason, the Miami Dolphins have a small window to take the AFC East in 2024. The team made a slew of moves, but none more major than giving QB Tua Tagovailoa a four-year extension worth well over $50 million per year.
The Dolphins reputation of not being able to play in cold weather could end up again derailing their season, but I maintain that this team will just barely do enough to capture the AFC East in the 2024 NFL Season.
Miami has the fastest and most explosive offense in the NFL, and they'll again get elite play from that side of the ball and will get competent play from their defense, which will lead to the first division title of the Mike McDaniel era.