NFL power rankings: Where all teams stand approaching Week 1 of 2024 season

4. Houston Texans

Spoiler alert; the Houston Texans are my pick to win the Super Bowl in the 2024 NFL Season, and they are a perfect example on how hitting on a franchise QB fixes just about every issue.  The team was projected to be among the worst in the NFL heading into the 2023 NFL Season, but rookie QB CJ Stroud clearly had other plans.

They went 10-7, won the AFC South, and won a playoff game.  Loading up in the offseason with players like Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter give them a huge advantage over their divisional foes.  CJ Stroud is still just 22 years old and could also be a heavy favorite to win the MVP award this season.

It’s shaping up to be a banner year for the Houston Texans in the 2024 NFL Season.

3. San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers finally got a contract extension done with their best wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk.  It is a four-year, $120 million deal which makes Aiyuk among the highest-paid at his position.  However, 49ers left tackle Trent Williams seems to be unhappy with his deal, so perhaps they pivot to him next.

For the long-term, it’s hard to see how San Francisco will remain competitive in free agency with all of the big-time contracts they have on the roster, and this does not even count Brock Purdy, who will be due for a deal in 2025.  The Niners current window might be winding down, so it remains to be seen if Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch can re-tool the roster as needed.

But still, this is one of the best teams in the NFL, and they routinely make deep playoff runs.  The Niners will again be very good in 2024, but I do not think they will make the Super Bowl for a second-straight season.

The injury bug also seems to hit them more than other teams, so that could be something to monitor here, too.  Nonetheless, do not expect anything other than great football from this franchise in 2024.