The NFL Returns!
The NFL returns to action on Wednesday night with a banger of a matchup, as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots square off on NBC in a Super Bowl rematch. This is followed 24 hours later by a game between the 49ers and Rams live from Australia, for some reason, and then on Sunday, everyone else hops into the pool.
For NFL fans—and it seems as though everyone follows the NFL at some level—it’s a time to be excited! The Shield is back, giving us pigskin sustenance for the next five months. Heading into the season, there are more questions than answers.
In related news, my team, the Atlanta Falcons, on Monday announced Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback for Week 1 against Pittsburgh, while Michael Penix continues to recover from knee surgery. Penix has practiced sparingly, but apparently still needs time to prepare. Tua has had a nice NFL career, but there’s a reason the Miami Dolphins let him walk in free agency; Tua contributing a fumbled snap in each of his preseason games with Atlanta hasn’t done much to reassure anyone.
Count Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski as those who may not be exactly brimming with confidence. When asked about Tua’s role going forward, Stefanski sounded dubious: “I’ve got the blinders on, so I see Week 1 in front of me and after this one, then we’ll start on the next one and those type of things.” (It’s the “and those type of things” that made me spit out my drink.)
None of this sounds reassuring for the Falcons. And yet… there’s a part of me that feels pretty good about the upcoming season? Maybe Tua just needs to be a game manager while Stefanski maximizes the magic of Bijan Robinson? Tua’s only 28 years old, after all; at the very least, he should have a few more good weeks in him, right?
The problem is, I can’t tell you for certain what is going to happen this season. As the season starts, NFL fans are allowed to dream big. The NFL has embraced parity, so it’s hard to tell which teams are going to be elite this season. Sure, there are a few obvious suspects—the Rams, Eagles, Seahawks, Chiefs, etc.—but it almost feels as though anyone has a chance.
This is the time of year when we as NFL fans are allowed to overlook our questions, to dwell in high hopes and big dreams. It won’t be long before all of our questions are answered. One team will make a run to glory. The rest of us will see our teams stumble somewhere along the way.
Before long, we will know how it all plays out. For now, here’s your chance to dream big. Enjoy it.