This on the byes –

BYE WEEKS

Week 5 – (4) – DET, LAC, PHI, TEN

Week 6 – (4) – KC, LAR, MIA, MIN

Week 7 – (2) – CHI, DAL

Week 8 – (0)

Week 9 – (2) – PIT, SF

Week 10 – (4) – CLE, GB, LV, SEA

Week 11 – (4) – ARI, CAR, NYG, TB

Week 12 – (6) – ATL, BUF, CIN, JAX, NO, NYJ

Week 13 – (0)

Week 14 – (6) – BAL, DEN, HOU, IND, NE, WSH

No one gets a bye on Thanksgiving Week (Week 13).  Week 8 (byeless last week as well) is a mystery (Halloween, World Series?),

– – –

Mike Florio on the Netflix Christmas:

Now we know why the NFL changed its position on playing games on Christmas this year.

Via Jessica Toonkel of the Wall Street Journal, Netflix will pay “about $75 million” for each of the two Christmas games to be televised in 2024 — Chiefs at Steelers and Ravens at Texans.

The NFL reportedly started the bidding at $50 million, with a belief that the final price could be up to $100 million per game. The final number, as it often does, splits the difference.

Jill Goldsmith of Deadline.com explains that Netflix V.P. Spencer Wang, without confirming the number, compared the expense to other projects.

“I would characterize each game as roughly the size of one of our medium-sized original films,” Wang said Wednesday.

Of course, original films can be watched over and over and over. NFL games won’t get much re-air traction.

Still, Peacock learned after televising a playoff game in January that plenty of people who added the service kept it. Netflix will be counting on adding customers — and hoping to keep current customers from canceling.

For the NFL, it’s a $150 million windfall, less whatever concessions the league had to make to CBS and/or Fox for taking two games that otherwise would have been played, and televised, that weekend.

Florio also notes this about ESPN/ABC:

Monday Night Football debuted on ABC in 1970 and remained there until 2006. In recent years, it has returned for simulcasts and exclusive doubleheader games.

Last year, ABC had games every week, thanks to multiple Hollywood strikes that shut down the production of scripted shows. This year, ABC returns to only a handful of games.

In all, ABC will have five games: Two simulcasts (Jets-49ers in Week 1 and Lions-49ers in Week 17) and three exclusive games as part of a staggered doubleheader.

For Week 3, ABC has Commanders-Bengals at 8:15 p.m. ET. (ESPN has Jaguars-Bills at 7:30 p.m. ET.) In Week 4, ABC has Seahawks-Lions at 8:15 p.m. ET. (The ESPN game at 7:30 p.m. ET is Titans-Dolphins.) In Week 15, ABC has Bears-Vikings at 8:00 p.m. ET, with Falcons-Raiders on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The numbers for Monday night games will be down this year, because ABC’s three-letter platform won’t be utilized on a regular basis. It will be for the P.R. professionals to figure out how to spin the basic reality that games on basic cable simply don’t attract the audience of the over-the-air networks.

This from Florio about rest:

For years, the NFL required teams to play only once per year with a four-day turnaround. Last year, the NFL got rid of that rule.

Now, multiple teams play multiple games with only three days off between games. This year, thirteen teams do it twice.

They are: the Jets, the 49ers, the Seahawks, the Rams, the Bengals, the Browns, the Dolphins, the Cowboys, the Giants, the Bears, the Steelers, the Ravens, and the Texans.

For Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Houston, one short week happens between Sunday an Thursday, and the other lands on Saturday to Wednesday, for Christmas.

The Chiefs also have a five-day turnaround to Black Friday and a four-day turnaround between Saturday, December 21 and Wednesday, December 25.

Of course, presumably, the teams get longer rest after the short turnarounds.

CHICAGO

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

The Bears seem to get less love this year than they did last year, when they were showcased so much early in the season…3-game home stand in November before a 3-game road trip that starts on Thanksgiving in Detroit…No division games until Week 11, then 6 of the last 8.

2024 Chicago Bears Schedule

Week 1: vs Titans

Week 2: at Texans (SNF)

Week 3: at Colts

Week 4: vs Rams

Week 5: vs Panthers

Week 6: vs Jaguars (London)

Week 7: BYE

Week 8: at Commanders

Week 9: at Niners

Week 10: vs Patriots

Week 11: vs Packers

Week 12: vs Vikings

Week 13: at Lions (Thanksgiving)

Week 14: at Cardinals

Week 15: at Vikings

Week 16: vs Lions

Week 17: vs Seahawks (TNF)

Week 18: at Packers

DETROIT

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

6 well-scattered stand-alones, 2 on Sunday including the opener…Back-to-back Thursday home games starting with Thanksgiving.

LIONS 2024 SCHEDULE

1: LAR (SNF)

2: TB

3: at ARI

4: SEA (MNF)

5: bye

6: at DAL

7: at MIN

8: TEN

9: at GB

10: at HOU (SNF)

11: JAX

12: at IND

13: CHI 🦃

14: GB (TNF)

15: BUF

16: at CHI

17: at SF (MNF)

18: MIN

GREEN BAY

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Unlike the Lions, the Packers national exposure is tightly bunched, with nothing but Sundays until Lambeau gets the Thanksgiving game against Miami…That’s the start of four in a row, including back-to-back Thursdays.

2024 Packers Schedule

1 @ PHI

2 IND

3 @ TEN

4 MIN

5 @ LAR

6 AZ

7 HOU

8 @ JAX

9  DET

10 BYE

11 @ CHI

12 SF

13 MIA (Thanksgiving)

14 @ DET (TNF)

15 @ SEA (SNF)

16 NO (MNF)

17 @ MIN

18 CHI

MINNESOTA

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

London with the Jets, Thursday at the Rams, Bears at home on Monday night in December (flexible we think).

VIKINGS 2024 SCHEDULE

Week 1: at New York Giants (9/8)

Week 2: San Francisco 49ers (9/15)

Week 3: Houston Texans (9/22)

Week 4: at Green Bay Packers (9/29)

Week 5: New York Jets (London, 10/6, 8:30 a.m. CT)

Week 6: BYE

Week 7: Detroit Lions (10/20)

Week 8: at Los Angeles Rams (Thursday Night Football, 10/24)

Week 9: Indianapolis Colts (11/3)

Week 10: at Jacksonville Jaguars (11/10)

Week 11: at Tennessee Titans (11/17)

Week 12: at Chicago Bears (11/24)

Week 13: Arizona Cardinals (12/1)

Week 14: Atlanta Falcons (12/8)

Week 15: Chicago Bears (Monday Night Football, 12/16)

Week 16: at Seattle Seahawks (12/22)

Week 17: Green Bay Packers (12/29)

Week 18: at Detroit Lions (1/5)

DALLAS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Just 4 games in the early Sunday window…2 on Monday, 3 on Sunday, 5 late Sundays (4 on FOX) – no shortage of exposure.

BREAKING: Official 2024 Dallas Cowboys Schedule:

Week 1: at Browns

Week 2: vs. Saints

Week 3: vs. Ravens

Week 4: at Giants (TNF)

Week 5: at Steelers (SNF)

Week 6: vs. Lions

Week 7: BYE

Week 8: at 49ers (SNF)

Week 9: at Falcons

Week 10: vs. Eagles

Week 11: vs. Texans (MNF)

Week 12: at Commanders

Week 13: vs. Giants (Thanksgiving)

Week 14: vs Bengals (MNF)

Week 15: at Carolina

Week 16: vs. Buccaneers (SNF)

Week 17: at Eagles

Week 18: vs. Commanders

NEW YORK GIANTS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

One appearance in each of the big primetime packages, plus Thanksgiving on FOX.

2024 New York Giants Schedule

Week 1: vs Vikings

Week 2: at Commanders

Week 3: at Browns

Week 4: vs Cowboys (TNF)

Week 5: at Seahawks

Week 6: vs Bengals (SNF)

Week 7: vs Eagles

Week 8: at Steelers (MNF)

Week 9: vs Commanders

Week 10: vs Panthers (Germany)

Week 11: BYE

Week 12: vs Buccaneers

Week 13: at Cowboys (Thanksgiving Day)

Week 14: vs Saints

Week 15: vs Ravens

Week 16: at Falcons

Week 17: vs Colts

Week 18: at Eagles

PHILADELPHIA

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Right after the Phillies in the World Series, three primetime games in four weeks, two at home, two on Sunday night.

2024 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule

Week 1: vs Packers (FNF) (Brazil)

Week 2: vs Falcons (MNF)

Week 3: at Saints

Week 4: at Buccaneers

Week 5: BYE

Week 6: vs Browns

Week 7: at Giants

Week 8: at Bengals 4:25

Week 9: vs Jaguars (SNF)

Week 10: at Cowboys

Week 11: Commanders (TNF)

Week 12: at Rams (SNF)

Week 13: at Ravens

Week 14: vs Panthers

Week 15: vs Steelers

Week 16: at Commanders

Week 17: vs Cowboys

Week 18: vs Giants

WASHINGTON

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Quirky Sunday night game in Week 3 at Cincinnati…Done with the Giants before they play any of their other division rivals…Haven’t we seen Eagles at Washington under the lights quite a few times.

2024 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS SCHEDULE

Week 1 – @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 2 – vs New York Giants

Week 3 – @ Cincinnati Bengals (MNF)

Week 4 – @ Arizona Cardinals

Week 5 – vs Cleveland Browns

Week 6 – @ Baltimore Ravens

Week 7 – vs Carolina Panthers

Week 8 – vs Chicago Bears

Week 9 – @ New York Giants

Week 10 – vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 11 – Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday Night Football)

Week 12 – vs Dallas Cowboys

Week 13 – vs Tennessee Titans

Week 14 – BYE

Week 15 – @ New Orleans Saints

Week 16 – vs Philadelphia Eagles

Week 17 – vs Atlanta Falcons (Day/Time TBD)

Week 18 – @ Dallas Cowboys

ATLANTA

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Most teams divisional games are backloaded, but the Falcons are done with the Buccaneers and Saints by Week 10 – and only have the Week 18 game with Carolina among their last seven…Three-game homestand early…Five of the last eight on the road…Prime time games in 3 of the first five weeks, then just one thereafter.

FALCONS 2024 SCHEDULE

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. EST, September 8

Week 2: @ Philadelphia Eagles, Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m., September 16

Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m., September 22

Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., September 29

Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday Night Football, 8:15 p.m., October 3

Week 6: @ Carolina Panthers, 4:25 p.m., October 13

Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks, 1 p.m., October 20

Week 8: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., October 27

Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m., November 3

Week 10: @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., November 10

Week 11: @ Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m., November 17

Week 12: BYE WEEK

Week 13: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m., December 1

Week 14: @ Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., December 8

Week 15: @ Las Vegas Raiders, Monday Night Football, 8:15 p.m., December 16

Week 16: vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m., December 22

Week 17: @ Washington Commanders, TBD

Week 18: vs. Carolina Panthers, TBD

CAROLINA

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

17 Sunday game, although one is in Germany…None in the three primetime packages…

Some good home opponents – Cincinnati, Dallas, Kansas City…8 games on FOX, 7 on CBS, 1 TBD.

1          Sun, Sep 8         @ New Orleans

2          Sun, Sep 15        LA Chargers

3          Sun, Sep 22       @ Las Vegas

4          Sun, Sep 29       Cincinnati

5          Sun, Oct 6          @ Chicago

6          Sun, Oct 13         Atlanta

7          Sun, Oct 20          @ Washington

8          Sun, Oct 27          @ Denver

9          Sun, Nov 3           New Orleans

10        Sun, Nov 10         NY Giants (Munich)

11        BYE WEEK

12        Sun, Nov 24         Kansas City

13        Sun, Dec 1           Tampa Bay

14        Sun, Dec 8           @ Philadelphia

15        Sun, Dec 15         Dallas

16        Sun, Dec 22         Arizona

17        Sun, Dec 29         @ Tampa Bay

18        Sun, Jan 5            @ Atlanta

NEW ORLEANS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

No road games between November 3^rd and December 8…How about Sean Payton returning for a Thursday night home game…A road game on Monday night at Kansas City seems less than optimum…Like the Falcons, most of the division is done relatively early with no NFC South foes between Weeks 10 and 18 (at Tampa Bay).

Official 2024 New Orleans Saints Schedule

Week 1: vs Panthers

Week 2: at Cowboys

Week 3: vs Eagles

Week 4: at Falcons

Week 5: at Chiefs (MNF)

Week 6: vs Buccaneers

Week 7: vs Broncos (TNF)

Week 8: at Chargers

Week 9: at Panthers

Week 10: vs Falcons

Week 11: vs Browns

Week 12: BYE

Week 13: vs Rams

Week 14: at Giants

Week 15: vs Commanders

Week 16: at Packers

Week 17: vs Raiders

Week 18: at Buccaneers

TAMPA BAY

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Monday Night Football twice in three weeks, all three primetime games in a span of 5 games…Lots of tough games – at Detroit, Dallas and Kansas City, home against SF, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule

Week 1: vs Commanders

Week 2: at Lions

Week 3: vs Broncos

Week 4: vs Eagles

Week 5: at Falcons (TNF)

Week 6: at Saints

Week 7: vs Ravens (MNF)

Week 8: vs Falcons

Week 9: at Chiefs (MNF)

Week 10: vs Niners

Week 11: BYE

Week 12: at Giants

Week 13: at Panthers

Week 14: vs Raiders

Week 15: at Chargers

Week 16: at Cowboys

Week 17: vs Panthers

Week 18: vs Saints

ARIZONA

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

An early 3-game homestand after the opener at Buffalo…And four of the last 5 at home…Tight squeeze with the Seahawks in Weeks 12 and 14…Just one primetime – in Week 7 with the Chargers.

Week 1 (CBS): at Buffalo Bills — 10 a.m.

Week 2 (Fox): Los Angeles Rams— 1:05 p.m.

Week 3 (Fox): Detroit Lions – 1:25 p.m.

Week 4 (Fox): Washington Commanders— 1:05 p.m.

Week 5 (Fox): at San Francisco 49ers — 1:05 p.m.

Week 6 (Fox): at Green Bay Packers — 10 a.m.

Week 7 (ESPN+): Los Angeles Chargers (Monday Night Football) — 6 p.m.

Week 8 (Fox): at Miami Dolphins — 10 a.m.

Week 9 (CBS): Chicago Bears — 2:05 p.m.

Week 10 (CBS): New York Jets — 2:25 p.m.

Week 11: BYE

Week 12 (Fox): at Seattle Seahawks — 2:25 p.m.

Week 13 (Fox): at Minnesota Vikings — 11 a.m.

Week 14 (CBS): Seattle Seahawks— 2:05 p.m.

Week 15 (CBS): New England Patriots— 2:25 p.m.

Week 16 (Fox): at Carolina Panthers — 11 a.m.

Week 17 (TBD): Los Angeles Rams — TBD

Week 18 (TBD): San Francisco 49ers— TBD

SAN FRANCISCO

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Six primetime including three on Monday…The Niners host both the first and last Monday game of the year…Four primetime games at home including the Cowboys in Week 8

2024 San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Week 1            NY Jets (Monday night)

Week 2           at Minnesota Vikings

Week 3            at Los Angeles Rams

Week 4           New England Patriots

Week 5           Arizona Cardinals

Week 6           at Seattle Seahawks (Thursday)

Week 7           Kansas City Chiefs

Week 8           Dallas Cowboys (Sunday night)

Week 9           bye

Week 10         at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 11          Seattle Seahawks

Week 12         at Green Bay Packers

Wee13            at Buffalo Bills (Monday)

Week 14           Chicago Bears

Week 15           Los Angeles Rams (Thursday)

Week 16          Miami Dolphins

Week 17          Detroit Lions (Monday)

Week18           at Arizona Cardinals

LOS ANGELES RAMS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Three of the first four on the road including the Sunday Night opener in Detroit…Then no road games between Weeks 4 and 9…Four primetime games, two on Thursday.

Official 2024 Los Angeles Rams Schedule

Week 1: at Detroit (SNF)

Week 2: at Cardinals

Week 3: vs.49ers

Week 4: at Bears

Week 5: vs Packers

Week 6: BYE

Week 7: vs Raiders

Week 8: vs Vikings (TNF)

Week 9: at Seahawks

Week 10: vs Dolphins (MNF)

Week 11: at Patriots

Week 12: vs Eagles

Week 13: at Saints

Week 14: vs Bills

Week 15: at 49ers (TNF)

Week 16: at Jets

Week 17: vs Cardinals

Week 18: vs Seahawks

SEATTLE

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Four primetime seems like more than you might have thought…They travel on Christmas to go meet the Bears in the final Thursday game…The first three home games are on CBS.

2024 Seattle Seahawks Schedule

Week 1, Sept. 8: vs. Denver Broncos, 1:05 PM PT, CBS

Week 2, Sept. 15: at New England Patriots, 10 AM PT, FOX

Week 3, Sept. 22: vs. Miami Dolphins, 1:05 PM PT, CBS

Week 4, Sept. 30 (Monday Night Football): at Detroit Lions, 5:15 PM PT, ABC

Week 5, Oct. 6: vs. New York Giants, 1:25 PM PT, CBS

Week 6, Oct. 10 (Thursday Night Football): vs. San Francisco 49ers, 5:15 PM PT,

Week 7, Oct. 20: at Atlanta Falcons, 10 AM PT, FOX

Week 8, Oct. 27: vs. Buffalo Bills, 1:05 PM PT, FOX

Week 9, Nov. 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 1:25 PM PT, FOX

Week 10, Nov. 10: BYE

Week 11, Nov. 17: at San Francisco 49ers, 1:05 PM PT, FOX

Week 12, Nov. 24: vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1:25 PM PT, FOX

Week 13, Dec. 1: at New York Jets, 10 AM PT, FOX

Week 14, Dec. 8: at Arizona Cardinals, 1:05 PM PT, CBS

Week 15, Dec. 15 (Sunday Night Football): vs. Green Bay Packers, 5:20 PM PT, NBC

Week 16, Dec. 22: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1:05 PM PT, FOX

Week 17, Dec. 26 (Thursday Night Football): at Chicago Bears, 5:15 PM PT, Prime

Week 18 (Jan 4 or 5): at Los Angeles Rams, time TBD

DENVER

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

A Monday and a Thursday (Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans)…Three of the first four on the road, with the one home game the return of Russell Wilson with the Steelers.

Official 2024 Denver Broncos Schedule

Week 1: at Seahawks

Week 2: vs Steelers

Week 3: at Buccaneers

Week 4: at Jets

Week 5: vs Raiders

Week 6: vs Chargers

Week 7: at Saints (TNF)

Week 8: vs Panthers

Week 9: at Ravens

Week 10: at Chiefs

Week 11: vs Falcons

Week 12: at Raiders

Week 13: vs Browns (MNF)

Week 14: BYE

Week 15: vs Colts

Week 16: at Chargers

Week 17: at Bengals

Week 18: vs Chiefs

KANSAS CITY

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Two huge home games to start, then no team in KC near their stature until, maybe, the Texans on Saturday, December 21…Five primetime games (four early), then they have Black Friday with the Raiders and Christmas Day at Pittsburgh.

2024 CHIEFS SCHEDULE

9/5       Baltimore Ravens                   7:20pm            NBC

9/15     Cincinnati Bengals                  3:25pm            CBS

9/22     at Atlanta Falcons                   7:20pm            NBC

9/29     at Los Angeles Chargers        3:25pm            CBS

10/7     New Orleans Saints               7:15pm             ESPN

10/13   BYE WEEK     —          —

10/20   at San Francisco 49ers           3:25pm            FOX

10/27   at Las Vegas Raiders             3:25pm            CBS

11/4     Tampa Bay Buccaneers         7:15pm            ESPN

11/10   Denver Broncos                    12:00pm            CBS

11/17   at Buffalo Bills                         3:25pm           CBS

11/24   at Carolina Panthers             12:00pm            CBS

11/29   Las Vegas Raiders                 2:00pm            PRIME VIDEO

12/8     Los Angeles Chargers            7:20pm            NBC

12/15   at Cleveland Browns             12:00pm            CBS

12/21   Houston Texans                   12:00pm            NBC

12/25   at Pittsburgh Steelers           12:00pm            NETFLIX

1/4 or 1/5         at Denver Broncos      TBD                TBD

LAS VEGAS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

They get the big Black Friday game in Kansas City, and a Monday night home game with the Falcons (flexible) two week later…All four games in December are against teams in the SEC (and November 17 as well at Miami).

2024 RAIDERS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

Sept. 8 at Los Angeles Chargers, 1:05 p.m., CBS

Sept. 15 at Baltimore Ravens, 10 a.m., CBS

Sept. 22 Carolina Panthers, 1:05 p.m., CBS

Sept. 29 Cleveland Browns, 1:25 p.m., CBS

Oct. 6 at Denver Broncos, 1:05 p.m., FOX

Oct. 13 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:05 p.m., CBS

Oct. 20 at Los Angeles Rams, 1:05 p.m., CBS

Oct. 27 Kansas City Chiefs, 1:25 p.m., CBS

Nov. 3 at Cincinnati Bengals, 10 a.m., FOX

BYE WEEK

Nov. 17 at Miami Dolphins, 10 a.m., CBS

Nov. 24 Denver Broncos, 1:05 p.m., CBS

Nov. 29 at Kansas City Chiefs, Noon, Amazon Prime

Dec. 8 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 10 a.m., CBS

Dec. 16 Atlanta Falcons, 5:20 p.m., ESPN

Dec. 22 Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:25 p.m., CBS

Dec. 29 at New Orleans Saints, 10 a.m., FOX

Week 18 Los Angeles Chargers, TBA

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Three primetime games, two on Monday night, one being the HarBowl against John Harbaugh’s Ravens on the Monday before Thanksgiving…Four home games on FOX…Three of the first five against divisional opponents and then three of the last 5…Which means none of the middle seven.

CHARGERS 2024 SCHEDULE

Sept. 8: vs. Las Vegas, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Sept. 15: at Carolina, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Sept. 22: at Pittsburgh, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Sept. 29: vs. Kansas City, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)

Oct. 6: BYE

Oct. 13: at Denver, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Oct. 21: at Arizona, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Oct. 27: vs. New Orleans, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Nov. 3: at Cleveland, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Nov. 10: vs. Tennessee, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Nov. 17: vs. Cincinnati, 1:25 p.m. (CBS)

Nov. 25: vs. Baltimore, 5:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Dec. 1: at Atlanta, 10 a.m. (CBS)

Dec. 8: at Kansas City, 5:20 p.m. (NBC)

Dec. 15: vs. Tampa Bay, 1:25 p.m. (FOX)

Dec. 22: vs. Denver, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

Dec. 28 or 29: at New England, TBD (TBD)

Jan. 4 or 5: at Las Vegas, TBD (TBD)

BALTIMORE

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Plenty of featured games, with five Primetime contests and two in the Christmas shuffle involving Netflix…Starting on September 29, they have 6 of 7 games against teams whose names start with “B”…

Ravens 2024 schedule

1     Sept. 5           at Chiefs               8:20 p.m.      NBC

2     Sept. 15         Raiders                 1 p.m.          CBS

3      Sept. 22        at Cowboys           4:25 p.m.    FOX

4     Sept. 29         Bills                       8:20 p.m.     NBC

5     Oct. 6             at Bengals             1 p.m.         CBS

6      Oct. 13          Commanders        1 p.m.         CBS

7      Oct. 21          at Buccaneers       8:15 p.m.     ESPN

8       Oct. 27         at Browns              1 p.m.          CBS

9        Nov. 3         Broncos                 1 p.m.          CBS

10     Nov. 7          Bengals                  8:15 p.m.    Amazon Prime

11      Nov. 17        at Steelers             1 p.m.         CBS

12     Nov. 25            at Chargers          8:15 p.m.    ESPN

13     Dec. 1             Eagles                   4:25 p.m.    CBS

14     Bye

15      Dec. 15          at Giants               1 p.m.          CBS

16      Dec. 21          Steelers                4:30 p.m.      FOX (Saturday)

17      Dec. 25          at Texans             4:30 p.m.      Netflix

18      TBD               Browns                 TBD

CINCINNATI

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Five primetime for the Bengals which is a far cry from the pre-Burrow Era…Divisional games throughout the year.

1          September 8       New England          1:00 p.m.         CBS

2          September 15     at Kansas City        4:25 p.m.         CBS

3          September 23    Washington              8:15 p.m.         ABC (MNF)

4          September 29    at Carolina               1:00 p.m.          FOX

5          October 6           Baltimore*               1:00 p.m.          CBS

6          October 13         at N.Y. Giants*         8:20 p.m.         NBC (SNF)

7          October 20         at Cleveland*           1:00 p.m.         CBS

8          October 27         Philadelphia*            4:25 p.m.         CBS

9          November 3       Las Vegas*              1:00 p.m.         FOX

10        November 7       at Baltimore*            8:15 p.m.         Prime Video

11        November 17     at L.A. Chargers*     4:25 p.m.         CBS

12        November 24     BYE

13        December 1       Pittsburgh*               1:00 p.m.         CBS

14        December 9       at Dallas*                   8:15 p.m.        ESPN (MNF)

15        December 15     at Tennessee*          1:00 p.m.         FOX

16        December 19     Cleveland*               8:15 p.m.         Prime Video

17        December 28-29  Denver                   TBD               TBD

18       January 4-5         at Pittsburgh             TBD               TBD

CLEVELAND

Primetime games clustered late with four in a six-week span starting on November 21 (two on Thursday)…Four of the first six on FOX, including the historic Tom Brady opener…3-game road trip starting Week 4, then three-straight at home…Steeler twice in a three-week span around Thanksgiving.

2024 BROWNS SCHEDULE

1          Sept. 8             Dallas Cowboys                     4:25 p.m.         FOX

2          Sept. 15           at Jacksonville Jaguars          1 p.m.              CBS

3          Sept. 22           New York Giants                     1 p.m.              FOX

4          Sept. 29           at Las Vegas Raiders             4:25 p.m.         CBS

5          Oct. 6              at Washington Commanders 1 p.m.              FOX

6          Oct. 13             at Philadelphia Eagles            1 p.m.              FOX

7          Oct. 20             Cincinnati Bengals                  1 p.m.              CBS

8          Oct. 27            Baltimore Ravens                   1 p.m.              CBS

9          Nov. 3             Los Angeles Chargers            1 p.m.              CBS

10        BYE

11        Nov. 17            at New Orleans Saints            1 p.m.              FOX

12        Nov. 21            Pittsburgh Steelers                 8:15 p.m.         Prime Video

13        Dec. 2              at Denver Broncos                  8:15 p.m.         ESPN

14        Dec. 8              at Pittsburgh Steelers             1 p.m.               CBS

15        Dec. 15            Kansas City Chiefs                 1 p.m.              CBS

16        Dec. 19            at Cincinnati Bengals              8:15 p.m.         Prime Video

17        Dec. 29            Miami Dolphins                       8:20 p.m.         NBC

18        TBD                 at Baltimore Ravens               TBD                TBD

PITTSBURGH

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

This has one crazy finish with all six divisional games in the last eight – and the other two are the Keystone Klash at Philadelphia and Kansas City on Christmas Day…Both New York teams in Primetime in back-back weeks in October.

Steelers 2024 Schedule

1 @ ATL

2 @ DEN

3 LAC

4 @ IND

5 DAL

6 @ LV

7 NYJ (SNF)

8 NYG (MNF)

9 BYE

10 @ WSH

11 BAL

12 @ CLE (TNF)

13 @ CIN

14 CLE

15 @ PHI

16 @ BAL (SAT)

17 KC (XMAS)

18 CIN

HOUSTON

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Four primetime games and they are part of the Netflix Christmas…Week 2 – Caleb Williams vs. C.J. Stroud on Sunday night – then three straight weeks in Primetime starting at Halloween…The Texans used to have an inordinate amount of crossover FOX games, but something changed…Have you ever seen a team that doesn’t appear once on one of the Sunday networks?  No FOX for Houston in 2024 barring a flex.

1          Sun, Sep 8      @ Indianapolis             1:00 PM        CBS

2          Sun, Sep 15      Chicago                       8:20 PM         NBC

3          Sun, Sep 22      @ Minnesota               1:00 PM         CBS

4          Sun, Sep 29     Jacksonville                  1:00 PM        CBS

5          Sun, Oct 6         Buffalo                          1:00 PM      CBS

6          Sun, Oct 13       @ New England           1:00 PM       CBS

7          Sun, Oct 20       @ Green Bay               1:00 PM         CBS

8          Sun, Oct 27       Indianapolis                  1:00 PM      CBS

9          Thu, Oct 31       @ NY Jets                    8:15 PM      PRIME VIDEO

10        Sun, Nov 10      Detroit                          8:20 PM        NBC

11        Mon, Nov 18     @ Dallas                      8:15 PM       ESPN

12        Sun, Nov 24      Tennessee                   1:00 PM       CBS

13        Sun, Dec 1         @ Jacksonville            1:00 PM        CBS

14        BYE WEEK

15        Sun, Dec 15       Miami                           1:00 PM       CBS

16        Sat, Dec 21         @ Kansas City            1:00 PM       NBC

17        Wed, Dec 25       Baltimore                     4:30 PM     Netflix

18        Sun, Jan 5           @ Tennessee             TBD

INDIANAPOLIS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

The Colts with a pretty bland schedule with one Primetime as the guest opposition for the mighty Jets at the Meadowlands on a Sunday night in November…A 4:25 game at Denver, everything else early…Three of the first four at home, then 5 of 7 on the road…Scattered divisionals with the Texans done by Week 8… They could be on Saturday or Sunday with the Giants in Week 17.

1          Sept. 8             Houston Texans                     1 p.m.

2          Sept. 15           @ Green Bay Packers           1 p.m.

3          Sept. 22           Chicago Bears                        1 p.m.

4          Sept. 29           Pittsburgh Steelers                 1 p.m.

5          Oct. 6              @ Jacksonville Jaguars         1 p.m.

6          Oct. 13             @ Tennessee Titans              1 p.m.

7          Oct. 20              Miami Dolphins                      1 p.m.

8          Oct. 27              @ Houston Texans                1 p.m.

9          Nov. 3              @ Minnesota Vikings              1 p.m.

10        Nov. 10            Buffalo Bills                             1 p.m.

11        Nov. 17            @ New York Jets                    8:20 p.m.

12        Nov. 24            Detroit Lions                            1 p.m.

13        Dec. 1              @ New England Patriots        1 p.m.

14        BYE WEEK

15        Dec. 15            @ Denver Broncos                 4:25 p.m.

16        Dec. 22            Tennessee Titans                   1 p.m.

17        TBD                 @ New York Giants                TBD

18        TBD                  Jacksonville Jaguars             TBD

JACKSONVILLE

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

The Jaguars will have three of their seven games in Jacksonville on FOX…Back-to-back weeks in London with the Patriots the team that travels to an acclimated Jags club…They also get a pair of Primetimes including a Sunday night home game with the Eagles.

2024 JAGUARS SCHEDULE

1          Sept. 8             at Miami Dolphins       1 p.m.             CBS

2          Sept. 15           Cleveland Browns       1 p.m.             CBS

3          Sept. 23           at Buffalo Bills             7:30 p.m.         ESPN

4          Sept. 29           at Houston Texans     1 p.m.              CBS

5          Oct. 6              Indianapolis Colts       1 p.m.              CBS

6          Oct. 13             at Chicago Bears (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) 9:30 a.m.  NFLN

7          Oct. 20              New England Patriots (Wembley Stadium)         9:30 a.m.  NFLN

8          Oct. 27              Green Bay Packers   1 p.m.              FOX

9          Nov. 3               at Phila Eagles           8:20 p.m.         NBC

10        Nov. 10            Minnesota Vikings      1 p.m.              FOX

11        Nov. 17            at Detroit Lions            1 p.m.               CBS

12        —          BYE     —          —

13        Dec. 1              Houston Texans         1 p.m.              CBS

14        Dec. 8              at Tennessee Titans   1 p.m.              CBS

15        Dec. 15            New York Jets             1 p.m.              FOX

16        Dec. 22            at Las Vegas Raiders 4:25 p.m.         CBS

17        Dec. 29            Tennessee Titans       1 p.m.              CBS

18        TBH                  at Indianapolis Colts  TBD                 TBD

TENNESSEE

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

The Titans got plenty of FOX games (7) that migrated from Houston, including 4 home games…One primetime – a shared Week 4 Monday night event at Miami (there is another game on ABC, Seattle at Detroit)…Everything else in the early window except the game at the Chargers.

9/8             @Chicago Bears              1:00PM         FOX

9/15           New York Jets                  1:00PM        CBS

9/22           Green Bay Packers          1:00PM        FOX

9/30            @Miami Dolphins             7:30PM       ESPN

10/13          Indianapolis Colts             1:00PM        CBS

10/20          @Buffalo Bills                  1:00PM       CBS

10/27          @Detroit Lions                 1:00PM       FOX

11/3             New England Patriots      1:00PM       FOX

11/10           @Los Angeles Chargers  4:05PM      FOX

11/17           Minnesota Vikings            1:00PM      CBS

11/24           @Houston Texans            1:00PM     CBS

12/1              @ Commanders              1:00PM      FOX

12/8              Jacksonville Jaguars        1:00PM     CBS

12/15            Cincinnati Bengals           1:00PM     FOX

12/22             @Indianapolis Colts        1:00PM     CBS

12/29             @Jacksonville Jaguars   1:00PM     CBS

1/5                  Houston Texans              TBA

BUFFALO

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Four Primetime games in a five-week span, starting in Week 2, including two on Monday night…The first New England game is not until Week 16.

Buffalo Bills Schedule

1 – vs ARI

2 – at MIA TNF

3 – vs JAX MNF 7:30 ET

4 – at BAL SNF

5 – at HOU

6 – at NYJ MNF

7 – vs TEN

8 – at SEA

9 – vs MIA

10 – at IND

11 – vs KC 4:25 ET

12 – BYE

13 – vs SF SNF

14 – at LAR

15 – at DET

16 – vs NE

17 – vs NYJ

18 – at NE

MIAMI

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Five scattered Primetime games, including Thanksgiving at Green Bay…They also could freeze up in Cleveland in Week 17 and at the Jets in Week 18…They are done with the Bills and Patriots before their first meeting with the Jets on December 8.

Sun., Sept. 8              Jacksonville Jaguars               CBS    1 p.m.

Thurs., Sept. 12          Buffalo Bills                            Prime  8:15 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 22             at Seattle Seahawks              CBS    4:05 p.m.

Mon., Sept. 30            Tennessee Titans                   ESPN  7:30 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 6                 at New England Patriots         FOX    1 p.m.*

Sun., Oct. 13               BYE WEEK

Sun., Oct. 20               at Indianapolis Colts               FOX    1 p.m.*

Sun., Oct. 27              Arizona Cardinals                    FOX    1 p.m.*

Sun., Nov. 3               at Buffalo Bills                         CBS     1 p.m.*

Mon., Nov. 11            at Los Angeles Rams              ESPN  8:15 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 17             Las Vegas Raiders                  CBS    1 p.m.*

Sun., Nov. 24             New England Patriots              CBS    1 p.m.*

Thurs., Nov. 28           at Green Bay Packers            NBC    8:20 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 8                New York Jets                       CBS     1 p.m.*

Sun., Dec. 15               at Houston Texans                CBS    1 p.m.*

Sun., Dec. 22              San Francisco 49ers               CBS    4:25 p.m.*

Sun., Dec. 29              at Cleveland Browns              NBC    8:20 p.m.*

Jan. 4 or 5                   at New York Jets                    TBD     TBD

– – –

WR ODELL BECKHAM, Jr. explains why he thinks he will be a great fit with the Dolphins.  Myles Simmons of ESPN.com:

Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. elected to join the Dolphins on a one-year deal, setting himself up to support an already strong receiving corps led by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Beckham noted that he’s just fine with not being the top option at receiver — in large part because that’s how his career has unfolded as of late.

“You just all push each other,” Beckham said, via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “And for me at this place, my life, and my career, I haven’t been the No. 1 in a minute, you could go back and look at targets, you can go look at anything. That’s not really where I’ve been at.

“So, just understanding your role and how can you be the very best at that role? How can you maximize those opportunities?”

Beckham noted that head coach Mike McDaniel sold him on signing with Miami with a vision of how he could be utilized.

“Watching the film, this reminds of a place I had a lot of success at, as far [as] the Giants,” Beckham said. “The timing. And all the things [McDaniel] preaches. We talked about football and it got me excited. … Coach was mentioning that on third down, they were getting a lot of doubling both of them [Hill and Waddle]. And there’s just a lot of room for opportunity.”

As he enters his first year with the Dolphins, Beckham said he’s “at peace” and carrying less resentment than he used to earlier in his life.

“I’m a competitor,” Beckham said. “Forget the middle part. You read a book. The start is going to capture us. You read the body of the story. And how’s it going to end? That’s where I’m at [in my career].


“Let’s have a great ending to this story.”

NEW ENGLAND

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

A far cry from the BB Era – One primetime game and its on Thursday in Week 3…They go to London, have late games at San Francisco and Arizona –  and everything else is  1 pm…three of the first five games on FOX, then three in a row in November…First game with Buffalo is Week 16, long after the rest of the division is done.

September 8          at Cincinnati Bengals       1:00 PM                      CBS

September 15        Seattle Seahawks            1:00 PM                      FOX

September 19        at New York Jets*            8:15 PM                      PRIME VIDEO

September 29        at San Francisco 49ers    4:05 PM                      FOX

October 6               Miami Dolphins                1:00 PM                      FOX

October 13             Houston Texans              1:00 PM                      CBS

October 20             at Jaguars* (London)       9:30 AM                      NFLN

October 27             New York Jets                 1:00 PM                      CBS

November 3            at Tennessee Titans       1:00 PM                      FOX

November 10          at Chicago Bears            1:00 PM                      FOX

November 17          Los Angeles Rams         1:00 PM                      FOX

November 24          at Miami Dolphins           1:00 PM                      CBS

December 1            Indianapolis Colts           1:00 PM                      CBS

BYE

December 15         at Arizona Cardinals       4:25 PM                      CBS

December 22          at Buffalo Bills                 1:00 PM                      CBS

TBD                         Los Angeles Chargers    TBD                             TBD

TBD                         Buffalo Bills                     TBD                           TBD

NEW YORK JETS

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS

Hopefully Aaron Rodgers stays healthy this year, because, counting London, the Jets have seven standalones in the first 11 weeks…The two meetings with the Dolphins are late.

Official 2024 New York Jets Schedule

Week 1: at Niners (MNF)

Week 2: at Titans

Week 3: vs Patriots (TNF)

Week 4: vs Broncos

Week 5: at Vikings (London)

Week 6: vs Bills (MNF)

Week 7: at Steelers (SNF)

Week 8: at Patriots

Week 9: vs Texans (TNF)

Week 10: at Cardinals

Week 11: vs Colts (SNF)

Week 12: BYE

Week 13: vs Seahawks

Week 14: at Dolphins

Week 15: at Jaguars

Week 16: vs Rams

Week 17: at Bills

Week 18: vs Dolphins

– – –

Aaron Rodgers spent two hours in an interview with Tucker Carlson, with some familiar contentions about Big Pharma and vaccines, plus some new riffs.

Some in the media were offended that he was impressed by the intelligence of Vladimir Putin, which seems relatively benign to the DB.  Io Dodds of The UK Independent repeatedly refers to Carlson as Mr. Tucker in a story with a headline that the interview was “whacky”:

Anti-vaccine NFL star Aaron Rodgers has claimed that people who got inoculated against COVID-19 should be treated with “compassion” as others help them realize they were wrong, the quarterback said in a new interview.

In a wide-ranging discussion with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the New York Jets quarterback said he felt “empathy” for people who were persuaded by “full court propaganda” to get vaccinated.

As well as repeating false claims about the safety of COVID vaccines, Mr Rodgers praised Mr Carlson’s soft-soap interview with Vladimir Putin, suggested that “a lot” of dead people had voted in US elections and claimed there might be a “demonic aspect” to UFO activity.

The two started off their table talk by bashing COVID vaccines and lockdown mandates.

“I’ve been strong against the vax, against lockdowns, against mandates, against all of it. In the last few months I’ve been looking at things a little bit differently,” Mr Rodgers said.

“Those people had a ton of fear. They thought they were doing the right thing, for themselves, for their friends, for their families.

“They went through all the mass-formation psychosis that we all did – the full-court propaganda against us – and are now going, ‘oh s***. Maybe that wasn’t the best. Maybe they lied to us. Maybe this wasn’t safe…’

“That would make people feel a lot of shame and guilt. So how do we call these people forward, in love and acceptance – not forgetting what happened, how we were treated, how we were canceled – to step into the truth?”

In recent months, anti-vaxxers have seized upon a series of new studies and media reports offering further evidence that some vaccines may have dangerous side effects and that the US may not be effectively tracking such cases.

But these issues remain rare in overall terms, and their impact would likely be dwarfed by the number of lives saved by protecting against COVID infection. Many of them were also widely known during the early rollouts of the various vaccines.

Mr Rodgers falsely claimed that 44 percent of pregnant women in a Pfizer vaccine study had miscarriages after being inoculated. In fact, the rate was 7 percent, slightly below the estimated overall likelihood of having a miscarriage.

In one exchange, Mr Rodgers called Mr Tucker’s recent interview with Vladimir Putin “awesome”, saying the Russian dictator had come off as “an interesting, thoughtful, smart individual.”

He added: “I’d love to see Biden give an interview where can speak on the history of the United States in the same way Putin talked about the history of his country.”

Mr Tucker was bashed after the interview for allowing Putin to freely give a disorted view of history including Russia’s history with Ukraine.

When Mr Tucker asked Mr Rodgers asked about the idea that “spiritual forces” are affecting world politics – which appears to be a current preoccupation of Mr Carlson’s – Mr Rodgers said it accorded with his upbringing as a Christian, which taught him that there is always an “invisible” battle being waged.

“In my space where I’m at, where I do a lot of plant medicine, the veils between worlds, between dimensions, get very thin. So the idea of seeing other entities, seeing angelic type beings, demonic type beings, is very normal,” he said.

“And the idea that there’s a demonic aspect to the [UFO] phenomenon, I think, is very plausible and interesting.”

THIS AND THAT

BROADCAST NEWS

Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post confirms that Greg Olsen will remain with FOX as the number two analyst with play-by-play partner Joe Davis for most of the season.

Greg Olsen will have a relatively familiar broadcast partner this football season.

Fox Sports has cemented the obvious pairing of Olsen with Joe Davis on the network’s No. 2 NFL announcing team, sources told The Post.

Olsen had been previously working on the top team alongside Kevin Burkhardt, but Tom Brady is joining that booth as color commentator after spending a gap year between his final NFL season in 2022 and assuming his role as an announcer.

Olsen and Davis have worked together in the past when Burkhardt was out for Fox MLB postseason hosting responsibilities.

In addition to his NFL job, Davis succeeded Joe Buck as the voice of the World Series in 2022.

Davis worked with former Cowboys great Daryl “Moose” Johnston, who is currently the executive vice president of football operations for the UFL, last season.

A Fox Sports spokesperson declined to comment.

Fox Sports has historically had a great eye for identifying and training announcing talent across its sports properties, signing Olsen in 2021.

He and Burkhardt worked together on the No. 2 team that season, and then they were vaulted up to the top spot when Buck and Troy Aikman left the network to call “Monday Night Football” on ESPN.

Olsen quickly became an upper-echelon color commentator, widely acclaimed across the sports media industry.

Burkhardt and Olsen were on the call for Super Bowl 2023 in Arizona when the Chiefs defeated the Eagles.

During the 2022 offseason, Fox announced that Brady would eventually become the top color commentator on the network, and introduced him for the job at its Upfronts event earlier this week.

The Post previously reported that Brady’s deal with Fox is worth a total of $375 million over 10 years.

Speaking with Rich Eisen this past February, Olsen said he knew the deal that Brady was coming when he originally signed up to move up to the top team in 2022, but that he is nevertheless proud of what he and Burkhardt “put on tape.”

“My goal is to call No. 1 games. That has not changed. If anything I’m even more committed to chasing that path,” Olsen said, noting at the time that the plan “as of now” was for him to work with Davis.

“I’ve been honest with Fox and they’ve been clear with me. I want to call top games. I want to call Super Bowls. Games in front of 115 million people. That’s where the magic and excitement is. No different than as a player. Nobody ever signs up to be a player and just says, ‘I’m happy to be on the team.’ That’s not my style … How all that shakes out, as we all know, you can’t predict this industry, but I’ve enjoyed doing it.”

More from Mike Florio:

Olsen likely will have to spend a game or two with a replacement for Davis.

Olsen’s $10 million salary as the No. 1 analyst drops to $3 million with the arrival of Tom Brady, who has taken Olsen’s job.

He’ll presumably stay put at Fox unless and until an opportunity to serve as the top analyst with another network emerges. Or if Brady decides to unretire and/or that he’s had enough of calling games.

– – –

Tom Brady admits that submitting to the Netflix roast might not have been such a good idea.  Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:

What was billed as “the greatest roast of all time” turned out to be anything but for Tom Brady, who expressed regrets at the impact it had on his three children.

“I loved when the jokes were about me,” Brady said Tuesday on “The Pivot” podcast with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. “I thought they were so fun. I didn’t like the way it affected my kids.

“So it’s the hardest part; the bittersweet aspect of when you do something that you think is one way and all of a sudden you realize ‘I wouldn’t do that again’ because of the way it affected, actually, the people I care about the most in the world.”

Brady’s comments came at the end of the 56-minute podcast, when he was asked by Taylor — his teammate with the New England Patriots in 2009 and 2010 — if he learned anything about himself from the roast.

Taylor’s question was delivered more in the context of his connection with teammates and how it seemed to reflect their bonds formed in the locker room over years, but Brady instead focused on his children Jack, Benjamin and Vivian.

“It makes you, in some ways, a better parent going through it,” he said. “Sometimes you are naïve. You don’t know, or you get a little like, ‘Oh s—.’

“I love when people were making fun of me. … I just want to laugh, so I wanted to do the roast. You just don’t see the full picture all the time. So I think it’s a good lesson for me as a parent. I’m going to be a better parent as I go forward because of it.”

Brady added: “At the same time, I’m happy everyone who was there had a lot of fun. And I do think for me, outside of that, it always is good ‘if we’re not laughing about things, we’re crying.’ I think we should have more fun. We loved laughing in the locker room. Let’s do more of that and love each other and celebrate other people’s success. That, to me, gives everyone a lot of hope.”

Part of the podcast focused on how May is Mental Health Awareness month, with Brady acknowledging how he is doing in that area.

“I’m just doing my best to check in with myself as often as possible — with my physical health, my mental health, my emotional health,” he said. “It’s something I’m working on. Every year I think I start something a little different.

“I think this last year I wanted to kind of rebuild my body because I lost a lot of weight in my last season. It was challenging. This year is a lot of work stuff. I think next year I’m really going to settle in to a better, more sustainable rhythm to life between all of our responsibilities. When is it too much? When is it not enough? You’re juggling all these balls in the air, and certainly for former athletes, we never know how it’s going to go when we retire.”

Brady revealed another aspect of retirement that has challenged him.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m a little bit in a washing machine right now, not quite sure where you’re going, what the schedule looks like. The structure, the habits, are positive for us at different times; when you don’t have that, you bounce around – you’re like a ping-pong ball, too,” he said, acknowledging he is “not really in my center right now.”

“I feel like, naturally as a quarterback, I was in control. I loved flying the plane, being the operator. I think what you realize in life is that you’re not in control that much. What do I need to do more in my life? I need to be better with less control. I need to be better operating in that gray area. I can’t be so anxious when things aren’t going exactly the way that I want.”

RANKING THE POSITION GROUPS

John Kosko of ProFootballFocus.com ranks the best and worst position groups in the NFL.  The 49ers lead in two, but one is not wide receiver with WRs BRANDON AIYUK, DEEBO SAMUEL and rookie RICKY PERSALL.  No Kosko says the Bears (?!?!) have the best WRs:

Three months after a thrilling overtime Super Bowl ending in the Kansas City Chiefs yet again hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, NFL teams have been hard at work rebuilding their rosters, bolstering position groups and executing trades.

We’ll take a look at what teams are strongest and weakest at each position group heading into the 2024 NFL season.

QUARTERBACKS

Strongest: Kansas City Chiefs

Shockingly, the team with the best quarterback in the NFL is also the one with the strongest quarterback room. While backups can lead a team to the playoffs and even win the Super Bowl, such occurrences are rare. As former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore once said in response to not giving practice reps to Peyton Manning’s backup, “If 18 goes down, we’re (screwed).”

Patrick Mahomes has won two NFL MVPs, three Super Bowls and three Super Bowl MVPs in just the past five years. There is no debate about who the best quarterback in the NFL is. While Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and others can be in the conversation for the top spot, Mahomes’ 94.0 passing grade tops all quarterbacks since he became the Chiefs’ starter in 2018.

Weakest: Las Vegas Raiders

Unfortunately for the Raiders, they live in a division dominated by two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. While the division rival Denver Broncos were in contention for this spot, Las Vegas did very little to improve the room for the 2024 season. Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell will compete for the starting job, which doesn’t spark much excitement for a fanbase that has yet to see a legit contender in Vegas.

RUNNING BACKS

Strongest: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens added Derrick Henry to an already productive room. Pairing Henry with the lightning-fast Keaton Mitchell and the underrated Justice Hill gives Baltimore a diverse backfield to punish opposing defenses, with Henry bulldozing through defensive lines, Mitchell speeding past tacklers and Hill spelling the future Hall of Famer.

Weakest: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were linked to multiple backs in the draft but came away with none. They instead re-signed Ezekiel Elliott a year after cutting him. They’ll likely utilize him in a committee approach with Rico Dowdle and Royce Freeman, which doesn’t inspire much confidence in the room.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Strongest: Chicago Bears

There are several contenders for the top wide receiver room, but the Bears’ offseason moves push them to the top. Of course, they have to prove it on the field, but the combination of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze make up a room with multiple skill sets and talents to beat opposing defenses. Moore and Allen ranked 10th and 11th, respectively, in PFF grade in 2023 and should only help each other thrive in 2024.

Weakest: New England Patriots

While the Patriots selected two receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft and signed K.J. Osborn in free agency, it’s a room that severely underachieved in 2023 and is relying on a second-round rookie for a boost. They return Demario Douglas (sixth-round rookie in 2023), Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Patriots could very well outperform expectations with a new coaching staff and better quarterback play, but it’s a room that has a lot to prove in 2024.

TIGHT ENDS

Strongest: San Francisco 49ers

Tight end rooms are generally dominated by one player. We saw the Buffalo Bills draft Dalton Kincaid in 2023, adding him to a group that already had a productive tight end in Dawson Knox. What ensued was a significant decrease in targets for Knox as Kincaid took over the top spot.

The 49ers earn the “strongest” title because George Kittle is arguably the best tight end in the NFL right now. Travis Kelce is almost 35 years old and still productive, but we saw a decline in his play in 2023. Kittle’s 87.7 grade last year was tops in the NFL as he excelled as a receiver and a run blocker. While Kittle will turn 31 in 2024, he’s still playing at an extremely high level.

Weakest: Denver Broncos

A room that features Adam Trautman as the top tight end is concerning. His 53.2 PFF grade in 2023 ranked 57th out of 72 eligible players, as he caught just 22 passes for 204 yards in 2023. The Broncos didn’t add a tight end in the draft nor did they make a move for one in free agency. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix will likely target the position very little in 2024.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Strongest: Detroit Lions

The Lions take the top spot despite the Philadelphia Eagles having had a stranglehold on that ranking for years before Jason Kelce retired this offseason. Center Frank Ragnow and right tackle Penei Sewell are the top-ranked players at their respective positions, while Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker also place top 10 at their positions. This is an extremely stout unit that now boasts Kevin Zeitler, whose 71.6 PFF grade in 2023 ranked 15th among guards.

Weakest: New York Giants

Even after earning the worst offensive line grade of any team in 2023, the Giants did very little to improve their unit this offseason. The group recorded a 44.6 PFF grade last year and will hope a fully healthy Andrew Thomas and the additions of guard Jon Runyan (56.5 PFF grade in 2023) and tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (68.7) can provide a boost.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Strongest: Cleveland Browns

A unit led by the NFL’s best defensive player in Myles Garrett, the Browns’ defensive line terrorized opposing quarterbacks and offensive lines in 2023. They brought back the productive pieces of the group, added pass-rush specialist Quinton Jefferson (73.2 pass-rush grade in 2023) and selected Michael Hall Jr. in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. While the group was inconsistent against the run, no team was better at rushing the quarterback in 2023.

Weakest: Chicago Bears

The Bears’ defensive line is led by Montez Sweat’s 74.8 overall grade, but after him, it’s a unit that sorely lacks depth and impact players. Andrew Billings‘ 66.3 grade is the next-best mark, and no other player graded above 60.0 in 2023.

LINEBACKERS

Strongest: San Francisco 49ers

The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens have arguments for the strongest linebacker group, but Fred Warner‘s star power and Dre Greenlaw‘s consistency push the 49ers ahead. Warner has emerged as the best linebacker in the NFL over the past few years, as his 90.2 overall grade in 2023 attests to. Greenlaw complements Warner with a strong run defense and coverage skills. The 49ers’ linebacker unit boasts an 89.7 overall grade over the past two years, showing the consistency of the two players roaming the middle of the field.

Weakest: Houston Texans

The Texans have the opposite of star power at linebacker, led by Christian Harris (64.9 PFF grade in 2023) and the newly signed Azeez Al-Shaair (64.7). Houston will need strong defensive line play to help a linebacker unit that has graded as the NFL’s worst over the past two years.

CORNERBACKS

Strongest: New York Jets

Until someone supplants Sauce Gardner as the best cornerback in the NFL, it’ll be hard to take this spot from the Jets in the coming years. A unit that PFF ranked No. 1 heading into 2023 retains that spot for 2024. Gardner has excellent teammates in D.J. Reed (77.9 PFF grade in 2023) and Michael Carter II (80.4), forming a unit that makes life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. The Jets cornerbacks’ 91.5 overall grade and 92.7 coverage grade over the past two seasons are the best in the NFL.

Weakest: Arizona Cardinals

While the Cardinals have made strides to improve a roster that was weak overall, it’s still a work in progress. Arizona added Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency and drafted three cornerbacks, including two in the top 100, in Max Melton and Elijah Jones. The unit still has a lot of questions heading into 2024.

SAFETIES

Strongest: Baltimore Ravens

Kyle Hamilton‘s excellent play shouldn’t overshadow the importance of Marcus Williams at the other safety spot. With those two earning PFF grades of 86.4 and 73.8, respectively, the Ravens have a formidable duo that can play off each other’s strengths very well. Hamilton is a moveable chess piece and Williams can roam the middle of the field with excellent range. Baltimore’s safety group posted a 93.5 coverage grade in 2023.

Weakest: Los Angeles Rams

A group that struggled in 2023 only looks weaker in 2024, as Kamren Curl (66.6 PFF grade in 2023) and Russ Yeast (57.0) are the lone safeties with experience on the roster. The Rams drafted Kamren Kinchens in the third round but will once again rely on late-round or undrafted players to step into big roles in 2024.