The seemingly endless days and weeks of training camp practices, dry and borderline pointless preseason games and final roster adjustments; NFL The regular season has arrived.
The league’s 107th campaign began with a rare Wednesday night contest for the reigning Super Bowl champions. Seattle Seahawks He lost quarterback Sam Darnold Before that, he suffered a hip injury in the fifth game of the season gathering to strike New England Patriots 13-10. The action continues Thursday night with the league’s first Australian-based team as the San Francisco 49ers. He became dominant of Los Angeles Rams 27-7.
The show will continue with 13 more matches on Sunday, and wrap up on Monday night. Kansas City Chiefs handling Denver Broncos.
Here are five of the top stories to follow in Week 1.
New faces, new eras
Ten NFL teams will play their first games under new head coaches and hopefully this weekend will serve as a springboard to new heights.
After serving as offensive coordinator for two seasons, Joe Brady was named head coach. Buffalo BillsWho fired Sean McDermott After nine seasons. of Baltimore Ravens Turning to the past Los Angeles Chargers Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter after 18 seasons under John Harbaugh. Meanwhile, Harbaugh seems to raise a New York Giants A team that has had double-digit losing seasons in eight of the last 9 years.
In Pittsburgh, Mike McCarthy will be reunited. Aaron Rodgers And he hopes to give a reward steels A future Hall of Fame quarterback’s swan song with the Lombardi Trophy. of Atlanta Hawks They’ve had eight straight seasons and I hope Kevin Stefanski gives them a boost. Stefanski’s former team, the Cleveland BrownsHe settled on former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, hoping he would bring some stability to a murky quarterback situation.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Titans (Robert Saleh) Arizona Cardinals (Mike Lafleur) Miami Dolphins (Jeff Hafley) and Las Vegas robbers (Clint Kubiak) also begins new chapters on Sunday.
In the last 5 seasons, 10 teams have reached the finals in their coach’s first season. Who will start their winning campaign this week?
(Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Falcons at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Brownies at Jaguars1 p.m. ET, CBS; Accounts by Texas1 p.m. ET, CBS; Dolphins at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox; Cardinals at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
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Return missions
Some of the league’s biggest stars have had their 2025 campaigns cut short by injuries. They’ll be back this week hoping for some balls to propel their teams into contention.
After an impressive rookie season, Washington commanders quarter time Jayden Daniels He played just seven games last year. In the year The Chiefs have lost 12 games since reaching the 2024 NFC Championship Game. Daniels returns Sunday against the NFC East favorite. Philadelphia Eagles.
In Jacksonville, the Browns will once again welcome their quarterback. Deshaun Watson After 22 months of recovery from combined Achilles tendon surgeries. Watson endured a rocky preseason, but still passed Shedeur Sanders Work for the beginner. Now in the final season of a five-year, $230 million contract, the Browns were rewarded when they acquired Watson from Houston.
Up in Minnesota, quarterback Kyler Murray Not only is he returning from a foot injury that cost him 12 games last season, but the 2019 No. 1 pick of the Cardinals will also make his debut. Vikings. Murray, 29, won Minnesota’s 2024 first-round pick. JJ McCarthyAnd now he plans to elevate Kevin O’Connell’s offense to a level that matches a top-flight defense and get the Vikings back in the game.
of Indianapolis CollsMeanwhile, celebrate the return of the quarter Daniel JonesAt one point last season, he led the league in offense while reviving his career. Jones and the Colts were guaranteed to make the playoffs until he tore his Achilles in Week 14. Once healthy again, the 29-year-old Jones will look to finish his unfinished business.
To destroy everything, Patrick Mahomes He returned from a Week 15 knee injury that ended the Chiefs’ season — a 10-year playoff streak and a nine-year run as AFC West champions. The two-time MVP will be back in prime time and will aim to continue his quest to extend his reign as Chiefs.
(Ravens at Colts, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Browns at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Drivers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS; Chiefs at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox; Broncos at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN)
Expression possibilities
It’s only Week 1 and as they say, the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. But several celebrities can take steps to ease the heavy scrutiny and prove themselves with strong season-opening performances.
Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud He has had a season full of questions since joining the game. Outsiders debated whether Stroud would ever get the team beyond the competition. The Texans, however, publicly expressed their confidence in their abilities, working hard to improve the supporting cast, standing next to their fourth. Owner Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio, however, did not offer Strode a long-term contract extension — instead, content to remain in a wait-and-see mode. Stroud has its first test against another playoff team (Buffalo) on Sunday. A strong showing in this potential win preview could boost his confidence.
It’s not just Strode under the microscope. Brice Young – Quarterback of Carolina Panthers He’s the No. 1 pick in 2023 (one pick before Houston takes Stroud) — and he’s got plenty of drive this season. After two rocky seasons, he finished the 2025 campaign on a high note and helped the Panthers earn a playoff berth. But Young couldn’t solidify his long-term future. Heading into Sunday, he can show further progress with a quality performance. Caleb Williamswho Chicago Bears Originally set for 2024.
Williams, overall, had an uneventful second NFL season. He continued to struggle with accuracy, completing just 58 percent of his passes. But he posted six comeback wins to help the Bears reach the playoffs. This year Crazy cover athlete The positive aspects of last season should prove a step towards greatness, not a disaster.
(Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Bears at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET, Fox)
Super Bowl or bra?
The pressure is on for three of this generation’s leading quarterbacks. Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson And Josh Allen They’re chasing their first Super Bowl ring, and they’re all at a crossroads in the middle of organizations.
Jackson, a two-time MVP, and Allen, also an MVP, have seen their teams fire longtime head coaches. Both the Ravens and Bills have opted against experience and will instead hope that the enthusiasm and creativity of youth can help them out of the slump.
In addition to starting under a new coach, Jackson has many questions about his future with the team. His contract expires after next season, and the Ravens want to address that; For now, Jackson is content to bet on himself and see how things play out in Baltimore, both individually and collectively.
Burrow came agonizingly close to winning their first Lombardi trophy, however Aaron Donald And the Rams thwarted a last-minute bid for a return to the Super Bowl following the 2021 season. Since then, he’s played just two full seasons (injuries limited him to 10 games in 2023 and eight last year) and Bengals They haven’t made the playoffs since 2022. The Burrows have some time. Injuries and repeated offseason displays of fatigue and frustration have led some to wonder how long he will want to play (He tried something to crush recently). Meanwhile, if the Bengals suffer a fourth straight season, the organization could make major changes.
All three quarterbacks enter the season with a boulder of speculation strapped to their backs. Fans want nothing more than to see Allen, Burroughs, and Jackson pitch pitch-perfect campaigns as they embark on critical campaigns.
(Buccaneers at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Ravens at Colts, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; (Bills vs. Texans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Mark, mark
It’s been a late start in the NFL, and now a handful of coaches are looking for convincing jobs to ease the growing pressure.
New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn may only be in his 2nd year, but given the team’s lackluster first season and the short-term lease owner Woody Johnson has extended to the coaching staff, it looks like Glenn will need a dramatic turnaround in 2026. With the reset button on the quarterback, hoping he’ll be mature Geno Smith It can lead them to progress. Glenn and the Jets started the season against none other than former leader Robert Saleh and the Titans. Saleh’s embarrassment sets Glen off and he steps on the wrong foot.
Elsewhere, Chiefs coach Dan Quinn faces scrutiny after his team regressed in his second year, going from 12-5 to 5-12 in 2025. In his first head coaching season (in Atlanta), Quinn was unable to right a sinking ship and advance to a sixth straight season. A healthy Daniels should greatly help Quinn and Washington’s chances, but an injury-plagued offensive line could get off to a rough start against the Eagles’ aggressive defense.
Coach Todd Boles wants another change. His Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the division in his first three seasons as head coach, and got off to a strong start last year. Then came a 2-7 slide in which Bowles and his team suffered injuries at key positions. Bowles overhauled his coaching staff this offseason, and general manager Jason Licht delivered a strong draft class. Licht added key free agents and extended veterans. Baker Mayfield and vita vea, so Bowles must supply accordingly.
at last, Detroit Lions Head coach Dan Campbell is looking to put last season’s disappointment behind him and return his team to the NFC elite. Two years ago, many considered the Lions among the Super Bowl favorites. In the year They reached the conference championship in 2023 and missed out on a return the following year. But last season, changes at the coordinator position, retirements and injuries led to a year of rebuilding. Campbell’s team finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs.
He could improve along the offensive line, a role stretched to running back Jahmir Gibbswith the development of defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and the arrival of new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, will the Lions get back to where they were before the window closes?
(Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Buccaneers at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Saints at Lions, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)
