The Future of the NFL

The Super Bowl (clears throat) excuse me, the big game, is coming up soon, and the season is almost over. Here are some teams’ possible plans for the offseason, the draft, and next season.

Chicago Bears

Da Bears were officially the worst team in 2022, with a record of 3-14. (Three wins, fourteen losses). This means that they will have the number one overall pick in the draft. Normally, the worst team has a trash quarterback, so they draft a new one with their good pick. However, the Bears actually have a half-decent quarterback, Justin Fields, who has been playing well this year. So that leaves the Bears with a question: Do they trade Justin Fields and draft a new quarterback? Do they trade away the number one pick? Or do they keep Justin Fields and use the pick to get a wide receiver or running back to help him out? I would probably keep Justin Fields and trade the pick, but we will have to wait and see what they decide to do.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are one of the best teams in the league right now. In fact, they are who I predict to win the Super Bowl. (Sorry Chiefs fans). Their team is stacked. They have Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffery, George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa, just to name a few. However, they have quite the predicament at quarterback. Last year, Jimmy Garoppolo was their starter. Then in the draft, they drafted Trey Lance, who everyone thought was going to be a star. Sadly, he injured his ankle early in the season, which left Jimmy G as the starter. Then Jimmy G got injured. This left rookie QB Brock Purdy to lead the team. Despite being Mr. Irrelevant (the last person taken in the draft), Brock has been playing very well. In his first start, he beat Tom Brady, A.K.A the G.O.A.T. So which QB will the ‘Niners keep? Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance, or Brock Purdy?

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins made a big trade this year, acquiring Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs, and he fit in very well with Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle. Hill and Waddle set the new record for most yards by a wide receiver duo in the first eight games of the season. However, Tyreek’s stats are not quite the same as last year. That is because last year he had Patrick Mahomes throwing to him, and this year he had Tua Tagovailoa. Tua to Tyreek looked like they would be one of the best combos in the league, and the Dolphins started out hot. Then in week four against the Bengals, Tua had a concussion, and after that, he had two more concussions. In the weeks that he played, he started playing noticeably worse. The Dolphins went from being one of the best teams to struggling to make the playoffs. So will they keep Tua, or look for someone else? Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson might be going into free agency, but he is more built for run-based offenses. Another option is veteran quarterbacks Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, because if they don’t retire, they will probably find a new team. I personally could see Aaron Rodgers throwing to Tyreek Hill. (Aaron Rodgers drops dimes). The Dolphins might just keep Tua though. If he stays healthy, he could be good. We’ll see next year. (I hope they keep Tua because I got my dad a Tua jersey for Christmas).

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett this year, but sat him for the first few games. When they decided to start him, he did okay, but the real reason for the Steelers’ success was left-outside- linebacker T.J Watt. He got injured in week one, and the Steelers struggled. After he came back, however, they started to win games. They went from one of the worst teams, to making a playoff run. (They finished the season 9-8, just missing the playoffs). T.J. Watt is definitely their best player, but Kenny Pickett started playing well also. He led a game winning touchdown drive in week sixteen against the Raiders, and in week seventeen against the Ravens. Steelers rookie receiver George Pickens has played well also (see photo for skill reference), and Pickett to Pickens is arguably better than Tua to Tyreek. Not to forget the Steelers’ star running back Najee Harris. So I think Kenny is the future of the Steelers, and if T.J Watt can stay healthy they might be scary good.

College QBs

The two main QB prospects are Ohio State QB C.J Stroud, and Georgia QB Stenson Bennet. Georgia is coming off a college championship, but Stenson Bennet is 25 years old, and C.J. Stroud is 21.This is why C.J Stroud is projected to be the number one overall pick, and will probably be drafted by a team like the Texans or the Colts.

These are my thoughts on the future of the NFL. I’m excited for the Super Bowl and for next year, when the Dolphins will fail miserably. (My dad is a Dolphins fan LOL).