Two months after the 2023 NFL Draft, we published a video of 10 NFL teams that we thought had ZERO shot at making the playoffs. Suffice it to say, our picks didn’t age so well.
FIVE of the 10 teams on our list — the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — wound up making the postseason. Joke’s on us, alright.
But for this year’s edition, we’re highly confident that we’ll get at least eight of these right. So let’s try again as we dive into 10 NFL teams that have NO SHOT at making the playoffs in 2024.
Which NFL teams have no realistic shot at the playoffs this season?
Minnesota Vikings
Make no mistake, we love the JJ McCarthy fit in Minnesota. He has the skill set to be this team’s long-term answer at quarterback, and it’s hard to complain about a supporting cast that features Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson, and Jordan Addison.
But folks, the Vikings aren’t eyeing immediate title contention in 2024. This is a retooling year for Kevin O’Connell’s squad. If they wanted to compete next season, the Vikings would have found a better bridge QB option than Sam Darnold.
Yes, Minnesota has the firepower to be a competitive team. We saw that last year when they squeaked out seven wins despite using four different quarterbacks.
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But Darnold and a rookie QB are not going to turn Minnesota into a playoff contender this year. There are still holes on the offensive line and on the defense, too. You know, that very defense that lost its best player, Danielle Hunter, in free agency.
The makeup of Minny’s roster isn’t even the main reason we have them on this list. It’s mostly because of the division they play in. Both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are Super Bowl contenders, and the Chicago Bears should make plenty of noise with Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, and Keenan Allen coming aboard.
The Vikings are easily the worst team in their own division — one that might feature three postseason teams. If there’s one team in the NFC North that’s going to be picked on by its opponents, it’s Minnesota.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have been held back by an inexplicable issue for almost two decades now. They boast one of football’s most talented rosters every year, but the team is ALWAYS held back by inept coaching.
Well, that problem appears to have finally been addressed with the hiring of ex-Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. This very man took over a hapless San Francisco 49ers team in 2011 and turned them into an NFL powerhouse. Why can’t he eventually do the same with a Bolts team featuring cornerstones Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, Derwin James Jr., and Joe Alt?
Oh, we think he will. The Harbaugh hiring will definitely make a difference over the long run. But we’re specifically talking about 2024 for this list, and the Chargers aren’t ready to make the jump to playoff contender JUST yet.
They dumped their two best receivers, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, and didn’t bring back star running back Austin Ekeler. Clearly, Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz view this as a year of transition with a new-look roster.
The Bolts were mostly quiet in free agency and the trade market, waiting until the draft to select Georgia’s Ladd McConkey as a potential WR1 with the No. 34 pick.
Unless McConkey or Quentin Johnston step up and produce immediately, Herbert won’t have much help.
And since we’re penciling in the Kansas City Chiefs as the AFC West champions, who do you see the Bolts realistically stealing a wild card spot from?
The AFC North has four teams that can all contend for the Super Bowl. The AFC South produced three winning teams last year. The AFC East has the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and a returning Aaron Rodgers to lead the New York Jets.
There are just too many star-studded teams in the AFC with much deeper rosters than the Chargers. The NFL playoffs will eventually return to La La Land with Harbaugh steering the ship, but not in 2024.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are in the early stages of a hard reset. Bill Belichick is gone after an illustrious 24-year run, and it’s now Jerod Mayo in charge of restoring the Patriots’ winning ways.
Without question, the 2024 Patriots look way better than the 2023 group. Whether it’s rookie Drake Maye or veteran Jacoby Brissett at QB, either guy promises to be an upgrade over the Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe tandem from last year.
Not to mention that a healthy 2023 first-rounder, Christian Gonzalez, will solidify the secondary after missing most of his promising rookie year.
But make no mistake: This is still a super-flawed team that’s a long way away from contending again. They still have the league’s worst set of offensive skill position guys, and Mike Onwenu is the only rock-solid starter on that offensive line.
It’s just hard to see Brissett or Maye winning without a single Pro Bowl-caliber offensive weapon. Ja’Lynn Polk is an unproven rookie. Kendrick Bourn, KJ Osborn, and JuJu Smith-Schuster are nothing close to WR1s. Tight end Hunter Henry gets you 500 or so yards a season, but his numbers are never flashy.
Throw in the fact that the Patriots reside in an AFC with not one, not two…but THREE potential Super Bowl contenders? Yeah, this is going to be another long year for a team entering year five of the post-Tom Brady era.
Washington Commanders
Make no mistake, the Commanders are on the right track. Dan Quinn and Adam Peters were perfect hires as head coach and GM, respectively. The Commanders aced free agency and have their hopeful franchise QB in LSU’s Jayden Daniels — the No. 2 pick of this year’s draft.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Commanders are not building a Super Bowl contender in just a matter of months. They’ll actually be fun to watch in 2024, but the NFL playoffs are a pipe dream for Quinn’s squad.
We’re buying the hype on Daniels, but like most first-year quarterbacks, he’s going to experience growing pains as a rookie. Also, the defense remains a work in progress now that Washington is about to endure a full season without Chase Young or Montez Sweat.
The Commanders also reside in the NFC East with two shoo-in playoff teams in the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Let’s assume the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions win their respective divisions.
You really see Washington stealing a wild card spot from one of Philly and Dallas AND the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Packers or Bears?
We don’t either. The Commanders are a year or two away from actually emerging as a playoff team in the NFC.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals won four games in year one under Jonathan Gannon. That actually felt like an accomplishment given the lack of roster talent and the fact Kyler Murray missed most of the year.
Arizona is doing the right thing by patiently rebuilding without any shortcuts. They’ll reap the rewards of using the No. 4 selection on Ohio State product Marvin Harrison Jr., who could be the NFL’s best wide receiver in a short time.
But no, the Cardinals are far from ready to make some noise in the NFC. Murray, Harrison Jr., and Trey McBride are a nice foundation to build the offense around, yes, but the rest of the roster is loaded with question marks.
Arizona’s offensive line is still a work in progress, and the defense has zero game-changers outside of Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker. Again, that’s fine. Ossenfort isn’t wasting money on free agency, nor is he making unnecessary trades. He’s rebuilding this team through the draft.
The Cardinals will improve their win total from last year, but the NFL playoffs are well out of reach. Not only because the division isn’t good enough, but let’s keep in mind they play in an unforgiving NFC West with the Super Bowl-hopeful 49ers and two other playoff contenders, the Rams and Seahawks.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos won eight games last season WITH Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, and All-Pro safety Justin Simmons on their roster. With those three now out of the picture, the Broncos promise to take a major step back in 2024.
Yes, it’s necessary. The Broncos had to start from scratch considering that Sean Payton never seemed sold on Russell Wilson as his QB. But of course, starting from scratch also means preparing to suck for at least a couple of years.
The Broncos will now have a QB room for Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson. This already-mediocre offense will be without Jeudy, and the defense lost one of its few difference-makers in Simmons.
So yes, the Broncos will be bad in 2024. It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is; you just aren’t going to get much done with this wide receiver corps. The defense has little talent outside of All-Pro corner Patrick Surtain. And as we said on the Chargers’ slide, the Broncos can’t realistically expect to steal a wild card berth from the plethora of contenders in the AFC.
Add it all up, and Denver’s playoff drought will extend by another year…This team is far from ready to make that next jump.
Tennessee Titans
At first glance, the Titans should be better in 2023 after finishing 6-and-11 — their worst record since 2015.
They signed star wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd as well as two-time 1,000-yard rusher Tony Pollard in free agency. They traded for ex-Kansas City Chiefs star tight end L’Jarius Sneed and addressed the woeful o-line by using the No. 7 pick on JC Latham.
Oh, and quarterback Will Levis should be even better in year two after a decent rookie year. So…why are the Titans on this list if improvement feels inevitable in 2024?
Well you see, they play in an AFC South division featuring three teams who finished above .500 last year. And ALL OF THEM — the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars — made several blockbuster moves to strengthen their rosters.
Like the Vikings in the NFC North, the Titans are the fourth-best team in an unforgiving division. Someone has to take all the punches in the AFC South, and the Titans look like they’ll be that team.
Levis is still unproven. The defense still has its flaws even after the Sneed trade. And the o-line, which was ranked as football’s worst by Pro Football Focus for 2023, isn’t going to change overnight no matter how JC Latham fares as a rookie.
Tennessee’s rebuild is on the right path, but the odds of them making the NFL playoffs in 2024 are as high as the next “Star Wars” trilogy being half as good as the original trilogy. In other words, NOT GOOD!
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have done a nice job reshaping the offense around Bryce Young following his disastrous rookie year. But let’s hold our horses and not get toooooo carried away just yet.
Yes, the o-line will be better following the signings of Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt in free agency. Young’s arsenal of weapons was also bolstered big-time thanks to the Diontae Johnson trade and the draft selections of Xavier Legette, Jonathan Brooks, and Ja’Tavion Sanders.
But there’s no guarantee that all those moves will pan out — at least right away. And Carolina’s already awful defense got worse with the losses of Brian Burns, Jeremy Chinn, Frankie Luvu, and Yetur Gross-Matos.
We expect Young to make progress in year two. But the Panthers still lack star power across the board and depth on defense to go from two to 10 wins — assuming the latter mark is what it takes to be a playoff team.
New York Giants
The Giants had an interesting offseason, to say the least.
They watched star running back Saquon Barkley leave for the archrival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. They spent little in free agency but made a big splash by acquiring star pass-rusher Brian Burns via trade with the Carolina Panthers.
And despite never-ending rumors that they wanted to take a QB in round one, the Giants used the No. 6 pick on LSU’s Malik Nabers and chose to give Daniel Jones one more last chance to prove himself. What could go wrong?
The Giants barely touched their atrocious offensive line, and their already mediocre defense lost standout safety Xavier McKinney to the Packers in free agency.
We guess GM Joe Schoen deserves credit for not wasting money in free agency the way his predecessor, Dave Gettleman, did. But it’s also hard to see how the Giants drastically improve from their disappointing 2023 win total of six.
Jones is a bottom-tier QB. The o-line stinks and the defense doesn’t have any strengths. At least the Giants are set up to tank for a top QB prospect in the 2025 draft?
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders had some splashy additions this offseason, namely, the ex-Miami Dolphins star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, and the can-t-miss prospect in Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
But the Raiders still have a quarterback problem. Dumping Jimmy Garoppolo was the right move, but do they really think Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew will be the answer? We don’t either.
Not overpaying for Josh Jacobs was the right call, but it’s hard to argue that their offense is better without the 2022 rushing champion. Yes, Antonio Pierce is a giant upgrade over Josh McDaniels as head coach, but the former can only do so much with a limited amount of talent.
The Raiders are a middle-of-the-pack team on both sides of the ball. They have no real strengths but no fatal flaws. They’ll win seven to nine games, but they ain’t making the NFL playoffs with an O’Connell-Minshew QB tandem.
As Aerosmith would say in one of their hit songs, “Dream On.”
