2024 NFL season

• 1. The Kickoff And The Crown

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  The 2024 NFL season began on the 5th of September 2024. Kansas City defeated Baltimore in the opening game known as the Kickoff Game. This match set the tone for a year that would conclude with Super Bowl LIX on the 9th of February 2025. The championship took place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Philadelphia defeated Kansas City to claim the league title. The regular season ran from early September through the 5th of January 2025. It spanned eighteen weeks of play across thirty-two teams. Each franchise played seventeen games and enjoyed one bye week during that stretch.

• 2. Free Agency And Trades

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  March 13 marked the start of the 2024 league year and trading period. Teams could exercise options on players with option clauses before this date. They also submitted qualifying offers to pending restricted free agents. The salary cap rose to $255.4 million per team. This figure represented an increase from the previous high of $224.8 million in 2023. Free agency opened on March 13, allowing clubs to contact unrestricted free agents. Notable moves included Jacoby Brissett moving from Washington to New England. Kirk Cousins left Minnesota for Atlanta while Gardner Minshew went from Indianapolis to Las Vegas. Russell Wilson traveled from Denver to Pittsburgh. Saquon Barkley signed with Philadelphia after leaving the New York Giants. Austin Ekeler joined Washington from Los Angeles Chargers. Derrick Henry moved from Tennessee to Baltimore. Josh Jacobs went from Las Vegas to Green Bay. Aaron Jones switched from Green Bay to Minnesota. Zack Moss left Indianapolis for Cincinnati. Tony Pollard departed Dallas for Tennessee. Devin Singletary went from Houston to the New York Giants. D'Andre Swift moved from Philadelphia to Chicago. Odell Beckham Jr. left Baltimore for Miami. Marquise Brown went from Arizona to Kansas City. Gabe Davis moved from Buffalo to Jacksonville. Darnell Mooney left Chicago for Atlanta. Calvin Ridley went from Jacksonville to Tennessee. Mike Williams left Los Angeles Chargers for the New York Jets. Zach Ertz moved from Detroit to Washington. Gerald Everett went from Los Angeles Chargers to Chicago. Hayden Hurst left Carolina for Los Angeles Chargers. Jonnu Smith moved from Atlanta to Miami. Trent Brown went from New England to Cincinnati. Lloyd Cushenberry left Denver for Tennessee. Robert Hunt moved from Miami to Carolina. Jonah Jackson went from Detroit to Los Angeles Rams. Damien Lewis left Seattle for Carolina. Tyron Smith moved from Dallas to the New York Jets. Jonah Williams went from Cincinnati to Arizona. Kevin Zeitler left Baltimore for Detroit. Arik Armstead moved from San Francisco to Jacksonville. Calais Campbell went from Atlanta to Miami. Danielle Hunter left Minnesota for Houston. Sheldon Rankins moved from Houston to Cincinnati. D. J. Reader went from Cincinnati to Detroit. Christian Wilkins left Miami for Las Vegas. Chase Young moved from San Francisco to New Orleans. Jadeveon Clowney went from Baltimore to Carolina. Jonathan Greenard left Houston for Minnesota. Bryce Huff moved from New York Jets to Philadelphia. Eric Kendricks went from Los Angeles Chargers to Dallas. Patrick Queen left Baltimore for Pittsburgh. Bobby Wagner moved from Seattle to Washington. Jamal Adams went from Seattle to Tennessee. Chidobe Awuzie left Cincinnati for Tennessee. Kevin Byard moved from Philadelphia to Chicago. Quandre Diggs went from Seattle to Tennessee. Kendall Fuller left Washington for Miami. C. J. Gardner-Johnson moved from Detroit to Philadelphia. Stephon Gilmore went from Dallas to Minnesota. Marcus Maye left New Orleans for Miami. Xavier McKinney moved from New York Giants to Green Bay. Jordan Poyer went from Buffalo to Miami. Justin Simmons left Denver for Atlanta. Tre'Davious White moved from Buffalo to Los Angeles Rams. Cameron Johnston went from Houston to Pittsburgh. Tommy Townsend left Kansas City for Houston. The league saw significant trading activity starting March 13. New England traded quarterback Mac Jones to Jacksonville for a sixth-round selection. Cincinnati sent running back Joe Mixon to Houston for a seventh-round pick. Carolina traded linebacker Brian Burns and a fifth-round selection to the New York Giants for second- and fifth-round picks plus a conditional fifth-round selection in 2025. Pittsburgh sent wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a seventh-round selection to Carolina for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick. Tampa Bay traded cornerback Carlton Davis and two sixth-round selections to Detroit for a third-round pick. Baltimore sent offensive tackle Morgan Moses and a fourth-round selection to the New York Jets for fourth- and sixth-round picks. On March 14, the Los Angeles Chargers traded wide receiver Keenan Allen to Chicago for a fourth-round selection. Washington sent quarterback Sam Howell and fourth- and sixth-round selections to Seattle for third- and fifth-round picks. Atlanta traded quarterback Desmond Ridder to Arizona for wide receiver Rondale Moore. Pittsburgh sent quarterback Kenny Pickett and a fourth-round selection to Philadelphia for a third-round pick and two seventh-round selections in 2025. Kansas City traded cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and a seventh-round selection to Tennessee for a seventh-round pick and a third-round selection in 2025. Philadelphia sent linebacker Haason Reddick to the New York Jets for a conditional second or third-round selection based on performance. Buffalo traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a sixth-round selection, and a fifth-round selection to Houston for a second-round selection in 2025. Minnesota sent cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. to Dallas for cornerback Nahshon Wright. New England traded linebacker Matthew Judon to Atlanta for a third-round selection in 2025. Washington sent wide receiver Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round selection to Philadelphia for a third-round selection and two seventh-round selections in 2025. Carolina traded linebacker Michael Barrett to Seattle for cornerback Mike Jackson. Las Vegas traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets for a conditional second or third-round selection. Cleveland sent wide receiver Amari Cooper and a sixth-round selection to Buffalo for a third- and seventh-round selection. Tennessee traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City for a fourth or fifth-round selection. Carolina sent wide receiver Diontae Johnson to Baltimore for a fifth-round selection. The Los Angeles Rams traded cornerback Tre'Davious White to Baltimore for a seventh-round selection. New Orleans sent cornerback Marshon Lattimore to Washington for third-, fourth-, and sixth-round selections. Cleveland traded linebacker Za'Darius Smith to Detroit for a fifth- and sixth-round selection. Carolina sent wide receiver Jonathan Mingo to Dallas for a fourth-round selection.

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• 3. Safety Rules And Regulations

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  The NFL Owners' Meeting approved new rules on the 25th of March 26. A hip-drop tackle became illegal and was penalized as a personal foul worth fifteen yards. It also resulted in an automatic first down if committed by the defense. Coaches now received a third challenge if either of their first two challenges were upheld. Previously, both challenges needed to be successful to earn a third attempt. Major fouls committed by the offense were enforced if both teams committed a foul resulting in a change of possession. Kickoff rules changed on a trial basis. Players from the kicking team except the kicker lined up at the receiving team's 40-yard line. The receiving team had to have at least nine players in the set-up zone between its own 35- and 30-yard lines. No player could move until the ball touched the ground or a receiving team player. The kick had to land in the landing zone between the 20-yard line and the end zone. If it landed short of the 20-yard line, the receiving team got the ball at its 40-yard line. Touchbacks occurred when the kick sailed into or beyond the end zone. The receiving team received the ball at its 30-yard line for a touchback that sailed into the end zone. The receiving team received the ball at its 20-yard line for a bounce-in-the-end-zone touchback. No fair catch or signal was allowed during these kicks. During the fourth quarter, the trailing team could attempt an onside kick using the pre-2024 formation. Rulings of passer down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass became reviewable. Replay reviews authorized game clock expiration checks if clear and obvious visual evidence existed. The trade deadline moved from the Tuesday following Week 8 to the Tuesday following Week 9.

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• 4. Draft Class And Rookie Records

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  The 2024 NFL draft took place around Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan. It ran from the 25th of April 27. Chicago held the first selection via a trade from Carolina. They selected quarterback Caleb Williams out of USC. Five other quarterbacks were taken in the first round: Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., J. J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix. This tied the 1983 draft for the most quarterbacks selected in league history. Braelon Allen tied the record for youngest player to score a touchdown from scrimmage at age 20 years, 239 days. He shared the record with Arnie Herber. Allen also set the record for becoming the youngest player to score multiple touchdowns in a game. Brock Bowers set the record for most receptions and receiving yards in a tight end's first two games. He recorded 15 receptions and 156 yards. Malik Nabers set the record for becoming the youngest wide receiver to have multiple touchdowns in a game at 21 years, 56 days. The previous record was 21 years, 73 days held by Mike Evans. Nabers became the first player with at least 20 receptions, 250 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in his first three career games. Jayden Daniels set the record for highest completion percentage for a rookie in a game. He completed 91.3% of his passes. The previous record was 88.9% held by Dak Prescott. Jayden Daniels became the first rookie to have at least 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in his first five games. Jayden Daniels became the fifth player and first rookie to have a completion percentage of at least 80% in four games. He set the record for most Rookie of the Week awards with ten. The previous record was nine held by Ben Roethlisberger. Jayden Daniels set the record for most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback, finishing with 891. The previous record was 815 held by Robert Griffin III. Brock Bowers set the record for most receptions in a season for a rookie tight end, ultimately with 112. The previous record was 86 held by Sam LaPorta. Brock Bowers set the record for most receptions in a season by a rookie, ultimately with 108. The previous record was 105 held by Puka Nacua. Bowers also set the record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in a season, ultimately with 1,194. The previous record was 1,076 held by Mike Ditka. Ladd McConkey set the record for most receiving yards in a postseason game by a rookie, with 197. The previous record was 181 held by Puka Nacua. Bo Nix and Troy Franklin recorded the first rookie-to-rookie touchdown pass during a postseason game.

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• 5. Season Highlights And Milestones

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  The regular season ran from the 5th of September 2024 to the 5th of January 2025. Five International Series games were on the schedule. The first game was Green Bay at Philadelphia on September 6 at Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, Brazil. It was the first NFL regular season game held in South America. Three games were held in London, England. New York Jets played Minnesota on October 6 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Jacksonville played Chicago on October 13 at Tottenham. New England played Jacksonville on October 20 at Wembley Stadium. The fifth game was New York Giants at Carolina at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on November 10. Three Thanksgiving Day games were held on November 28. Chicago played Detroit and the New York Giants played Dallas in the traditional afternoon doubleheader. Miami played Green Bay in the primetime game. Two Christmas games were held on December 25. Kansas City played Pittsburgh and Baltimore played Houston. Ryan Rehkow set the record for gross punt average in a game with 64.5 yards. Lamar Jackson passed Russell Wilson for the third-most career rushing yards for a quarterback. Brock Bowers set the record for most receptions in a tight end's first seven games of his career, with 47. Mike Evans became the 11th player to reach 100 touchdown receptions. Patrick Mahomes became the fastest player to reach 30,000 passing yards, doing so in 103 games. Justin Jefferson set the record for most games with at least 100 receiving yards in a player's first five seasons, currently with 33. Derek Carr became the first starting quarterback to have lost to 31 different NFL teams. Matthew Stafford became the ninth player to have 5,000 career pass completions. Derrick Henry became the 10th player to reach 100 rushing touchdowns. Henry also became the third player to have at least ten rushing touchdowns in seven straight seasons. Ja'Marr Chase set the record for most receiving yards against a single opponent in a season, with 457 in two games against Baltimore. Chase also became the first player to have multiple games with at least 250 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Justin Herbert set the record for most completed passes in a player's first five seasons, ultimately with 1,945. Josh Allen set the record for most games with at least 250 passing yards and 50 rushing yards, with 14. Jalen Hurts became the first quarterback to have 10 rushing touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Brock Bowers set the record for most receptions in a game by a rookie tight end, with 13. Ka'imi Fairbairn set the record for most field goals made in a season from at least 50 yards, ultimately with 13. Patrick Mahomes tied the record for most games with at least three passing touchdowns and no interceptions during a player's first eight seasons, with 24. Josh Allen became the first player to score a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and multiple passing touchdowns in a single game. Bobby Wagner extended his streak of recording 100 tackles in a season to 13 years. Jayden Daniels became the first rookie to complete 80 percent of his passes, throw three touchdowns, and run for a touchdown in a single game. Jameis Winston became the first player in the Super Bowl era to have at least 400 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and two interceptions returned for touchdowns in a game. Justin Herbert became the third player to have at least 10 consecutive games without interception. The Pittsburgh Steelers tied the record for most consecutive seasons finishing with a winning percentage of .500 or better, with 21. The Cincinnati Bengals tied the single-season record for most games lost while scoring at least 30 points, with four. Brock Bowers set the record for most receptions in a season by a rookie, ultimately with 108. Saquon Barkley became the ninth player to have 2,000 rushing yards in a season. Jayden Daniels set the record for most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback, finishing with 891. Aaron Rodgers set the record for most sacks taken by a quarterback in his career, with 568. Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy became the second pair of rookie teammates to each have 1,000 yards from scrimmage. The Buffalo Bills tied the record for most players to score a receiving touchdown in a season, with 13 players doing so. Mike Evans tied the record for consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, with 11. He shares this record with Jerry Rice. Aaron Rodgers became the fifth player to have 500 passing touchdowns. Trey McBride set the record for most receptions by a tight end in his first three seasons, with 221. The Buffalo Bills became the first team to score at least 30 rushing touchdowns and at least 30 passing touchdowns in a season.

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• 6. Playoffs And Championship

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  The playoffs began with the Wild Card round on the 11th of January 13, 2025. Three Wild Card games were played in each conference. In the Divisional round on January 18 and 19, the top seed in the conference played the lowest remaining seed. The winners advanced to the AFC and NFC Championship games played on January 26. Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles was held on February 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Derrick Henry tied the record for most postseason games with at least 150 rushing yards, with four. He shared the record with Terrell Davis. Ladd McConkey set the record for most receiving yards in a postseason game by a rookie, with 197. Bo Nix and Troy Franklin recorded the first rookie-to-rookie touchdown pass during a postseason game. The Los Angeles Rams tied the record for most quarterback sacks in a postseason game, with nine. The Minnesota Vikings set the record for most postseason games lost with 32. The Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions set the record for most combined points scored in a quarter of a postseason game, with 42 points in the second quarter. The Philadelphia Eagles set the record for the most points scored in a conference championship game, with 55. Philadelphia also tied the record for most rushing touchdowns in a postseason game, with seven. Jalen Hurts set the record for most postseason rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with nine. Hurts also tied his own record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a postseason game, with three. Hurts and Saquon Barkley became the first pair of teammates to each score at least three rushing touchdowns in a postseason game. Jayden Daniels set the record for most passing yards by a rookie in the postseason, with 577. Travis Kelce set the record for most career receptions in Super Bowls, with 35. Jalen Hurts became the first player to record at least 200 passing and 50 rushing yards in multiple Super Bowls. Hurts also broke his own record for most rushing yards for a quarterback in a Super Bowl, with 72.

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• 7. Media Rights And Broadcasts

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  This was the second season under 11-year U.S. media rights agreements with CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC, and NFL Network. Sunday afternoon games were split between CBS and Fox. Both networks continued to carry the Sunday afternoon AFC and NFC packages. Each network aired ten doubleheaders. On Thanksgiving, CBS broadcast the early Detroit game and Fox broadcast the late Dallas game. NBC continued to air Sunday Night Football, the NFL Kickoff Game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. NBC also aired an additional Saturday afternoon game on December 21. Due to NBC's coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was aired as an ESPN/ABC simulcast. ESPN continued to produce Monday Night Football and the doubleheader on the last Saturday of the season. In October 2024, it was announced that ABC picked up simulcasts of six additional MNF games. Three weeks featured two MNF games split between ABC and ESPN. NFL Network aired four International Series and three late-season Saturday games. This was the third year of a 12-year deal with Amazon Prime Video and Twitch to exclusively stream Thursday Night Football. This was also the second season that Prime Video and Twitch streamed the game on the Friday after Thanksgiving under the title Black Friday Football. Peacock simulcasts NBC's games. NBC also carries one exclusive national game on Peacock per-season. Peacock streamed an alternate broadcast of NBC's Saturday December 21 game using player tracking data. ESPN+ simulcast select games on ABC. The platform also exclusively streamed the second game of a split Monday Night Football doubleheader on October 21. On December 9, ESPN+ and Disney+ streamed The Simpsons Funday Football. Paramount+ simulcast in market and national CBS games. Netflix streamed two Christmas games as part of a new three-year deal. This was the second season out of a seven-year deal that the NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market sports package streamed on YouTube TV. The league's streaming service NFL+ continued to stream in-market regular season and postseason games on mobile devices only. All four broadcast partners aired at least one Wild Card round game. CBS and Fox aired an AFC and NFC Wild Card game respectively. NBC aired the Sunday night game under its fourth year of a seven-year deal. ESPN/ABC broadcast the Monday night Wild Card game. CBS aired a second game in the wild card round. One of CBS' Wild Card games had an alternative broadcast on Nickelodeon. Amazon Prime Video exclusively aired a Wild Card playoff game for the first time during the 2024 season. Fox televised Super Bowl LIX in the annual rotation of Super Bowl broadcasters.

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