The NFL’s most watchable 2024 teams, including Caleb Williams’ Bears and Sean Payton's miserable Broncos

Can you believe the 2024 NFL season is less than a month away? Folks, at the risk of beating a dead horse, I don't know where the time goes sometimes. Getting old kind of sucks, to be candid.

My advice? Try not to do that.

As we prep for what should be another fantastic year of pro football from top to bottom, it's time to keep tabs on the league's best and worst teams. I'm not talking about Super Bowl contenders and bottom-feeders. I'm talking about the teams intriguing enough to watch and actually spend your Sunday free time on. Not all football is good football, dearest readers. Free yourself from that thought process. Trust me.

(Though, yes, much of this sentiment is correlated with championship-caliber teams.)

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Below, you will find a ranking of the most watchable and most unwatchable NFL teams of 2024. This is my third year of doing this exercise, and it's taught me a lot about how we contextualize the gradually changing winds of pro football. Compared to your bog-standard power rankings or training camp questions, it's almost a better and healthier way to keep tabs on the sport's biggest stories -- and how they shift over time -- without losing sight of what deserves a bigger microscope.

And as you read through this, I hope you'll understand that I'm really only trying to help you have a good time on your couch every single Sunday. We're here for a good time and a long time, my fellow football lovers.

32. Carolina Panthers

This is basically the same team as last year, except now the inconsistent Diontae Johnson is Bryce Young's No. 1 receiver. Unless Young makes an unfathomable leap, the Panthers are hopeless and will be a tough watch most every week.

31. Denver Broncos

Don't be fooled by any overly optimistic Denver propaganda. These Broncos are woeful, with rookie Bo Nix's conservative play style as a quarterback feeding right into a likely four-win 2024 season. There's nothing fun about this team if you don't have ties to the Rocky Mountains. And even then. (Tugs collar.)

30. New Orleans Saints

After plodding their way to an uninspiring nine-win 2023 season, the Saints are running it back. This isn't a good thing. I've had just about enough of Derek Carr leaving passes at his receivers' feet after passing up multiple open deep shots every game. New Orleans sits in a dull and monotone Purgatory that isn't worth paying attention to.

29. New England Patriots

Jerod Mayo, rookie head coach. Drake Maye, rookie quarterback. And a Patriots team with a limited offense being propped up by a good, but not great defense. I've seen this movie before, and it's not pretty. This team should already be looking ahead to 2025, and so should anyone who wants to watch them.

28. Tennessee Titans

I don't think Will Levis has a bright NFL future, which means I expect him to drag the Titans into the boring muck with him. With that said, Tennessee has a solid front seven led by Jeffery Simmons, and Levis does play a lovely brand of brainless steakhead football that is fun to ingest in extremely small doses. Approach these Titans with an "I'll see their super occasional highlights on social media" kind of mentality.

27. New York Giants

I'm sorry, is Daniel Jones still the quarterback? Does that mean we're about to watch Brian Daboll unleash more milquetoast RPOs while Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns try and fail to keep the opposing team under 24 points? Sigh. Big Blue needs a reset under center before it's worth your valuable time.

26. Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy's meniscus injury means we're about to see a whole heck of a lot of Sam Darnold ... in the year 2024. With all due respect to Justin Jefferson, 2024 couldn't be more of a gap year for the Vikings. My advice? Just catch Jefferson highlights on replays the day after Minnesota plays any game.

25. Las Vegas Raiders

Antonio Pierce's Raiders are painting themselves as the Walmart brand "Bad Boys" of the NFL. That's all well and good, but the defense still can't stop anyone, and Gardner Minshew is the starting quarterback. Toughness, grit, and empty platitudes do not make for a solid football watch.

24. Washington Commanders

Do I think rookie Jayden Daniels has a bright future? I do not. Do I think Dan Quinn is the right man to pull the strings for a Washington team finally poised to come out of the shadows? I do not. Is the Washington roster fun in any meaningfully discernible way outside of the occasional crazy Terry McLaurin catch or Jonathan Allen sack? No, it is not. You do the math.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers

I am a diehard pro football fan, so I am admittedly fascinated by how Mike Tomlin will cobble up another double-digit win season with no quarterback. But for the average observer, I can't imagine it'll be amusing trying to watch T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick try to outscore their own offense.

22. Seattle Seahawks

A year ago, I would've had the Seahawks much higher because Geno Smith showed he could drop a lot of dimes to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett -- one of the NFL's premier receiver duos. Now, I'm not confident Smith is competent anymore, and Lockett might soon be playing out the string. Woof. The NFL genuinely does stand for "Not For Long" sometimes.

21. Cleveland Browns

Do you REALLY want to watch Myles Garrett prop up the animatronic, short-circuiting quarterback known as Deshaun Watson, who once faced more than 20 allegations of sexual misconduct in what the NFL would later characterize as "predatory behavior"? If so, why? Please reevaluate your life choices.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

Is Trevor Lawrence any good? Were the Philadelphia Eagles correct about Doug Pederson? Rest assured, I can definitely wait to find out more about this moribund, deflating Jaguars team.

19. Los Angeles Chargers

If you watch the NFL for over-animated coaches accustomed to making it all about themselves, then Jim Harbaugh's Chargers are perfect for you. If you're a fan of watching quality football, look elsewhere. Someone, please rescue Justin Herbert at your earliest convenience.

18. Arizona Cardinals

I think Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. will make sweet music together from the jump. They will be more than worth the price of admission. For any neutral fan who is bored and flipping around games on a Sunday, I don't think this Cardinals team will be worth monitoring for anything else.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Let's be honest. The Buccaneers played way beyond their means in 2023. That team had no business making it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. By that same token, Baker Mayfield is now without Dave Canales, the man who resurrected his career. Tampa Bay won't be wholly unwatchable, but you'll have to really squint to see Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. creating magic now and then.

16. New York Jets

A spot in the middle of these rankings feels right for Aaron Rodgers' Jets. Either they finally live up to their (delusional) Super Bowl aspirations, or they offer up an entertaining dumpster fire that will be impossible to look away from. Both outcomes are well worth passively watching from afar.

15. Miami Dolphins

I grow tired of Mike McDaniel's and Tua Tagovailoa's Dolphins. They're going to score a lot of points and beat up bad teams, which, yes, will be exhilarating in spurts. And, of course, they'll wilt in the second half of the regular season like they always do. This gimmick has been done. Yawn.

14. Atlanta Falcons

Kirk Cousins' Falcons are just the Dolphins' NFC doppelganger. Atlanta will score a ton of points, fade hard in its biggest games, and won't be able to stop anyone. Watching this kind of football product is fun at first ... before the novelty wears off.

13. Dallas Cowboys

Call me crazy and say it's wishful thinking, but perhaps one day we'll give the Cowboys attention for being a bona fide Super Bowl contender and not a runaway freight train of drama and angst. The soap opera act gets old and rote after a few consecutive decades of stepping on rakes by accident.

12. Buffalo Bills

A veritable cyborg, Josh Allen remains one of the finest watches in football. The man is a wizard like almost no one else. Unfortunately, this might be the worst Bills team of his career so far. If you're willing to stomach more general Buffalo incompetence in exchange for Allen's individual brilliance, the Bills do have something great to offer.

11. Indianapolis Colts

Standing at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Anthony Richardson is a mountain of a man. After losing his rookie season to shoulder surgery, I can't wait to see him lead the dark horse Colts to prominence with his rocket arm and overwhelming strength as a ball carrier.

10. Green Bay Packers

This might be a little low for the Packers, who could arguably be the third-best team in the NFC. But the caveats are warranted. Green Bay's receiving corps is still very green (pun intended), and I need to see even more off-platform playmaking from Jordan Love before the Packers get a full stamp of approval from me watching on TV.

9. Philadelphia Eagles

New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio are exactly what the Eagles ordered. Philadelphia still has one of the premier rosters in the game. It just needed more coherent coaching and organization to maximize its talent. This should be a joyful football team that shouldn't descend into oblivion the closer we get to winter this time around. I'll be keeping close tabs on Jalen Hurts and friends.

8. San Franscisco 49ers

The 49ers have too much star power to ever ignore them. They're basically going to win 11-12 games by default, and they'll often look quite dominant doing it. Still, I tire of the Kyle Shanahan offensive scheme that gives everyone an annoying floor, and I don't love having to debate the merits and qualifications of Brock Purdy for five months again. We've seen too much of this team lately. We need new blood at the top of the NFC.

7. Kansas City Chiefs

As long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy, the NFL will NEVER let us forget about the Chiefs. A Kansas City regular-season schedule with nearly double-digit nationally televised games says as much. To be clear, I don't blame the league. I, too, would plaster arguably the best quarterback in the history of the sport, who is now supported, in person, by one of the most famous entertainers ever.

But there are no new fascinating narratives here.

Because even the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce romance feels thoroughly overcooked heading into another NFL season. And there's not much interesting about a team seeking a Super Bowl three-peat. We know everything about these Chiefs already. There's nothing more to learn.

Take that lazy "just appreciate greatness" talk elsewhere. The Chiefs are exhausting, and I want more appreciable competition.

6. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are coming off a 13-win season in which Lamar Jackson slashed and dashed his way to another MVP. Now, his backfield running mate is Derrick Henry, a human Mack Truck tailor-made to run the option game with Jackson. Need I say more? I will simply not be able to get nearly enough of these Ravens. Let them soar, and let me see every glorious moment.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow is back, and so are the Bengals' Super Bowl hopes. As Tee Higgins' Cincinnati future likely hangs in the balance, I'm also getting a tinge of some "Last Dance" vibes for these Bengals. They're about to quiet all of their critics or, you know, pull a classic Bengals. To be clear, I don't want anyone to spoil the outcome for me.

4. Chicago Bears

A lot of this is projection, as Williams has obviously yet to throw a single regular-season pass for Chicago. Still, he's a generational quarterback prospect who oozes charisma and will now get to throw to one of the best sets of receivers in the NFL. I have very few doubts about him creating fireworks every week. Oh, and Chicago's defense is rife with alpha dogs like Montez Sweat and Jaylon Johnson. These Bears are lively and refreshing. They deserve all the spotlight shining on them right now.

3. Los Angeles Rams

With a healthy Matthew Stafford in tow, the new-look Rams are rejuvenated. Led by Puka Nacua, they've got a solid stable of difference-making skill players. And even without Aaron Donald, the L.A. defense is liable to fly around in a way that even attracts casual football fans. It was a strange two years without the Rams being the talk of the NFL. They're about to reclaim part of that throne, and I won't miss a second.

2. Detroit Lions

The Lions present a delicious smorgasbord of quality football and energetic personality. Dan Campbell is a one-man quote machine that I imagine anyone would run through a wall for. Ben Johnson and Jared Goff are the puppeteers of a Lions offense that flat-out bullies everyone. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson aren't afraid to speak their minds while also setting the field on fire every Sunday. There's a lot to love about the Super Bowl-contending Lions, which makes them appointment viewing.

1. Houston Texans

Admittedly, I sometimes get the sense that the Texans are being a bit overhyped. Then I remember that C.J. Stroud is coming off arguably the greatest rookie quarterback season of all time, and Houston added stars like Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter to an already promising foundation. If anything, we're probably underselling the Texans because they're likely about to go on a thrilling rampage through the NFL.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: The NFL’s most watchable 2024 teams, including Caleb Williams’ Bears and Sean Payton's miserable Broncos