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NFL Week 1 highlights: Catch up on all the big moments from Sunday's action

2024-12-24 04:18:57 source: Category:Stocks

The first Sunday of the 2023 NFL season is here. The newly minted highest-paid player in league history, Joe Burrow, had a rough opener, losing 24-3 to the division rival Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile in Chicago, the Jordan Love era got off to a strong start for the Green Bay Packers, who routed the Bears, 38-20.

Looking for Week 1 picks? We've got you cove

red. And a complete NFL Week 1 TV schedule? Yep, that’s right here. 

USA TODAY Sports will bring you the latest updates, scores, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more throughout the day. Follow along. 

NFL Week 1: Sunday's scores

Here are the results of Sunday’s NFL Week 1 action:

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  • Detroit Lions 21, Kansas City Chiefs 20 
  • Atlanta Falcons 24, Carolina Panthers 10 
  • Baltimore Ravens 25, Houston Texans 9 
  • Cleveland Browns 24, Cincinnati Bengals 3 
  • Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Indianapolis Colts 21 
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Minnesota Vikings 17 
  • New Orleans Saints 16, Tennessee Titans 15 
  • San Francisco 49ers 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 7
  • Washington Commanders 20, Arizona Cardinals 16 
  • Green Bay Packers 38, Chicago Bears 20 
  • Las Vegas Raiders 17, Denver Broncos 16
  • Miami Dolphins 36, Los Angeles Chargers 34
  • Philadelphia Eagles 25, New England Patriots 20
  • Los Angeles Rams 30, Seattle Seahawks 13
  • Dallas Cowboys 40, New York Giants 0

32 things we learned in NFL Week 1

How important is winning in Week 1? Your eventual Super Bowl 58 winner is most likely 1-0, given 46 of the 57 Lombardi Trophy winners (81%) triumphed in their openers. Since the league expanded and realigned in 2002, 53% of teams starting 1-0 went on to qualify for the playoffs, while 75% of those starting 0-1 did not reach postseason. — Nate Davis

Tyreek Hill: 'I feel like nobody can guard me'

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Tyreek Hill boldly claimed in July that he has his eyes set on a 2,000-yard receiving season. The Dolphins wide receiver is well on pace.

In a 36-34 Dolphins win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Hill torched defenders on the way to 11 catches, 215 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score on a fade route with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

“I always feel like nobody can guard me. As a competitor, if you ask anybody in our room they’ll say the same thing,” Hill said after the game. “I just feel like that’s just a competitive mindset. I want the ball. That sounds kind of crazy, but I just feel like nobody can guard me.” — Tyler Dragon

Tyreek Hill unstoppable in Dolphins win

Hill ran by the Chargers defense in what was an exceptional season opener for the speedy wide receiver.

Hill torched the Chargers for 11 receptions, 215 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a game-winning four-yard TD catch with under two minutes to go in the fourth. in Miami’s 36-34 win. — Tyler Dragon

Quay Walker pick-six puts Packers up comfortably

This game is shaping up as a rough one for Bears fans who were hoping the end of the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay would mean victories over their longtime rivals.

An ill-advised pass attempt by Justin Fields resulted in a 42-yard pick-six for linebacker Quay Walker. Walker barreled through running back Roschon Johnson en route to the score, which put the Packers up comfortably 38-14 in the fourth quarter at Soldier Field. — Jim Reineking

Geno Smith wants no part of Aaron Donald

The Seahawks quarterback was scanning the field in the pocket when he noticed Donald running free right at him. Smith noticed Donald just in a nick of time and yelled, “Oh, my God” as he tossed an errant incomplete pass.

Smith comments were loud enough to be heard on the broadcast. In fairness, all 32 starting NFL quarterback would’ve yelled or at least thought the same thing in the same situation. — Tyler Dragon

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill burning Chargers

J.C. Jackson had an interception in the third quarter, but on the very next series he was beat for a touchdown. Jackson got burned by Tyreek Hill on a go route for a 35-yard touchdown. The Chargers had no safety help over the top.

Hill is having a superb day. He has 8 catches, 169 receiving yards and 1 TD.  — Tyler Dragon

Aaron Jones’ 51-yard play leads to Green Bay TD

The Green Bay Packers extended their lead over the Chicago Bears thanks to an explosive play from RB Aaron Jones.

With the Packers up 10-6 on their won 42-yard line, QB Jordan Love faked a handoff to Jones before swinging left to draw the defense over. He then completed a short pass to Jones, who had a wide open lane on the right side, in addition to three blockers in front of him. He was able to get all the way to Chicago’s 7-yard line before he was tackled out of bounds.

The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown run from Jones (you guessed it) to put the Packers up over the 17-6 over the Bears.

Love connected with Jones up the middle on Green Bay’s next possession for a 35-yard touchdown to go up to 24-6. — Cydney Henderson

Ja'Marr Chase: 'We just lost to some elves'

Even after the Cleveland Browns won the first intra-Ohio matchup of the 2023 season by stifling the Cincinnati Bengals, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase did not back down from his statement in the lead-up to the game when he referred to the Browns as "elves."

“It’s frustrating because I called (them) elves, and we just lost to some elves," Chase said after the Bengals' 24-3 loss. "So I’m pissed on my part."

Chase had five catches for 39 receiving yards on a day when the Bengals offense struggled to move the ball amid heavy rain. — Chris Bumbaca

Packers offense struggling against Bears, but still leading

The Jordan Love era in Green Bay hasn't gotten off to the best start.

But the Packers are winning anyway.

Love has completed 4 of 8 passes for 31 yards and a touchdown to Romeo Doubs, a score that has helped the Packers maintain a 7-6 lead against their rival Bears.

Chicago has outgained Green Bay 133-56 in total yards and has twice as many first downs (8-4) as the Packers. — Casey Moore

Chargers' Austin Ekeler off and running

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler rushed up the middle for 55 yards. His run set up a 1-yard touchdown catch by tight end Donald Parham. The score gave the Chargers a 14-10 lead.

Ekeler has 81 rushing yards midway through the second quarter. — Tyler Dragon

Panthers fall to Falcons in Bryce Young's debut

ATLANTA — What a rough welcome to the NFL for Bryce Young.

The Carolina Panthers quarterback took it on the chin in his regular-season debut at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Raw stats were ugly enough. Young was intercepted twice (both times by Jessie Bates III), sacked twice and limited to 146 passing yards with a 48.8 passer rating.

No, the Falcons defense had no mercy for the rookie.

And it probably felt worse than the statistics suggested for the former Alabama star who was drafted No. 1 overall.

Young, who completed 20 of 38 passes, did manage to throw for his first NFL touchdown. But even that milestone 4-yard toss to Hayden Hurst in the second quarter came with a drawback. Hurst hurled the football into the stands rather than give it back to the former Heisman Trophy winner for a souvenir.

In any event, Young can try to rebound with his next dose of NFL game experience in the Panthers’ home opener against the New Orleans Saints next Monday night in Charlotte. — Jarrett Bell

Eagles off to fast start against Patriots

The defending NFC champions are making their mark on both sides of the ball early on.

After turning a 14-play opening drive into three points, the Eagles proceeded to get a pick-six from Darius Slay and then turned an Ezekiel Elliott fumble into six more points with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith.

Philadelphia leads 16-0 at the end of the first quarter. — Casey Moore

Ravens' J.K. Dobbins suffers torn Achilles

Bad news hit the Baltimore Ravens as running back J.K. Dobbins has a torn Achilles, according to the Baltimore Ravens and as reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The four-year veteran, who will be a free agent after this season, went down with an injury at the start of the third quarter of the Ravens' matchup with the Texans in Baltimore. He had to be helped off of the field by Ravens medical personnel and promptly returned to the locker room. Dobbins had an MRI to confirm the injury. — Jack McKessy

Sean Payton opens Broncos tenure with on-side kick

Sean Payton wasted no time making a statement as head coach of the Denver Broncos.

On the opening kickoff of the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, Payton called an on-side kick.

Kicker Wil Lutz lined up and shocked the home crowd by dribbling the ball to his right. Players from both teams jumped on it and Denver’s Essang Bassey emerged with it, running and holding the football up in the air in celebration.

The excitement was short-lived as the referees threw a flag, calling Tremon Smith for illegal touch because he bobbled the ball in an attempt to grab it just a yard short of the 10-yard requirement. Payton was straight-faced as he heard the call and paced the sideline.

The penalty gave Jimmy Garoppolo and the Raiders the ball to start the game. — Victoria Hernandez

Browns win Battle of Ohio part 1

The Browns defense stifled Joe Burrow and the Bengals.

Cleveland held Burrow to just 82 yards passing yards. The Bengals were only able to muster 142 yards of total offense in the Browns’ 24-3 win.

The Browns defense forced Cincy to go 2-15 on third downs and limited the club to just six first downs. Pass rusher Myles Garrett provided constant pressure upfront. Garrett finished with two tackles, one sack and four QB hits.

Cleveland’s offense was led by running back Nick Chubb’s 106 rushing yards. The Browns tallied 206 rushing yards on 40 carries. — Tyler Dragon

Browns bottle up Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals waved the white flag early in Cleveland.

The Browns shut down Burrow and the Bengals offense for most of the day. Burrow checked out of the game late in the fourth quarter with the Browns up 24-3. Burrow had just 82 passing yards at the time of his exit.

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins had no catches on eight targets with under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter. — Tyler Dragon

Colts-Jaguars game features wacky scoop-and-score

The Jaguars are going to have to tell rookie running back Tank Bigsby to focus on the finer details.

One of the more unusual scoop-and-scores that you will ever see happened in the Jaguars-Colts game when star Indianapolis defensive tackle DeForest Buckner beat his man and dislodged the ball out of the hand of Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence was in the process of throwing the ball, which moved up the field and bounced into Bugsby’s hands. Bigsby, assuming the play was ruled an incomplete pass, merely stood, while Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin made the heads up play, as the whistle was not blown, of rushing to Bigsby and punching the ball out. The ball squirted to Buckner, who picked it up and scampered off for a 26-yard return for a touchdown, eventually giving Indy a 21-17 lead late in the third. — Lorenzo Reyes

Steelers' TJ Watt ties team record for career sacks

Despite his team floundering against the 49ers on Sunday, TJ Watt dominated his position from the defensive line.

With his third sack of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy — a strip-sack — he tied James Harrison for the most career sacks in Steelers franchise history. Both defenders now have 80.5 career sacks.

Harrison was an All-Pro linebacker who won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh in the 2000s.

Watt is having a much better Week 1 than last year when he tore his pectoral muscle, which caused him to miss seven games. — Victoria Hernandez

Week 1 injury watch

The injury bug is always looming on any NFL Sunday. Here are some key players who've been sidelined so far:

  • Steelers WR Diontae Johnson is out for the game with a hamstring injury he suffered after making a catch against the 49ers.
  • Panthers CB Jaycee Horn is also out for the rest of the game with a hamstring injury.
  • Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin was carted off the field after suffering a knee injury.
  • Steelers DL Cam Heyward has been ruled out with a groin injury.
  • Ravens RB JK Dobbins left the game vs. Houston in the third quarter with what NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting could be a torn Achilles. His replacement, Justice Hill, has since scored a pair of touchdowns. — Steve Gardner

Vikings' Justin Jefferson can tackle, too

Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson, already off to a hot start with eight catches for 143 yards, had a highlight play playing a little defense.

After Kirk Cousins threw an interception to Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien, Jefferson made the highlight tackle to end the play. — Safid Deen

49ers' Christian McCaffrey has long run for first touchdown of 2023

Christian McCaffrey reminded everyone who he is in his first season-opener with the 49ers.

On the second play after the halftime break, the star running back took the handoff from Brock Purdy, broke through the middle of a pack of defensive lineman and scampered downfield following the left sideline. Key blocks from Brandon Aiyuk and Ray-Ray McCloud III allowed him to make his way 65 yards where he dove into the end zone for a touchdown.

The 49ers are up 27-7 over the Steelers. — Victoria Hernandez

Bengals, Joe Burrow struggling against Browns

Less than a week after becoming the NFL's highest-paid player, Joe Burrow is having a rough season opener against the Browns.

Burrow completed 6 of 14 first-half passes for 36 yards, while the Bengals went into halftime with a 10-0 deficit.

Star receiver Ja'Marr Chase has also struggled to get going, catching just two passes for 19 yards. The Bengals managed 97 total yards in the first half. — Casey Moore

Vikings' Justin Jefferson on his way to monster game

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is showing why he’s worthy of a contract extension.

The Minnesota Vikings star wideout has seven catches for 138 yards in the first half. Jefferson was targeted 10 times by Vikings QB Kirk Cousins. Minnesota and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are knotted up 10-10 at halftime.

The Vikings and Jefferson reportedly were unable to agree on a long-term extension during the offseason. — Tyler Dragon

Panthers' Brian Burns making statement to get paid

ATLANTA — Brian Burns took his negotiation for a new contract to the field with a huge opening statement.

The Panthers linebacker, who missed two practices in the days leading up to the opener as his agent talked with the team about an extension, got off to a sizzling start at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Three snaps into the game, Burns dumped Desmond Ridder for an 8-yard sack that forced a punt.

Burns ended Atlanta’s next series, too, combining with Frankie Luvu for a second-down sack before flattening Bijan Robinson for a 6-yard loss on a quick third-down pass.

Burns, a fifth-year vet playing on the option year of his rookie contract after leading the team last season with 12 ½ sacks, provided quite a reminder of why he’s worthy of an extension. — Jarrett Bell

NFL Week 1 halftime scores

Most of the first crop of games have reached intermission. Here's a look at the scoreboard:

  • Carolina Panthers 7, Atlanta Falcons 7
  • Baltimore Ravens 7, Houston Texans 6 
  • Cleveland Browns 10, Cincinnati Bengals 0 
  • Jacksonville Jaguars 14, Indianapolis Colts 0
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10, Minnesota Vikings 10 
  • Arizona Cardinals 13, Washington Commanders 10

The 49ers-Steelers and Titans-Saints both have less than a minute remaining before halftime.

NFL.com fantasy app experiences glitches

Week 1 is always a learning experience for everyone, especially when new technology is involved. The NFL Sunday Ticket package moving from DirecTV to You Tube this season has generated more than its share of confusion.

NFL.com's fantasy football app also had a few glitches as the new season kicked off, with many users complaining of problems logging in.

The NFL Fantasy Football account on X, formerly Twitter, acknowledged the issues 45 minutes into Sunday's action, saying they're "aware of the issues" and "working on fixing it."

Stay tuned, fantasy managers ... — Steve Gardner

Jaguars' Zay Jones lays out for early catch-of-the-year candidate

We have an early contender for catch of the year.

Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones outran Colts defender Darrell Baker Jr. and laid out to catch a long ball from Trevor Lawrence. He secured the football with his right hand as he was falling down on the edge of the end zone. His knee landed just in bounds for the score. As Jones got up from the field, his teammates rallied around him in celebration.

Jacksonville is up 14-7 in the second quarter. — Victoria Hernandez

49ers off to red-hot start against Steelers

Brock Purdy has thrown two touchdowns to Brandon Aiyuk, and the 49ers have a 20-0 lead at the two-minute warning.

The stat of the game so far: The 49ers have 223 total yards, while the Steelers have just 1. — Safid Deen

Panthers score: Bryce Young's first TD ball thrown into stands

The ball from Bryce Young’s first NFL touchdown pass might not be going home with him Sunday.

Young threw a touchdown to tight end Hayden Hurst, who underhanded the football right into the stands after helping Carolina tie with the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter.

Hurst was clearly caught up in the moment. — Safid Deen

Colts score: Anthony Richardson nets first career rushing touchdown

No Jonathan Taylor, no problem.

Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson scored his first NFL touchdown on a designed run inside the red zone.

Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, scored from 2 yards out to tie his debut with the Jaguars at 7-7 in the second quarter. — Safid Deen

Panthers' Bryce Young's NFL debut off to a rough start

Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2023 NFL draft, was picked off by Falcons safety Jessie Bates just before the end of the first quarter in their game in Atlanta. He has started 4-for-7 for 35 yards.

Welcome to the NFL, rookie. — Safid Deen

Jaguars score: Calvin Ridley catches first TD since 2021

Trevor Lawrence found Calvin Ridley for their first touchdown connection with a 9-yard pass in the first quarter of the Jaguars game against the Colts. The score, with Brandon McManus’ extra point, puts Jacksonville up 7-0.

Ridley had four receptions for 41 yards on the drive, Jacksonville’s second of the day.

This is the wide receiver’s first touchdown in nearly two years after he served a yearlong suspension last season for gambling. He only played five games in the 2021 season for the Atlanta Falcons while dealing with injury. — Victoria Hernandez

Falcons score: Bijan Robinson scores first career touchdown

Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson scored his first NFL touchdown in impressive fashion to give his team an early 7-0 lead in the second quarter on the Carolina Panthers.

Robinson side-stepped a defender and made his way into the end zone, following Bryce Young’s first career interception.

Robinson, the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL draft and an early pick in many fantasy drafts, already making his presence felt in the NFL. — Safid Deen

Texans' CJ Stroud's favorite receiver?

Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, completed his first pass as a professional … to himself. 

Stroud had to avoid Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, who was in his face on a blitz up the middle. When Queen deflected the pass in the air, Stroud was able to catch it and get back to the line of scrimmage for no gain. 

During his three-year career at Ohio State, Stroud completed 575 passes, but never one to himself. — Steve Gardnder

49ers score: Brock Purdy tosses first Sunday touchdown of 2023 season

We have our first Sunday touchdown of the season.

The 49ers drove 54 yards on seven plays on their first possession of the season, a drive that concluded with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Brandon Aiyuk.

Purdy, who is coming off a UCL injury suffered during the NFC championship game, was 3 for 3 for 25 yards on the drive. — Casey Moore

Ravens pay tribute to Ryan Mallett and Alex Collins

The Baltimore Ravens started their season with heavy hearts, and a moment of silence for former quarterback Ryan Mallett and running back Alex Collins.

Mallett died following a drowning incident in late June. Collins died in a motor accident in August. — Safid Deen

NFL picks Week 1

The NFL is back, its 104th season set to kick off, and USA TODAY Sports’ resident NFL experts have made their Week 1 picks. Check them out here. 

NFL Week 1 odds

The top NFL betting apps list the Philadelphia Eagles as one of the best bets for NFL Week 1 as a road favorite over the New England Patriots. Coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the Eagles are favored by 4 points over the Patriots, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. However, the Pats may get an emotional lift as they honor former quarterback Tom Brady before the game.

Looking to wager? BetMGM is among the best mobile sports betting apps offering the top NFL betting promos in 2023. 

There is also significant interest surrounding the game between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers. Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert are among those with the best NFL MVP betting odds in 2023. Both teams also boast some of the best early Super Bowl betting odds 

Other action includes the Cincinnati Bengals — one of the most popular NFL futures bets to reach another Super Bowl this season — taking on the Cleveland Browns in the Battle of Ohio. 

Interested in wagering on other games? Our guide to the best NFL betting odds, picks and spreads is a useful resource to peruse the Thursday Night Football odds, Sunday Night Football odds and/or Monday Night Football odds. 

If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. Our tips for beginners on how to place bet online is a great place to start. And USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites. — Richard Morin 

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Week 1 fantasy football rankings 

It's a new season and everyone is on equal footing in the battle for a fantasy football championship. The first step toward that goal is getting off to a strong start. That's where we come in, providing you with updated rankings at each position right up until kickoff on Sunday. So let's do this! 

Fantasy football rankings for Week 1 are based on the point-per-reception (PPR) scoring used in most seasonal and daily fantasy football formats. One point is awarded for every 10 rushing and receiving yards and one point for every 20 passing yards. Six points are awarded for touchdowns scored, four points for passing TDs and one point for receptions. Rankings are compiled by Daniel Dobish, TheHuddle.com. — Steve Gardner

Eagles inactives: Rashaad Penny healthy scratch

The Rashaad Penny era is getting off to a rocky start in Philadelphia as the running back will be inactive for the season opener at the New England Patriots, Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

That puts Kenneth Gainwell and D'Andre Swift in line to split carries in the Eagles' opener.

Penny, a five-year veteran with a career 5.7-yard rushing average, signed with the Eagles as a free agent in the offseason.

49ers stars Nick Bosa, George Kittle active

Two of the San Francisco 49ers’ biggest stars are active for the season opener on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Nick Bosa, who became the highest-paid defender in the NFL this week, will play despite missing all of training camp negotiating his new deal. NFL Network reports Bosa will have his snap count monitored in this game.

Tight end George Kittle is also active, despite a groin injury that has bothered him this week. ― Safid Deen

Ravens injuries: TE Mark Andrews inactive vs. Texans

The new-look Baltimore Ravens will not have an important piece offensively for the season opener.

Tight end Mark Andrews is inactive for Week 1 due to a quad injury. NFL Network reported the news late Saturday night.

Lamar Jackson will be forced to depend on new star receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers.

And it’s likely backup tight end Isaiah Likely, who had 36 catches for 373 yards and three touchdowns last season, will fill in for Andrews’ absence during their opener against the Texans. ― Safid Deen

Broncos injuries: WR Jerry Jeudy likely out for Sean Payton's debut

The Denver Broncos could be without a key piece offensively in coach Sean Payton’s first game.

Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, is not expected to play today against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN.

Jeudy first suffered the injury Aug. 24, and was listed as questionable on the Broncos’ injury report this week.

Quarterback Russell Wilson will rely on receivers Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims in the opener.

It’s been a tough camp for Broncos receivers: Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon during the first week of camp, while second-year receiver Jalen Virgil suffered a knee injury during a preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers. ― Safid Deen

NFC South trotting out new starting quarterbacks

A new quarterback era begins in the NFC South this 2023 season.

Bryce Young, the 2023 NFL draft No. 1 pick, makes his debut with the Carolina Panthers against the Atlanta Falcons. On the other sideline, the Falcons will go with Desmond Ridder, a 2022 third-round pick who beat out former Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke for the job.

The New Orleans Saints turn to Derek Carr, who will be making his first start after nine years with the Raiders franchise, against the Tennessee Titans.

And Baker Mayfield begins his second stint in the division, starting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Minnesota. Mayfield started last season with the Panthers, Marcus Mariota was the Falcons starter, Jameis Winston was the Saints starter, and Tom Brady started for the Buccaneers. ― Safid Deen

NFL broadcast teams: Meet all the announcers for 2023 season 

The NFL is back, and with that, so are the announcing teams that will be the soundtrack of the games. 

Keeping track of who is behind the microphone for which game on what network can be difficult to keep track of. We’re here to help and break down the main broadcast players for the 2023 NFL season inside the booth. — Chris Bumbaca

Who is the highest-paid NFL player? 

The NFL's top 15 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. As Joe Burrow proved in his new deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, teams place a huge priority on having a top-flight QB under center. Burrow's five-year, $275 million contract extension made him the league's highest paid player at a staggering average annual value of $55 million. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league after signing a five-year, $170 million extension. 

Here’s the complete list of the league’s highest-paid players.

Who are the highest paid NFL players at each position? 

We have a complete list at every position: 

  • Quarterbacks 
  • Running back 
  • Receivers 
  • Tight ends 
  • Offensive tackles 
  • Offensive guards 
  • Centers 
  • Edge rushers 
  • Interior defensive linemen 
  • Linebackers 
  • Cornerbacks 
  • Safeties 
  • Kickers 
  • Punters

How much does the average NFL ticket cost? 

The average price of a 2023 NFL ticket is $377, according to TicketSmarter data. It’s a major jump from last season, when the average price was $235. Leading the NFL in ticket costs is the Las Vegas Raiders, which has an average cost of $582 per ticket. Behind the Raiders are the Super Bowl 57 contestants: the Kansas City Chiefs at $578 and Philadelphia Eagles at $559. Here are the five highest ticket averages:  

  • Las Vegas Raiders: $582 
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $578 
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $559 
  • Dallas Cowboys: $545 
  • New England Patriots: $534 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Atlanta Falcons have the cheapest average price at $225. They are followed by the Houston Texans ($236) and Arizona Cardinals ($250). Here are the lowest five ticket averages: 

  • Atlanta Falcons: $225 
  • Houston Texans: $236 
  • Arizona Cardinals: $250 
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $263 
  • Tennessee Titans: $265 

Jordan Mendoza