Sports
A Lions-Chiefs Super Bowl? Mahomes reclaiming MVP? The Athletic staff’s NFL predictions for 2024
The 2024 season is here. The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs get things started tonight, followed by a Friday night matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.
With no time to waste, let’s look at The Athletic’s NFL staff picks for MVP, Super Bowl champion and more.
Forty-two staff members responded (some opting not to answer everything, so there aren’t always 42 responses). Here’s what they think.
Patrick Mahomes has already won the award twice — in 2018 and 2022 — so why not a third time while the Kansas City Chiefs try to three-peat? Our staff overwhelmingly picked the soon-to-be 29-year-old quarterback to do just that.
While quarterbacks dominated our MVP voting, they took a back seat in this category. Tyreek Hill finished fourth in the AP Offensive Player of the Year voting two seasons ago and was runner-up last season when he led the league with 1,799 receiving yards, 13 TDs and a career-best 112.4 receiving yards per game. Our staff thinks he’ll continue his dominance catching passes from Tua Tagovailoa in Mike McDaniel’s offense in Miami.
In his three NFL seasons, Micah Parsons has finished second, second and third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. His sack totals have inched up every year — 13 to 13 1/2 to 14 — and signs point to the former Penn State star linebacker breaking through in 2024. Myles Garrett won it last season after a 14-sack campaign that followed five consecutive double-digit sack seasons. Entering the season, it looks like a Parsons-Garrett battle and we’ll get to see them on the same field Sunday when the Cowboys visit the Browns.
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Six quarterbacks were selected within the first 12 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft and three are among the five rookies receiving votes from our staff in this category. No. 1 pick Caleb Williams received 31 of 42 total votes. Expectations are high for the Bears’ quarterback, to say the least.
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As long as Mahomes is in Kansas City, this feels like the safest choice. The Chiefs won the past two Super Bowls, three of the past five and have played in four of the last five. Mahomes was named MVP in each of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victories. The Bengals and Texans both received four votes. Cincinnati lost the 2021 Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Rams and the Texans have not reached a conference title game since joining the league in 2002.
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NFL execs rank AFC teams: Who threatens the Chiefs? How high can the Texans climb?
The Lions made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016 and reached the NFC Championship Game — they lost 34-31 to the 49ers — for the first time since 1991. Can Dan Campbell get Detroit to its first Super Bowl in franchise history? The Packers and 49ers won’t make it easy, according to our staff.
Surprise … it’s the Chiefs. OK, that’s not really a surprise. But that’s what happens when you win back-to-back Super Bowls and have Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones on your side. The 49ers finished with the second-most votes, fitting after they lost to the Chiefs in overtime in last season’s Super Bowl.
Kansas City occupied the three top vote-getting matchups and received votes against six different opponents. But our staff likes the Chiefs-Lions showdown most, followed by Chiefs-Packers and a Chiefs-49ers rematch. The top non-Chiefs Super Bowls? Texans vs. Eagles and Bengals vs. Lions.
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NFL Hope-O-Meter results: Ranking fans’ optimism for all 32 teams
What they said
“Mike McCarthy. McCarthy has proven he can win in the regular season with three straight 12-5 seasons. But that regular-season success hasn’t translated to the playoffs. If that doesn’t change, the coach of the Cowboys will.” — Dan Duggan, Giants writer
“Nick Sirianni. When you fire and replace both of your coordinators, the pressure is now on you. It’s win or be fired yourself.” — Adam Jahns, Bears writer
“Robert Saleh. He’s entering his fourth year in New York with an 18-33 record. Saleh’s personality and perch in the league’s most high-profile city give him more cache than his results have earned. With Aaron Rodgers back from injury, Saleh and the Jets are out of excuses. If this team doesn’t make a run, there will be major changes in New York.” — Josh Kendall, Falcons writer
“Sean McDermott. He only gets so many shots with Josh Allen to prove he can get the Bills back to the Super Bowl.” — Paul Dehner Jr., Bengals writer
GO DEEPER
2024 NFL win total projections for all 32 teams: Experts react to our model
“Mike McCarthy: He’s got 36 regular-season wins to one playoff win over the last three seasons and is on an expiring contract with Bill Belichick as a coaching free agent. That’s a lot of pressure.” — Jeff Howe, NFL writer
“Robert Saleh. If he can’t win this season with that defense and a healthy Aaron Rodgers, he may not be long for his job.” — Adam Hirshfield, NFL editor
“Nick Sirianni. Was last season’s second-half collapse a fluke or a sign of a bigger problem? The Eagles are talented, but a slow start will turn up the volume and heat on the man in charge.” — Doug Haller, Cardinals writer
“Dave Canales. He’s the least proven head coach in the league in terms of overall track record, which means he has the most to prove. There are other coaches facing greater pressure this season, but they are much more seasoned/proven.” — Mike Sando, NFL writer
“Dennis Allen. The Saints are on the short list of middling teams that could bottom out this year as some of their top talent is getting older and a bit worse. They have issues at quarterback and may struggle on both the offensive and defensive lines. Things seem a bit stale in New Orleans, and Allen needs to prove that isn’t the case.” — Joe Buscaglia, Bills writer
What they said
“Arizona. Last year you saw the culture set, now the talent level has risen for a full season with Kyler Murray.” — Dehner
“The Falcons are in a really good place. The mood around the building with Raheem Morris is through the roof, and Kirk Cousins and OC Zac Robinson should really help the skill players shine. They’re also in a very winnable division.” — Howe
“Tennessee Titans, because after an aggressive offseason following another double-digit loss season, they will force their way into contention in the AFC South and have a shot at the playoffs.” — Mike Jones, NFL writer
“Denver Broncos. I’m a believer that the Sean Payton-Bo Nix pairing will work well. I don’t love the skill-position pieces around Nix, but it’s the first time since Payton coached Drew Brees that I can see him having full confidence in a quarterback. I could envision a second-place finish in the AFC West and a possible wild-card berth.” — Larry Holder, NFL writer
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“The Chargers — they have the talent to turn things around and they have a head coach who knows how to win.” — Dan Pompei, NFL writer
“Cardinals. I’m reaching deep for this one because anyone can say the Bears. But the Cardinals could be a sneaky team for the biggest turnaround even if they’ll still be far from a serious contender. They were more competitive than the typical 4-13 team in Jonathan Gannon’s first season as head coach. They also were 1-8 without Kyler Murray and 3-5 after he returned to the lineup. A healthy Murray combined with Marvin Harrison Jr. could turn things around fast for the Cardinals.” — Duggan
“Seattle Seahawks. Geno Smith should have a nice rebound of a season and the Seahawks defense should be much improved with more youth under new head coach Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks also have a very favorable schedule, which should allow them to make a run to make the playoffs.” — Nate Taylor, Chiefs writer
“Falcons. Atlanta gets a new coach with a strong defensive pedigree and leadership skills in Raheem Morris, and a proven quarterback in Kirk Cousins to pair with ascending playmakers Bijan Robinson and Drake London. It also helps that the Falcons play in the NFC South.” — Joe Person, Panthers writer
“Washington. The Commanders only won four games last year. I think they could double that win total and maybe compete for the NFC East title if things go poorly for the Eagles and Cowboys. Dan Quinn ends up improving the defense and Jayden Daniels shows they have a franchise QB.” — Jon Machota, Cowboys writer
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos: Todd Rosenberg, Cooper Neill, Kara Durrette / Getty Images)
Sports
Tom Brady’s calculated trash talk connects WrestleMania to Fanatics Flag Football to Las Vegas
Fake is the operative word. Tom Brady’s beef with Logan Paul, Paul’s beef with Rob Gronkowski and Brady’s beef with World Wrestling Entertainment all are as fake as plant-based meat.
It’s also so much fun.
That’s the consensus opinion of fans and participants alike to the promotional shenanigans ahead of this weekend’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and next month’s WWE WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Brady used the word himself, calling wrestling “fake B.S.” Wednesday night at the Flag Football Classic draft at a Beverly Hills hotel. The comments came shortly after Brady went on Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast and told the WWE star in no uncertain terms that he was not on the same athletic level as NFL players.
Paul took exception, pointing out that he played linebacker in high school. He is on the flag football roster of Team Wildcats alongside NFL quarterbacks and captains Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, so inquiring minds can evaluate Paul’s gridiron bona fides during the three-team flag fun televised at 1 p.m. PDT Sunday on Fox Sports.
In addition to Team Wildcats, the inaugural flag football event features a team led by Brady and Jalen Hurts called Founders and another consisting of the U.S. men’s national flag football roster.
In promoting the venture, Brady poked the enormously popular WWE organization, telling Paul, “You know, I love WWE. It’s very cute. But honestly, this is like real football. This is just real competition.
“I’m glad you’re going to be there and finally participate in a competition that matters.”
Brady upped the ante after Sports Illustrated playfully asked how many WWE wrestlers it would take to sack him.
“They wouldn’t even get near me,” he replied. “Plus, if I had a good offensive line, they’d punch those guys right in the throat and they’d probably be crying.”
All a deft segue to WrestleMania 42, which many followers suspect is positioning Brady to be some sort of scripted villain during the WWE’s annual five-day extravaganza. Last year WrestleMania 41 attracted more than 100,000 fans to Allegiant Stadium, generating roughly $65 million in ticket revenue and reaching a global audience with more than a billion social media views.
Adding the greatest quarterback of all time would only boost those numbers. Introducing a surprise antagonist has long been a key ingredient of the WWE recipe, and at this point Brady surfacing is all but expected.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has morphed into a glue guy, whose employment as a Fox Sports NFL television analyst, part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and key partner with Fanatics binds him with almost every major stakeholder in the Flag Football Classic and WrestleMania 42. Every stakeholder except the WWE.
That gives Brady license to take good-natured shots at wrestling for now and positions him to become a high-profile heel at WrestleMania 42.
It’s no coincidence that both events are in partnership with Fanatics, the outfit that has grown from designing and manufacturing licensed fan gear into a ubiquitous global digital sports platform and e-commerce company.
That leaves only the feigned feud between Paul and Gronkowski — Brady’s longtime pal and New England Patriots teammate. It started when Gronkowski labeled Paul a “flake” on a podcast a few days ago after Paul made a $1-million boxing challenge to NFL players and subsequently backed out of a fight with former running back Le’Veon Bell.
The tongue-in-cheek beef culminated in a verbal volley at the flag football draft with Gronkowski jawing at Paul while balancing a paper plate stacked with hors d’oeuvres and Paul shouting back over the head of 5-foot-5 comedian Kevin Hart, who somehow found himself in the role of peacemaker.
“No one can tackle me. So if Logan Paul wants a piece of me, I’m down to throw it down on the field and even throw my fist and just go at it, an all-out brawl on the flag football field,” Gronkowski said with an impish grin.
Crazy how Fanatics posted a video of the exchange so quickly. It had racked up 250,000 views as of Friday morning. Just Gronkowski and Paul following Brady’s lead, knowing their job descriptions include promotion as well as performance.
Sports
World Baseball Classic final attracted historic viewership with over 10M watching on FOX
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Venezuela defeated Team USA, 3-2, in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final Tuesday, and the game was historic in more ways than one.
Venezuela won its first-ever WBC title, and players flooded the field with emotion and pride as they celebrated the thrilling victory.
History was also made during the telecast when 10,784,000 viewers watched the final on FOX and FOX Deportes.
It became the most-watched WBC telecast of all time.
Fox Sports broadcaster Tom Verducci interviews MVP Maikel Garcia of Venezuela and his translator after a 3-2 victory against the United States at loanDepot Park March 17, 2026, in Miami, Fla. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
The telecast averaged 10,228,000 viewers, while hitting its peak at 12,148,000 from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET on FOX.
This number was up 128% from the Team USA-Japan WBC final on FS1 during the 2023 tournament, when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to seal a third WBC win for his country.
TRUMP RAISES EYEBROWS WITH ‘STATEHOOD’ COMMENT AFTER VENEZUELA BEATS THE US IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
While this game had all the thrills, the WBC turned out to be an exciting tournament from the very start with pool play.
Whether it was feel-good stories like Ondřej Satoria’s standing ovation from Japanese fans at the Tokyo Dome during his final outing for Czechia or Italy’s espresso machine home run celebration, viewers from all over were tuning in to watch magic happen on the diamond.
Fox Sports broadcaster Tom Verducci interviews manager Omar López Team Venezuela after a 3-2 victory against the United States at loanDepot park March 17, 2026, in Miami, Fla. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The tournament averaged 1,294,000 viewers across FOX, FS1 and FS2, making it the most-watched WBC in its 20-year history on English language networks.
It looked like Venezuela was going to shut out Team USA, which had just two hits and four base runners in the bottom of the eighth inning when Bryce Harper walked to the plate.
The game turned on its head when Harper belted a two-run homer to tie the game during the peak viewing window.
Venezuela, though, never blinked. Eugenio Suarez hit a rope to left-center field, scoring the game-winning run with a double.
Members of Team Venezuela celebrate with their gold medals after defeating the United States 3-2 at loanDepot Park March 17, 2026, in Miami, Fla. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Daniel Palencia closed things out for Venezuela, sealing the win with a strikeout of Roman Anthony. The party ensued for Venezuela at loanDepot Park.
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Sports
High school baseball and softball: Thursday’s scores
Thursday’s Results
BASEBALL
CITY SECTION
North Hollywood 5, Granada Hills Kennedy 3
Sun Valley Poly 11, Sylmar 9
Verdugo Hills 5, San Fernando 3
WISH Academy 11, Washington Prep 5
SOUTHERN SECTION
Adelanto 6, Granite Hills 4
Alhambra 10, Schurr 2
Animo Leadership 6, Compton Early College 3
Arroyo 14, Glendale 0
Banning 9, Yucca Valley 8
Beverly Hills 13, Lennox Academy 3
Bloomington 10, Carter 0
Buckley 7, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 6
Campbell Hall 6, Brentwood 1
Chaparral 8, Citrus Valley 3
Charter Oak 3, El Rancho 2
Chino 7, Don Lugo 1
Compton Centennial 7, Lawndale 5
Covina 9, Pasadena Marshall 8
Diamond Ranch 5, Chaffey 4
Eisenhower 2, Colton 1
Environmental Charter 13, Ambassador 6
Etiwanda 2, Santa Ana Foothill 0
Gabrielino 23, Southlands Christian 4
Garden Grove 14, Rancho Alamitos 1
Glendora 14, Western Christian 3
Grace 29, Santa Clara 2
Grand Terrace 12, Arroyo Valley 0
Heritage Christian 12, Village Christian 1
La Mirada 7, Aliso Niguel 1
La Quinta 11, Rancho Mirage 0
Leuzinger 4, Culver City 3
Maranatha 12, Whittier Christian 4
Milken 4, Burbank Providence 1
Montebello 18, San Gabriel 0
Newbury Park 7, Buena 1
Norwalk 8, Sante Fe 3
Ontario 6, Montclair 3
Orange County Pacifica Christian 7, Laguna Beach 4
Palm Springs 17, Xavier Prep 4
Palo Verde 8, Bellflower 7
Redlands 15, Hesperia Christian 0
Redlands East Valley 18, Silverado 1
Rolling Hills Prep 13, HMSA 4
Rowland 3, Diamond Bar 1
San Juan Hills 11, Riverside Prep 10
Santa Clarita Christian 4, Desert Christian 0
Santa Monica 8, Calabasas 4
Santa Rosa Academy 9, San Jacinto Valley Academy 8
Shadow Hills 5, Palm Desert 3
South Hills 11, Los Altos 3
Summit 5, Rialto 1
Temecula Prep 14, SJDLCS 1
Temecula Valley 11, Trabuco Hills 0
Temescal Canyon 5, San Dimas 3
Trinity Classical Academy 7, Castaic 3
Twentynine Palms 4, AAE 2
Victory Valley 4, Barstow 3
Webb 16 La Puente 2
West Torrance 9, New Roads 0
West Valley 14, San Jacinto 4
INTERSECTIONAL
Borrego Springs 12, Anza Hamilton 0
Colorado Legend 10, La Habra 5
Eagle Rock 19, CALS Early College 1
Fullerton 14, Colorado Mullen 4
Gahr 7, Utah American Fork 1
Inglewood 16, Dorsey 1
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 7, Port of LA 4
WISH Academy 11, Washington Prep 5
SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION
Animo Robinson 24, Animo Watts 14
Bell 11, Huntington Park 6
Bernstein 25, Contreras 12
Central City Value 18, Vaughn 14
Dorsey 21, Dymally 0
East Valley 20, Panorama 4
Garfield 6, LA Roosevelt 2
Hollywood 18, Belmont 5
Mendez 20, Roybal 8
SOCES 15, Northridge Academy 4
Triumph Charter 19, Bert Corona 1
Westchester 15, Narbonne 13
SOUTHERN SECTION
Alhambra 16, Mark Keppel 0
Aliso Niguel 4, El Toro 1
Alta Loma 6, Citrus Valley 2
Arrowhead Christian 19, Woodcrest Christian 2
Barstow 4, Victor valley 2
Beaumont 7, Rancho Verde 1
Bonita 20, Claremont 6
California 5, Sante Fe 4
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 5, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 2
Castaic 13, Golden Valley 4
Chadwick 22, Westridge 1
Chaffey 9, Diamond Ranch 0
Chaminade 7, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6
Coastal Academy 9, Mayfield 0
Crescenta Valley 23, Hoover 0
Cypress 3, Segerstrom 0
Desert Christian Academy 11, California Military Institute 10
Don Lugo 3, Chino 2
Eastside 11, Littlerock 4
El Cajon Christian 8, Trabuco Hills 2
El Dorado 10, Mayfair 0
El Modena 9, La Habra 6
El Rancho 15, Arroyo 5
Fillmore 15, Channel Islands 4
Firebaugh 19, Hawthorne 13
Fontana 11, Bethel Christian 2
Foothill Tech 12, Bishop Diego 0
Fullerton 6, Los Altos 1
Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Anaheim Canyon 1
Gahr 10, Cerritos 0
Garden Grove 11, Westminster 1
Granite Hills 12, Adelanto 4
Hemet 16, United Christian Academy 5
Hesperia Christian 17, Immanuel Christian 2
Highland 2, Quartz Hill 1
Indio 18, Lakeside 1
Indio 14, Temecula Prep 1
Irvine University 9, San Marino 8
Jurupa Hills 16, San Gorgonio 0
Kaiser 14, Grand Terrace 5
Knight 14, Antelope Valley 1
Lakeside 7, San Jacinto 6
La Mirada 5, Valley Christian 0
La Quinta 10, Rancho Mirage 0
La Salle 13, Mary Star of the Sea 2
La Serna 16, Whittier 4
Lennox Academy 14, Compton Early College 8
Leuzinger 9, Culver City 6
Liberty 10, Linfield Christian 4
Los Alamitos 6, Huntington Beach 5
Marina 6, Edison 0
Millikan 9, Lakewood 0
Mira Costa 9, Bishop Montgomery 8
Mission Viejo 2, El Cajon Christian 1
Moorpark 14, Royal 2
Moreno Valley 9, Vista del Lago 6
Muir 18, Glendale 3
Murrieta Valley 15, Chaparral 5
Newport Harbor 7, Corona del Mar 4
North Torrance 6, Santa Monica 1
Northwood 8, Irvine 0
Oak Park 5, Camarillo 4
Ontario 5, Montclair 0
Oxnard 5, Buena 1
Paloma Valley 15, Tahquitz 2
Palos Verdes 4, El Segundo 0
Paraclete 9, Lakewood St. Joseph 4
Pasadena 19, Immaculate Heart 8
Pasadena Poly 10, Flintridge Prep 0
Rialto 18, Eisenhower 8
Ridgecrest Burroughs 31, Silver Valley 1
Riverside Notre Dame 6, United Christian Academy 0
Riverside Poly 2, Shadow Ridge 0
San Jacinto 15, Temecula Prep 1
San Juan Hills 8, Tesoro 5
Santa Ana Foothill 17, Esperanza 0
Santa Paula 18, Nordhoff 1
Saugus 3, Valencia 2
Schurr 25, San Gabriel 0
Shadow Hills 21, Palm Desert 14
Shadow Ridge 8, Louisville 4
Simi Valley 5, Newbury Park 4
St. Bernard d. San Gabriel Mission, forfeit
St. Bonaventure 20, Del Sol 0
St. Monica 16, St. Anthony 2
St. Paul 10, Bishop Amat 0
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 18, Gardena Serra 5
Summit 20, Arroyo Valley 0
Temecula Valley 4, Great Oak 2
Viewpoint 10, Brentwood 0
Warren 9, La Palma Kennedy 1
West Covina 9, Southlands Christian 8
Western Christian 16, San Dimas 15
West Ranch 13, Canyon Country Canyon 4
Whittier Christian 3, Maranatha 1
Windward 11, Archer 8
Yucaipa 5, Rancho Cucamonga 3
Yucca Valley 19, Banning 9
INTERSECTIONAL
Anza Hamilton 10, Borrego Springs 0
Eagle Rock 6, Alemany 4
Harvard-Westlake 6, El Camino Real 3
Nevada Bishop Gorman 5, Mission Viejo 1
Nevada Spanish Springs 7, Carson 4
Rio Hondo Prep 3, San Diego 2
Riverside Poly 9, Nevada Reed 0
San Fernando 4, Tri-City Christian 3
Sierra Canyon 17, Nevada Douglas 0
Sierra Canyon 3, Nevada Reed 2
Sun Valley Magnet 7, Lakeview Charter 6
Thousand Oaks 9, Granada Hills 4
Torrance 7, Legacy 2
Trabuco Hills 4, Nevada Bishop Gorman 4
Utah Lehi 10, Carson 5
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