Welcome to my weekly notebook, a space that will help you hone in on what to watch before the ball is kicked off. From talking to people around the league and on the sidelines, you’ll get an inside perspective on players who could make the difference, what matchups could sway outcomes and what specific details to monitor closely in some of the biggest games of the week.
Heading into Week 1, there are plenty of storylines, starting with whether the Seahawks can repeat or if the Rams will blow everyone away as the overwhelming favorite to win Super Bowl LXI. Then there’s the AFC, where at least a half-dozen teams have a real shot to make deep runs, culminating in a chance to play for the Lombardi Trophy.
But we’re a long way from Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium. It’s Week 1. Let’s start there, and more specifically, in Indianapolis, where a second-round rookie is going to have a baptism by fire.
New-look Colts linebackers face a stiff test in opener
This offseason, Colts general manager Chris Ballard made a trade, sending veteran inside linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Packers for defensive tackle Colby Wooden. Franklin projects to start in Green Bay. Wooden was waived at the conclusion of the preseason and then signed by the Saints. Not great for Indianapolis.
Franklin’s long-term replacement, second-round rookie CJ Allen, will eventually be the man in the middle of coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense. However, hamstring and calf injuries short-circuited his summer, putting Akeem Davis-Gaither and Jaylon Carlies under the spotlight. Allen did make five preseason tackles across limited preseason snaps, but expect him to be part of an expanded rotation at the second level.
The new unit’s first test? Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens.
In Franklin, Indianapolis had a steady tackler with limited coverage ability. Over the past four seasons, Franklin has 644 tackles (364 solo), including 33 for loss, 10 forced fumbles and 10 sacks, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2024. That experience is now gone.
Although Davis-Gaither played under Anarumo in Cincinnati, he was a spot starter who mostly played behind Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt, never taking more than 33% of the defensive snaps. Carlies is even more unknown, playing exactly two defensive snaps in 2025 in Indianapolis.
Regardless of who is in for a given play, the challenge is immense. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle comes over from the Bears, a scheme that ranked sixth in presnap motion rate and second in play-action calls. Both situations will require the linebackers to decipher and react quickly, or they will leave gaping holes for Jackson and Henry to exploit.
A pair on the perimeter to watch in the Packers-Vikings game
At summer’s end, I went around the league and asked both coaches and executives to name some players they thought would break out either as rookies or second-year contributors. Two of the names mentioned were Packers receiver Matthew Golden and Vikings corner Chuck Demmings.
After trading Dontayvion Wicks to Philadelphia and losing Romeo Doubs in free agency, Green Bay will be relying heavily on Golden’s development after he had only 29 receptions for 361 yards and zero touchdowns as a rookie. However, after a strong offseason capped by a terrific training camp, there’s an internal expectation that Golden can become the No. 1 receiver.
While Christian Watson and Jayden Reed are quality targets, they’re also injury risks. Watson has missed 20 games over his first four years, while Reed was sidelined for 10 games last year with a broken collarbone.
Bottom line? Coach Matt LaFleur needs Golden to ascend quickly.
Green Bay’s wideouts will be facing a secondary with plenty of familiar faces, including corners Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, alongside safeties Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus. However, Demmings is a new, notable piece for coordinator Brian Flores’s puzzle as a fifth-round pick from Stephen F. Austin.
A three-year starter for the Lumberjacks, Demmings earned attention with a 4.41 40-yard dash while measuring 6'1" and 193 pounds at the combine. In camp, Demmings impressed with his athleticism and playmaking, potentially earning some playing time in a secondary populated with veterans. While it would be aggressive to expect Demmings to play a majority of the snaps early on, his play has put him on the radar of Minnesota’s staff.
Jets’ new-look offense vs. former coach
When the Jets and Titans square off at 1 p.m. ET Sunday in Nashville, it won’t be the premier game of the early window. However, keep an eye on how New York’s young offensive talent gels under new coordinator Frank Reich, who joins friend and former teammate Aaron Glenn (they spent 1996 together with the Jets). Reich will go against Robert Saleh’s defense, with Saleh making his debut as the Titans’ coach after spending 2021 to ’24 with the Jets.
This is a learning year for New York. The Jets have Geno Smith as a stopgap quarterback before likely drafting their long-term answer in 2027. That said, Smith is surrounded by a slew of rookies and second-year talents, including receiver Omar Cooper Jr., tight ends Mason Taylor and Kenyon Sadiq, and right tackle Armand Membou. Reich’s job is to develop those talents.
So far, Reich has the ear of his unit as he tries to improve the offense from its 29th-place ranking in 2025.
“You’ve seen his energy,” Jets wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson told me before a Jets-Buccaneers joint practice this summer. “Every day in practice, he’s that leader on offense. Every day he stands in front of the team, the guys are dialed in, and he sets a tempo for this offense. It’s been good, and the players have really, really bought into his message.”
With Sadiq working his way into the mix after missing most of the summer recovering from hernia surgery, look for Taylor to earn a majority of the tight end snaps early. After catching 44 passes for 369 yards as a rookie, Taylor spent the offseason working on his blocking to become more impactful in the run game, while also getting more yardage after the catch. In 2025, Taylor averaged 8.4 yards per reception, ranking 34th among tight ends with at least 30 catches.
If Reich can coax improvement from his young guns, that’ll bode well for his job status and for Glenn as New York builds for the future.
How much time will Deshaun Watson get?
The most unpopular decision of the offseason took place in Cleveland, with first-year coach Todd Monken giving the starting nod to Watson over second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Many around the league are wondering how long Watson will have that job, especially if the Browns are 0–2 with a home opener in Week 3 against the Panthers. In its first two contests, Cleveland will face the Jaguars and the Buccaneers, with Jacksonville coming off a 13-win season and Tampa Bay a favorite to win its division, albeit the lowly NFC South.
Should the Browns return home without a victory, trotting out Watson in front of the home fans will be a tough ask, especially after the partisans lustily booed the 30-year-old during the preseason. While Monken says he won’t let fans play a part in personnel decisions, poor performance, matched with a furious fanbase, creates real pressure on everyone involved.
Watson is also in the final year of his deal and, barring something truly miraculous, won’t be back after 2026. Sanders, who struggled as a rookie with seven touchdowns against 10 interceptions, is 24 years old and under contract through the ’28 campaign. He’s also far more in line with the offensive youth movement, including rookie receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
Sanders may not be the answer, but Watson is certainly not. Even if Monken feels Watson gives him the best shot to win right away, a poor start could force a change in Cleveland to avoid an ugly situation back home.
Broncos will likely exploit youthful Chiefs’ protectors
The Broncos haven’t needed to blitz in recent seasons, but that hasn’t stopped defensive coordinator Vance Joseph from bringing the heat.
Despite having edge rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper, along with John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen inside, Joseph’s unit ranked fifth by blitzing 32% of the time last season. Now, with Franklin-Myers playing for the Titans and Cooper on the commissioner’s exempt list, Joseph may blitz more than ever.
If he does, expect plenty of action on the left side. With Chiefs tackle Josh Simmons likely to miss the season opener with a back injury, Kansas City is putting undrafted rookie free agent Kahlil Benson in his place.
Benson, who signed as a rookie tryout, spent his entire collegiate career at right tackle and worked there this summer for the Chiefs. However, despite having an experienced left tackle in Jaylon Moore, Kansas City coach Andy Reid is electing to play Moore on the right side, even with Patrick Mahomes returning from multiple torn knee ligaments.
Furthermore, the Chiefs released veteran running back Emari Demercado on cutdown day while elevating rookie back Emmett Johnson to second string. Johnson will handle much of the blocking duties in the backfield, something Joseph could look to exploit with blitzes and stunts up front. Last year, Joseph had success blitzing with slot corner Ja’Quan McMillian, who had two sacks in a 22–19 November win over Kansas City.
When the opportunity presents itself to make Benson and Johnson think quickly while needing to communicate in their pro debuts, the Broncos are in a favorable position.
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