Final 2024 grades for all 32 NFL teams: Eagles, Commanders ace season-long test; Cowboys receive failing mark

While the page has quickly been turned to the 2025 offseason, we have some unfinished business to tend to regarding the 2024 NFL season. Now that all of the games have been played and a champion has been crowned, it’s time to assign grades for all 32 teams based on how they performed last year, both on the field and in the front office. 

As expected, some teams were quite easy to grade, like the Super Bowl champion Eagles and the disappointing New York Jets. There were, however, some teams that were more challenging to assign a grade to, such as the Buffalo Bills, who had another good year but ultimately came up short yet again in their quest at dethroning the Chiefs in the AFC. 

Here are the grades for every NFL team for the 2024 season, listed in alphabetical order. 

Arizona Cardinals: C+

Coming off a 4-13 season, Jonathan Gannon’s team needed to have a better showing during his second season as Arizona’s head coach. That’s what happened, as the Cardinals started 6-4 before winning just two games the rest of the way after their Week 11 bye. The Cardinals’ final 8-9 record is disappointing when you consider how they started the season, but it’s also an sign of progress given how bad the 2023 season went. 

Perhaps the biggest disappointment for the 2024 Cardinals was Kyler Murray’s lack of chemistry with Marvin Harrison Jr., who finished his rookie season with just 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. Expect much bigger numbers from Harrison in 2025 now that he has had a full year of NFL experience under his belt. 

Atlanta Falcons: D+ 

Another team that finished with an 8-9 record following a promising start. Unlike the Cardinals, though, the Falcons were a popular pick to make the playoffs after the team went out and signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins struggled, however, and he was ultimately replaced in the starting lineup by rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. 

Ironically, Cousins’ struggles ended up being a blessing in disguise since it gave Penix a chance to get valuable reps. While he endured the typical growing paints of a rookie quarterback, Penix showed signs of progress with each game. He nearly led the Falcons to an upset win over the Commanders in Week 17 and threw for a season-high 312 yards while scoring three total touchdowns against Carolina in Week 18.

Baltimore Ravens: B 

In some ways, the 2024 season was a banner season for Baltimore. The Ravens captured their second straight AFC North division title and received MVP-caliber seasons from quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. The defense finished ninth in the NFL in points allowed and received a breakout season from former first-round pick Odafe Oweh, who recorded a career-high 10 sacks.

Following a dominant win over the Steelers in the wild-card round, the Ravens’ season abruptly ended the following week in Buffalo after several self-inflicted wounds (a big issue during the team’s 8-5 start to the season) cost them a second consecutive AFC title game appearance. All in all, Baltimore’s 2024 season was a good one that had a disappointing ending. 

Buffalo Bills: B+ 

The Bills overachieved this season. They won two more games than they did the previous year despite parting ways with former All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs. Buffalo received an NFL MVP season from quarterback Josh Allen, who proved he can still play at a high level while taking better care of the football. 

The Bills had a great season, but they once again came up just short in the playoffs against their chief rival in Kansas City. But that loss shouldn’t completely overshadow what was another good year for the Bills that included a fifth consecutive AFC East division crown. 

One of Buffalo’s main weaknesses was its lack of a pass rush. That weakness led to the defense’s inability to get off the field on third down. Look for the Bills to address that this offseason. 

Carolina Panthers: C+

Carolina was trending towards an “F” grade following its 1-7 start that included first-year head coach Dave Canales’ controversial decision to bench second-year quarterback Bryce Young. But the Panthers’ season ended on a high note after the team won two of its final three games with Young back under center. 

Young played the best football of his young career after re-entering the starting lineup, nearly leading the Panthers to upset wins over the Chiefs, Buccaneers and Eagles and consecutive weeks. The Panthers also received continued solid play from running back Chuba Hubbard, who received a well-earned contract extension during the season. 

Chicago Bears: D 

While Chicago’s 5-12 record was bad, it did lead to the firing of Matt Eberflus and the hiring of former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson will now try to mimic the success he had in Detroit with Jared Goff with 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams in Chicago. 

Speaking of Williams, he was able to get the experience of playing in every regular season game during his rookie season. Williams had some good performances, but he was sacked a league-high 68 times, a major issue that cannot happen again in 2025. 

Cincinnati Bengals: D+ 

The Bengals won five straight games to finish the 2024 season with a 9-8 record, the same record they had the previous season when Joe Burrow missed the season’s final five games after suffering an injury. The Bengals missed the playoffs both years. 

Cincinnati missing the playoffs in 2023 was understandable given Burrow’s absence. But there was no excuse for missing the postseason again in 2024 with Burrow and wideout Ja’Marr Chase playing at MVP levels. The defense improved during the five-game winning streak, but its porous play during the first 12 games cost the Bengals a playoff spot. 

Cleveland Browns: F 

Following an 11-6 season and surprising playoff berth, the Browns crashed in 2024, going 3-14 and fielding an offense that scored the fewest points in the NFL. The defense wasn’t much better, finishing 27th in the league in points allowed despite having former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, whose frustration with the franchise’s losing has led to a trade request. 

A new era appears to be underway in Cleveland, as quarterback Deshaun Watson could miss the entire 2025 season after suffering a setback in his recovery from his season-ending Achilles injury. 

Dallas Cowboys: F 

The Cowboys’ 2024 offseason was dominated by contract talk, and the 2024 regular season was dominated by losing football games. Doomed from the start, Dallas’ flawed roster had no chance at contending for a playoff spot once Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending injury in Week 9. 

One of the Cowboys’ few bright spots in 2024 was running back Rico Dowdle, who rushed for nearly 1,100 yards while averaging a solid 4.6 yards per carry. But his success was tempered by the fact that the Cowboys elected not to try to sign Derrick Henry in free agency. Henry, a Texas native who wanted to sign with Dallas, ultimately went to Baltimore, where he ran for 1,921 yards. 

Denver Broncos: A- 

Denver’s 2024 season started with some criticism after the team paid Russell Wilson $39 million to play for the Steelers. Few people were discussing that by season’s end, however, as rookie quarterback Bo Nix enjoyed an exceptional campaign while helping the Broncos snap their nine-year playoff drought. 

Nix was great, but so was NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II and the rest of the Broncos’ defense, which finished third in the NFL in fewest points allowed. The Broncos are a team on the rise and should be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. 

Detroit Lions: B+ 

It’s hard to be terribly tough on the Lions. They went 15-2 after all, winning the NFL’s hardest division despite losing their best defensive player (pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson) five weeks into the season. But when the goal is winning a Super Bowl, anything less than that is going to be considered a disappointment, which is the case with the 2024 Lions. 

Not only that, but the Lions didn’t even win a playoff game, surrendering 45 points in a divisional-round loss to the Commanders. Injuries played a big role in the Lions’ early playoff exit, but so did the play of Jared Goff, who threw thee picks in Detroit’s loss to Washington. 

Green Bay Packers: B 

Like the Lions, the Packers had a short stay in the playoffs, as Green Bay fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles in the wild-card round. The Packers went 11-6 but finished third in the NFC North standings behind Detroit and Minnesota. 

Despite the early playoff exit, there’s a lot to like about the Packers’ 2024 season, They finished eighth in the NFL in scoring offense and sixth in scoring defense. They received a big year from running back Josh Jacobs, whose 1,329 yards were the most in a season by any Packers player in 21 years. Green Bay’s potential was hindered by Jordan Love’s nagging injuries that began during the team’s Week 1 loss to the Eagles, so a healthy Love should lead to big things for the Packers in 2025. 

Houston Texans: B 

It was an odd season for Houston, who was less impressive on the field than it was in 2023 but ended up having similar results as the previous year’s team. The Texans were worse on offense and defense this year but still found a way to win a second straight division title and a wild-card playoff game. While their season was plagued by inconsistency, the Texans showed their potential during their 32-12 thumping of the Chargers in the divisional round. 

Houston followed that game up with a competitive showing in its divisional-round playoff loss to the Chiefs. A big reason for the Texans’ improved play in the postseason was the improved play of quarterback C.J. Stroud, who experienced some ups and downs following his breakout rookie season (which can somewhat be attributed to losing two of his top three receivers during the season due to injury). Houston is surely hoping Stroud carries that momentum into the 2025 season. 

Indianapolis Colts: D 

The Colts finished with a losing record for a second time and three years while extending their stretch of non-playoff seasons to four. Indianapolis had several players submit standout seasons, but their efforts weren’t enough to dethrone Houston as AFC South champions. 

Indianapolis’ season was largely defined by Anthony Richardson’s controversial benching and continued struggles. The 2023 first-round pick went 6-5 as the Colts’ starter in 2024 despite completing just 47.7% of his throws and having more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (eight). 

Jacksonville Jaguars: F 

A pretty ugly season for a team that was just two years removed from a playoff win. The Jaguars’ slide at the end of the 2023 season carried into 2024, and it ultimately cost Doug Pederson his job. It didn’t help that quarterback Trevor Lawrence was limited to 10 games due to injuries and didn’t play during the season’s final five weeks. But when he was on the field, Lawrence struggled to find his rhythm, throwing 11 touchdowns against seven picks while completing just 60.6% of his passes. 

One of Jacksonville’s lone bright spots last season was Brian Thomas Jr., who led all rookie wideouts with 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches. 

Kansas City Chiefs: A- 

The Chiefs’ season ended with a thud in the Super Bowl, but the 40-22 loss to the Eagles shouldn’t completely overshadow the things Kansas City achieved in 2024. The Chiefs came up short in their quest in becoming the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, but they are the first repeat champion to make it back to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs also became the first team to play in five Super Bowls over a six-year span. 

Kansas City made it back to the Super Bowl despite wideout Rashee Rice suffering a season-ending injury in Week 4 and running back Isiah Pacheco missing a large chunk of the year after getting injured in Week 2. Pacheco was not the same player when he returned from his injury, which was one of the reasons why the Chiefs’ season ended the way that it did. 

Las Vegas Raiders: D- 

The Raiders took the interim tag off Antonio Pierce after he led the Raiders to a solid finish in 2023. Pierce was unable to duplicate that success in 2024, though, largely because of the simple fact that the Raiders had a roster that had way too many holes, including at quarterback. 

Las Vegas won its first game after trading its best offensive player, wideout Davante Adams. The Raiders would then proceed to lose their next 10 games, with the offense scoring at least 20 points just twice over that span. The team’s biggest bright spot was tight end Brock Bowers, who broke Mike Ditka’s 61-year-old record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end. 

The Raiders would have received an “F” if not for the fact that their dismal season led to the hiring of new head coach Pete Carroll, who is one of just three coaches in history to win a national championship and a Super Bowl. 

Los Angeles Chargers: B+ 

Jim Harbaugh deserves a lot of credit for his quick turnaround in Los Angeles. After going 5-12 in 2023, Harbaugh led the Chargers to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth despite playing in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions. Harbaugh especially excelled when it came to his work with Justin Herbert, who completed nearly 66% of his passes with 23 touchdowns against just three picks. 

One could argue that the Chargers’ season merited an “A-” grade, but their 20-point loss to the Texans was a sour way to end of what was an otherwise impressive season for Harbaugh and his team.   

Los Angeles Rams: B+ 

Like the Chargers, the other Los Angeles-base team earned a “B+” after getting their first playoff win since winning Super Bowl LVI. The Rams dismantled the Vikings (who had gone 14-3 in the regular season) in the wild-card round before giving the eventual champion Eagles everything they could handle in the divisional round. 

The catalyst for the Rams’ success was quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Kyren Williams, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse and a young secondary that continued to improve as the season progressed. The Rams appear to be on the precipice of a new era, though, as the team is trying to trade former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. There are also rumblings that Stafford may also be leaving town. 

Miami Dolphins: D+ 

Injuries to key offensive players largely told the story of the 2024 Dolphins. While the defense played well (finishing 10th in the league in fewest points allowed), their success was largely undone by an offense that was just 22nd in the NFL in scoring and 25th in third-down efficiency. 

Former All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill played through an injury the entire season, fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle also dealt with injuries and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed a combined six games with head and hip injuries. Tagovailoa did play at his usual Pro Bowl level when he was on the field, though, which is one of the main reasons why the Dolphins didn’t receive a lower grade after going 8-9 and missing the playoffs. Miami needs to start investing in the offensive line if it is going to get back to being a playoff team. 

Minnesota Vikings: B+ 

The Vikings doubled their win total from the previous year, winning 14 games while playing in the NFL’s hardest division and with Sam Darnold under center for the entire season. Given all of that, one would think that an “A-” was the lowest grade the 2024 Vikings could receive. 

While most of their season was an “A” effort, the Vikings’ final two games were “D” performances at best. The Vikings were pulverized, 31-9, by the Lions in Week 18 in a game that decided which team would earn the NFC’s top playoff seed. The Vikings lost in a similar fashion to the Rams in the wild-card round. Darnold struggled in both games, but he wasn’t helped much by an offensive line that struggled to keep him upright. 

New England Patriots: D 

New England wasn’t expected to do much this season, so it’s no surprise that it matched its 2023 win total. The Patriots’ biggest bright spot was quarterback Drake Maye, who earned an alternative spot in the Pro Bowl. The biggest negative from the Patriots’ 2024 season was the firing of head coach Jerod Mayo after just one year on the job. 

Mayo’s replacement, former Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champion Mike Vrabel, will quickly try to get new England back to its winning ways. Vrabel has his work cut out for him, however, as the Patriots have many roster needs to fill, especially on the offensive line. 

New Orleans Saints: D- 

New Orleans started the season on fire, winning its first two games by a combined score of 91-29. But the Saints’ fast start proved to be a mirage as the team won just three more games and finished with the franchise’s worst record in 19 years. While they struggled on both sides of the ball, the Saints’ offense was especially putrid down the stretch, as the unit failed to reach 20 points in each of its final six games. Derek Carr’s season-ending injury in Week 10 contributed to the offense’s woes over that span. 

The Saints’ rocky season led to the in-season firing of Dennis Allen. The team has replaced him with Eagles Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who inherits a roster that is currently a league-high $54 million over the cap. Moore’s hiring is the only reason why the 24 Saints didn’t receive a failing grade. 

New York Giants: F

The 2024 Giants were an unmitigated disaster, starting with their decision last offseason to allow Saquon Barkley to test the market. Instead of keeping him, the Giants watched as Barkley had a record-setting season while leading the Eagles to a title. 

One of the reasons why the Giants didn’t re-sign Barkley was because of their commitment to Daniel Jones, who went 2-10 as the Giants’ starter in 2024 before he was benched and ultimately released. 

While most of the season was bad, the Giants did have a few bright spots in rookie Malik Nabers and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Nabers’ 109 receptions are the most all-time by a rookie receiver (Bowers set the all-time rookie receptions record but he’s a tight end.) Lawrence was named to his third straight Pro Bowl despite missing the season’s final five games with an injury. 

New York Jets: F 

No NFL team had a worse season than the Jets, who went 5-12 in a season that started with expectations of a deep playoff run, if not a Super Bowl run. The Jets’ dumpster fire of a campaign included the firing of head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start and the dismissal of GM Joe Douglas in mid-November. There were also reports that Jets owner Woody Johnson’s personnel decisions were being heavily influenced by his sons/”Madden” video game rankings. 

Aaron Rodgers has become the figurehead of the Jets’ failures, but he was only part of the issue. Rodgers’ wasn’t great, but he played most of the season with injuries and behind a subpar offensive line. Largely forgotten was the fact that Rodgers started in each of the team’s 17 games a year after suffering a serious Achilles injury. 

Philadelphia Eagles: A+

You can’t beat the season the Eagles had. Philadelphia won the offseason with the signings of Saquon Barkley and linebacker Zack Baun, the draft selections of defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and the hiring of veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. 

The Eagles’ strong offseason led to an equally strong regular season, going 14-3. Nick Sirianni’s decision to rest Barkley and several other starters in Week 18 — despite Barkley’s possible date with history — ended up being the right decision. It also showed where the Eagles’ collective mindset was entering the postseason. 

Before getting to the Super Bowl, the Eagles hardened themselves with impressive wins over three very solid teams in the Packers, Rams and Commanders in the NFC playoffs. Those games surely helped the Eagles in the Super Bowl, as they raced out to a 34-0 lead before coasting to an 18-point win. Jalen Hurts was named MVP after another historic Super Bowl performance. Philadelphia’s defense was just as dominant, sacking Patrick Mahomes six times and forcing three turnovers of the two-time league MVP. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: C- 

Pittsburgh had a better roster than it had in 2023, but the results were the same. As they did in 2023, the Steelers went 10-7 and suffered an early playoff exit, as the franchise’s drought without a playoff win is now at eight years and counting. 

Justin Fields may have been the biggest positive story from Pittsburgh’s season. Fields helped the Steelers get off to a 4-2 start that included wins over the playoff-bound Broncos and Chargers. Russell Wilson came in after that and won six of his first seven starts, but things unraveled from there. Wilson started to struggle while the Steelers defense fell apart. Pittsburgh ended the season with five straight losses that was capped off with an embarrassing playoff defeat to rival Baltimore. 

One of Pittsburgh’s biggest issues was the lack of depth at receiver, an issue that went unresolved throughout the season despite general manager Omar Khan’s reported attempts to sign an accomplished veteran wideout. The team did trade for Mike Williams before the deadline, but he caught just 10 of 15 targets in 10 games (including the postseason). 

San Francisco 49ers: D 

Brandon Aiyuk’s ongoing holdout last offseason offered a foreshadowing of what was to come for the 2024 49ers. Aiyuk eventually got his long-term deal, but he came into the season out of shape and suffered a season-ending injury in week 7. Aiyuk was one of several notable 49ers players to succumb to injury during the season, a list of players that also included running back Christian McCaffrey and former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. 

The 49ers are likely moving forward without former Pro Bowl wideout Deebo Samuel, who played an integral role in each of the team’s two most recent Super Bowl runs. The team recently granted his request to pursue a trade. 

Seattle Seahawks: B 

Despite winning 10 games for the first time since 2020, the Seahawks missed the playoffs for a third time in four years. While they missed the playoffs, the 2024 season was ultimately a positive year for first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, who led Seattle to a 6-2 finish following a 4-5 start to the campaign. 

The future appears to be bright for the Seahawks, whose roster includes several promising young players in wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, defensive backs Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, and running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker.

Quarterback will be something to keep an eye on this offseason for Seattle, as Geno Smith is entering the final year of his contract. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B

The Buccaneers have improved by one game each year since 2022. That trend continued in 2024 after the Buccaneers went 10-7 en route to a fourth consecutive NFC South division crown. Tampa Bay’s success this past season was can largely be attributed to the play of quarterback Baker Mayfield, who became only the fourth player in history to throw for 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns in a season while also completing at least 70% of his passes. 

Tampa Bay also received a big year from rookie running back Bucky Irving and yet another 1,000-yard campaign from future Hall of Fame wideout Mike Williams. The Buccaneers offense finished fourth in the NFL in scoring despite former Pro Bowl wideout Chris Godwin suffering a season-ending injury in Week 7. 

While they won more regular season games, the Buccaneers won one less playoff game than the 2023 team did. The Buccaneers lost in the wild-card round against a Commanders team that would go on to play in the NFC Championship Game. 

Tennessee Titans: F 

Like several other teams, the Titans weren’t expected to do much in 2024. But while other teams in a similar position took something positive out of their season, it’s hard to find anything positive about what transpired in Nashville, other than the individual play of Tony Pollard and wideout Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who is slated to become a free agent. 

The biggest failure for the Titans this past season was the erratic play of quarterback Will Levis, who dealt with injuries and was even benched at one point. While he did improve his completion percentage, Levis continued to turn the ball over at an alarming rate, something he will have to correct if he is going to be the Titans’ long-term solution at quarterback. 

Washington Commanders: A 

First-year Commanders head coach Dan Quinn presided over the franchise’s best season in 33 years, a season that included two playoff wins and an NFC title game appearance. 

Washington nailed the selection of Jayden Daniels, last year’s No. 2 overall pick. Daniels had quite possibly the greatest season ever by a rookie quarterback. He broke former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III’s rookie quarterback rushing record, and his five touchdown passes in the final 30 seconds of regulation or overtime is an NFL record. 

Daniels was excellent, but the Commanders had other players step up, including 2024 offseason acquisitions Bobby Wagner, fellow linebackers Dante Fowler and Frankie Luvu, rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil, wideout Olamide Zaccheaus, tight end Zach Ertz and offensive lineman Nick Allegretti, among others. Commanders veteran Terry McLaurin reinforced his status as one of the NFL’s premier receivers in 2024.