With the National Football League’s kickoff tonight, fans and teams are preparing for a potentially successful or devastating season. The reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, get the honors of the season opener on Thursday night against the Detroit Lions, which will demonstrate if the Super Bowl team chemistry still exists. Will the Chiefs continue their reign, or will they be outplayed by other anticipated contenders?

Although the Chiefs had a dominant season last year, teams such as the Eagles, 49ers, Bengals, Bills, and Cowboys have the highest odds of dethroning the championship Chiefs. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce suffered a knee hyperextension on Tuesday, which could create a hole within the offense. Tension is also brewing within the Chiefs’ camp, with defensive end Chris Jones holding out on practices in hopes of a new contract. These vital positions that are missing could dent the Chiefs’ ability to win. Freshman Gabe Cox feels that “the Chiefs are the safest option going into the season.”

When questioned about which team they feel will make the biggest leap this year, freshman Ben Ragozino answered, “The Patriots because Bill Belichick always has something up his sleeve.” On the other hand, Freshman Jack Sweet explained that he believes the Vikings will succeed because they have Justin Jefferson and a strong team. In my opinion, the Steelers will take a leap because of the improvement of second-year player Kenny Pickett. The future is looking up for these teams, but some are not quite as lucky, such as your Indianapolis Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts finished last season with a dismal 4-12 record. With this record, the Colts secured the unproven rookie Anthony Richardson. Richardson was seen as a rookie with potential but did not have as much development as other top NFL draft picks like Bryce Young or CJ Stroud. The Colts are looking at another losing season, but Anthony Richardson’s potential gives hope to Colts fans for the future.

So, with thrilling games, upsets, and crunch-time miracles, the next six months will not fail to be electrifying. This NFL season will be a remarkable and incredible journey for fans across the world. With little time left between now and the season, the NFL is now on the clock.