NFL Week 1 is here. Mahomes returns as Burrow, Allen and Jackson face huge seasons

After what seems like endless days and weeks of training camp practices, dry and borderline meaningless preseason games and final roster adjustments, the NFL regular season has arrived.

The league’s 107th campaign kicked off with a rare Wednesday night contest that saw the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks lose quarterback Sam Darnold to a hip injury on the fifth play of the season before rallying to beat the New England Patriots 13-10. The action continued Thursday night with the league’s first Australia-based showdown as the San Francisco 49ers dominated the Los Angeles Rams 27-7.

The show rolls on Sunday with 13 more matchups, and then concludes Monday night when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Denver Broncos.

Here are five of the leading storylines to follow in Week 1.

New faces, new eras

Ten NFL teams play their first games under new head coaches and hope this weekend serves as a springboard toward new heights.

After serving as offensive coordinator for two seasons, Joe Brady takes over as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, who fired Sean McDermott after nine seasons. The Baltimore Ravens turn to former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter after 18 seasons under John Harbaugh. Meanwhile, Harbaugh looks to resurrect a New York Giants team that has endured double-digit loss seasons in eight of the past nine years.

In Pittsburgh, Mike McCarthy reunites with Aaron Rodgers and hopes to reward the Steelers with a Lombardi Trophy in the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s swan song. The Atlanta Falcons have suffered eight straight losing seasons and hope Kevin Stefanski can give them a boost. Stefanski’s former team, the Cleveland Browns, settled on former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, hoping he can bring stability to a murky quarterback situation.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans (Robert Saleh), Arizona Cardinals (Mike LaFleur), Miami Dolphins (Jeff Hafley) and Las Vegas Raiders (Klint Kubiak) also begin new chapters on Sunday.

In the last five seasons, 10 teams have reached the playoffs in their coaches’ first seasons at the helm. Who begins their breakthrough campaign this week?

(Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Falcons at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Browns at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Dolphins at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox; Cardinals at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)

Comeback quests

Some of the league’s biggest stars had their 2025 campaigns cut short by injuries. They return this week, hoping for rebounds that propel their teams back toward contention.

After an electrifying rookie season, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels made just seven appearances last year. His Commanders lost 12 games after reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2024. Daniels returns Sunday against the NFC East favorite Philadelphia Eagles.

Down in Jacksonville, the Browns once again welcome quarterback Deshaun Watson back after a 22-month-long recovery from a pair of Achilles tendon surgeries. Watson endured a rocky preseason, but still edged out Shedeur Sanders for the starting job. Now in the final season of the five-year, $230-million deal the Browns awarded Watson when they acquired him from Houston, the quarterback could be facing his last shot at a starting job.

Up in Minnesota, quarterback Kyler Murray not only returns from the foot injury that cost him 12 games last season, but the 2019 No. 1 pick of the Cardinals also makes his debut with the Vikings. Murray, 29, beat out Minnesota’s 2024 first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, and now aims to elevate Kevin O’Connell’s offense to a level that matches a top-flight defense and return the Vikings to the playoffs.

The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, celebrate the return of quarterback Daniel Jones, who at one point last season directed the most prolific offense in the league while resurrecting his career. Jones and the Colts found themselves in position for a playoff spot until he tore his Achilles in Week 14. Healthy again, the 29-year-old Jones strives to resolve unfinished business.

To cap it all off, Patrick Mahomes returns from the Week 15 knee injury that sealed the Chiefs’ season — ending their 10-year playoff streak and nine-year run as AFC West champions. The two-time MVP returns in prime time and aims to resume his quest to extend the Chiefs’ dynasty.

(Ravens at Colts, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Browns at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Packers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS; Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox; Broncos at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN)

Statement opportunities

It’s only Week 1 and, as they say, the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. But several prominent figures could help ease a heavy degree of scrutiny and take steps toward validation with strong season-opening performances.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has endured an offseason full of questions following his meltdown in the playoffs. Outsiders have debated whether or not Stroud will ever get his team over the hump. The Texans, however, have stood by their quarterback, publicly expressing confidence in his abilities while also working hard to upgrade his supporting cast. Owner Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio did not, however, give Stroud a long-term contract extension — content instead to remain in wait-and-see mode. Stroud has a tough first test against another playoff team (Buffalo) on Sunday. A strong showing in this potential playoff preview could boost his confidence.

Stroud isn’t the only quarterback under the microscope. Bryce Young — the quarterback the Carolina Panthers selected No. 1 in 2023 (one pick before Houston took Stroud) — also has much riding on this season. After two rocky seasons, he ended his 2025 campaign on an upswing and helped the Panthers eke out a playoff berth. But Young also has yet to solidify his long-term future. He can showcase continued growth with a quality performance Sunday while going head-to-head with Caleb Williams, whom the Chicago Bears drafted first in 2024.

Williams, as a whole, had an uneven second NFL season. He continued to struggle with accuracy while completing only 58 percent of his passes. But he did pull off six comeback victories and helped the Bears reach the divisional round of the playoffs. This year’s Madden cover athlete must prove that the positives of last season represent a step towards greatness, and not an aberration.

(Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Bears at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET, Fox)

Super Bowl or bust?

The pressure’s on for three of this generation’s leading quarterbacks. Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen remain in pursuit of their first Super Bowl ring, and all find themselves at the center of organizations at a crossroads.

Jackson, a two-time MVP, and Allen, who also has an MVP, saw their teams fire long-time head coaches. Both the Ravens and Bills opted against experience and instead hope youthful enthusiasm and creativity can help them get over the hump.

In addition to starting over with a new coach, Jackson has looming questions regarding his future with the team. His contract expires after next season, and the Ravens want to resolve that; for now, Jackson is content to bet on himself and see how things play out in Baltimore, both individually and collectively.

Burrow came painfully close to hoisting his first Lombardi trophy, but Aaron Donald and the Rams wrecked a last-minute comeback quest in the Super Bowl following the 2021 season. Since then, he has played only two full seasons (injuries limited him to 10 games in 2023 and eight games last year), and the Bengals haven’t reached the playoffs since 2022. Burrow has at times shown fatigue and discouragement over the injuries and repeated losing seasons, leading some to wonder how long he wants to play (something he tried to squash recently). Meanwhile, if the Bengals suffer a fourth straight losing season, the organization could make significant changes.

All three quarterbacks enter the season with boulder-sized expectations strapped to their backs. Their fans want nothing more than to see tone-setting performances as Allen, Burrow, and Jackson kick off crucial campaigns.

(Buccaneers at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Ravens at Colts, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Tick, tick, tick

It gets late early in the NFL, and already, a handful of coaches need convincing performances to ease mounting pressure.

New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn may only be in Year 2, but given the level of ineptitude his squad displayed in his first season, and the short leashes owner Woody Johnson has extended to his coaches, Glenn seemingly needs a dramatic turnaround in 2026. The Jets ranked dead last on offense and among the worst in the league defensively last season, so Glenn overhauled his coaching staff, and the Jets again hit the reset button at quarterback, hoping a matured Geno Smith can lead them toward improvement. Glenn and the Jets kick off the season against none other than his predecessor, Robert Saleh, and the Titans. An embarrassment at the hands of Saleh would start Glenn and company off on the wrong foot.

Elsewhere, Commanders coach Dan Quinn faces scrutiny after his team regressed in Year 2, going from 12-5 in 2024 to 5-12 in 2025. During his first head coaching stint (in Atlanta), Quinn proved incapable of righting a sinking ship and didn’t make it through his sixth season. A healthy Daniels should help Quinn and Washington’s chances to a large degree, but an offensive line already slowed by injury could make for a rough start against the Eagles’ ferocious defensive front.

Another coach needing a turnaround: Todd Bowles. His Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the division in each of his first three seasons as head coach, and they got off to a strong start last year. Then came a 2-7 slide during which Bowles and his team grappled with injuries at key positions. Bowles retooled his coaching staff this offseason, and general manager Jason Licht delivered a strong draft class. Licht also added key free agents and extended veterans like Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea, so Bowles must deliver accordingly.

Lastly, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell looks to put last season’s disappointment behind him and return his team to the NFC elite. Two years ago, many considered the Lions among the Super Bowl favorites. They reached the conference championship in 2023 and narrowly missed a return the following year. But last season, turnover at the coordinator position, retirements and injuries led to a year of regression. Campbell’s team finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs.

Can upgrades along the offensive line, an expanded role for running back Jahmyr Gibbs, growth from defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, and the arrival of new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing add up to a rebound before the Lions’ window closes?

(Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET, CBS; Buccaneers at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Saints at Lions, 1 p.m. ET, Fox; Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)