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Every NFL team has questions, especially this time of year, as we look ahead to what remains of the long, dry offseason to a season still more than 100 days away. Often, the most important questions are about the most important position -- quarterback. Your team has a quarterback question, whichever team it is. Some are major, such as, "Who the heck is our quarterback, anyway?" Some are more along the champagne-problem lines, such as, "What can our quarterback do to be even more awesome?"

No matter which team you root for or what its QB situation is, we came up with a question that this offseason, this coming season or both will try to answer. Here they are, in all their mid-May glory. Enjoy.

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JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Does Dak Prescott get a contract extension?

Prescott's contract expires after 2024. His cap number this year is a manageable $26.8 million, but next year it balloons to $59.5 million. If the Cowboys don't extend Prescott beyond 2024, they are effectively committing to carrying that cap number and making Prescott prove he deserves a new deal. Given their lack of postseason success with Dak as their QB, this path likely makes the most sense.

Thing is, Cowboys leadership has been very clear, publicly and privately, that they're all-in with Dak. They want him to be a Cowboy for his entire career, and I think it would be very surprising if they didn't do an extension this offseason that knocked down that 2024 cap number and made it clear to the world that Prescott's future in Dallas is not in question.

New York Giants

Can Daniel Jones live up to his contract, and what are the implications if he doesn't?

Paying Jones $40 million a year after a season in which he threw just 15 touchdown passes is the Giants' way of saying (A) they believe in Brian Daboll and their coaching staff and (B) they don't think they gave him nearly enough help last season at receiver and believe they will have better pass-catching options this year.

Jones gave the Giants what they needed last year, but if he's going to be making this kind of money, he has to give them more going forward. He showed toughness and grit in leading them to the playoffs as one of 2022's surprise teams. He'll still be able to use his legs to make plays and keep defenses on their heels. He just has to show more as a passer, and there will come a time when the excuses about the quality of the group around him won't be enough anymore to explain why he hasn't.

Editor's Picks

Philadelphia Eagles

Is Jalen Hurts set up to get back to the Super Bowl ... and win it this time?

Well, sure. The Eagles lost some vets on defense, but they didn't lose them all. And their past couple of drafts have been dedicated to finding replacements for guys who are aging out (or being priced out) on that side of the ball.

In terms of Hurts' side of the ball, the offensive line still looks excellent, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are all still there, and the running back room is deep with explosive playmakers. No, Rashaad Penny and D'Andre Swift haven't always been the healthiest guys, but the Eagles have enough backs that they should be able to get the most out of them when they are on the field. The biggest thing standing in the Eagles' way is the troubling fact that no team has won the NFC East two years in a row in 19 years. But hey, they wouldn't be the first team to make it to the Super Bowl from a wild-card spot!

Washington Commanders

Is Sam Howell really an NFL starter, and what are the implications if he isn't?

*Shrug emoji?* How can anyone know this for sure? Even the people in the Commanders' building? I will say that I had a few scouts and personnel people telling me, prior to the 2022 draft, they thought Howell might turn out to be the best QB in that draft. Washington has seen enough from Howell in one year that it didn't pursue Lamar Jackson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers or any other clear upgrade at quarterback this offseason, and they didn't draft one either.

They have Jacoby Brissett in case something happens to Howell, but they're making good on their statements that Howell will open the season as the guy. He has a nice receiving corps to work with, and if the defense plays well, this is a team that can sneak up on people this year. Heck, the good vibes around the ownership change should make this a more fun and relaxed year in Washington either way. But a lot hinges on whether Howell is really ready to be an NFL starter, and again, I don't see any way anyone can know for sure whether he is.

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

Did the Bears do enough to improve the group around Justin Fields?

Fields took 55 sacks last year, tied with a perpetually flummoxed Russell Wilson for most in the league. Fields was hit 232 times, 21 more times than any other quarterback. His 1,143 rushing yards ranked seventh in the league -- not among quarterbacks, but among all players, regardless of position. It was all very exciting, but it's likely not sustainable, and the Bears will be better in the short term and the long term if they can help Fields develop as a passer. It will diversify and energize their offense and help preserve their franchise QB.

So after acquiring WR Chase Claypool at the trade deadline last year, they got DJ Moore from Carolina in the trade for the No. 1 pick in the draft. They signed guard Nate Davis from Tennessee in free agency and selected tackle Darnell Wright with the 10th pick in the draft. They still plan to lean a bit on a couple of the young linemen they drafted last year, and Cole Kmet emerged throughout last season as a key playmaker at tight end.

The answer to this question, in the big picture, is probably along the lines of "not quite." But Chicago has added enough pieces that Fields should have avenues to show the kind of improvement this year that leads to sustainable long-term success as long as the Bears continue to make him their priority while building out their roster.

Detroit Lions

Is Jared Goff good enough to lead the Lions to playoff success?

Detroit is the hot team this offseason. The Lions knocked the Packers out of the playoffs in Week 18 last year with a stellar prime-time effort that, they believe, announced to the world that they're ready to be much more than we're used to them being. They will open the 2023 season with a prime-time Thursday night showcase against the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. The Lions are going to be a popular pick to win the NFC North, and the way they finished the 2022 season justifies the hope.

Goff was one of the best quarterbacks in the league last year, statistically, ranking fifth in Total QBR, sixth in passing yards, seventh in yards per attempt and fifth in touchdown passes. Over the second half of the season, he threw 15 touchdown passes with no interceptions and led the Lions to a 7-2 record. This is a player who was the No. 1 pick in the draft and once played in the Super Bowl with the Rams. Under Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson's coaching, Goff leading the Lions on a playoff run would absolutely not be the most shocking thing that could happen this season.

Green Bay Packers

Is Jordan Love ready?

The main reason the Packers moved on from Aaron Rodgers is that they had finally, at long last, had enough of Aaron Rodgers. But an ancillary reason is that they picked Love in the first round three years ago and it's past time to figure out whether that was a good choice for their long-term success.

Obviously, the history of Brett Favre and Rodgers as Hall of Famers and Super Bowl champions puts a lot of pressure on Love to be an excellent NFL quarterback. For now, though, the Packers will be happy if he shows the ability to run the offense and lead the team, and can build on what they hope is some early success. There might be more mystery around the Packers than any other 2023 team. If Love turns out to be a 10-year starter, it'll be a very long time before anyone questions "The Packer Way" again.

Who goes first in the 2024 NFL draft?

Todd McShay joins NFL Live to break down the top picks in a way-too-early 2024 NFL Mock draft.

Minnesota Vikings

How much longer for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota? And what's next for the Vikings?

For the first time since he got to Minnesota, the Vikings don't have any contractual mechanism that binds them to Cousins beyond the current season. His contract voids after this season, and they'll carry a $28.5 million dead-money cap hit for him in 2024 no matter what. So, depending on what happens this year, the Vikings could re-sign Cousins, or they could move on from him. Their options are open.

Cousins will be 35 when the season starts, so there's no reason to think this will be his final year playing football. The Vikings don't have a young guy on the roster screaming for a chance, the way the Packers did. Minnesota's current GM and coaching staff inherited Cousins from their predecessors, so questions about whether he's really "their guy" are understandable. Just don't assume this is his final year in Minnesota. There is no post-Cousins plan in place for the Vikings, and depending on the way this season goes, he could (emphasis on could) end up being their best option for 2024 and beyond.

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Is Desmond Ridder really an NFL starter?

The Red Stallions let their 2022 third-round pick start the final four games of their lost season, and while he didn't look overwhelmed, he didn't do much that stood out, either. Like the Sam Howell situation in Washington (and, to some extent, the Jordan Love situation in Green Bay), there's really no way for anyone to know the answer to this question based on anything we've seen.

Ridder was a very good college quarterback on a loaded Cincinnati team that made the College Football Playoff two years ago. He has a lot going for him, experience winning and experience playing in big games. The Falcons' coaching staff and front office saw enough in him last year that they decided not to pursue Lamar Jackson or any other QB options this offseason, so they'll throw him into the pool and see if he can swim. If he can't, Taylor Heinicke likely has to get them safely to shore and they can look at the top of next year's draft for their real long-term solution.

Carolina Panthers

Can Bryce Young have a Joe Burrow-like effect in Carolina?

A Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Burrow hit the ground running with the Bengals in 2020, had them in the Super Bowl at the end of his second season and got them to the brink of a second straight Super Bowl in his third. So yeah, that's a lot to live up to. But when you pick first in the draft and take a QB, that's the kind of effect for which you're hoping.

Burrow took one of the league's most forgettable franchises and turned it into one of the best teams in the league. The Panthers, with an owner who's impatient about winning and a newly installed veteran coaching staff that's not eager to spend its time rebuilding, believe Young has the talent, character, intellect and maturity to be their starter right away. Carolina believes it has a strong offensive line (which is where the Bengals comparisons slip a little) and good, young skill position players around him. I'm not saying there's pressure on Young to be Burrow right away. I'm saying the Panthers wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be capable of something like that.

New Orleans Saints

Can Derek Carr be more in New Orleans than he was with the Raiders?

Carr has always seemed like a quarterback who was just sort of "good enough." As in, good enough that you don't feel a crying need to look for other options, but not quite good enough to really win with. There were flashes, sure. There was that great 2016 season when the Raiders went 12-4 and made the playoffs but Carr broke his leg right at the end of the regular season. There was the run two years ago when they got it together after the Jon Gruden firing and gave the eventual conference champion Bengals a fight in the wild-card round. But Carr never really "got there" in terms of proving himself as quarterback who could elevate a team from good to great.

Now, there are all kinds of stats that show that Carr never had a good defense, let alone a great one, while with the Raiders. And the Saints will probably have a great defense this year. So we might get to find out whether Carr was being held back in Oakland/Vegas by forces beyond his control. But if the Saints have a Raidereqsue, right-around-.500 season and Carr doesn't put up big numbers, then it'll be fair to conclude that we knew who he was all along.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Who starts?

On one hand, it's understandable not to want to anoint a Tom Brady successor and weigh down a guy with that kind of pressure. On the other hand, this is a team that has made the playoffs three years in a row and the camp battle for starting QB is between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. That's not overly exciting, nor is it likely to make Tampa Bay a strong contender to unseat the Eagles as NFC champs. I think it's fair to expect Mayfield to win this competition. But I also think it's fair, if the Bucs do a lot of losing over the first half of the season, to expect them to be active at the trade deadline with an eye toward college prospects Caleb Williams or Drake Maye as their starter for 2024 and beyond.

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

What does the short- and long-term future hold for Kyler Murray in Arizona?

A late-season ACL tear means Murray won't see the field in the early part of the 2023 season, if at all. The Cardinals have a new GM, a new coach, a weak-looking roster and five picks in the first three rounds of next year's draft. So, you ask, could they be thinking of moving on from Murray this time next year? Well, maybe, but it won't be easy. The contract he signed with them last offseason guarantees him $35.3 million in 2024, and if he's still on the roster at the start of the 2024 league year, another $30 million in 2025 money becomes guaranteed.

On one hand, Murray should be eager to get back on the field and show his new employers he's the guy they can count on long term. On the other, the contract really does protect him in case he can't. If you had to bet on this, it's probably safer to think Murray is going to be there for a while. But until we see him on the field again, this situation will remain shrouded in mystery.

Los Angeles Rams

How much longer for Matthew Stafford? And what's next for the Rams?

The Rams will never regret the move they made to get Stafford before the 2022 season. They went all-in to win the Super Bowl, and they did it. But coming off a 5-12 season in which Stafford struggled to stay on the field, L.A. has to be looking toward the future.

The problem is Stafford's contract is a bit of an albatross. He's signed through 2026, and his $31 million 2024 salary is already fully guaranteed. The Rams would have an $86.5 million dead-money cap hit if they cut him next offseason and a $55.5 million one if they traded him. He's 35 years old, so he's not necessarily thinking retirement, and if he has a good, healthy season, maybe they can get enough in return for him to justify that hit. But the Rams could be in for a rough ride, record-wise, in the coming seasons.

And with late-round flyer Stetson Bennett the only other QB on the roster and the Rams actually armed with a first-round pick for the first time since 2016, could we be looking at the possibility of them keeping a Southern California QB in Southern California next April, when USC's Caleb Williams is expected to be among the top draft prospects?

San Francisco 49ers

Is Brock Purdy healthy? Whither Trey Lance? Can Sam Darnold still be a thing?

This could be the stiffest test yet for Kyle Shanahan's ability to win in spite of a shaky quarterback situation. Purdy and Lance are both coming off season-ending injuries. Lance is likely to be back sooner, but he still hasn't shown much, and it's possible newcomer Darnold (yes, same guy) could be the Week 1 starter.

The sense around the Niners is that Purdy would be the clear-cut starter if he were healthy, but he's not, which opens up a lot of possibilities. Can Lance finally make good on the promise the Niners saw in him when they moved up in the draft to take him third overall? Could there be a trade market for Lance? Can Darnold resurrect his career under Shanahan? Is Purdy, once healthy, really the player he was over the final couple of months last year? And how long will the rest of this roster be excellent enough to succeed with a constantly shifting QB situation?

The 49ers look like one of the best teams in the league on paper, but QB questions have sunk great-looking teams in the past. Heck, they've sunk great-looking 49er teams in the recent past.

Seattle Seahawks

Can Geno Smith do it again, and what happens if he doesn't?

Smith finished seventh last season in Total QBR, eighth in passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes. His late-career revival was one of the most fun stories of the season, and he was rewarded with a nice contract extension as a result. Unlike the Daniel Jones deal in New York, Smith's extension was quite reasonable -- three years, $75 million with $27.3 million guaranteed and nothing guaranteed beyond this year. So Seattle does want to see him do it again. But they also did not use the fifth overall pick in the draft to find a long-term successor, so that signals that they believe he can.

Seattle drafted Smith a first-round wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and spent much of the offseason building out the defense, so the Seahawks' moves indicate they believe they can support him. The way Smith played last year gives them reason to believe they can be a strong NFC contender with their roster and their coaching staff, and at age 32, Smith has some runway in front of him to continue as a successful starting QB.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

Can Josh Allen fix his turnover problem?

Allen entered the 2022 season as the odds-on MVP favorite, and by several measures he had an excellent season. Only Patrick Mahomes (who won the award) threw more touchdown passes and had a higher QBR. But Allen's 14 interceptions were only one short of the league lead shared by Dak Prescott and Davis Mills, and a league-leading five of those interceptions came in the red zone. Allen looked last year like a guy who was being asked to carry too much of the load, and it's easy to understand why.

Until drafting tight end Dalton Kincaid this year, the Bills hadn't drafted an offensive player in the first round other than Allen since 2014 (though it's important to remember they used their 2020 first-round pick to acquire Stefon Diggs). Allen is the team's second-leading rusher since he entered the league, just 64 yards behind Devin Singletary, who now plays for Houston. Kincaid should help, but the wide receiver group doesn't appear noticeably better than it was last year, and the running back corps is being overhauled. If the problem was Allen being asked to do too much, I'm not sure it has been solved.

Miami Dolphins

Can Tua Tagovailoa stay on the field?

This is just about the only question about the Dolphins' offense. In three years in the NFL, Tagovailoa has yet to play more than 13 games in a season. His high-profile concussions last year kept him from finishing the season. And while the Dolphins and Tagovailoa say he has been fully cleared and will be healthy for training camp and the regular season, the specter of potential injury (and specifically concussion) will hang over Tagovailoa until he puts his early-career health issues behind him.

It might be unfair to label a 25-year-old player "injury prone," but that is the rap on Tagovailoa. This Dolphins offense is all set to operate at warp speed and contend for the AFC title if it can get the kind of reliable QB play Tagovailoa delivered when he was on the field last year. But can he stay on the field?

New England Patriots

Can Bill O'Brien save Mac Jones?

New England's first-round pick in the 2021 draft, Jones showed promise as a rookie in leading the Patriots to the playoffs. But after that season, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to become the Raiders' head coach, and Bill Belichick replaced him with former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and former special teams coach Joe Judge. It didn't work, at all, and while Patricia (who's now in Philadelphia) was the one who took most of the external criticism for it, the fact is it was Belichick's questionable decision that put Patricia, Judge and Jones in difficult spots.

This offseason, Belichick brought back O'Brien, who was the Pats' OC in 2011, and he'll be charged with getting Jones back on track. The Patriots still don't appear to have surrounded Jones with a very inspiring group of receivers, but the hope is O'Brien's experience on the offensive side of the ball will set things right and allow Jones to continue to develop.

New York Jets

Do the Jets have enough protection for Aaron Rodgers?

The Steelers trading up one spot ahead of them for Georgia's Broderick Jones was a setback for the Jets, who really could have benefited from adding a first-round tackle to their offensive line group. Second-round center Joe Tippmann fills a big need, and maybe at some point they get something out of fourth-round tackle Carter Warren. But from right here, it looks as if their starting tackles might be Mekhi Becton and 38-year-old veteran Duane Brown.

Becton was a first-round pick just three years ago, and if he plays like one, the Jets might well be fine at the tackle positions. But he has missed 33 of a possible 34 games over the past two seasons because of injury, and as a result he's a tough guy to count on. Bringing in former Packers OT Billy Turner could help, especially because it's a move Rodgers must have liked. But an otherwise strong-looking roster has questions to answer at key spots on the offensive line, and the success of the Jets' big move for Rodgers could depend on their ability to answer them.

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Will Todd Monken's offense take Lamar Jackson to a new level of success?

Since drafting Jackson in 2018, the Ravens rank first in the NFL in rushing attempts and 31st in pass attempts. It's kind of an open secret that Jackson and his receivers believe they can do more than has been asked of them, and the change in offensive coordinators from Greg Roman to Monken might have been designed to give them a chance to show it.

Monken's offense relies on maximizing space -- trying to stress defenses not just vertically but also sideline to sideline. He's also likely to employ more no-huddle concepts (Baltimore ranks near the bottom of the league in no-huddle plays since 2018 as well). Adding Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency and Zay Flowers in the first round of the draft is a clear sign from the organization to Jackson that it wants to build a better passing game around him. Now that Jackson's contract situation is settled and he can join the offseason program, the Ravens can all get to work finding out how much more Jackson can do than he has been asked since he entered the league.

Cincinnati Bengals

Will Joe Burrow's new deal leave room for others?

Cincinnati's brilliant, young signal-caller is eligible for a contract extension for the first time this offseason. And with the Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson deals finalized, the framework for a Burrow deal seems pretty clear. He's likely to come in around or above Jackson's average of $52 million per year. The question will be how the deal is structured and how it affects the team's ability to re-sign other young stars, such as wide receivers Tee Higgins (also eligible for an extension this offseason) and Ja'Marr Chase (next offseason).

Will Burrow be willing to do a team-friendly structure like Hurts, Patrick Mahomes and others have done to keep his cap numbers low in the early seasons? Would he be willing to just wait, play out his rookie deal and risk a 2025 franchise tag while the team takes care of other business? The Bengals' ability to sign Burrow to a long-term extension will be the dominant storyline around the team in the coming months, and the manner in which the situation is resolved could tell us a lot about Cincinnati's ability to remain one of the best teams in the NFL for years to come.

Cleveland Browns

Can Deshaun Watson return to the 2020 version of himself at quarterback?

Watson missed the entire 2021 season because he didn't want to play for the Texans anymore, and he was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2021 season after a league investigation found he'd violated the personal conduct policy by committing sexual misconduct in his interactions with massage therapists. So it has been a while since we've seen the version of Watson that led the league in passing yards three years ago. But he doesn't turn 28 until September, so it's reasonable to think he can be that kind of player again. And this offseason should be free of the kinds of self-inflicted problems that dominated his 2022 summer. The Browns are counting on a return to his early-career form to vault them into contention and justify the price they paid to acquire him as their long-term franchise quarterback.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Is Kenny Pickett the long-term answer?

Did you know that, over the second half of the 2022 season, Pickett went 6-2 and ranked eighth in the NFL in Total QBR? Well, I didn't until I just looked it up. He wasn't particularly dazzling during this stretch -- a 59.4 completion percentage and just five touchdown passes over that stretch aren't the kinds of numbers that get them to bust out the chisels in Canton. But it would be silly to say he didn't show progress as the season went on.

The Steelers' passing game was one of the worst in the league, with a seems-like-a-typo total of 12 touchdown passes on the season. They didn't change coordinators -- Matt Canada is returning -- and the big addition to the receiving corps was a 30-year-old Allen Robinson, who has caught a total of 71 passes over the past two years. So it might be that the Steelers aren't in position this year to figure out whether Pickett is the long-term answer. But if they continue to see the kind of tangible progress he showed in the second half of his rookie season, that'll at least be something.

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

Do the Texans have enough support for C.J. Stroud?

It's no coincidence the Texans extended the contract of guard Shaq Mason last week. That extension and the second-round selection of guard/center Juice Scruggs means that four of the Texans' five projected offensive line starters are signed beyond 2023. (Tytus Howard is the only exception, for now.) Knowing that Stroud's college numbers suffered when the pocket collapsed, Houston wants to make sure the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft is well protected as he transitions to the pro game.

The next question is whether he has enough at receiver to make a mark in 2023. The Texans traded away Brandin Cooks, signed Robert Woods and drafted Tank Dell in the third round. They're also hoping for something from 2022 second-round pick John Metchie, who missed his rookie season while undergoing treatment for leukemia. But this group will be a work in progress, and the addition of Devin Singletary to a running back room that already included Dameon Pierce indicates that the run game will be a big part of the short-term plan.

Indianapolis Colts

Will Anthony Richardson be ready?

The accepted pre-draft maxim was that Richardson was a project player who would need time to develop before you could use him in NFL games. The Colts aren't so sure. They believe he has already made significant improvements to his lower-body mechanics due to the work he has done this offseason with private quarterback coach Will Hewlett. They believe they could use him in the run game now if they needed to. They're 100% confident in his character and intuitive ability to weather growing pains. They aren't going to rush him into the starting role if they think doing so would hurt him or set him back, but they also aren't going to hold him out of the role just for the sake of doing so. Don't be surprised if Richardson plays early in the season, maybe even opening as the Week 1 starter at QB.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Is Trevor Lawrence ready to join the AFC's elite quarterbacks?

Lawrence's second NFL season -- and his first with a real head coach -- was a rousing success. Lawrence and the Jaguars rode a strong second half to a division title and a first-round playoff victory over the Chargers. Heck, they were in decent position to upset the Chiefs in the second round if their defense hadn't made the inexplicable decision not to pressure an injured Patrick Mahomes in the second half.

But the question here is whether Lawrence can build on his 2022 success. He was middle of the pack in QBR, completion percentage and a number of other key stats, including clean-pocket accuracy. He threw only eight interceptions, but there are numbers that show he had some good luck in avoiding others. Some of this is nitpicking a young player, but right now you have to be a dude to be counted among the elite quarterbacks in the AFC. Lawrence should have no problem winning the AFC South for the second year in a row. The question is whether he can go toe to toe with the likes of Mahomes, Burrow, Rodgers, etc., in the biggest games.

Tennessee Titans

Is the clock ticking for Ryan Tannehill? What's the soonest we could see Will Levis?

The Titans did not trade up to take a quarterback in the first round of this year's draft, but they did trade up in the second round to select Kentucky's Levis with the draft's 33rd overall pick. That indicates at least some level of expectation that Levis can be Tennessee's starter, and relatively soon. The question is when.

Tannehill, who revived his career after a 2019 trade from Miami to Tennessee, is entering the final year of his contract and is scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed $27 million this year. There's currently no indication that the Titans plan to move on from Tannehill this offseason and install Levis as the 2023 starter, but if Levis were to advance quickly and win the job away from Tannehill (as Tannehill himself did to Marcus Mariota four years ago), the Titans have options.

At his relative bargain price, Tannehill would surely be of interest to quarterback-needy teams, either this summer or before this year's trade deadline. If the Titans struggle in the first half of the season and Levis shows enough progress, don't be surprised to hear Tannehill's name in trade talks come late October.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Can Sean Payton save Russell Wilson?

These two have been talking about working together for a few years now, and in 2023 they'll get their chance. But after the way Wilson played in his first season in Denver, you could forgive Payton for wondering what he has gotten himself into. Things should be better organized around the Broncos this year than they were under Nathaniel Hackett, but the knock on Wilson has been that he struggles to play within the structure of an offense. Payton's offense provides plenty of structure, and if Wilson struggles the way he did in 2022, the Broncos are going to be looking for an exit strategy to get out of that big contract extension they gave Wilson last summer.

Kansas City Chiefs

Can Patrick Mahomes do it again with these wide receivers?

Uh ... are you going to bet against him? The whole question this time last year was whether Mahomes could excel without Tyreek Hill and with a group of castoffs that included JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. All Mahomes did was lead the Chiefs to the best record in the league while winning the MVP award and his second Super Bowl title. So this year, with Smith-Schuster gone and Richie James the only real free agent signing they made to replace him, why should we doubt Mahomes?

Add in a full year with Kadarius Toney, who came over at the trade deadline last year and was one of the most important players in that Super Bowl win, a second season with 2022 second-rounder Skyy Moore, 2023 second-rounder Rashee Rice and maybe even former Clemson star Justyn Ross, who was an undrafted free agent signing last year, and yeah, Mahomes should be fine. By the way, Travis Kelce didn't retire.

Las Vegas Raiders

Can Jimmy Garoppolo stay healthy?

There are plenty of reasons to like the marriage of Garoppolo and Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas. They worked together in New England once upon a time, so Garoppolo knows the offense and should have no problem developing a rhythm with his playcaller. Garoppolo won a lot of games for the 49ers and, with guys like Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs around him, is well positioned to deliver for the Raiders what he did for San Francisco. The question about Garoppolo is always health. Only once in his career has he played a full season, and that was 2019. With Brian Hoyer and fourth-round rookie Aidan O'Connell behind Garoppolo on the depth chart, the Raiders can't afford a long Garoppolo absence if they want to contend for an AFC playoff spot.

Los Angeles Chargers

Can Kellen Moore take Justin Herbert to the next level?

Fired in Dallas for scoring too many points, Moore was out of work for about 30 seconds before the Chargers snatched him up. He helped Dak Prescott become a top QB, and Herbert probably has higher-end skills overall, so it's exciting to think about Moore and Herbert working together. Over the three years he has played in the league, Herbert has ranked fourth in QBR, behind only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers. Only those three, Kirk Cousins and Tom Brady have thrown more touchdown passes over that time, and only Mahomes and Brady have more passing yards. Statistically, Herbert is already one of the very best quarterbacks in the league. Any improvement at all under Moore would make him an MVP candidate.