We are almost there football fans. All 32 NFL teams will be returning to training camp very soon. Rookies will be reporting to camp starting next Tuesday. Veterans will report a few days later and camps will be off to a start. 

With that said, every team in this league is going to have questions that they'll be looking for answers to during camp. But what are the biggest question surrounding every team? I'm talking about the burning questions. The ones that need answering more than any other. 

We've thought about every team and the state they're in and these are the questions we've come up with. Let's jump into it. 

Arizona Cardinals: Is Kyler Murray the guy?

The former first overall pick has been so hot and cold during his career. He had a pretty decent 2021 season, but then followed it up with the worst year of his career and had a public rift with head coach Kliff Kingsbury. The Cardinals were a good team in 2021, but they were completely forgettable in 2022. Can they rebound from that? I’m not sure if they can unless Murray rebounds first. The team went out and got him a new left tackle. Let’s see if that will help. 

Atlanta Falcons: Is Desmond Ridder ready for this?

It’s been a long time since the Falcons had to look for a new franchise quarterback. Matt Ryan was there for 14 seasons before they traded him tot he Colts and brought in Marcus Mariota to bridge the gap. Now it’s Ridder’s turn to see if he can take up the mantle. Ridder started four games for the Falcons last season and he looked ok doing so. But now he has to go out and do it full time. The Falcons have set him up for success with  Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Can he rise to the occasion though? We’re going to find out soon.

Baltimore Ravens: Is Lamar Jackson happy?

I’m sure Ravens fans might have a different question in mind, but from the outside, all I can think about with this team is Lamar Jackson. The Ravens did just sign him to a mega five year $260 million deal, but before that, things looked pretty contentious between him and the team. Right now it seems like everything is ok, but that’s what we all thought about Aaron Rodgers and the Packers after they signed him to a major deal last summer. Rodgers plays for the Jets now. Will Lamar go through a similar story? 

Buffalo Bills: Is the whole Stefon Diggs thing nothing?

This Bills team is ready for big things. They’re right there on the door step. The problem from the outside is that I can’t tell you where Stefon Diggs head is at right now. He’s such an important part of the Bills offense and yet this whole offseason has been made out to look like he doesn’t want to be there anymore. Part of it was his doing when he walked out of the Bills locker room with all his stuff after the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs and then missed the first day of mandatory mini-camp. Part of it comes from us in the media. What’s really happening here? 

Carolina Panthers: Did they pick the right quarterback?

This was the story of the NFL draft. The Panthers gave away a ton in a trade with the Bears so they could move up in the draft and have the first pick. They chose to go with Alabama’s Bryce Young. So far the reports on Young have been good, but we’re anxious to see what things look like when the pads go on and the games start up. Finding your next franchise quarterback is not an easy process. There’s been a lot of guys over the years that didn’t work out. Did the Panthers find one who will? 

Chicago Bears: Can Justin Fields pass the ball?

There is no doubt that Justin Fields is a phenomenal athlete. He can beat you up with his feet. Just ask the Lions, he ran for 288 of his 1,143 rushing yards against them last season. Still, Fields hasn’t shown that he can do the one thing that quarterbacks are really needed for in the NFL, pass. In two seasons Fields has put up 4,112 yards, 24 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. That’s pretty bad. The Bears went out and strengthened his offensive line and even got him a a solid number one receiver in D.J. Moore. Can he improve with that? 

Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals take the next step?

The next step of course is being the best team in the NFL. They are so close right now. All they have to do is get over a few humps. One of those humps being the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The last thing anyone wants to be is that team that was really good, but wasn’t good enough to do anything big. Those teams get forgotten in the end. The Bengals can, in theory, win it all in 2023. Can they do it real life?

Cleveland Browns: Can Deshaun Watson return to form?

There was a time when Deshaun Watson was one of the best quarterbacks in the league. That was before he missed the 2021 season and before he was accused of sexual assault by 30 women. Last year he returned to the field and his play was quite underwhelming. The Browns doled out a lot of cash to make this happen and so far, everything about it has looked bad for them. The Browns need Watson  to return back to the player he was before he got accused of sexual assault by 30 women, or this is going to wind up being another blunder  on their long record of quarterback blunders.

Dallas Cowboys: Can the Cowboys offense keep it up with Brian Schottenheimer?

The Cowboys are such an interesting team. They are coming off two hilariously bad playoff mishaps in a row and now they’re going into things with a new offensive coordinator. The Cowboys offense was pretty good under Kellen Moore. They were third in total points. Can Schottenheimer keep that pace going for the Cowboys? A new OC often brings a brand new playbook and brand new philosophies. How long could it take before things start to mesh together?  

Denver Broncos: Can Sean Payton help Russell Wilson rebound?

Russell Wilson turned into a robot in 2023. Not a good robot, but like a bad robot that says and does all the wrong things and isn’t that great at football. This robot believes that there is no greater robot mechanic than former Saints robot mechanic Sean Payton. Can Payton go in and rewire and do a system update on Wilson? History tells us that he can. Payton is too good of a coach and Wilson has shown to be too good of a quarterback for this to fail. Will they win a Super Bowl? No. Will they be a better team than last year? Probably. 

Detroit Lions: Can Jared Goff shake off the whole regression thing?

Jared Goff is coming off the best year of his career and it seems like everyone is just waiting for the regression to hit. After all, that’s what happened to Goff the last time he had a really great season. He took the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018 and then things started to point downwards for him until he was traded to the Lions. The good news is that the Lions held onto offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and they went out and got him a few new weapons in David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta. Goff has everything he needs to beat the regression. He just needs to go out and do it. 

Green Bay Packers: Is Jordan Love the guy? or is it rebuild time?

Everyone and their mothers knew this would be the question we would go with for the Packers. They went from Brett Farve to Aaron Rodgers and now for the firs time in my life, the Packers have a big question mark at quarterback. Jordan Love has gigantic shoes to fill and we don’t even know how big his feet are because we’ve never really seen them before. He is the only thing standing in the way of a massive rebuild for this team. Frankly, I think they should rebuild regardless of how things work out with Love, butt that’s a story for another day. Can Jordan Love succeed? 

Will the big swing pay off

I really commend Nick Caserio and the Texans for what they did in the first round of the draft this year. They drafted their quarterback of the future and then turned around and traded up to the next pick and got the best defensive player in the draft. That was very big swing. It’s the kind of swing that you need to at least hit a triple with. If Caserio winds up striking out, he’s probably going to be looking for a new job. You really only get one chance at finding the right quarterback. If you can’t do that and you struck out on the edge rusher you traded assets to get, that’s about as bad as it gets. I think the Texans will be ok though. Both of these guys should do just fine in the NFL. 

Indianapolis Colts: Did the Colts finally get it right at quarterback

Andrew Luck retired in 2019. That wasn’t that long ago. Since then, seven different quarterbacks have started games for the Colts. They’ve proven to themselves that getting the veteran quarterback doesn’t work. Now they’re trying their hand at the highly drafted quarterback. Richardson was a lot of peoples favorites at Florida last year and he showed that he has top end athleticism. His mechanics need some work, but he should be a good quarterback once he puts it all together. Maybe I’m answering thar question myself. I think he’s good. Will he prove me right? 

Jacksonville Jaguars: Can Calvin Ridley pick up where left off?

Calvin Ridley was once one of the leagues up coming receivers. That was in 2020. Things have been a big question mark since then. In 2021 he stepped away from football because he was dealing with some mental health issues. By the way, I recommend that anyone experiencing mental health issues should do what’s best of them and seek help. Ridley then got suspended for the entire 2022 season for violating the leagues gambling policy. Now he’s back and with a new team. The Jaguars have a very dangerous offense as it is, if Ridley can get back to the guy we saw in 2020, watch out.  

Kansas City Chiefs: Will there be a Super Bowl hangover?

Not long ago I thought that the whole Super Bowl hangover thing was kind of overblown. Then the Rams suffered the worst Super Bowl hangover in NFL history. Is that something that can happen to this Chiefs team? They so often seem like they’re bulletproof, but its often the teams you think won’t have problems that wind up having problems. Ultimately, my prediction is that the Chiefs will do just fine and make a deep playoff run yet again. But you never know.  

Las Vegas Raiders: Will the Patriot way work in Vegas?

Probably not. Raiders fans are going to hate me for saying that, but I don’t understand why teams continue to try and recreate the Patriots in another city. Josh McDaniels is on his second try and it’s not going well so far. Now they’re bringing in new quarterback and, shocker, it’s a former Patriots quarterback. I think Jimmy Garoppolo gets too much flack and isn’t a bad quarterback, but I don’t know if he can help make things work in Vegas. We’ll see where things go once pads get on. I can tell you from experience that the Patriot way thing can turn out to be a nightmare that you can’t wait to wake up from. 

Los Angeles Chargers: Can Kellen Moore help the Chargers offense?

The Chargers are a weird team. They feel like a team that should be a lot louder than they are. There’s a lot of talent there and they are coming off another playoff berth, but it seems like nobody cares or really believes in them. The Chargers offense was good in 2022, but I think Moore should help them be better. Especially in the pass game. Justin Herbert is a much better quarterback than Dak Prescott. Moore wrung all he could out of the latter. It should be fun to see what he can get out of Herbert.

Los Angeles Rams: Can Matthew Stafford still go?

I covered Matthew Stafford for seven years. I know how tough this guy is and how hard it is to keep him off the field. But I also know that the body gives out before the mind does. Stafford has been dealing with back issues and elbow issues since final years in Detroit. It’s gotten to the point where it was bad enough to shut Stafford down last season. Can he rebound? Can Stafford still get out there and play at a high level? It’s crazy to be asking this question about a guy who just led the Rams to a Super Bowl win in 2021, but its a legitimate question.

Miami Dolphins: Can Tua Tagovailoa still go?

The Dolphins can be a very good team in 2023. That offense is just explosiveness personified. The defense is pretty good too. They could make a run at this thing. But is it safe for their quarterback to be on the field? It’s weird that this question isn’t asking more often. We saw Tua go down with a concussion multiple times in 2022. They’re all scary, but the one where he had a fencing response was one of the scariest ones ever. Those weren’t his first concussions. He’s had this problem going back to his days at Alabama. It just doesn’t seem wise to chance this, but that’s what’s happening. So the big question here is can Tua play the game without suffering another concussion. Maybe the bigger question is should he even try?

Minnesota Vikings: What is this team?

It looks like a rebuild and it smells like one too. But the Vikings will tell you all day that it isn’t. This team was the leagues biggest pretenders last year and then they went out a lost just about everyone from that team. They have a bunch of expiring contracts, including Kirk Cousins, and I just can’t tell you where this team is headed. I think they have the right GM and the right coach, but they have the wrong direction for their team. Then again, I’ve been surprised before and I’m sure I will be again in my life. Maybe the Vikings shock everyone. I don’t think they will, but maybe they do. 

New England Patriots: Will Hopkins sign with the Pats?

I think there might be a bigger question out there. Like is this Bill Belichick’s last stand? But that is a question for another time. Right now the question is will they get Hopkins to sign. He’s only visited two teams since the Cardinals let him go. The Patriots were one of those teams. The Pats are probably the best fit for him too. He can immediately be the teams number one option there and can probably get a nice check for doing so. Camp is a week away and this guy still hasn’t signed anywhere. I think this is the best place to do it. Will he or won’t he? 

New Orleans Saints: Can Derek Carr point this team in the right direction

The Saints are a good football team and a quarterback away from being a playoff contender. Do they have that quarterback now? Derek Carr and the Raiders had a really bad breakup recently. Everyone will tell you that he wasn’t the problem in in Las Vegas. I’m not sure if that’s true or not. Carr needs to show us that’s true in New Orleans. The good thing is that he has Michael Thomas and Chris Olave to help him out with that. 

New York Giants: Will Saquon Barkley be there when camp starts?

The Giants and Barkley are working on a new deal and as of this very moment, nothing has been worked out. The Giants have one more week to get it done or it’s holdout time. This is by far their biggest concern considering Barkley is their top offensive weapon and maybe the best running back in the NFL. Can the Giants get it done under the wire? 

New York Jets: Was Aaron Rodgers regression in 2022 an anomaly?

Jets fans are super happy to have the former MVP on their team this year. So happy that it seems like they totally ignored how bad he was last year. Rodgers had arguably the worst season of his career in 2022. It was at least his worst season since his first year as a starter for the Packers. You could make the argument that he didn’t have any weapons in Green Bay, but the Jets just moved all those guys over to New York with him. He does have Garrett Wilson though. That should help. But will help enough to get Rodgers back on the track he was on before 2022? 

Philadelphia Eagles: Can Jalen Hurts keep it up?

Jalen Hurts went from an ok quarterback to an MVP candidate last year. My only question is who is the real Jalen Hurts? Is it the MVP guy or the ok guy? I’m not quite ready to say that it’s the MVP guy. I need to see him do it again. I know that sucks and I shouldn’t, but I do. Can Jalen Hurts go out and have the same or a better type of season in 2023? He has all the weapons he needs to do it. 

As a secondary question, I wonder if this whole draft, sign and trade every player int he league that played for Georgia thing will work out.  

Pittsburgh Steelers: How will Kenny Pickett look in year two?

The Steelers seemed to have found their replacement for Ben Roethleisberger in Kenny Pickett. At least that’s what they think at this moment. Pickett started 12 games for the Steelers in his rookie year and the results were mixed. On one hand, the Steelers went 7-5 in those games. On the other hand, Pickett threw nine interceptions. Rookie quarterbacks are prone to early mistakes and Pickett sure had his share. Can he get over those and have a better sophomore outing? The Steelers seem to believe that he can. They’re going with him. 

San Francisco 49ers: Who’s playing quarterback for this team?

I asked a 49ers fan at the bar the other day and he said that didn’t matter. He was implying that the 49ers would be good regardless of who plays under center. I’m not sure he’s wrong. This team made it to the NFC championship game last year with the very last player selected in the draft. Then they put up a fight when they guy went down with an injury. Personally., I think Sam Darnold should be the guy here. I think he’s a good quarterback that’s only played for bad teams that have done nothing to support him. Brock Purdy will be a lot of peoples pick, but I just don’t believe in that guy. Especially if it doesn’t matter who plays quarterback for this team.

Seattle Seahawks: Is the Geno Smith thing real?

You have to love the Geno Smith story. Here’s a guy that was kind of an afterthought in the NFL. He was the second highest selected quarterback of the 2013 NFL Draft and things didn’t work out with the Jets. He had just roamed around being a backup and then earned the starting job with the Seahawks and led them to the playoffs. He even got a Pro Bowl nod out of it. But is it real? Did Geno just have a good year or is he next Case Keenum? A guy that comes out of nowhere with a great season and then quickly disappears? I hope it’s not the latter. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask?

What a quarterback controversy am I right? I’m not sure anyone wins here regardless of who gets the starting job. Baker Mayfield has struggled a lot since his big season in 2020 and he’s bounced around a bit. Kyle Trask was supposed to be the heir apparent to this gig, but we’ve seen next to nothing from him, so the jury is out there. Ultimately I think Mayfield wins the job, but I don’t think he sticks around for very long. The Buccaneers will probably be looking to get USC’s Caleb Williams like a bunch of other teams will.  

Tennessee Titans: Can Derrick Henry still hold this team on his back?

I know the bigger question might be what’s happening at quarterback, but that’s exactly why the real question is how much longer can this team ride Derrick Henry? He ran the ball 349 times last season. That’s more than any other running back in the league. Can they do that again? Can Henry’s body handle it? I know this guy deadlifts tanks and squats helicopters, but eventually too much is too much. 

Washington Commanders: Who’s playing quarterback here?

The Commanders have a real issue here. They need to find a quarterback and they don’t really have the best options on the roster. Sam Howell seems to be the favorite thus far. They took Howell in the fifth round last year and he has one start under his belt. A start that did not go all that well. Yeah, the Commanders won that game, but not because of Howell. The other option is Jacoby Brissett. he actually looked decent for the Browns last year before Watson showed up. That’s Brissett though. He always looks decent. He might be the best career backup around. It should be interesting to see how this turns out. 

Featured image by Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports