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The 2022 NFL season is right here, and issues look a lot completely different than final yr throughout the league.
The offseason had a number of motion due to blockbuster trades and free-agent acquisitions. The Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, the Green Bay Packers shipped Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks moved Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. These had been only some of the acquainted faces in new locations heading into Week 1.
Reunions and revenge video games will likely be plentiful this season. Week 1’s motion featured all types of previous relationships — ones that ended on good phrases, harsh breakups and faculty connections had been a number of the subplots this weekend.
This is what occurred on this week’s NFL reunion video games, together with some backstory to get you on top of things.
Wilson opens the season in opposition to his outdated staff on Monday Night time Soccer (8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN). In March, the Broncos acquired Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round decide from the Seahawks for quarterback Drew Lock, tight finish Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks (2022 — No. 9 general — and 2023), two second-round picks (2022 — No. 40 general — and 2023) and a 2022 fifth-round choice.
Wilson expressed his displeasure with Seattle in the course of the 2021 offseason, citing the variety of hits he took throughout a season.
Learn extra: Inside the Russell Wilson-Seattle Seahawks breakup
The Seahawks did not commerce Wilson that offseason and the staff completed final within the division with a 7-10 file for the 2021 season. Wilson additionally missed time due to a finger harm — the primary time he was out attributable to harm in his profession. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll stated the staff had “no intentions” of buying and selling Wilson on the NFL draft mix in February, however he was moved to Denver weeks later.
Wilson addressed dealing with his former staff and the twelfth man throughout this offseason.
“I feel it should be an thrilling time,” Wilson said at a information convention in Might. “Clearly, Seattle’s meant the world to me over the previous 10 years. It is a particular place to play.”
Ultimate rating: 26-24, Browns
Mayfield and the Panthers confronted the Browns in what might have been seen as a revenge sport for the Carolina signal-caller. Cleveland traded its 2018 No. 1 overall pick to Carolina for a 2024 conditional draft decide in July, almost 4 months after acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans. Mayfield performed 4 seasons for the Browns, serving to the staff win their first playoff sport in 26 years within the 2020 wild-card spherical in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A torn labrum suffered in Week 2 of the 2021 season hampered Mayfield and he completed twenty seventh in QBR that yr.
Whereas the Browns had been within the operating for Watson in March, Mayfield requested a commerce from the staff, saying it was “in the very best pursuits of each side” to maneuver on. He posted a message on social media thanking the Cleveland followers “who really embraced who I’m and the mentality that aligned so nicely with this metropolis’s onerous working folks.” The Browns initially denied Mayfield’s commerce request earlier than buying Watson.
Learn extra: Deshaun Watson suspended 11 games, fined $5 million after settlement between NFL, NFLPA
Mayfield mentioned dealing with his former staff in August.
“Clearly, there’s a number of attachment there,” Mayfield said. “I am not going to sit down right here and be a robotic and say it doesn’t suggest something. It can … However after Week 1, there’s 16 extra that basically, actually matter. That is how I am approaching it.”
Ultimate rating: 44-21, Chiefs
Kingsbury coached Mahomes at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016, however now he has the duty of defending him. Kingsbury is aware of how gifted Mahomes is, as he watched him write his identify all through the Crimson Raiders’ historical past books, changing into an NFL MVP and Tremendous Bowl champion.
Mahomes regarded ahead to dealing with his former faculty coach in Week 1.
“He [Mahomes] despatched me, like, a bit of eye emoji earlier than it [the NFL schedule] got here out,” Kingsbury stated throughout a news conference in Might. “So he’ll undoubtedly be revved up; we’ll undoubtedly have some Texas Tech followers tuned into that one, I am certain.”
Ultimate rating: 31-10, Bills
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a well-recognized face pressuring the pocket when his squad confronted the Payments. Miller, who was traded from the Denver Broncos to Los Angeles final season, signed a six-year, $120 million contract with Buffalo this offseason.
Miller’s influence in the course of the postseason was one of many causes the Rams gained the championship. He had 4 sacks and 18 pressures within the postseason, tied with former teammate Aaron Donald for essentially the most within the playoffs.
“I noticed what makes Aaron Donald Aaron Donald, and it was onerous to stroll away from that,” Miller said in March. “… It needed to be one thing particular. It needed to be the Buffalo Payments. What they’ve created right here … I needed to be part of that.”
Ultimate rating: 20-7, Dolphins
Week 1’s AFC East battle between the Patriots and Dolphins featured two former Alabama teammates going head-to-head. Jones and Tagovailoa joined the Crimson Tide in the identical recruiting class (2017).
Each signal-callers sat behind present Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts of their first yr at Alabama. After Tagovailoa’s second-half heroics within the 2018 School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship, he grew to become the starter for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Within the Tide’s tenth sport of the 2019 season, Tagovailoa suffered a extreme hip harm, and Jones stepped in for the rest of the yr. In 2020 after Tagovailoa entered the NFL draft, Jones was named the starter. He led Bama to an undefeated season and a nationwide championship whereas incomes All-American honors.
As a result of they’re in the identical division, Jones and Tagovailoa might see one another twice a season no less than. After Week 1, the Pats and Dolphins will not play one another once more till Week 17.
Ultimate rating: 24-9, Ravens
Due to Zach Wilson’s knee injury, Flacco is the person beneath heart in New York for the foreseeable future. In Week 1, he confronted the staff that drafted him again in 2008 — the Ravens.
Many Baltimore followers recall the magical Tremendous Bowl run Flacco led them on in the course of the 2012 playoffs, the place he threw for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and nil interceptions. He helped the Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in SB XLVII and obtained MVP honors with 287 yards and three touchdowns. Flacco was traded to the Broncos in 2019 after 11 seasons with the Ravens.
When he came upon he would face his former staff in Week 1, Flacco stated he would attempt to maintain issues in perspective.
“I will attempt to ensure it is not the largest deal on this planet,” Flacco said at a news conference in August.