10 “Scripts” That The NFL Could Use For The 2023 Season
Former NFL All-Pro running back, Arian Foster, made headlines a couple of months ago when a clip of hm talking about the NFL being ‘scripted,’ albeit a satirical clip—which may have gone over some folks’ heads… went viral.
While he was obviously joking—there is a small wrinkle of truth in there. The NFL is in many ways a living, breathing drama. It is just that the stories, well, they are honestly too ridiculous for a writers’ room to come up with—and they manifest themselves naturally.
That said—we are going to try our best to predict what the football gods have in store for us this season. Let’s check out 10 scripts that the NFL could us for the 2023 season.
Stefon Diggs Falls Out With Josh Allen And Buffalo
Josh Allen has done a nice job of downplaying the squabble that his star wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, appeared to have—either with head coach, Sean McDermott, the Bills organization, or both this offseason…
But I tend to believe that where there is smoke there is fire—and this wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve seen Diggs flame out with a team… Remember how his time in Minnesota ended?
I know the Bills have Super Bowl aspirations—and he and Allen seem to be buddy buddy… at least for now… But Vikings team Diggs grew out of favor with was a legitimate contender too!
Who is to say that his old habits don’t die hard in Buffalo? That is just the kind of melodrama we’ve come to expect out of Diggs—and really, the modern NFL as a whole at this point!
Burrow-Mahomes Trilogy
Well… The smart money says that this one is coming whether you want it to or not, because Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes have really established themselves as the two preeminent quarterbacks in the AFC—and really the NFL.
Thus far, Mahomes has had the better career, there is no denying that, but he does have a few more years under his belt than Joe. On the other hand, Burrow has beaten Mahomes three out of four times already, twice in the regular season—and once in the AFC Championship Game, back in 2021.
Mahomes, however, got his revenge this past season, when he and the Chiefs up ended Burrow’s Bengals during last year’s AFC Championship Game in route to his second Super Bowl victory. Something that has eluded Burrow thus far in his career.
Don’t be shocked if we see the postseason trilogy come to fruition this offseason not only because their two teams will be favorites in the AFC, but also, because that would be one juicy storyline for the NFL to roll out there!
Think 2020s version of Brady vs Manning—that is what we are seeing manifest itself right before our eyes!
Justin Fields Becomes Elite
2022 was a big years for Bears fans. Somehow they managed to witness one of their more exciting seasons in recent memory, which, of course, isn’t saying much… But nevertheless, that was largely thanks to the leap that Justin Fields took.
And they were able to secure the number 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which they flipped for DJ Moore and some draft assets, really setting the team up for another big step forward this year.
Really—that was quite the combination they pulled off.
Now, heading into the 2023 season, everything is perfectly set up for Justin Fields to emerge as one of the top young quarterbacks in the league. He should continue to improve as a passer, especially with a legitimate number one option in Moore—and it is more than likely that he continues to torch opposing defenses with his explosive running ability.
Beyond being an electric watch, Fields just seems like a great guy to root for, one that the NFL will happily prop up and market—so why wouldn’t we see his emergence as a superstar be one of the scripts the league rolls out this year!
Aaron Rodgers Revenge Season
Hell hath no fury like a scorned Aaron Rodgers… That’s what they, erhm, well at least Jets fans—and the NFL, who would love that storyline, are banking on this year.
To be fair, we have seen it before. Rodgers has proven himself time and time again over the years to be one of the most spiteful competitors the game has ever seen.
Just ask Bears fans, who watched the former Packers quarterback absolutely dominate their team for over a decade, in part due to his talent of course, but also, because he simply loved sticking it to the Chicago fanbase.
Now that he has a whole new franchise to spite in his former team, it will be fascinating to see what kind of fire has been lit under Rodgers in New York. Especially with the parallels drawn to how he and his predecessor, Brett Favre played out the twilights of their careers.
We could be witnessing a double-revenge tour that could be truly epic.
Kirk Cousins Exercises His Demons
While Aaron Rodgers goes on his revenge tour—another big-named quarterback may find himself scripted for a slightly different story, more of a redemption arc of sorts…
The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the better teams in the league since Kirk Cousins came to town—and last year had the makings of a special season thanks to the connection he built with Justin Jefferson…
But for some reason, their defense took a huge step back—and really limited their ceiling come playoff time.
Having brought in Brian Flores as the new DC, that issue should be largely mitigated… Leaving a great opportunity for Cousins to lead the Vikings on a deep playoff run—and maybe even make it over the hump—and hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
The NFL would be particularly interested in this script after seeing how well-received Kirk Cousins was on the popular ‘Quarterback’ Netflix series.
Damar Hamlin Comeback Story
For anyone who was living under a rock last year, Hamlin suffered a traumatic cardiac arrest during—what was initially one of the most highly anticipated games of the year between his Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
But thanks to the swift assistance and expertise of the medical staff on-site, Hamlin was revived and has since made a full recovery—and now expects to be back to action this season… Meaning—that 2023 has all the makings of an epic Damar Hamlin comeback story.
Maybe Hamlin ends up forcing a turnover in a key moment—or maybe he emerges as one of the top contributors on the Bills defense all year long… It is all a matter of how the NFL “writes it up.”
OBJ Wreaks Havoc In Baltimore
There are two things that Odell Beckham Jr. knows how to do—and that, my friends, is catch footballs and wreak havoc.
Everywhere that the star receiver has been, whether it be a big market, like New York, a small market like Cleveland—or even an American Airlines fight, OBJ will find a way to stir the pot. That is just who he is!
The only reason that things didn’t erupt for him in LA is because he was there for such a short amount of time that you can’t even call it a cup of coffee with a straight face… Plus the team was flying high on its way to a Super Bowl victory…
Okay, digression over.
Now that Beckham has made the decision to pair up with Lamar Jackson and join the Ravens, fans are excited to see what the Ravens will look like with some legitimate talent at the wide receiver position for once…
But all those who bleed black and purple down in the DMV best be careful what they wish for, because knowing OBJ’s track record, it is nearly a foregone conclusion that even if he DOES manage to perform on the field—he will also find a way to stir up some chaos on the process.
And while the NFL might not want ot admit it, there’s no doubt that they like their product being the center of attention—something that seems to come with the territory for a guy like OBJ.
Trevor Lawrence & Calvin Ridley Take Over In Duval
Now that the Urban Meyer stink is off the Jacksonville Jaguars—and we saw some extremely promising flashes down the stretch of last season—expectations are going to be the highest they’ve been in Duvall in some time.
Especially coming off of that ridiculous playoff push—and subsequent comeback in the Wild Card round against Justin Herbert and the LA Chargers when they trailed by basically infinity points and still managed to steal a victory in the second half!
Obviously, as their former number one overall pick—and being a guy that was viewed as a generational talent—Trevor Lawrence is going to be the focal point of that attention, no doubt about it.
But there is one name has almost been forgotten about in all the excitement: Calvin Ridley. It has been two years now since he’s played a full season due to his mental health hiatus and his gambling suspension, but people forget: Ridley had really burst onto the scene as a potentially elite receiver. In 15 games during the 2020 season, he caught 90 passes for 1374 yards and nine touchdowns.
With Lawrence looking poised to emerge as the next great gunslinger in the NFL—the numbers that these two put up could be monstrous—and the Jaguars might just become relevant again.
The Sean Payton-Russell Wilson Disaster In Denver
Sean Payton heading to Denver to take on the reclamation project that is Russell Wilson and that Denver Broncos offense got A LOT of hype during the offseason, but that is far from a guarantee that things will work out.
I mean, that offense was so bad last year that it is hard to imagine fixing it will be a simple procedure.
Payton hasn’t done himself any favors thus far either, by coming out and setting the expectations high by telling USA Today that he’s “going to be pissed off if this is not a playoff team.”
Then, the oft-mercurial head coach raised the stakes—in what was, honestly, a shocking move by openly criticizing the previous Denver coaching regime, telling USA Today: “Everybody’s got a little stink on their hands. It’s not just Russell. It was a (poor) offensive line. It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL. That’s how bad it was.”
Hackett wasn’t the only one that he called out either. He continued to cast blame across the entire organization for the spectacle that the season became, saying: “That wasn’t his fault,” Payton said of Wilson. “That was the parents who allowed it. That’s not an incrimination on him, but an incrimination on the head coach, the GM (Geroge Paton), the president (Damani Leech) and everybody else who watched it all happen.”
By the way, for anyone wondering at home, yes, those are the two guys that still lead the Broncos organization—and actually hired Payton!
Man, if he doesn’t deliver this could all blow up in spectacular fashion for Sean… And you have to think that the powers that be in the NFL League Office, who have had a longstanding feud with the former Saints head coach—going back to the Bountygate scandal he was involved with in New Orleans—must be licking their chops at this idea.
Anthony Richardson's Quick Ascent
The NFL is always in the market for a new star player—and having another top quarterback emerge in Indianapolis, where Peyton Manning played the bulk of his career, is a mighty exciting proposition.
Especially considering what a disaster it has been for the Colts, who have one of the league’s most ravenous fanbases.
Drafting Anthony Richardson was obviously a high-risk proposition—as his production in college wasn’t really anything to write home about… At least not on any sort of consistent basis. Let’s face it, Richardson was only the full-time starter for one year—and during that final season at UF, he completed just 53.8 percent of his passes for 2549 yards and 17 touchdowns to nine interceptions.
But he does deserve a nod for chipping in over 650 yards on the ground—not to mention an additional nine touchdowns.
And… I mean, if you watch Richardson’s tape his athleticism just jumps out at you—his talent was and is obvious. Of course, he will need to continue to develop his touch—and his ability to read the game, but with his legs—and the downright ridiculous arm strength, he has all the makings of a star.
The job of QB1 is wide open in Indy this year—so don’t be shocked if we see Richardson in action sooner than later—and he puts that dynamic 6’ 4” frame to work.
10 “Scripts” That The NFL Could Use For The 2023 Season
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