A season of shifts: NFL 2023’s fresh faces in new spaces.

The NFL regular season is finally upon us, with the first Thursday Night football game coming this week. However, the league is expected to look a lot different this time, thanks to all the trades and signings that shook so many rosters. Let’s cover some familiar faces playing in new places in 2023. 

The first changeup we must discuss here is the deal that sent Aaron Rodgers over to the New York Jets. For the first time in over a decade, the Jets will have a future Hall of Fame quarterback on the roster. This team is championship-ready, at least that’s what it feels like, and Rodgers fills the biggest hole on their roster. Don’t be surprised if we see Rodgers and the Jets compete for a Super Bowl down the stretch. 

Another big change came in the NFC East. It wasn’t just one team that decided to go out and make some moves; it was three teams that made big moves. The New York Giants struck by trading for Darren Waller. Waller finally gives the Giants a weapon in the passing game that isn’t named Saquon Barkley. He does have some injury history to worry about, but if he can stay healthy, the Giants passing offense will be tremendously improved. Besides the Giants, the Dallas Cowboys traded for the veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore partners up beautifully alongside Trevon Diggs in the secondary despite his age. And finally, the Philadelphia Eagles traded for D’Andre Swift to replace Miles Sanders in their backfield. Thanks to these trades, all three of these teams can take another step forward in 2023.

Flipping conferences now, the Miami Dolphins made a splash with the trade to acquire Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams. Ramsey unfortunately suffered an injury in training camp, which is expected to hold him out until December. However, when he’s healthy, he and Xavien Howard should create one of the best cornerback duos the league offers. 

Lastly, we must mention DJ Moore being shipped to the Chicago Bears. In a trade that involved the number one overall draft selection, the Bears were able to snag DJ Moore from the Carolina Panthers. Moore will provide Justin Fields with the first big receiving threat that he’s had over the course of his NFL career. This is the first real receiving weapon the Bears have had in the past few years. This isn’t exactly a team that specialises in getting weapons for their quarterbacks, but they are all-in on Justin Fields this year. 

The bottom line is that there will be a ton of familiar faces in new places around the league this year. Many teams decided to go out there and shake up their rosters with big free-agent signings and huge trades. Because of this, there’s no question that the opening week of the NFL season is expected to provide some fireworks. Just that first game between the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs should provide some high-scoring action to get the season off on the right foot.