The 2022 NFL season has arrived, and things look a lot different from last year across the league.
The season has a lot of movement because of blockbuster deals and freelance agency acquisitions. The Chief of Kansas City transaction Tireek Hill arrive Miami Dolphinsthe Green Bay Packers transport Davante Adams arrive Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks football team move Russell Wilson arrive Dancer broncos. Those are just a few of the familiar faces in new places entering Week 1.
Reunions and revenge games will be abundant this season. Week 1’s act deals with all sorts of past relationships – relationships that end well, tough breakups and college relationships are some of the extra episodes this weekend. .
Here’s what happened in this week’s NFL reunion games, along with some background stories to get you up to speed.
Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson returns to Seattle
Wilson opened the season against his former team on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN). In March, the Broncos acquired Wilson and selected the fourth round of 2022 from the Seahawks for quarterback Crew Locktight ending Noah Fantdefensive midfielder Shelby Harrisfirst two picks (2022 – final 9 – and 2023), two second round picks (2022 – final 40 – and 2023) and one fifth round pick in 2022.
Wilson expressed his displeasure with Seattle in the 2021 season, citing the number of times he reached in a season.
Read more: Inside the Russell Wilson-Seattle Seahawks breakup
The Seahawks didn’t trade Wilson that season and the team finished last in the league with a 7-10 record for the 2021 season. Wilson also had to miss out with a finger injury – a first for him. sidelined due to a career injury. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the team had “no intention” of trading Wilson at the NFL draft combined in February, but he did move to Denver many weeks later.
Wilson mentioned facing his former team and is the 12th man this season.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting time,” Wilson speak at a press conference in May. “Obviously, Seattle means the world to me over the last 10 years. It’s a special place to play.”
The last point: 26-24, brown
Mayfield and the Panthers face off against the Browns in a game that can be considered a revenge game for signal caller Carolina. Cleveland traded its 2018 #1 overall pick to Carolina to select the 2024 conditional draft in July, almost four months after buy back Deshaun Watson are from Houston Texas. Mayfield played four seasons for the Browns, helping the team win their first playoff in 26 years in the 2020 Wild-card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A lab tear in Week 2 of the 2021 season thwarted Mayfield and he finished 27th in that year’s QBR.
While the Browns were running for Watson in March, Mayfield requested a deal from the group, saying going forward was “in the best interest of both parties”. He posted a message on social media thanked Cleveland fans “who really accept me for who I am and whose mentality fits so well with the hard-working people of this city.” Initially, the Browns refused Mayfield’s request to trade before acquiring Watson.
Read more: Deshaun Watson suspended for 11 games, fined $5 million after NFL, NFLPA settlement
Mayfield discussed facing his former side in August.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of attachment there,” Mayfield speak. “I’m not going to sit here and be a robot and say it doesn’t make any sense. It will… But after Week 1, there are 16 more things that really, really matter. That’s how I go on. near it.”
Chief of Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes reunited with Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury
The last point: 44-21, chief
Kingsbury coached Mahomes at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016, but now he is tasked with protecting him. Kingsbury knew how talented Mahomes was from watching him write his name throughout the Red Raiders history books, becoming an NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion.
Mahomes looks forward to facing his former college coach in Week 1.
“He [Mahomes] sent me, like, a little eye emoji in front of it [the NFL schedule] launch,” Kingsbury said in a news conference in the May. “So he’ll definitely improve; we’ll definitely have some Texas Tech fans watching that, I’m sure.”
The last point: October 31, Bill of Exchange
Los Angeles Rams midfielder Matthew Stafford there was a familiar face putting pressure on the pocket as his team faced the Bills. Miller, who was deals from Denver Broncos to Los Angeles last season, signed a six-year contract, worth $120 million with Buffalo this season.
Miller’s impact in post-season was one of the reasons the Rams won the championship. He had four sacks and 18 pressures in the post-season, tied to his former teammate Aaron Donald the most in the playoffs.
“I’ve seen what makes Aaron Donald Aaron Donald, and it’s hard to get away from that,” Miller said March. “…It has to be something special. It has to be the Buffalo Bills. What they’ve created here… I have to be a part of it.”
The last point: July 20, dolphin
The week 1 AFC East game between the Patriots and the Dolphins featured two former teammates in Alabama. Jones and Tagovailoa join the Crimson Tide in the same recruiting class (2017).
Both signal callers are behind the current Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts during their first year in Alabama. After Tagovailoa’s heroic second-half match in the 2018 College Football Qualifiers National Championship, he was named player of the year for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
In Tide’s 10th game of the 2019 season, Tagovailoa suffered a serious hip injury, and Jones had to compete for the rest of the year. In 2020 after Tagovailoa joined the NFL draft, Jones was selected as the starter. He led Bama to an undefeated season and national championship while winning the all-American title.
Because they are in the same league, Jones and Tagovailoa can meet at least twice a season. After Week 1, Cats and Dolphins will not play together again until Week 17.
The last point: September 24, Crow
Because of Zach Wilson has a knee injury, Flacco is the center in New York in the near future. In Week 1, he faces the team that recruited him in 2008 – The Ravens.
Many Baltimore fans recall the magical Super Bowl run that Flacco led them in the 2012 knockouts, where he threw for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns, and no interception. He helped Raven defeat San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in SB XLVII and took the MVP title with 287 yards and three touchdowns. Flacco is dealing with Broncos in 2019 after 11 seasons with Raven.
When he learned he would face his old team in Week 1, Flacco said he would try to keep things in perspective.
“I’ll try to make sure it’s not the biggest deal in the world,” Flacco said at a press conference in August.
