Ranking the 5 Worst NFL Offenses as 2024 Training Camps Get Underway

Every NFL fan can argue that their team made notable changes to improve the roster in the offseason. Yet we have to apply a relative lens to this notion. Some clubs made more or better upgrades than others that didn't do enough.

A handful of teams have a much lower ceiling on offense than most other clubs because of unclear quarterback situations, unproven players at key positions or inexperienced play-callers.

With training camps underway, we considered those three factors to rank the five worst offenses.

Which teams are most likely to finish the 2024 season with the fewest total yards and points?

Let's find out.

Whoever wins the Denver Broncos' quarterback competition will play with one bonafide No. 1 wideout, Courtland Sutton, who wants a new contract, and a bunch of role players who haven't quite moved the needle in the passing game.

Josh Reynolds logged career highs in catches (52) and receiving yards (618) back in 2020, and those numbers look modest compared to many No. 2 wide receivers across the league.

Tim Patrick hasn't played a down in the regular season since 2021 because he suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries during training camp.

As a rookie, Marvin Mims Jr. made the 2023 AFC Pro Bowl roster on special teams but registered just 22 catches for 377 yards and a touchdown.

In February, head coach Sean Payton said expects Mims to take on an expanded role in the aerial attack, but that's not a guarantee with Patrick back in the fold and rookie fourth-rounder Troy Franklin in the mix.

Remember that Franklin played two seasons with rookie first-rounder Bo Nix at Oregon. So, if Nix wins the starting quarterback job, Franklin may emerge as a top pass-catching option. The duo could provide some upside for this unit.

The Broncos' run game, with Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, and rookie fifth-rounder Audric Estime, may be the offense's engine until Nix, journeyman Jarrett Stidham, or Zach Wilson gain a good grasp of Payton's offense.

Nonetheless, Payton helped Russell Wilson post respectable passing numbers after the veteran signal-caller's worst season, which says a lot about his offensive coaching acumen.

Payton has only fielded a bottom-five scoring or total offense once in his career with a collection of backup and inexperienced quarterbacks in the New Orleans Saints' first post-Drew Brees season. He faces a similar challenge with the Broncos' current quarterback situation.

The Tennessee Titans offense is projected to be a little worse than the Denver Broncos unit because, unlike Sean Payton, head coach and offensive play-caller Brian Callahan doesn't have a respectable play-calling resume.

In 2019, Callahan joined Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor's coaching staff as an offensive coordinator and held the position through the 2023 season. Taylor has been the primary play-caller in Cincinnati though.

Callahan can consult his offensive line coach and father, Bill Callahan, for play-calling advice, but he will make the calls on game days.

Moreover, the Titans will hand the offense over to second-year signal-caller Will Levis, who showed flashes in a few games but failed to throw a touchdown pass in five out of nine starts last year.

Perhaps Levis makes strides after a full offseason of first-team reps, but he's still a big question mark for this offense. If Levis doesn't develop into a capable starter, wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd could finish with disappointing numbers this year.

If necessary, Tennessee can insert Mason Rudolph into the offense for a spark, but he's a low-volume passer with modest career numbers in spot-start duty.

Following Derrick Henry's departure in free agency, the Titans have to figure out how to divvy up the carries between Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard. Neither running back has the combination of size and power to consistently gain chunk yardage between the tackles on early downs.

If Levis thrives under a first-year play-caller, the Titans offense will exceed expectations, but the unknowns at key positions are why the unit is in the No. 4 spot.

The Carolina Panthers upgraded Bryce Young's supporting cast at the skill positions, but the personnel group is still a notch below what the Tennessee Titans have assembled around Will Levis.

The Panthers acquired wide receiver Diontae Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers and selected wideout Xavier Legette in the first round of the 2024 draft. They also signed guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis and added running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round.

Even with the addition of Johnson and Legette, the Panthers are set up for some ground-and-pound action, but how well can they execute a physical approach?

Head coach and offensive play-caller Dave Canales wants to establish the run game, but Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders must be more efficient behind two new starting guards. Both Hubbard and Sanders averaged less than 3.9 yards per carry in 2023. Coming off a torn ACL, Brooks may need time to get back into pre-injury form.

If Carolina heavily relies on its ground attack, Young may not see a significant spike in his passing numbers.

It's worth noting that Young took the second-most sacks (62) in 2023.

For a balanced offensive attack, the Panthers need left tackle Ikem Ekwonu to play up to first-round expectations. He allowed 11 sacks last year, per Pro Football Focus.

One has to wonder if the Panthers will be able to go full throttle on the ground with a rookie ball-carrier working his way back from a serious injury. Also, how much time will the offensive line give Young to throw to his new playmakers?

The Panthers must work through those potential obstacles to field a decent offense.

The New York Giants offense has a low ceiling with Daniel Jones under center.

Last season, Jones threw a touchdown pass in just one out of his six starts before he tore his ACL. In 2022, he threw for multiple touchdowns in just four out of 16 starts.

With those numbers, Jones doesn't seem capable of getting the most out of explosive rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. Tight end Darren Waller's retirement also hurts the passing attack.

Sure, Jones can make plays with his legs, but he's coming off a serious knee injury and has missed significant time in two of the last three seasons.

The Giants may want to see if Jones can consistently win with his arm from the pocket. In five seasons, he hasn't shown the ability to do that.

Big Blue may be better off featuring running back Devin Singletary on the ground behind the team's new guards, Jermaine Eluemunor and Jon Runyan, which isn't a bright outlook for its offense. Singletary has yet to rush for more than 898 yards in a season.

Aside from a possible connection between Jones and Nabers, the Giants won't have many explosive plays in the passing game, and they downgraded at running back after losing two-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley in free agency.

The Giants have one of the league's worst skill player groups, and that's why they're in the No. 2 spot.

The New York Giants have one thing in their favor that keeps them one spot above the New England Patriots. They have a proven offensive play-caller in Brian Daboll.

Among the teams on this list, New England has the most unknowns on the offensive side of the ball.

First and foremost, the Patriots have an open quarterback competition. Ninth-year journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett will battle rookie first-rounder Drake Maye for the starting job. Bailey Zappe, a 2022 fourth-rounder, will likely return to a backup role after starting in the team's last six games under the previous offensive coaching regime.

New England hired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who hasn't called plays since he took over that responsibility in place of Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who tested positive for COVID-19 before a 2020 AFC Wild Card Round game.

Unlike the four other teams in this ranking, the Patriots don't have a surefire go-to receiver.

The Athletic's Chad Graff believes rookie second-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk could emerge as the Patriots' No. 1 pass-catching option.

While Graff could be right in his projection, Polk may not be able to show his full potential with a veteran quarterback who averaged less than 197 passing yards per game in three seasons as a team's primary starter or a rookie under center.

Pro Football Focus slotted the Patriots' offensive line 20th in their 2023 rankings. New England could roll out mostly the same unit minus left tackle Trent Brown.

Rhamondre Stevenson, who averaged a career-low four yards per carry last season, may struggle to find running lanes this year.

As a team, especially on offense, the Patriots are a work in progress in full rebuild mode as they redefine themselves in the post-Bill Belichick era.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.