Heisman Winners Kick Off Their 2024 NFL Seasons

There is an abundance of high profile Heisman winners in the NFL this season – but really, are there any other kind?

Among the Heisman fraternity members playing on Sundays (and in Week 1, Thursdays and Fridays, too), there were some standout performances and — let’s face it — some that served more as building blocks.

Let’s start with the highlight stuff.

The NFL’s reigning MVP, Lamar Jackson, kicked off his 2024 season with just under 400 yards of total offense as his Ravens almost knocked off the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Jackson completed 26-of-41 passes for 273 yards and a score while rushing for a game-high 122 yards.

New Raven teammate and fellow Heisman winner Derrick Henry made his Baltimore debut in the game and gained 46 rushing yards, scoring once on the ground.

Henry is the NFL’s active leading rusher with 9,548 yards. Surprisingly, well maybe not, Jackson is 12th on the active rushing chart with 5,380 yards.

Henry, by the way, is 36th all time on the NFL’s career rushing chart. The Next Heisman winner above him on the list is Ricky Williams with 10,009 (31st) while Eddie George is sitting at 28th with 10,441.

In the first Heisman vs. Heisman matchup of the season, Baker Mayfield looked every bit of the seasoned vet, out-dueling the most recent Heisman victor in the league, Jayden Daniels. That said, Daniels acquitted himself quite well in his debut.

Mayfield was near perfect behind center, completing 24-of-30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns in a big Bucs win while adding 21 rushing yards. It was his first game since singing a big three-year deal with Tampa following his solid 2023 debut with the franchise.

As for Daniels, the rookie completed 17-of-24 passes without an interception and also rushed for 88 yards on 16 carries, scoring on a pair of 1-yard runs. 

Mayfield’s fellow Sooner Heisman winner Kyler Murray was solid in his 2024 debut as he nears his pre-knee-injury-form from 2023. He completed 21-of-31 passes for 162 yards and a score while rushing for a team-best 57 yards in a one-score loss at Buffalo.

Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith opened his fourth NFL season with a seven-catch, 84-yard performance in the Eagles’ win over Green Bay in Brazil. Smith is three catches short of 250 for his young career.

Another Heisman winner made his debut Sunday in Chicago’s Caleb Williams. Williams and the Bears’ offense weren’t as productive as Daniels and the Commanders. But unlike Washington, Chicago got the win thanks to huge performances on defense and special teams. Williams completed 14-of-29 passes for 93 yards and rushed for 15.

Joe Burrow returned to the Cincinnati starting lineup after losing much of 2023 with a broken wrist, but couldn’t get the Bengals moving much, throwing for 164 yards without a score.

Bryce Young also had a tough go of it in his sophomore debut for Carolina, throwing for 161 yards with two interceptions in a lopsided loss at New Orleans.