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A new NFL season kicks off tonight when the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the wayward Dallas Cowboys.

“America’s Team” (much like America itself) has the look of a fading empire, bound to the misguided whims of its elderly billionaire leader. Eighty-two-year-old Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones committed his latest blunder last week by trading disgruntled star pass rusher Micah Parsons (one of a precious few bright spots on last year’s 7-10 team) to Green Bay for an underwhelming return.

The Eagles, who reportedly tried to acquire Parsons, remain among the top championship contenders after their ferocious defence dismantled Patrick Mahomes and company in a 40-22 Super Bowl blowout of Kansas City last February. On offence, Saquon Barkley is coming off an electric 2,000-rushing-yard season while quarterback Jalen Hurts will continue to run the “tush push” after NFL owners voted not to outlaw the nearly unstoppable short-yardage play that, somehow, only the Eagles have managed to master.

Philly has a couple of Canadians on its roster in safety Sydney Brown, who’s being promoted to the starting lineup after playing more of a support role last season, and depth receiver John Metchie III, a former University of Alabama standout who spent his first two pro seasons with the Houston Texans.

Around the league, more than 20 Canadians are on active rosters heading into Week 1. Here’s a look at five who could make an impact this season:

Chase Brown (Cincinnati Bengals running back)

The 2023 fifth-round draft pick began last season behind journeyman Zack Moss. But Sydney Brown’s twin brother soon became Cincy’s go-to ballcarrier and really ran with the opportunity after Moss went down with a season-ending injury. From Week 9 through 17, Brown ranked fifth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage and had five straight 100-plus yard games, endearing him to savvy fantasy football players who’d bet on him beating out Moss for the starting job.

The Bengals’ offensive co-ordinator raved about Brown in training camp and said he’s re-designed the running game to better suit the Canadian’s skill set. So Brown could be in for a big year as the clear lead back in one of the NFL’s most prolific offences, featuring quarterback Joe Burrow and the dynamite receiver tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers running back)

The 2021 fourth-rounder is also coming off a breakthrough season where he seized the lead-back role from an uninspiring veteran (Miles Sanders) and went on a statistical tear. Beginning in Week 3, when he piled up 169 total yards and a touchdown, Hubbard reached the 100-yard mark five times and scored 11 TDs while inking a four-year, $33-million US contract extension. His season ended in Week 15 due to a calf injury suffered during a monster game against Arizona where he rushed for 152 yards and a pair of TDs.

Like Brown’s Bengals, Hubbard’s Panthers (5-12) missed the playoffs last season. But there’s hope for improvement if young QB Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, continues to get better.

Joshua Palmer (Buffalo Bills wide receiver)

Following his promising 72-catch sophomore season in 2022, Palmer had every opportunity to grab a bigger role with the receiver-needy Chargers over the past couple years, but he was unable to reach even 40 catches or 600 yards in either season. Still, the Bills must see something in the 6-foot-1 210-pounder from nearby Brampton, Ont., because they signed him to a three-year, $36-million deal to bolster their lacklustre receiving corps around MVP quarterback Josh Allen.

Maybe Palmer’s versatility (he prides himself on being able to “run the entire route tree” and line up anywhere on the field) will be a better fit in Buffalo’s egalitarian passing game. He’s also considered a strong blocker, which is key to getting on the field with the run-happy Bills.

Buffalo also signed Canadian defensive lineman/linebacker Michael Hoecht away from the Rams, but he’s suspended for the first six games after flunking a PED test.

Jevon Holland (New York Giants safety)

After four strong seasons with Miami — highlighted by his wild 99-yard pick-six off a failed Hail Mary against the Jets (who else?) on Black Friday 2023 — Holland cashed in with a three-year, $45M contract from the Giants.

He’ll now be playing for head coach Brian Daboll, the former Bills offensive co-ordinator who was born in Welland, Ont., and alongside Canadian second-year tight end Theo Johnson, who earned an every-down role as a rookie and averaged over 11 yards per catch before a foot injury ended his season in December.

Elic Ayomanor (Tennessee Titans receiver)

The top Canadian off the board in this year’s draft, Ayomanor went in the fourth round to the NFL-worst Titans after accumulating close to 2,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns over the past two seasons at Stanford.
At nearly 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, Ayomanor has the size and athleticism that NFL teams want, and he turned a lot of heads with one particular college performance against Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes in 2023. Roasting two-way superstar Travis Hunter on multiple plays, Ayomanor racked up 13 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns in a 46-43 double-overtime win.

The Canadian will now catch passes from No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward on a Tennessee team that has nowhere to go but up. And, after a strong training camp and pre-season, it appears he’s earned a first-string spot alongside veteran receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett. The Ayomanor-Ward connection could be something to watch for years to come.