The NFL season kicks off Thursday night with a Super Bowl rematch between the Broncos and Panthers in Denver.
And while the matchup of Trevor Siemian vs. Cam Newton doesn't have quite the same luster that February's Peyton Manning/Newton showdown did, it means the NFL is back.
The change in the Broncos signal caller is also emblematic of a greater theme this year in the NFL where several teams will be without the quarterback that they are identified with.
Think about some of the confusing P.A. introductions this weekend starting with Siemian tonight in Denver instead of Manning.
On Sunday night in Arizona it will be Jimmy Garoppolo running into the Patriots' huddle instead of Tom Brady, who is serving his four-game suspension for Deflategate.
In Dallas, Dak Prescott will make his Cowboys debut in place of the injured Tony Romo.
How these three young quarterbacks do at replacing or righting the ship while the star is out will play a big role in the NFL pecking order this season.
The team that may have the toughest task replacing their star quarterback is the Vikings, who saw Teddy Bridgewater collapse with a broken leg and torn ACL in practice just last week. The team traded for Sam Bradford over the weekend, but it's still unclear whether it will be Bradford or Shaun Hill starting Sunday against the Titans.
Just how quickly Bradford can learn the Minnesota offense and step in as the starter may be the difference between the Vikings competing for the NFC North title or finishing with a losing record.
The NFL is a passing league and quarterback play is king. And this year, there are more than a few questions about just who those QB's are entering week one.
