Football fans sure are after a longer-than-usual offseason. The 2020 NFL season is set to kick off Thursday night. Normally, Arrowhead Stadium would be filled to the brim — 76,416 fans jammed into the iconic venue in Kansas City, Mo. Instead, roughly 16,000 fans will be there wearing masks to watch the Chiefs start defense of their Super Bowl title. An NFL season unlike any other starts tonight when the Chiefs host the Houston Texans. Sports editor Matt Daniels caught up with Mike Renner, a Uni High graduate and lead draft analyst for Pro Football Focus, to get his quick thoughts ahead of the NFL starting its season amid the COVID-19 pandemic:

How will the Bears fare this season after going 8-8 last season and Mitch Trubisky’s performance causing more concern than excitement?

I’m not sure you want to be asking a Packers fan this. Objectively, though, Trubisky starting again should terrify Bears fans. They need their defense to get back to 2018 form to make the playoffs, which looks like a long shot.

What’s the one under-the-radar team no one is thinking about as a possible Super Bowl contender?

I’m going to say the Colts. They have a ton of young talent defensively as well as arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. Philip Rivers also figures to be a massive upgrade at QB in what could be his last hurrah.

Even with Patrick Mahomes back at quarterback and many key pieces returning from last season, will the Chiefs repeat?It’s so tough to repeat that I don’t think so. Their defense was a lot of smoke and mirrors down the stretch that I struggle to see them repeating their success on that side of the ball with the talent they have.

Tom Brady makes his debut wearing a Buccaneers uniform on Sunday against the Saints. Will one of the league’s best quarterbacks be a boom or a bust in his first season not playing for the Patriots?

I’ll say bust. He’s 43. He’s already bucked the odds, but Father Time catches up to us all.

You live in Cincinnati now. So, is top pick Joe Burrow the next Carson Palmer or Akili Smith under center for the underachieving Bengals?

Even better than both. The man is the most accurate college quarterback I’ve seen. That’s the trait you want in a QB.

How much will you enjoy watching Thursday night’s game and knowing that the NFL is back, despite all the strange times we’re living in because of the coronavirus pandemic?I might cry. When the Big Ten canceled its season and baseball had multiple games canceled, I was worried.

Thursday will feel like life is normal again.