We are nearly a week away from the opening kickoff of the 2026 NFL season. As the excitement and anticipation builds for the season, the predictions for the season get crazier and bolder! Here are some of my biggest and boldest predictions for the season. Comment below some of your spicier takes!
Ashton Jeanty Leads the League in Rushing
(*written before ankle injury but I am going to stand by it*)
In my opinion, Jeanty was the third best running back prospect entering the draft since 2010. Unfortunately for him, he was drafted to a nightmare situation. The Raiders were abysmal last season and their offensive line was even worse. Among high usage backs, Jeanty was near the very bottom of the league in yards before contact, meaning opponents defenses got in the backfield before Jeanty had any space. I expect this to improve this year under new head coach Klint Kubiak. No more Pete Carroll and his weird nepotism. The Raiders bolstered their offensive line this offseason, headlined by All-Pro center Tyler Lindebaum. Now I do not expect the O-Line to be the best in the league, but it will be improved, Kubiak is a a great offensive mind, and Jeanty is one of the most naturally talented players at the position. So talented that all he needs is an AVERAGE line. If the Raiders can manage this, Jeanty will have the most rushing yards in the NFL.
Tampa Bay is a Bottom Five Team in the League
The Buccaneers are a talented team, but the vibes entering this season are less than convincing for me. They were unable to work out an extension with Mayfield, Vita Vea quietly requested a trade, Bucky Irving has had uncertainty following him since last season, and Egbuka has been dealing with injury (if it really is turf toe...). The Buccaneers also have a relatively tough schedule. They get to play the weaker teams of their division, but have to host the Packers, Chargers, and Rams and play visitor against teams like the Cowboys, Lions, and Ravens. If everything goes wrong for the Buccaneers it is within the realm of possibility they lose 11+ games and are picking in the top five of the draft in April. Things WILL go wrong for the Buccaneers this season and Mayfield leaves in free agency and Tampa Bay enters some sort of rebuild.
Stroud Does Not Get His Payday and Gets Moved in the Offseason
It feels like an eternity ago that CJ Stroud took the league by storm as a rookie. He has since followed it up with back to back less than impressive seasons, and one of the worst playoff performances of recent memory. I think we can all agree Stroud is not going to be the top 3 QB we thought he might become, but he is still a capable quarterback. The Texans project to have a top defense and should believe they are in a window where they can compete for Super Bowls over the next couple of years. They only need competency from the QB spot, as we saw a year ago from Davis Mills. Stroud is more than capable of that. The problem for Stroud is the same thing. The Texans only need competent. Stroud and Houston have started contract extension talks, and it was reported that Stroud's camp is seeking an extension around $70 million a year, which would make him the highest paid QB in the league. Stroud is not worth that. If the Texans fail to make the Super Bowl, ESPECIALLY if Stroud collapses like he did last postseason, I predict Stroud will become available to other teams in the league. If the Texans only need competent, why pay a guy that much when someone like Davis Mills can produce on a similar level? If the Texans disappoint this season, Stroud will suit up for a new team in 2027.
Bo Nix for MVP?
(*warning of potential bias*)
Player A: 30 GP, 69.8 CMP %, 6,670 passing yards, 46 TD, 18 INT, 871 rushing yards, 6 TD, 6 FUM, 17-13 regular season record, 3-1 postseason record
Player B: 34 GP, 60.3 CMP%, 7,483 passing yards, 47 TD, 13 INT, 877 rushing yards, 3 TD, 13 FUM, 16-18 regular season record, 1-1 postseason record
Player C: 34 GP, 64.8 CMP%, 7,706 passing yards, 54 TD, 23 INT, 786 rushing yards, 9 TD, 4 FUM, 24-10 regular season record, 1-1 postseason record
The statistics of three QBs entering their 3rd NFL season. Player A is Drake Maye, Player B is Caleb Williams, and Player C is Bo Nix. Maye and Williams are talked about as future superstars at the QB position and future faces of the league, while Nix is widely considered a bottom half QB. Since entering the league in 2024, Nix is 5th in the NFL in passing yards, and 7th in passing TDs, while leading the Broncos to a league best 14-3 record as a sophomore QB. Nix is not without flaws, as he is turnover prone, often forces decisions, and needs to improve his bad habits of throwing off his back foot and not stepping into throws. But the lack of respect that Nix gets is ridiculous. Any franchise in the league would take the success that Nix has had in a heartbeat. He has done everything you could hope for from a 12th overall selection. Another thing Nix posses that cannot be defined by statistics is the fact he is a gamer. He is a winner. He will do whatever it takes to lead his team to victory. He has shown he has the clutch gene in the NFL, with his comebacks against Philadelphia and New York a year ago, not to mention the multiple clutch drives and throws he made against Buffalo in their Divisional Round playoff win. Despite the statistical success of Nix, the Broncos offense left lots to be desired in 2025. From boring and repetitive play calling, a low ADOT for Nix, and a lack of vertical threat, the offense often needed to just be competent in order to compliment the top tier defense that the Broncos had. I think this year will be different. I think the lack of depth in the linebacking and safety positions will be exposed by opposition this year. The defense will still be good, but I do not think it will be as dominant. Meaning, Nix and the offense needs to be ready to win games for the team. Davis Webb seems to be a tremendous up and coming offensive mind, and him taking over play calling will lead to more explosive plays. Speaking of explosive plays, Jaylen Waddle arriving in Denver remains one of the least talked about major moves I can remember. Giving Nix an ELITE receiving threat cannot be undervalued. If Denver can have double digit wins once again this season, it will be largely in thanks to Bo Nix, who will have his name up there in conversations for most valuable player of the 2026 season.
It Is the End of the Andy Reid Era
This has been coming for years in the making and I am not alone. There is a large faction of Chiefs fans that have been saying the Chiefs need to move on from Andy Reid for the last couple of seasons. Lucky for them they have had Mahomes, but even Mahomes was not enough to overcome the lack of talent on the team last year. Kansas City missed the playoffs a year ago, and they will miss the playoffs again. Baltimore, Denver, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Houston, Jacksonville, New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis. All of these teams are projected to be in the playoff hunt. How many of those teams do you feel confident in saying Kansas City will be better than?
The defense in KC should be one of the better units in the league, but I fear the offense may leave a lot to be desired. It has been years of Reid and the front office refusing to give the most talented QB of his time a weapon outside of an aging Travis Kelce. And Kelce is finally slowing down. KC added Kenneth Walker in the backfield, which is a great addition, but I do not know if that is enough. The fact they will likely rely on rookie WR Cyrus Allen as much as reported, should be concerning. The Chiefs have not done enough in the past few seasons to utilize the talents of Mahomes and others. Two seasons of having Patrick Mahomes, and missing the postseason will lead to the 'parting of ways' with Andy Reid, instilling fresh blood and a new era for the Chiefs.
Old Man Beckham Still Has It
No matter your opinion of Odell Beckham Jr, there is no denying he is one of the most physically gifted talents the league has seen in the last decade. Injuries derailed the career of this talent, and Beckham never reached the all time great potential we saw early in his career. In fact we haven't seen Odell have a fully healthy season as a key featured option since 2019 in Cleveland. While it is not official at the time of this post, all reports indicated that OBJ has done enough this offseason to make the Giants 53 man roster. While it might not be from opening kickoff, OBJ's natural ability will shine through, and he will become Jaxson Dart's #2 WR. While it might not be eye popping statistics, Beckham will end the season with 650+ receiving yards and 6+ touchdowns, reminding us of the talent the 33 year old possesses.
Go Bo!!!!
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