NFL previews 2026 season: Rams tipped as favorites, bold predictions target Bowers and Chase records
Ahead of the 2026 NFL season, experts from The Athletic and NFL.com have released their predictions — a majority favor the revamped Los Angeles Rams to win it all, while analysts also offer several bold individual forecasts.
The 2026 NFL season opens with a rematch of last year's Super Bowl finalists, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, on Wednesday night. The following day brings the debut of the retooled Los Angeles Rams roster against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, while Monday night features an AFC West clash between Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix, both returning from serious injuries.
Staff predictions for the season
The Athletic polled 40 of its staff members on how the season will unfold. More than half picked the Los Angeles Rams to win the Super Bowl, though eight other teams received at least one vote. The outlet notes that last year's favorites were the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, yet not a single voter predicted the eventual champion, the Seattle Seahawks.
Every voter picked a quarterback for MVP, continuing a 13-year streak for the position. Twenty-three predicted a past MVP winner would repeat, while 17 votes went to other candidates, with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow drawing the most support among them. Other names mentioned as contenders include Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert and New England Patriots' Drake Maye.
For Offensive Player of the Year, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs received the most votes, while Houston Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. narrowly edged out Myles Garrett for the Defensive Player of the Year nod. Former Notre Dame teammates Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price were the top picks for Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Rueben Bain Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and David Bailey of the New York Jets led the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Bold individual predictions
Separately, NFL.com analysts published their own "bold predictions," many focused on individual records. Several predicted Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers could become the first tight end in over two decades to lead the league in receptions, and possibly even break Michael Thomas's 2019 single-season record of 149 catches.
Other bold calls include Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor reaching 2,000 rushing yards, and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase becoming the first receiver in NFL history to reach 2,000 receiving yards in a season, surpassing Calvin Johnson's record of 1,964 yards. Analysts also suggested Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams could win MVP, while Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert could throw for over 5,000 yards for the second time in his career.
Both outlets stress these are only preseason predictions, and last year's surprise Seattle Seahawks championship run serves as a reminder of how unpredictable the NFL can be.
