Let’s talk ball. The 2026 NFL season is nearly upon us, so let’s think ahead to what oddities and anomalies are going to take place. Could this be the year that running backs go off like it’s 1990? Could this finally be the year that the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys stop messing around? Could the Kansas City Chiefs find themselves in rebuild mode? Yes, yes and yes. At least that’s what I think. I have some predictions in store for you. Twelve of them. Let’s get weird. Let’s get spicy. Let’s get bold. There’s just not a lot of buzz around the Chiefs that makes me feel optimistic. The one really positive preseason storyline — rookie receiver Cyrus Allen — has totally died out. The fifth-round pick played deep into the team’s final preseason game, perhaps indicating he’s not as impressive as the hype made him out to me. The team wants more from him. And offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy made it clear that the team needs a whole lot more from WR1 Rashee Rice. Patrick Mahomes will probably play Week 1 despite returning (quickly) from his ACL injury, but it remains to be seen whether his offensive line has improved substantially. And that’ll also dictate whether running back Kenneth Walker III will be as explosive as the Chiefs paid the Super Bowl MVP big money to be. Walker has never been a bell cow, but more than that, he’s never really had to run behind a bad offensive line. That concerns me. Meanwhile, the Kansas City defense will be without cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, safety Bryan Cook and linebacker Leo Chenal. McDuffie was traded to the Rams and the others left in free agency. I’ll always fear the Chiefs, because of Mahomes and Andy Reid. But logically, this team can’t possibly make the playoffs, can it? They invested in their defense by trading for three-time Pro Bowl tackle Dexter Lawrence and signing DT Jonathan Allen, edge Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook in free agency. And in a way, that was the Bengals investing in Joe Burrow — because he’s gotten killed trying to keep breakneck pace with his putrid defense (after years of getting killed behind his crappy offensive line). Now, it feels like the Bengals have finally turned a corner. They kept Burrow’s weapons on offense. They’ve built a half-decent offensive line. And simultaneously, they’ve invested in defensive playmakers. It seems like Cincinnati might be excellent this year. It seems like Cincinnati can legitimately contend for a Super Bowl for the first time since … well, since the Bengals made the Super Bowl. The Patriots have heavily favored Brown during training camp practices. Quarterback Drake Maye has a connection with Brown that typically takes years to develop. And this Patriots passing game feels like it’s on the verge of doing remarkable things. Brown will be at the center of all of it. He got tired of not getting the ball in Philly. The Patriots will make up for it in spades. Maye is going to feed Brown early and often. The three-time All-Pro is 29 and has a knee issue that might impact his explosiveness down the line, which is all the more reason to get him to the top of the receptions category in 2026. This passing total would put him into contention to lead the league. And it would make him the first Chicago Bears quarterback to top 4,000 passing yards. Ever. I’m not sure that Williams is going to be the total package in 2026. I’m not sure we’ll see his playing style align perfectly with coach Ben Johnson’s scheme at all times. But the QB’s completion percentage will rise above 60%, and that, in itself, will generate more yards. Then I think young receivers Luther Burden and Rome Odunze will continue their upward growth, with both players taking major leaps forward this year. Second-year pro Colston Loveland will be a total menace in Johnson’s tight-end-friendly offense. There are a few ways all this could go wrong. And one of the most obvious questions is left tackle, where the Bears were hesitant to name a starter. There’s also the matter of the youngsters on offense; fans and media members are prone to assume they’ll get better, but that doesn’t always happen. Johnson, however, is what makes everything feel reassuring. If he keeps this offense steady, the Bears will see Caleb’s stats go crazy — and Chicago will make the playoffs again. This one is an easy pick. The Lions struggled last year while dealing with playcalling issues — and, frankly, some bad luck. But they’ve returned their core while addressing some issues, whether it’s right tackle (with rookie Blake Miller) or secondary (safety Chuck Clark and Christian Izien). Even offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is a compelling candidate in his new gig after putting up video-game numbers with the Cardinals’ offense. The Lions are angry and hungry. And they’re simply way, way too talented to stay in the basement of the NFC North. It’s interesting to see a Jalen Hurts replica starting to appear in the NFC South. Shough is sort of Hurts’ reincarnation, via the voodoo of coach Kellen Moore, who used to be the Eagles’ OC. Because Shough looked like he was rapidly ascending at the back end of his rookie season — and because the Saints added first-round receiver Jordyn Tyson (out with a hamstring injury to start the season) — I think he can jump into the top 10 in passing stats. It’s totally doable. Baker Mayfield was the 10th-best passer in 2025 with 3,693 yards. In 2023, Hurts threw for 3,858 yards under Moore. The NFC South is winnable, as usual. And I think the New Orleans rebuild starts to go exponential this season, in large part because I believe in the way Moore and Shough are clicking. This team is going to be bad. Like, tremendously terrible. On Monday, the Dolphins claimed seven players off waivers — effectively wiping away 13% of their current roster (players who actually attended their training camp) to bring in new guys who have never worked in the Miami system. Think about that for a second. They’d prefer to school up those seven players with just 10 days until the season-opener — rather than keep working with the guys who have spent their entire offseason with the team. That reflects extremely poorly on the talent that is and was in Miami. (This shouldn’t come as much of a shock either. The joint practices were bloodbaths, with the Dolphins getting dominated by the Giants and Commanders.) So they’re in a race with the Browns — to the bottom of the NFL. This might sound really crazy, but hear me out. The Rams have a mind-bogglingly large number of sack artists. Edge Myles Garrett is the obvious candidate to lead the team — and the league — in sacks. But before last season, when he set the record with 23, he’d had two consecutive seasons of 14 sacks. I think it’s possible that’s where he lands in 2025. It might even land lower, given that Rams edge Byron Young had 12 sacks last year. If teams are double-teaming Garrett, which would be reasonable, then that could open up things for Donald. He’s fresh after two seasons in retirement. He’s probably going to play in a pass-rushing-specific role. It’s reasonable to think he could get 14 sacks this year. And if that’s the case, he could also lead a deep group of L.A. sack artists. Here’s my list: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, James Cook, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor and either Christian McCaffrey, De’Von Achane or Javonte Williams. Last year, it was just Cook, Henry and Taylor. But given how much we’ve seen teams invest in their running backs — with new contracts for Robinson, Gibbs, Achane and Cook — I think they’re going to do what they can to help them succeed. Barkley will be back to being an offensive centerpiece for the Eagles in 2026. And don’t count out second-year Cowboys back Williams, who will likely be the uncontested RB1 on what I expect to be the NFL’s most explosive offense. I really liked Eagles first-round receiver Makai Lemon to win OROY, but a lingering hamstring issue sidelined him for most of camp, so I’m concerned about how immediately he’ll produce. Price, the final pick of the first round, will split touches with George Holani in Seattle’s backfield to start the year because Zach Charbonnet will miss at least the first four games after tearing his ACL in January. And though Charbonnet (and Holani) will probably steal touchdowns, Price is likely to rack up major yardage totals. That should be enough for him to edge any of the receivers and/or No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, whom the Raiders insist they plan to sit behind veteran QB Kirk Cousins this season. The Raiders will spend this season playing from behind, but I sense that the aborted trade of Crosby to Baltimore in March shifted something in his brain. He seems to have a newfound fire. He might even get traded again before the deadline. With ample opportunities and increased intensity, Crosby should be able to tee off on quarterbacks and land at the top of the leaderboard for sacks. I want to go absolutely nuts and pick the Cowboys for a Super Bowl. But I’m apprehensive about doing that, given how little we know about this defense. We know that Jerry Jones did what he implied he was going to do. He split up the money that he was going to give to Micah Parsons and completely rebuilt the appalling unit using some of the picks he got by trading Parsons. But I’m not certain that the rebuild on that side of the ball is complete. I am certain, however, that the Dallas offense is going to be incredible again. And if the defense is even middling, the Cowboys will probably feel some pressure to put up points and yardage totals. It’s going to be fun to watch. They’re going to make the playoffs. And when that happens, Prescott’s numbers and win totals will put him in the MVP race.
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