2026 NFL Season Predictions: Super Bowl, Playoffs and Award Winners From the MMQB Staff

The 2026 NFL season is finally here! Before the Seahawks and Patriots kick things off with a special Wednesday night season opener and then the Rams and 49ers face off on the other side of the world, it’s time for our staff to spoil all the fun of the next 23 weeks and tell you how the season will play out.

Check below for our predicted award winners and full playoff brackets, including Super Bowl champions and MVPs. Plus, each of our writers and editors has one bold prediction, covering everything from a defensive MVP to rescheduled playoff games to a 70-yard field goal.

Here’s who we have making predictions this season:

Albert Breer, senior writer
Conor Orr, senior writer
Gilberto Manzano, staff writer
Matt Verderame, staff writer
John Pluym, managing editor
Mitch Goldich, senior editor
Mike Kadlick, senior news writer
Eva Geitheim, news writer

Albert Breer

Super Bowl: Rams 23, Broncos 17; Matthew Stafford MVP

MVP: Joe Burrow
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Will Anderson Jr.
OROY: Jadarian Price
DROY: Rueben Bain Jr.
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: Patrick Mahomes
Coach: Dan Campbell

As you can see, I'm going big on the Lions. I see Detroit coming away with 13 or 14 wins, and the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, Protector of the Year and Coach of the Year. Why? As I always say, these things often come down to storylines. And the Lions have fallen out of the headlines after a tough 2025. But let’s put that year in perspective: They lost Ben Johnson, the offensive line that had defined the team crumbled after Frank Ragnow’s summer retirement, injuries plagued the defense, and they still finished 9–8, giving them a fourth consecutive winning season for the first time since Joe Schmidt was the coach in 1972. A year later, Drew Petzing has been brought in to fix the offense, the line’s been restocked and the defense’s health is improving (Brian Branch will be back soon). Add it all up, and I think we’ll all remember how sturdy what Campbell and Brad Holmes have built is. Then, they’ll run into the Rams’ freight train …

As for my Super Bowl pick, yeah, it’s boring; it’s chalk. But I think every time the Rams are in this sort of spot—with the spotlight hot—they deliver. And they were four points away, as I see it, from another Lombardi last year, and have added Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, Aaron Donald and Jaylen Watson to their defense since (imagine reading that sentence seven months ago). The Broncos, to me, are similarly situated, with a deep, balanced roster coming back, a top-notch coaching staff and a really good addition (Jaylen Waddle) to show for their offseason.

Bold prediction: Joe Burrow’s top challenger for MVP will be ... Sam Darnold. I have Rams-Seahawks in the divisional round, and I think it’ll have the same feel as last year’s NFC title game, which felt like a Super Bowl. And, yes, I have the Rams taking the division and that game, but I think the Seahawks are going to be really, really good. Part of that will be Darnold playing the way he did in that title game win—like one of the best players in football. I love the way Darnold has ascended the past three years; I love what’s around him in Seattle, I love the hire of Brian Fleury, and I love that, finally, he’s got a team that’s his own. I think all of it’s going to come together, and he’ll thrive in 2026.

Conor Orr

Super Bowl: Texans 24, Seahawks 21; MVP C.J. Stroud

MVP: Will Anderson Jr.
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Myles Garrett
OROY: Jadarian Price
DROY: Rueben Bain Jr.
Protector: Lane Johnson
Comeback: Jayden Daniels
Coach: Jesse Minter

As you can tell by the look of our football preview issue cover, I’m pretty high on the Texans. Optimism is eternal this time of year, and injuries are still not the story that will define the season altogether. However, Houston played incredible football last year, punching one-handed thanks to an offense that was hamstrung by a thin offensive line and a lack of depth at running back. Enter David Montgomery, a few Band-Aid veterans up front and a new C.J. Stroud, who’ll come alive in Year 2 of the Nick Caley offense and win Super Bowl MVP with a pair of touchdown passes in the season finale. Last year, I correctly called Christian McCaffrey as the world’s most obvious Comeback Player of the Year candidate and view Jayden Daniels in a similar category, assuming he can stay healthy. The new offense should be explosive, and Daniels will be big-play hunting all season. Jesse Minter will win Coach of the Year by virtue of being the one new hire who takes a non-playoff team from the year before the deepest into the postseason. While there is no Mike Vrabel–like candidate emerging from this year’s hefty class, Minter will take the Harbaugh spirit and evolve the Ravens once again.

Bold prediction: Part of me thinks something wild is going to happen. Maybe it’s not bad wild. Maybe it is. But I think we’ll miss at least 11 NFL games this season. They simply won’t happen. Some teams will just not finish with incomplete records. Years later, when we’re sitting with our grandchildren, they’ll ask why the 2026 Titans only played 15 games. “I don’t know,” you’ll say, rubbing your temples and trying to remember what happened after the flashes of lightning and the piercing, high-pitched noise. The fog that rolled over the hills and the strange dreams we had about multiple Gods; mythical creatures that looked like well-groomed Labradors with the voice of James Earl Jones. When we came to, the NFL season was simply complete. There was no press conference. There was no explanation. Mike Tirico will sidle up next to Cris Collinsworth in mid-January and ask his partner in the booth if he’s ready for some playoff football. Cris will say yes. We’ll all say yes, too. Like happy dogs, we’ll wave our invisible tails and hope we've been good enough for a treat.

Gilberto Manzano

Super Bowl: Rams 27, Bills 24; Kyren Williams MVP

MVP: Jahmyr Gibbs
OPOY: Ja’Marr Chase
DPOY: Myles Garrett
OROY: Carnell Tate
DROY: Arvell Reese
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: Aaron Donald
Coach: Sean McVay

It’s a personal requirement of mine to have at least five playoff teams that didn’t make it the year before. For 2026, I landed on six teams: the Lions, Vikings, Cowboys, Saints, Ravens and Bengals.

The Saints and Vikings might be my most surprising teams from this group. Coach Kellen Moore has New Orleans on the right track after his players showed plenty of improvement throughout his first season, and I believe Tyler Shough will do better than his 2025 draft-mates, Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward. As for the Vikings, coach Kevin O’Connell could be feeling some heat after how poorly it went in Minnesota last year. Look for O’Connell to right the ship in Minnesota with new starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who also has plenty of motivation for a bounce-back season.

Now, let’s discuss the real contenders. It feels a bit wrong, as a strong supporter of underdogs, to go with the Rams as my Super Bowl pick. But this team might have the league’s best coach, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive player, along with a handful of players who are considered top-10 at their position. Perhaps only injuries can get in the way of the Rams in 2026. Still, it won’t be a cakewalk for Los Angeles, with Seattle still loaded with depth and emerging players.

I’ll bet on Justin Herbert and the Chargers to finally win a playoff game, but they usually burn me. The Texans and Broncos will be tough outs with their dominant defenses. I’m just not sure if their offenses will do enough to get either one to the Super Bowl. Yes, I’m well aware of Josh Allen’s postseason history. But he’s too talented not to get to the big game at least once in his career. Why not this season? Perhaps new coach Joe Brady will make the necessary adjustments. This could be a special first season in the Bills’ new stadium.

Bold prediction: Recently, a friend asked me this question: How long until Sean Payton takes play-calling duties from his offensive coordinator Davis Webb and does it himself? At the time, I was returning from my training camp visit with the Broncos, and all I heard was how great Webb has been for the offense. So, I told my friend, I don’t see that happening at all. But for the sake of being bold, I’ll say Payton will call plays for at least one game this season and then hand the job back to Webb. Head coaches have a lot of pride, and it’s not easy for them to give up play-calling.

Matt Verderame

Super Bowl: Rams 23, Texans 20; Matthew Stafford MVP

MVP: Dak Prescott
OPOY: Bijan Robinson
DPOY: Will Anderson Jr.
OROY: Carnell Tate
DROY: David Bailey
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: Patrick Mahomes
Coach: John Harbaugh

It was easy picking the Rams to win the Super Bowl. They’re the best team on paper, they have the reigning MVP at quarterback and the league’s top coach. Do they have flaws? Yes. Do they have fewer than anybody else, and more ways to win than any other team? Yes and yes. As for the AFC, I could have easily picked six other teams to make it to Super Bowl LXI, but chose the Texans because they have the most dominant unit in football with their defense. That said, if C.J. Stroud doesn’t pick it up after a pair of lackluster seasons, teams like the Bills, Chiefs, Broncos or Patriots could all get there with a chance to win it all.

For some, the biggest takeaway from my bracket was the teams not in there. I don’t believe in the Ravens or Chargers. Both have major questions along the offensive line. Both have one receiver and questions galore with the rest of the room (although Ravens rookie Ja’Kobi Lane could be a stud). Baltimore is also aging and Lamar Jackson has missed significant time in three of the past five seasons. As for Justin Herbert, what’s his signature moment in the league? It’s either losing a 27–0 lead in the playoffs ... or throwing four interceptions in a playoff loss. Not great. In the NFC, do the Eagles have enough firepower to be dangerous? Can the Lions stop anybody? Will the 49ers be able to field a team by December? I have my doubts on all fronts, though San Francisco will be a wild-card team.

As for the award section, I love the Cowboys’ offense. It's the best in football. Don’t be surprised when Prescott throws for 4,700 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Bold prediction: We’ll start having a serious discussion about whether Jim Harbaugh is the right coach to get the Chargers to the next level after they miss the playoffs. Yes, Harbaugh won a national championship at Michigan. He’s a quirky person with a ring on his finger and sported a 44-19-1 record with the 49ers from 2011 to ’14. Here’s the other reality: That was a lifetime ago in NFL years. Harbaugh’s approach to winning is pounding the ball and occasionally throwing it. In 2026, even with the pendulum swinging back toward the running game, that’s a tough way to win it all unless you have a lights-out defense. The Chargers have a good defense, but it’s no Legion of Boom. And at Michigan, Harbaugh won a single bowl game (the Citrus Bowl) before winning it all in 2023. He’s a good coach, but is he a great one at this juncture?

John Pluym

Super Bowl: Rams 17, Texans 14; Myles Garrett MVP

MVP: Myles Garrett
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Christian Gonzalez
OROY: Carnell Tate
DROY: Sonny Styles
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: Aaron Donald
Coach: DeMeco Ryans

Only four NFL teams (Browns, Jaguars, Lions and Texans) have yet to appear in a Super Bowl, and that number will drop to three this year.

The Texans are loaded defensively, especially at the edge position with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. I’ve loved Hunter since he was the No. 88 pick in the third round by the Vikings in the 2015 draft. The amazing number with Hunter: He had only 4.5 sacks at LSU. In the NFL, he has 114.5. That’s an average of 10-plus sacks per season. But Anderson is even more talented at rushing the passer than Hunter, which is saying something. Anderson has 30 sacks in three seasons but could challenge Myles Garrett as the best defensive player in the AFC. Ultimately, the success of Houston’s season will come down to quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Stroud can avoid turnovers (he had only 10 in the regular season but seven in the playoffs last year), Houston has a chance to have a historic season and advance to its first Super Bowl.

In the NFC, it’s all about the Rams, who are loaded offensively and defensively. They have MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford. They also have two of the best wide receivers in the game, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Plus, Kyren Williams is one of the best all-around running backs in the league. On defense, they’ve added Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald returns, and they also shored up their secondary by trading for cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson in free agency.

So, I like the Texans and the Rams to meet in the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, which will essentially be a home game for L.A. But the game will come down to the most important position in professional sports: quarterback. And that’s where the Rams have a huge advantage over the Texans.

Bold prediction: Myles Garrett will win MVP. There have been only two defensive MVPs in NFL history: Alan Page on the 1971 Vikings and Lawrence Taylor on the 1986 Giants. Was there a bigger story this offseason than the Browns trading Garrett to the Rams? No. Garrett is the best player in the league and will finally have the opportunity to play on a winner after several frustrating years in Cleveland. Garrett had an NFL-record 23 sacks in 2025, and I’m going to predict 25-plus sacks for him this season and a Super Bowl ring.

Mitch Goldich

Super Bowl: Rams 30, Chargers 24; Matthew Stafford MVP

MVP: Justin Herbert
OPOY: Jahmyr Gibbs
DPOY: Will Anderson Jr.
OROY: Ja’Kobi Lane
DROY: Caleb Downs
Protector: Tristan Wirfs
Comeback: Patrick Mahomes
Coach: Jim Harbaugh

I am well aware there’s a decade-long-running joke about how much the media hypes up the Chargers every preseason, but I don’t believe I’m a repeat offender of falling into that trap. (I’m guilty of picking the Ravens the past few years and watching them let me down.) I’m a big Mike McDaniel fan, and I’m really excited to see what he does with the Chargers’ offense this season if the tackles can stay healthy. I am the guy trying to nab Ladd McConkey and even Keaton Mitchell in every fantasy draft this offseason. I gave Jim Harbaugh my Coach of the Year vote, though it’ll be interesting to see how much credit McDaniel gets for their season, as people talk about him landing a head coaching job for 2027. I do think the AFC will see the regular contenders mostly return to form after such a topsy-turvy 2025 in that conference. I have the Bills and Ravens winning their divisions and the Chiefs sneaking into the playoffs behind a Comeback Player of the Year season from Patrick Mahomes.

In the NFC, I have the showdown everyone wants with a Rams-Seahawks conference title game. I made Seattle do it the hard way with a pair of road wins to get there. But give me the Rams to topple their division rivals and then go on to win the Super Bowl for the same reasons so many other people are picking them, which I barely feel the need to elaborate on. If the Rams earn the top seed in the NFC, they can stay home for the entire postseason run, which is even cushier than the last time they won a Super Bowl at SoFi, when they at least had to visit Tampa for the divisional round. This year, it’s all linine up for them.

Bold prediction: The NFC championship game will be played on a Monday. Not only do I have the two Los Angeles teams meeting in the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, but my playoff bracket also created the NFL’s worst nightmare. It’s a perfect storm where both L.A. teams need to host the conference title game on the same day, delaying the league’s ability to begin prepping the Super Bowl field! In years past, the league has said that such a conflict in L.A. (or MetLife Stadium, hold for laughter) would result in pushing a game to Monday, and I think the league will have no choice but to relent in this unfortunate year to do it. I spent more time than I care to admit thinking about which game would get bumped a day (I tend to obsess over these types of schedule items), knowing the league would probably love to have strong TV ratings for the Monday experiment. In the end, I think because the Rams and Seahawks are both on the West Coast, it would be more fair to delay that game an extra day, rather than risk the Bills having to fly in for the AFC title game, then go home and have to fly back across the country with one less day of rest. Even though a Chargers win makes it a moot point.

Mike Kadlick

Super Bowl: Rams 27, Bills 21; Matthew Stafford MVP

MVP: Jordan Love
OPOY: Ja’Marr Chase
DPOY: Myles Garrett
OROY: Jadarian Price
DROY: Mansoor Delane
Protector: Penei Sewell
Comeback: Kyler Murray
Coach: Jesse Minter

2026 is going to be the year of the Packers. That is, until they meet the Rams in the NFC championship game. Green Bay has a franchise quarterback in Jordan Love—my pick to win NFL MVP—and one of the league’s top defenders in Micah Parsons, who is targeting an early-to-midseason return. I’m excited to see where Matt LaFleur can take this club in his eighth season at the helm.

In the AFC, the Bills will bounce back after failing to win the division for the first time since 2019, earn the No. 2 seed and finally get Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs off their postseason backs. Then, Josh Allen will meet Drake Maye and the Patriots for the third time after two regular-season matchups and send Buffalo back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 season.

Love will be dubbed the best player in the sport after leading the NFL in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage. Ja’Marr Chase will earn his first Offensive Player of the Year award while the Seahawks’ lead back, Jadarian Price, will win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Mansoor Delane, meanwhile, will prove to be worth the Chiefs trading up three spots for him, becoming Kansas City’s first Defensive Rookie of the Year since Marcus Peters in 2015.

Elsewhere, Kyler Murray is headed to the Kevin O’Connell School of Quarterbacking, where he’ll revive his career, win Comeback Player of the Year and set himself up for a massive contract in 2027. Jesse Minter will take Baltimore’s loaded roster to 12-plus wins, an AFC North title and Coach of the Year honors, and Penei Sewell will win the league’s second annual Protector of the Year award.

And, of course, Myles Garrett will win his third Defensive Player of the Year award after being traded to a stacked Los Angeles defense that ranked second in the NFL in pressure rate in 2025.

The result? The Rams win Super Bowl LXI, beating Buffalo 27–21 behind Garrett and Matthew Stafford, capturing their second Lombardi Trophy at SoFi Stadium since 2021.

Bold prediction: There won’t be a midseason coach firing for the first time since 2012. All things considered, the state of coaching in the NFL is actually pretty good right now. Ten of 32 teams have a new man in charge heading into 2026, which all but takes them out of the midseason change category. As for the coaches on the hot seat—mainly Todd Bowles, Aaron Glenn and Zac Taylor—their rosters have enough talent to avoid a total meltdown. Barring any abhorrent early-season disasters, it’s feasible that no coaching changes will be made until after the 2026 season.

Eva Geitheim

Super Bowl: Texans 24, Rams 16; Will Anderson Jr. MVP

MVP: Joe Burrow
OPOY: Bijan Robinson
DPOY: Will Anderson Jr.
OROY: Denzel Boston
DROY: Rueben Bain Jr.
Protector: Tristan Wirfs
Comeback: Kyler Murray
Coach: Jesse Minter

I’m all in on the Texans this year—and not just because they fabulously graced the cover of SI’s 2026 NFL preview issue. The Bengals and Ravens will return to the playoffs behind strong performances from two star quarterbacks, with Joe Burrow leading the Bengals back to postseason action with his first MVP campaign. Burrow won’t be able to follow through on his lofty Super Bowl aspirations, however, because the Texans’ defense will be the story of the postseason. The Texans’ defense is already the best in the league, and could be even better after retaining all of its key pieces and adding promising second-round pick Kayden McDonald. So long as C.J. Stroud doesn’t replicate his turnover-littered performance from last January, the Texans’ defense—led by a DPOY campaign from Will Anderson Jr.—should be able to lift them to their first AFC title game, where I see them taking on the Bills. Houston has been Josh Allen’s kryptonite throughout his career, and will stunt the 2024 MVP winner from reaching the Super Bowl.

Over in the NFC, the NFC West will remain the league’s best division with three teams making the playoffs again while the NFC North falls short of expectations. I see the Cowboys beating out the Eagles for the NFC East, but failing to end their NFC championship game drought. The Rams, after adding Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie to an already star-studded roster this offseason, will follow through on preseason expectations by reaching the Super Bowl. The game will spotlight the league’s best offense and best defense, with a pass-rush showdown as Anderson and Garrett face off. Ultimately, the Texans will prevail behind a stout defensive effort that overwhelms Matthew Stafford and the Sean McVay offense on the way to lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

Bold prediction: The Vikings will be the only NFC North team to make the playoffs in 2026—even in a year when the division takes on the NFC South. All four teams will be playoff contenders again this season, but the Vikings will separate themselves—and not just because of Kyler Murray. Murray will provide the stability at quarterback the Vikings need to contend—they’ve made the playoffs under Kevin O’Connell each time they had consistency at the position—but it’s the defense that will lift Minnesota to the division title. The NFL’s best teams right now all boast great defenses, and the Packers, Bears and Lions have question marks on that side of the ball. The Vikings are the best defensive team of the bunch, and will lean on Brian Flores’s unit again as they return to the postseason. And a bonus bold Vikings prediction for good measure: Will Reichard—not Cam Little—will make the NFL’s first 70-yard field goal.

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