Thousands upon thousands of people will have a role in how the 2026 NFL season will play out. However, only a small percentage of that group will control the storylines this fall and who'll play for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14.
Who will those people be? Well, we know that quarterbacks have the strongest influence over the final result on the field. But from star players to owners and NFL executives, there are many other people you should know about who'll shape the year ahead.
So, as we say goodbye to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and begin the countdown to the start of the 2026 NFL season, here are the 100 people who'll shape the upcoming year. JUMP TO: QBs Bad Teams Are Competing To Draft Impactful Offseason Adds Impact Rookies | Breakout Candidates Intriguing New Hires | Coaches Who Must Make The PlayoffsFuture Head Coach Candidates | Power Brokers DPOY Candidates | OPOY Candidates Bounce-Back Candidates Who Will Shape The Trade Deadline The OL Who Can Win Games | Contracts On The Line 1 Celeb Who Could Impact The Season We start with the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, who led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes last year. With the Rams trading for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, there's a clear win-now push that makes their season very Super Bowl or bust, even with the defending champs in their division.
Can Stafford stay healthy for another full season at age 38? That's arguably the biggest vulnerability for a Los Angeles team trying to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Maye was a breakout star in 2025, finishing as runner-up for both the MVP and the Super Bowl.
The Patriots traded for A.J. Brown and signed Romeo Doubs, so he could easily surpass the 31 touchdown passes he had last season. Oddsmakers are expecting a step back from New England, facing a first-place schedule, so his challenge is validating his success with more of the same.
If they're the team to beat in the AFC, that starts with holding off the Bills for the division title, or else the Patriots will be on the road in the playoffs. The Bills will have the NFL's first new stadium in six years, and fresh off his 30th birthday, the goal for Allen is to get playoff football games back to Buffalo. They had two thrillers on the road in 2025, winning at Jacksonville before losing in overtime at Denver.
Allen's won at least one playoff game six years in a row, but lost to the Chiefs in four of those seasons. With D.J. Moore as a new weapon to throw to, can Allen get back in the MVP conversation, or lead Buffalo on a deep playoff run to show off that new stadium?
It's hard to imagine a steeper two-year climb, going from journeyman backup to consecutive 14-3 seasons and a Super Bowl championship last year with Seattle. Darnold had five touchdown passes and no interceptions in the playoffs last season. Can he help the Seahawks hold off the Rams and 49ers in a stacked NFC West?
Can he find the same success with a first-time coordinator as Brian Fleury takes over for Klint Kubiak? We don't have to explain how hard it is to repeat as a Super Bowl champ these days. Just how much will Mahomes be back once he's back?
He's recovering from a torn ACL, but he also hasn't thrown more than 27 touchdown passes in any of the last three seasons, and the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Chiefs' division won't be easy, but Kansas City went 15-2 just two seasons ago, and Mahomes still has a 17-4 record in the playoffs. They'll be lurking in the Broncos' shadow (and maybe the Chargers’ as well), but if anyone can grab the NFL spotlight in a hurry, it's a healthy Mahomes.
How much can a new head coach and offensive coordinator spark Jackson in his ninth NFL season? Limited by injuries, Jackson rushed for less than half as many yards in any season since his rookie year, and threw for 20 fewer touchdowns than in 2024. How much will he miss center Tyler Linderbaum, who's gone to the Raiders?
A healthy, upgraded defense — welcome back, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike — should put the Ravens in a better position to play with the lead and control the game on the ground. Could Williams possibly match last year's remarkable total of seven fourth-quarter comebacks? Williams' growth under Ben Johnson last year was impressive — of 47 quarterbacks ever to throw at least 800 passes in their first two NFL seasons, Williams had the fewest interceptions with just 13, four less than anyone else.
Chicago has a young group of receivers and tight ends to throw to, including two rookies in receiver Zavion Thomas and tight end Sam Roush. Good chance he's the first Bears quarterback to throw 30 touchdown passes in a season. Is this the year Herbert breaks through with playoff relevance?
He's played six seasons, has a quarter-billion-dollar contract to show for it, but is 0-3 in the playoffs with two total touchdown passes. He has no excuse this year, with Mike McDaniel in as coordinator and a revamped, healthy offensive line — both are huge boosts after a struggle in 2025. If Herbert wants to be seen among the elite under-30 quarterbacks in the league, he has to find a way to lead his team in January as other young quarterbacks have been able to do.
Is there a more polarizing quarterback among his own fans? Hurts has one Super Bowl MVP and scored four touchdowns in another Super Bowl, and yet, he's the target for much of the Eagles' offensive issues. Another new offensive coordinator is in place with Sean Mannion — A.J.
Brown is gone to the Patriots and the Eagles upgraded their depth by adding rookie Makai Lemon and veterans Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown. He set a career high with 25 passing touchdowns last year and could top that again in 2026. Three straight years without making the playoffs?
Seems impossible, but that's Burrow and the Bengals, scuttled by a terrible defense. Burrow was also limited to eight games by injury last year. Can he get back to his prolific 2024 form, throwing for a league-best 43 touchdowns?
Adding Dexter Lawrence will help that defense, but Cincinnati will still have to score in the 30s to beat good opponents. In the last two seasons, the Bengals have four games scoring 38-plus points and losing; the rest of the NFL has five such games, total. A fractured ankle kept Nix out of the AFC Championship Game, where a 10-7 loss ended Denver's season.
Who knows how things change if he's healthy in that game. Nix threw more passes (612) than any quarterback in the NFL last year, but he finished 26th in passer rating with 25 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Still, Nix had impressive moments, leading the league in game-winning drives (seven).
Denver added receiver Jaylen Waddle, giving Nix another top target, but with not many other additions. The Broncos will be hard-pressed to repeat their 14-3 record last season, and it’ll be on Nix to ensure that they remain a contender. The storyline for Purdy is the same as his team — staying healthy is a huge must for any success in 2026.
Purdy was limited to eight games by toe and shoulder injuries last year and still threw for 20 touchdowns. Add a future Hall of Famer in receiver Mike Evans, and the 49ers are part of the best three-wide division race in the NFL, lurking behind the Seahawks and Rams. Purdy has won in Seattle in each of the last two seasons, but now has a $265 million contract and the high expectations that come with that.
The Packers added almost nothing on offense and lost receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, as if hoping a healthy Micah Parsons (eventually), an upgraded defense and Love can help them compete in a tough division. Love didn’t have the most amazing stats last season, throwing 23 touchdowns against six picks. But Green Bay scored 27 or more points nine times in its 9-3-1 start before scoring 27 or fewer in a five-game losing streak to end its 2025 season.
Love will lean on a healthy Tucker Kraft and hope that Matthew Golden can take a big step in his second season. Prescott needs six touchdown passes to surpass Tony Romo for the Cowboys career record, and 12 wins to pass Troy Aikman for the Dallas record for a starting quarterback. The latter is what his legacy in Dallas hinges on — can he, with a record $60 million a year contract, be the guy to get Dallas to a conference championship to end a 30-year drought?
He's 33, has two elite receivers in George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, and with luck, an improved defense. The big question: can he improve on a 2-5 career playoff record? Does Rodgers have one great season left in him at age 42?
Rodgers hasn't made a Pro Bowl since 2021, hasn't won a playoff game since 2020, and this looks to be his last shot, back full circle with Mike McCarthy. He's averaged 26 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in his last three full seasons as a starter, not bad but not close to his prime. Pittsburgh has lost its last seven playoff games, so he'll either get to go out ending that streak, or finish a first-ballot Hall of Fame career with four wandering years for largely irrelevant teams.
Detroit had a top-five offense last year in points, yards and a few other key stats, but it went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Goff had 34 touchdowns against only eight interceptions, and he'll have a new offensive coordinator in Drew Petzing with a chance to get the Lions closer to their 15-2 record in 2024. The Lions' amazing 2023 draft class is getting very expensive very quickly, so there's a limited window to win with Goff ($53 million a year) before his supporting cast makes it hard to keep the depth you need to win at a high level.
Manning — the nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie Manning — will likely play his final season of college football at Texas this fall, and he enters the college football season as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2027. Several teams expected to struggle this fall, including the Cardinals and Dolphins, will be at the top of the draft and in need of a quarterback.
Will Manning live up to the hype in 2026 after an underwhelming 2025? If he does, it'll make it easier for teams to accept losing down the homestretch. Moore was expected to be a top pick in the 2026 draft before his surprise decision to return to the Ducks.
They'll be among the favorites to win the national title, especially as they get a quarterback of Moore’s talent back in the mix. Moore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in his first year starting at Oregon, completing 72% of his passes. He'll have a new coordinator and lost a few key targets from last season, but keep an eye on speedy UAB transfer Iverson Hooks.
If Moore can build on his 2025 success, he'll be a Heisman candidate and a potential top-five draft pick in 2027. Sayin broke out as a first-year starter in 2025, taking a talented receiving corps and completing 77% of his passes, with 32 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He'll still have Jeremiah Smith to throw to, as well as talented freshman Chris Henry Jr., so there's every expectation of continued success.
Sayin's size — 6-foot-1, 208 pounds — will be a question mark, but his productivity at the highest levels of college football will keep him in the top tier of a talented 2027 quarterback draft class. It's not just giving up a first-round pick to get McDuffie from the Chiefs, as the Rams also gave him a new contract paying $31 million a year. He and Jaylen Watson are part of a new-look secondary, as the Rams remember Sam Darnold throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns to beat them in the playoffs.
McDuffie could play outside and inside at nickel — with what he's making, he'll need to make a bigger impact in the turnover game than three total interceptions in his four years in Kansas City. Watch for forced fumbles, as he has eight in his four-year career. Can Hendrickson still get to the quarterback at age 31?
Baltimore, having pulled out of the Maxx Crosby trade, gave Hendrickson four years and $112 million. So is he the player who had 17.5 sacks each in 2023 and 2024, or the guy who had four last year, limited to seven games by a core muscle injury. Baltimore went from 53 sacks in 2024 to just 30 last year, with no player getting more than five.
Moving in the division means he gets a chance to face the Bengals twice and play a key role in which team wins the AFC North. It's not often a team deals a top-10 pick for a veteran non-quarterback, but the Bengals did that to land Lawrence, 28, from the Giants, even coming off a season with 0.5 sacks. Cincinnati ranked 30th in scoring defense and 31st in total defense, but even a modest improvement to around 20th would be enough.
Pairing that with the Bengals' prolific offense to get them back in the playoffs and save head coach Zac Taylor's job. Adding Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe to the starting front and safety Bryan Cook on the back end is a big help. You add the defending Super Bowl MVP to a franchise that's been to five Super Bowls (winning three) in the last seven years, and it's a no-brainer addition to this list.
Kansas City hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt in 2017, so Walker is a complement that Patrick Mahomes has largely played without in his time in Kansas City. Can that help get the Chiefs back to the playoffs? Walker's 313 rushing yards in the playoffs last year in just three games match the most any Kansas City running back has ever had in a postseason.
The last time Brown got a fresh start with a new team, he went for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns, helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl. Last year was overshadowed by drama, and he finally was traded to the Patriots, where he could be a huge addition for Drake Maye. He averaged a career-low 12.9 yards per catch last season, with no catch longer than 45 yards, but should be able to add a big-play presence to New England's offense, which had only six passing plays of 40-plus yards last season, ninth-lowest in the league.
One of the more surprising departures in free agency was Evans leaving the Buccaneers after 12 seasons and 108 career touchdowns. He was limited to eight games last year by hamstring and collarbone injuries, ending his streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons, but now he gives the 49ers a clear-cut No. 1 receiver whose size makes him a red zone weapon.
A bar trivia question that Evans could change the answer to: Who's the last 49ers receiver to catch 10 or more touchdowns in a season? It goes all the way back to 2002 and Terrell Owens. New Orleans hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Mark Ingram in 2017, and Etienne did that three times in four years in Jacksonville, so the Saints gave him $13 million a year to essentially supplant Alvin Kamara and upgrade their running game.
Etienne also caught six touchdown passes last year, so he's a dual threat in the red zone. New Orleans won four straight in December last year after a 2-10 start, and the NFC South is wide-open enough that a consistent run game will go a long way toward giving the Saints a shot. Not many rookies are on this list, but Downs has a chance to do something special after falling to Dallas at No.
11 overall. The Cowboys had a historically bad defense in 2025 — giving up more than 30 points per game, the highest in the NFL and most in franchise history. Downs' presence in the secondary is just one of perhaps six new defensive starters, and one of five defensive players taken in the first four rounds.
If there's a new defensive identity to have post-Micah Parsons, Downs is the kind of player who can set that tone. Las Vegas isn't likely to contend for a playoff spot in 2026, but Mendoza could put it on an upward trajectory. The Raiders were dead last in total offense and scoring offense last season, mustering only 14.2 points per game.
Las Vegas still has a weak receiving corps, but it wouldn't be hard for Mendoza to exceed the 15 touchdown passes thrown each by the Giants' Jaxson Dart and the Titans' Cam Ward as rookies last year. First question: How quickly do they shift from Kirk Cousins to the rookie? No half of an NFL team may have as much change as Washington's defense, and with good reason.
The Commanders gave up a league-high 384 yards per game last year, a huge part of why they flipped from 12-5 in 2024 to 5-12 in 2025. Styles went seventh overall to Washington — 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, running a 4.46 40, the kind of player you can rebuild a defense around. Inside linebacker is a devalued position across the league, but he could quickly establish himself as one of the league's best in the middle.
Edge rusher is a tough position to make a splash as a rookie — when Atlanta's James Pearce had 10.5 sacks last year, he was the first rookie to get double-digit sacks in four seasons. Bailey is the first of three Jets first-round picks, with tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper, and the one poised to make the biggest impact. New York will do well to stay ahead of Miami in the AFC East, but as it looks to become a contender down the road, Bailey is the kind of defensive star you can build around.
How can Arizona do anything to define the 2026 NFL season, you ask? The Cardinals are fourth in the toughest division in the league, but if they're going to upset the Seahawks, Rams or 49ers, they'll need a big impact from the third overall pick in this draft. Love might be the non-factor that Ashton Jeanty was with the Raiders last year, but with perhaps the worst QB room in the NFL, first-year coach Mike LaFleur will lean on his run game and a retooled offensive line.
Love will need an impact season to justify being picked so high. Remember the excitement surrounding Carter as a rookie? The third overall pick in last year's draft managed only four sacks as a rookie, but now has a chance to make a leap in Year 2 as part of a loaded defensive front that also includes Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Arvell Reese.
Can new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson get more from a unit that was second-worst against the run in the NFL? If the Giants are to contend in the NFC East, they need to make even more progress on defense than they do on offense. From Week 8 through the end of the 2025 regular season, 33 NFL running backs had 100-plus carries, and Henderson had the second-most yards per carry out of that group (5.5), behind only Miami's De'Von Achane.
New England found a potent 1-2 punch in the ground game with Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, and that will be the case again in 2026. It's always tougher to run in the playoffs, and Henderson was held in check, totaling 76 rushing yards on 2.5 yards per carry in four games, but he could be a much bigger presence in this year's postseason. Dart made headlines off the field during the offseason, but he has a chance to build on a strong rookie season, with so much improved around him, from John Harbaugh as head coach to getting Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo healthy to adding pieces like Isaiah Likely and a ton of veteran receivers.
Dart had 15 touchdown passes against only five interceptions as a rookie, plus another nine rushing touchdowns. His profile can rise the fastest by turning losses into wins and helping the Giants compete in the NFC East. Jeanty has to be better than he was last year, right?
Remember how electric Jeanty was at Boise State in 2024? He rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns, then was ordinary as a Raiders rookie, rushing for 975 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Can new coach Klint Kubiak help him realize his big-play potential?
A heavy dose of Jeanty is an easy way to make Mendoza's rookie year less overwhelming — the Raiders are almost assured to be last in the AFC West, but they can take a big step forward from 3-14 in 2025. Hampton was limited by injuries to eight games as a rookie, and he stands to benefit from the Chargers' offensive upgrades as much as anyone. To be a primary weapon in a Mike McDaniel offense makes him a fantasy sleeper and potential breakout star, playing behind a much-improved offensive line.
He'll be more involved in the pass game and utilized like De'Von Achane was in Miami. Hampton is a microcosm for the Chargers — if he can just stay healthy, he can exceed all kinds of expectations this coming season. The Titans were a bad team last year, finishing in the bottom three in points, total yards, rushing yards, passing yards and third-down conversions.
But Ward's finish was a reason for hope — after seven touchdowns and six interceptions in his first 12 NFL games, he had eight touchdowns against one pick in his final five starts. Add top rookie Carnell Tate and free agent Wan'Dale Robinson at wide receiver, and you should have a better offense in 2026 with Brian Daboll calling the offense. Not a playoff team, but much closer to being one.
For all the excitement around Hunter as a rare two-way player, his rookie year was a dud, with one touchdown catch and no interceptions before a knee injury ended his season after seven games. Can the former No. 2 overall pick get at least comfortable on defense and become a playmaker there?
The Jaguars had more losses than additions in the offseason, so they're trusting returning players to improve if they expect to match a surprising 13-4 record in 2025. Any impact on offense would feel like a bonus at this point. If only the Saints had given Shough the keys in Week 1 last year.
Instead, they were 1-8 when he took over as starter, and he went 5-4. Throwing 10 touchdown passes in nine games (rushing for three more) isn't amazing, but an offense that scored 20-plus points just twice in the first 12 games did so in four straight games, and won all four. Now, Shough has rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson and running back Travis Etienne, with better talent to shine in Kellen Moore's offense.
Can he lead the Saints to win a wide-open NFC South in 2026? As the Giants are looking for playoff consistency that’s eluded the franchise since their last Super Bowl win, Harbaugh has been a face of consistency. However, Harbaugh set the bar so high for himself with the Ravens that he was fired after failing to reach the playoffs this past year, allowing a Giants franchise with one playoff win in the last 14 years to land him.
Can a veteran staff get more from Jaxson Dart and a healthy Cam Skattebo, not to mention a loaded defensive front that now has rookie Arvell Reese, second-year pro Abdul Carter and Brian Burns? Can they be a factor in the NFC East? As first-year head coaching opportunities go, Jesse Minter has a strong one, taking over a veteran team that just missed the playoffs with a former MVP at quarterback.
The Ravens have been good-not-great for a long time, consistently getting to the postseason but not winning more than one playoff game in any season since their Super Bowl championship in 2012. Changing that in a first year as head coach isn't easy, but two solid coordinators (Declan Doyle on offense and Anthony Weaver on defense) will help him try to pull it off in 2026. The NFL rarely promotes to replace a fired coach, but Buffalo did just that, moving on from Sean McDermott after seven straight years with at least 10 wins.
Joe Brady built a top-five offense around Josh Allen and James Cook and should have the same again, with new coordinator Jim Leonhard on board to try to improve the defense. The Bills had won five straight division titles before last season, so with the excitement of opening a new stadium, the key goals start with getting back ahead of the Patriots to host a home playoff game. Macdonald has 24 wins and a Super Bowl championship in his first two years as a head coach, and while the Seahawks took some hits in free agency, the best story in the NFL might be the three-way battle for the NFC West title.
Seattle went 2-2 against San Francisco and Los Angeles in the regular season last year, then swept them in the playoffs. How well can the Seahawks fare with targets on their back all season as defending champs? This was the NFL's No.
1 defense and No. 3 offense last year, so don't overlook their balance and talent. Can the Bears improve on a breakout first year under Johnson?
They went 11-6, won the NFC North and got their first playoff win in 15 years as Johnson brought out the best in second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Chicago had so many last-second and comeback victories that it seems difficult to repeat, but emerging young talent like receiver Luther Burden and tight end Colston Loveland could improve what was already a top-five passing attack. Can his defense come close to leading the NFL in takeaways again?
A tumultuous offseason put Vrabel in constant headlines, going from a Super Bowl appearance in February to having to step away from the team during the NFL Draft because of an off-the-field scandal. Getting back to football will help him push that away from the spotlight, but a first-place schedule has expectations down for New England, tied for the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl. A rematch with Seattle to open the 2026 NFL season will set the tone for what's ahead.
McVay is eight wins away from recording 100 for his career, doing so by the age of 40, but his 2026 looks like a Super Bowl or bust season, given the investments to trade for elite players like edge rusher Myles Garrett and corner Trent McDuffie. Los Angeles' two losses to Seattle came by one point in overtime and four points in the NFC Championship Game — reversing those could be as simple as winning the NFC West and making sure a rematch with Seattle is played in Los Angeles, perhaps setting up home-field advantage in the Super Bowl in February. What Shanahan did last year to squeeze 12 wins out of an injury-depleted 49ers roster was commendable, and San Francisco added significant pieces — receiver Mike Evans among them — to try to keep up in the NFC West.
However, the 49ers managed only three and six points in losses to the Seahawks in Week 18 and in the playoffs, respectively, and the defense lost Robert Saleh to the Titans job. If they're healthy, the 49ers will definitely be a contender in the division and for a championship, as part of a three-wide battle in the NFC West all season. The Chargers have gone 11-6 in each of Jim Harbaugh's two seasons in Los Angeles, but lost in the wild-card round both seasons while scoring 12 and 3 points.
Adding offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will help, as will having two healthy tackles and a revamped interior on the offensive line. If the Chargers are a real contender, you'll know it from this daunting stretch from Weeks 3-10: at Bills, at Seahawks, vs. Broncos, at Chiefs, at Rams, vs.
Texans, at Ravens. If they stay healthy, they should emerge as a strong team. Did a dynasty end last year when Kansas City missed the playoffs, or is that just a fluke fueled by injuries?
The Chiefs won nine straight division titles with five Super Bowls and three championships in seven years. Will Patrick Mahomes get back to his elite self? Does Travis Kelce have one more big year left in him as he turns 37?
Can a retooled secondary, including rookie corner Mansoor Delane, get the Chiefs back in the playoffs? Andy Reid and the Chiefs have a chance to be the NFL's big comeback story in 2026. Even-numbered years suit Sirianni, who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in the 2022 season and then won in the 2024 season.
He's 0-3 in the playoffs in odd-numbered years, but here we are in 2026. Can his fifth offensive coordinator in five seasons (Sean Mannion) find the right chemistry with Jalen Hurts? Philadelphia ranked 24th in total offense last year, but a slew of new weapons in the passing game and a healthy Lane Johnson should help that.
Can they make it three straight NFC East titles? Coen's first year was a wild success for Jacksonville, going 13-4 and winning a division title, even though the Jaguars lost in the wild-card round. Few teams stood pat as much as Jacksonville did, quiet in free agency and without its top draft picks — you could argue it didn't add a new starter in the offseason.
Can Trevor Lawrence continue to grow and improve in Coen's second year? Can Travis Hunter be the impact player Jacksonville drafted him to be — on defense at least? Keeping up with Houston won't be easy.
Two playoff wins in 2023, then a 15-2 regular season in 2024, but Detroit is just 9-9 since then, including the playoffs. Losing Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn in the same offseason will do that to a franchise. Can Drew Petzing get more from Jared Goff and the offense?
Can they overcome the arrest and subsequent release of cornerback Terrion Arnold, taking away a former first-round pick for at least part of the season? The NFC North will be a four-wide battle, perhaps for only two playoff spots, so a healthy Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph could help the Lions return to the postseason. There are 36 new coordinators across the NFL, including 21 on offense.
McDaniel is the most intriguing of the group, signing on to work with Justin Herbert and help get him his first career playoff win. Los Angeles went 11-6 last year, although its offense ranked 20th in scoring and 18th in passing yards, so McDaniel will try to get more out of a revamped interior offensive line. Second-year running back Omarion Hampton could have a monster season ahead, and watch out for speedy rookie Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson to complement its returning options.
The London-born Durde enters his third year running Seattle's defense, underappreciated for his role in their championship run. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl while committing the second-most turnovers in the NFL last year, thanks to a defense that was No. 1 in points allowed and the league's toughest on third downs.
If the Seahawks can repeat that dominance after losing a few key pieces in free agency (Boye Mafe, Tariq Woolen, Coby Bryant), then Durde will be a top head coaching candidate in the 2027 hiring cycle. Parker, 34, has arguably the NFL's biggest challenge, taking over a Dallas defense that was the only unit in the NFL to give up 30 points a game last year. He helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl two years ago, but is a first-time coordinator with all sorts of new pieces to work with.
Can safety Caleb Downs make an immediate impact? Can edge rusher Rashan Gary and safety Jalen Thompson help forge a new identity? Parker must try to settle in and find himself faster than the three new offensive coordinators he'll face in the NFC East.
Running Sean McVay's offense has been a stepping stone to head coaching jobs — Matt LaFleur, Kevin O'Connell, Liam Coen and Mike LaFleur all took that path. Scheelhaase, 35, was a hot candidate a year ago without ever being an NFL coordinator, but stayed in Los Angeles for a high-profile promotion. The Rams may have zero new starters on offense, so he's tasked with sustaining an elite level — No.
1 in points and total yards last year — and coming through in the playoffs with nothing short of Super Bowl expectations. August will mark 20 years for Goodell as NFL commissioner, just the third person to hold the job since 1960, following Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue. His tenure has been marked by incredible growth and success for the league, ramping up billion-dollar TV contracts and extending the NFL's lead as the most popular American sports league.
The NFL is now at more than $23 billion a year, setting the standard for pro franchise values. What will be Goodell's next major move — 18 games for all teams or 16 international games each year? Mulugheta has more than 40 NFL clients as part of Athletes First, which has an NFL portfolio of roughly $4 billion in current NFL contracts.
He has 13 players making $20 million a year or more, and the biggest clients include Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Green Bay outside linebacker Micah Parsons, with Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud among those who could be in line for major paydays during or after the season. With a few major agencies centralizing the NFL's biggest players, Mulugheta's a powerful part of the league.
O'Reilly oversees the NFL's international development, growing rapidly every year and up to nine games for 2026. The league will add high-profile games in Melbourne and Paris, will return to Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Munich and have three more games in London. The eventual plan is to have 16 international games every year — one for every team — as the league seeks a global product and works to find the best way to implement that without taxing teams with unusual travel during the season.
Japan and Scotland could be next, and having these games run smoothly is crucial to the continued growth. Tretter stepped into a difficult situation and has major issues on his plate, perhaps not realizing change during the 2026 season but still at the forefront of any talk of the NFL's future. Should the players embrace adding an 18th game each year, and what can they get as a concession for that?
How will the NFL's increasing international footprint change the complexity of scheduling each year? Will they push back against the league's expansion into other days of the week? How will they navigate gambling issues amid the league's prominent relationship with gambling sites?
Even if it isn't in 2026, he'll steer the NFLPA through major changes in the near future. Fanatics is a merchandise giant, working with the NFL as the league's official e-commerce partner, which means designing, manufacturing and distributing merchandise as well as handling online sales for 29 of the league's 32 teams. The league announced an expansion of its partnership in April, making Fanatics the on-site retailer at major NFL events ranging from the Super Bowl to the NFL Draft and the league's many international games.
If you're buying NFL apparel as millions do, you're likely dealing with Fanatics. The NFL avoided a work stoppage in ratifying a new CBA for its officials, covering the next seven years, and new changes will include the creation of a 12-official "practice squad" to work with existing crews and be available for elevation to work NFL games. Officiating and replay will always be part of the NFL storyline, and the new CBA will allow for greater evaluation to be used in the selection of officials for playoff games and less on seniority.
Fewell and NFLRA president Carl Cheffers want as few negative headlines as possible. Garrett set the NFL single-season sack record with 23 last year, and a monster trade sent him to the Rams, reinforcing them as Super Bowl favorites. The league's Defensive Player of the Year had one playoff win in nine seasons in Cleveland, so he'll immediately have a chance to show what he can do on a strong contender.
Garrett's already at 125.5 career sacks and only 30 years old, so if he stays healthy, you can start talking about him challenging Bruce Smith's NFL career record of 200 by the 2029 season. Hamilton is only 25 and already has three Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro nods, and now he has a defensive-minded head coach in Jesse Minter. Can Baltimore stay healthy and be a more consistent unit on defense?
The Ravens gave up 37 or more points four times last year, after only two such games against them total in the previous three seasons. An improved defensive front will free up Hamilton to be more like his breakout 2023 season, when he had four interceptions and 10 tackles for loss. Last season was a resounding return for Hutchinson after missing most of 2024 with injury, recording a career-best 14.5 sacks and as many forced fumbles (4) as he'd totaled in his first three seasons.
His new deal pays him $45 million a year, and as Detroit works to get back to the playoffs in a super-tough division, he'll need to be at the top of his game. Much of the Lions' pass-rush depth is new, from rookie Derrick Moore to journeyman reserves like Peyton Turner and D.J. Wonnum.
Anderson is yet to have more than 12 sacks in a season, but at 24, he's already the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history, getting $50 million a year on a new extension. Houston had the NFL's No. 1 total defense and No.
2 in points allowed, and that starts with Anderson and Danielle Hunter up front. The Texans have won a playoff game in each of Anderson's three NFL seasons and if they're to get beyond that this season, he and that defense will lead the charge. Watt has made eight straight Pro Bowls, but finished third on his own team in sacks last season with seven.
At 31, he's making $41 million a year with the next two years fully guaranteed, so he's front and center leading the Steelers' defense with a new head coach and coordinator. Can Pittsburgh get back to a top-10 defense to stay ahead of Baltimore and Cincinnati? Having a winning season every year is remarkable, but the Steelers' last playoff win was in the 2016 season, the year before Watt was drafted.
Can he help change that? Who is the best corner in the NFL? Stingley has a chance to make his case in 2026 to show he's worth the massive $30 million-a-year extension he got from the Texans.
Houston has the best defense in the NFL, but that's usually credited to Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter up front. Stingley has at least four interceptions in each of the last three seasons — no other player in the NFL can boast that. Still only 25, coming off back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods, he can show he's elite by helping the defense carry the Texans in 2026.
DeJean is still only 23 as he enters his third season, coming off a first-team All-Pro nod as part of a top-five Eagles defense. Philadelphia added a few new pieces — edge Jonathan Greenard and corner Tariq Woolen — and held its last 12 opponents to 24 points or fewer. DeJean played everywhere in the secondary last year, but is likely set now as a safety in base defense and inside in nickel, still showing his versatility while staying as an every-down playmaker, a key movable piece in Vic Fangio's scheme.
Denver went 14-3 last year and had the AFC's top seed, led by a defense that was third in points allowed and second in yards. How do the Broncos improve on that? Takeaways.
Surtain made his fourth straight Pro Bowl, but did so with only one interception, on a defense that had only 14 takeaways, tied for fourth-fewest in the league. The Broncos will have legit challenges within the division from the Chargers and Chiefs, so getting more turnovers is one way for the Broncos to hold their ground as a team to beat in the AFC. Which Seattle presence should be first on the list?
"JSN" earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, then had a massive game in the Seahawks' conference title win over the Rams. He landed a four-year, $168 million contract paying him what used to be considered elite quarterback money, so he'll need to play like the best receiver in the league to justify that. He only topped 100 receiving yards twice in his final nine games of 2025, so look for sustained success down the stretch.
Gibbs will soon join the rare fraternity of $20 million a year running backs, as he well should. In three NFL seasons, he's made three Pro Bowls and averaged 13 touchdowns and nearly 1,200 rushing yards per year, as well as 60 catches. Detroit disappointed last year with a 9-8 record, but should be back as a playoff team in a difficult NFC North.
Can Gibbs get back to his elite 2024 play with new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing? Will he take on an even larger role with David Montgomery off to the Texans and Isiah Pacheco as the new RB2? Cook led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards last season, making his current four-year, $46 million extension look like a bargain as other backs top $20 million a year.
He's still only 26 years old, and will have continuity with Joe Brady being promoted to head coach. And yet you'll often see him ranked outside the top five backs in fantasy football. Another year like his 2025 campaign or leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns as he did in 2024, and Cook will have a case for a new contract even with three years left on his existing deal.
By on-field production, Nacua has put himself in position to challenge the biggest receiver contract in league history, having led the NFL in receptions with 129 in 2025, even while missing a game. His off-field issues have complicated that, though. Still, Nacua's averaged 120 catches per season and he'll be a central part of Matthew Stafford's passing attack as the Rams enter this season with the highest of expectations.
Avoid trouble, and Nacua will be in line for $40 million a year as a highly coveted free agent if the Rams don't lock him up. McCaffrey stayed healthy for all 17 games last year, making him the glue on a 49ers team that had injuries everywhere else. He just turned 30, but is coming off 1,200 rushing yards, 100 catches and a combined 17 touchdowns.
The 49ers are both a top-10 NFL team and seen as the third-best team in the NFC West. McCaffrey rushed for only 179 yards in four games against the Seahawks and Rams, but he had 31 catches in those four games, so he'll be a central part of San Francisco's bid to keep up with those two. Robinson is in line for a huge payday — $20 million a year or more — and is playing for an offensive-minded head coach for the first time in Kevin Stefanski.
With quarterback in flux as Michael Penix returns from injury and Tua Tagovailoa tries to reset himself as an NFL starter, Atlanta will want to lean on its run game. With Tyler Allgeier gone and Brian Robinson replacing him, Bijan could be in line for a larger role and one of the best fantasy options for 2026. Can he help the Falcons end their eight-year playoff drought?
How vital is Taylor to the Colts' hopes of getting back to the playoffs? He led the NFL in carries last season, and no other Colts running back had 100 rushing yards. Getting Daniel Jones back healthy is a must, but Taylor's prolific play with a league-best 18 rushing touchdowns and 1,565 yards could give the Colts a real offensive balance.
With the Texans and Jaguars both looking like playoff teams again, there's a limited window to catch them or this could be the end for Shane Steichen in Indianapolis. Losing Joe Burrow for half of 2025 took a big hit on Chase's production. After leading the NFL in catches, yards and touchdowns for a rare Triple Crown in 2024, he had 296 fewer yards on 10 more targets, with half as many touchdowns.
Can a healthy Burrow get Chase back to elite play as he seeks a sixth Pro Bowl in as many seasons? The Bengals' defense is still a major concern, and if the plan is to try to outscore opponents again, that will mean plenty of Chase, who led the NFL with 185 targets last season. Still going strong at 32, Henry is coming off a 1,595-yard season with 16 rushing touchdowns.
If he puts up another season like that, he'll move from 10th to sixth in career rushing yards and from fourth to third in touchdowns. All this with a new coach and coordinator and a challenge to get Baltimore ahead of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati in a tough AFC North. No player 32 or older has rushed for even 1,200 yards in the last 40 years, so Henry has a chance to reset the mark for running backs over the age of 30.
Of all the incredible stats in the 2025 NFL season, few are more unbelievable than Jefferson playing an entire season and finishing with two touchdowns. Can he do for Kyler Murray what he did for Sam Darnold in 2024? Can the Vikings be closer to their 14-win dominance in 2024, or the disappointment of 9-8 last season?
Jefferson is still only 27, but still seeking his first NFL playoff win. Minnesota’s offseason signing of Jauan Jennings to him and Jordan Addison gives the Vikings one of the league's best wide receiving trios. It's wild to think the 49ers went 12-5 and won a playoff game while getting only six games from their best defensive player, with Warner lost to a fractured ankle.
His healthy return — along with the return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw and the acquisition of defensive tackle Osa Odighizua — should elevate the defense, which now has Raheem Morris as defensive coordinator as well. San Francisco should return to having a top-10 defense, which they'll need to keep up with the Rams and Seahawks offenses. How long before Parsons is able to return from the ACL injury that cut his 2025 season short?
He'll miss at least the first month of the year and potentially more as he’ll get placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Having Parsons healthy for the playoffs will be crucial for Green Bay's defense (if it makes it there), which is now led by Jonathan Gannon after Jeff Hafley got Miami’s head coaching job. Lots of new looks in the Packers' front, from linebacker Zaire Franklin to defensive lineman Javon Hargreaves and rookie nose tackle Chris McClellan.
Will Parsons play enough games to extend his double-digit sack streak? Jones was the surprise star of the first half of 2025, leading the Colts to a 7-1 start, throwing for 13 touchdown passes against only three interceptions. Then, right after the Colts began to struggle, Jones tore his Achilles tendon.
He still got a two-year, $88 million contract, which shows the team's full confidence that he can get back to where he was. Can Shane Steichen survive a fourth year without making the playoffs? He's 25-26 in three seasons, so Jones needs steady play to keep the Colts competing with the Jaguars and Texans.
A calf injury scuttled what looked like an all-in move by the Colts last year, giving up two first-round picks to land a 24-year-old All-Pro corner. Having Sauce and Daniel Jones healthy in 2026 gives the Colts a chance to show how they can compete with the Texans and Jaguars in a division that will likely produce only two playoff teams. Gardner is making $30 million a year, so he must stay healthy and step up as a leader as the Colts try to improve on a defense that ranked 31st against the pass and 26th on third downs.
Everything about the Eagles' offense took a step back last year, and while quarterback Jalen Hurts takes the brunt of that, Barkley went from 2,000 rushing yards and 5.8 yards a carry to 1,140 and a 4.1-yard average, a huge decline. With a new coordinator and offensive line coach, can Philadelphia's run game get back to its 2024 dominance? The line returns intact and just needs to stay healthy.
Philadelphia plays the entire NFC West in 2026, including Seattle and San Francisco in the final four weeks, setting up playoff previews. It's easy to forget how good Daniels was as a rookie, going 12-5 and leading the Commanders to two playoff wins before a humbling loss in the NFC Championship Game. Last year he was limited by injury to seven games, winning only two of those.
An overhauled defense might have seven new starters, and it needed one after taking a step back in 2025. If Daniels can get back to his rookie form — 31 total touchdowns — he can help Washington contend in a deep NFC East race. Another year of struggle, though, and Daniels could have a new coach in 2027.
Hill played only four games for the Dolphins before a significant knee injury, so now he's a free agent with an unknown timetable to return healthy. At 32, can he get back to anything close to his 2023 form, when he led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns? Hill made the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight NFL seasons, and won't cost nearly as much as his last contract, so one team will take a gamble on whether he can be healthy in the second half of 2026 and into the playoffs.
As big swings go, it's hard to surpass trading a first-round pick and young star to land the reigning Defensive Player of the Year to pair with your returning MVP. Landing Myles Garrett came after the Rams gave up a first-rounder to land Trent McDuffie (and give him a huge contract) to set up the Rams as the favorite for this year's Super Bowl, which will be played in Los Angeles. This year's NFC West is an absolute crucible, and the Rams have added more and more talent to help them keep up with Seattle.
Does that yield a ring? Will Snead make another big swing during the deadline this year, like he did when the Rams landed Von Miller in 2021? The blockbuster trade that wasn't saw Crosby dealt to the Ravens, only to have Baltimore nix the trade due to medical concerns.
If Crosby can show in the first half of 2026 that his knee is fine, and he's still an elite pass-rusher, will Las Vegas trade him at the deadline? There's a limited window for the Raiders to show they can win and keep him, or else he's gone, and they have a 2027 first-rounder and more to help in their rebuild. Crosby's 90 tackles for loss over the last four seasons match the most in the NFL, and he's still only 28.
Philadelphia has been to two Super Bowls in the last four years, but also has two first-round exits, and Roseman is revered as one of, if not the best, GMs in the league, aggressive in trades and signings to sustain their success. This offseason, that meant trading away receiver A.J. Brown, signing corner Tariq Woolen, dealing for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and revamping his receiver room.
Can lingering chemistry issues be resolved to hold off the rest of a talented division? Will they make even more trades after a busy summer? Wait, what?
Could Donald come out of retirement and add to the overload of elite talent in the Rams' locker room? Every day he doesn't come forward and shoot it down, it makes more sense. He hasn't played since 2023, and he's 35 years old now, but a smaller dose of a 70% Aaron Donald is still an upgrade, not to mention a major clubhouse confidence boost.
Donald doesn't need to be the amazing player he was to help the Rams get him — and them — a second Super Bowl championship. Jones, 83, is arguably the most prominent NFL owner, speaking with reporters after every Cowboys game, with a following of fans that remains huge despite going 30 years since their last conference championship appearance. Could this be the year Dallas ends the drought?
He had to trade away one superstar last year in Micah Parsons, and now faces a tough decision on keeping receiver George Pickens, knowing he's already paying quarterback Dak Prescott $60 million a year and receiver CeeDee Lamb $34 million a year. Can their defense improve enough to get the Cowboys back in the playoffs as a first step to relevance to match their popularity? Will Jones make another move in-season to potentially ensure that Dallas will contend for a Super Bowl?
We have so few offensive linemen on this list, and they deserve a bigger presence. Humphrey has made four straight Pro Bowls with first-team All-Pro nods the last two years, making $18 million a year with two Super Bowl wins at age 27. Keeping Patrick Mahomes healthy and upright is all the more important as he returns from a major injury — the Chiefs line will have a chance to show off their run-blocking chops with Kenneth Walker on board in free agency.
Can the Chiefs get back under 40 sacks as they had in their title years? Sewell, arguably the best right tackle in the NFL with first-team All-Pro honors the last three years, now shifts to left tackle, trying to do what Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs did three years ago. That puts rookie Blake Miller at right tackle, with free-agent addition Cade Mays at center in a new-look Lions line.
That's a central part of the Lions staying a top-five offense and getting back to the playoffs after just missing last year at 9-8. Sewell is only 25 years old, and a successful transition to the left only adds to his Hall of Fame trajectory in Detroit. Is Young the next young QB to get a massive deal worth $50 million a year or more?
Carolina is already committed to paying him $26 million on his fifth-year option in 2027, and he led the Panthers to a division title, albeit with an 8-9 record last year. The glass half full? He has more touchdown passes than Trevor Lawrence had in his first 44 NFL starts, and one fewer interception than Josh Allen had in his first 44.
Building on 23 touchdown passes last year is a must if the Panthers are to repeat as a playoff team in 2026. When we last saw Stroud, he threw four interceptions in the first half of a playoff loss to the Patriots — one fewer than he threw in his entire rookie season. Houston picked up his fifth-year option for 2027, so he's in much the same boat as Bryce Young, with an extended window to show he's good for a major extension.
Three new starters on the offensive line, including rookie Keylan Rutledge, could help the offense get to a better place — improving on ranking 30th in the red zone is a must. Pickens was a breakout star after getting traded from Pittsburgh, totaling 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. He'll play on the franchise tag in 2026 and would be one of the most coveted free agents at any position.
Can the Cowboys afford him if CeeDee Lamb is already getting $34 million a year with guaranteed money through 2027? Dallas should have an improved defense to put them in position to return to the playoffs, but owner Jerry Jones must find a way to avoid losing another young superstar along the way. Will Mayfield re-sign with Tampa Bay?
He is entering the final year of a three-year, $100 million deal and in line for a healthy raise. He's on his fourth offensive coordinator in four seasons in Tampa, but if Zac Robinson can get anything close to what his close friend Liam Coen did in 2024 — 4,500 yards and 41 touchdown passes — then Mayfield will be hugely coveted in March at more than $50 million a year. Mayfield has settled in as a team leader in Tampa, so don't be surprised if he values the continuity and finds a way to re-up with the Bucs.
Murray and Tua Tagovailoa are in the same boat — high draft picks who earned monster contracts but struggled consistently enough that their original teams bailed on them. So, both are on league-minimum contracts with a chance to reset their reputations. Can Murray take advantage of having Justin Jefferson in his arsenal and get Minnesota back to playoff contention?
If he does, he'll still be only 29 and one of the best free-agent options for QB-needy teams not picking high enough to get the best of the 2027 draft class. With Travis Kelce back at age 36 for his 14th and likely final NFL season, how much of his new wife will we see at Chiefs games this season? Her presence was a huge story in 2023 in Kansas City's last championship season, less so over the last two seasons, but with her enormous fanbase, she has brought a new casual audience to NFL games (and perhaps some annoyance from non-fans tired of seeing her cheering Kelce on from a booth).
For perspective, the NFL's official account on Instagram has 32 million followers; Swift's has 273 million. If the Chiefs get back to being the Chiefs, expect even more crossover.
