With the Seattle Seahawks triumphing as Tremendous Bowl LX champions, the 2026 NFL offseason is now underway. There’s loads to be decided between now and the beginning of the 2026 season with free company and the draft looming, nevertheless it’s by no means too early to look forward.
We requested 11 of our NFL consultants — Matt Bowen, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Pamela Maldonado, Eric Moody, Jason Reid, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak, Mike Tannenbaum, Seth Walder and Discipline Yates — to make predictions for subsequent season’s Tremendous Bowl matchup and MVP winner. In addition they every made one large prediction concerning the offseason and/or upcoming season.
Are the Seahawks sure for a repeat, or will one other franchise hoist the Lombardi trophy in 12 months? Who might be the following MVP? Let’s get into our early predictions, beginning with who would be the subsequent Tremendous Bowl LXI champion.
Soar to:
Tremendous Bowl LXI picks
MVP picks
Extra predictions
What’s your early Tremendous Bowl LXI decide?
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Bears over Payments. Chicago wants so as to add cross rushers, however the foundational gamers are there on offense beneath coach Ben Johnson. With quarterback Caleb Williams’ playmaking skill, the Bears will beat Josh Allen and Joe Brady’s Payments to win Tremendous Bowl LXI.
Jeremy Fowler, nationwide NFL reporter: Rams over Broncos. Los Angeles matched up with Seattle in addition to anybody final season and will probably be again to complete the job. The Matthew Stafford-Sean McVay connection is bettering with age. The secondary was a weak point late within the season, so count on the Rams to handle that difficulty for roster steadiness.
Dan Graziano, nationwide NFL reporter: Chiefs over Packers. One down season and a torn ACL is not sufficient to scare me off quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. Mahomes recovers, together with the Kansas Metropolis offense, and the Chiefs declare their third Tremendous Bowl title in 5 seasons.
Pamela Maldonado, sports activities betting analyst: 49ers over Payments. The 2025 season was a grind, with a number of accidents to key gamers reminiscent of edge rusher Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner and tight finish George Kittle. But the 49ers nonetheless piled up 12 wins and received a playoff recreation. A roster that is already battle examined beneath that degree of adversity must be a contending crew as soon as its well being stabilizes.
Eric Moody, fantasy analyst: Broncos over Seahawks. The Broncos seem undervalued regardless of successful the AFC West and ending tied for the league’s finest document final season, whereas the Seahawks reminded everybody that protection nonetheless wins championships. Historical past suggests repeating is tough, with solely 9 groups successful back-to-back Tremendous Bowl titles, and champions typically lose key contributors throughout free company as soon as gamers money in.
Jason Reid, Andscape senior NFL author: Chiefs over Rams. Anybody who is aware of Mahomes understands that he’ll push himself to return in high type. With him coming into his age-31 season, crew CEO Clark Hunt, coach Andy Reid and common supervisor Brett Veach imagine that the Chiefs’ championship window stays broad open. They will do their half to assist Mahomes lead the Chiefs to their fourth Tremendous Bowl championship since 2019.
Aaron Schatz, NFL analyst: Rams over Chargers: That is proper, I am predicting a combat for Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium. Two dwelling groups! The Rams had been No. 1 in offense this season, and offense is extra constant than protection. The Chargers will get again their offensive tackles and added Mike McDaniel to coordinate the offense, plus they’ve a ton of cap house to handle their offseason wants.
Ben Solak, NFL analyst: Texans over Rams. I am shopping for all types of Texans inventory, as that protection is staying collectively, and the offense was exhibiting optimistic indicators of development in a season with a brand new offensive coordinator and a completely retooled offensive line. With an enchancment within the working recreation, Houston is ready for an explosion.
Mike Tannenbaum, NFL analyst: Commanders over Payments. Quarterback Jayden Daniels stays wholesome subsequent season and bounces again in a giant method. He performs in each recreation and finishes the season by outdueling Allen and the Payments in a 45-42 shootout in L.A.
Seth Walder, NFL analyst: Chargers over Packers. Am I falling for the Chargers within the offseason, identical to all of us do yearly? Certain. However this time will probably be completely different! The 2025 Chargers’ greatest weak point — the offensive line — already has a built-in answer with their two glorious tackles (Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater) returning to well being. Add McDaniel as offensive coordinator and I discover myself really believing.
Discipline Yates, NFL analyst: Rams over Broncos. The 2 groups that got here up brief within the convention championship video games final season discover a approach to get excessive in 2026. The Rams will emerge as Tremendous Bowl champs at SoFi Stadium, changing into the third crew to win a Tremendous Bowl at its dwelling venue (the Rams received the final Tremendous Bowl at SoFi after the 2021 season).
Who’s your decide for subsequent season’s MVP?
Bowen: Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys. Prescott had greater than 4,500 passing yards and threw 30 touchdowns this previous season. With the Cowboys anticipated to retain broad receiver George Pickens, whom they’ll seemingly give the franchise tag, search for Prescott to supply high-level numbers once more for a crew that would problem for the NFC East title in 2026 with an improved protection.
Fowler: Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons. Possibly Raheem Morris was proper in saying that Robinson is the league’s finest participant. He is really breathtaking, and one other season of two,000-plus complete yards will give voters one thing to consider — particularly if Atlanta makes a playoff push. Robinson ought to show impactful in Kevin Stefanski’s wide-zone system.
Graziano: Caleb Williams, QB, Bears. I see the arrow pointing up for Williams with Ben Johnson and a Bears crew that arrived nicely forward of schedule. Williams has that fourth-quarter clutch gene, and even when the Bears repair their protection to the place he would not want as many clutch performances, he ought to have loads of alternatives to showcase his talents in a tricky NFC North.
Maldonado: Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers. McCaffrey is the engine of the Niners’ offense. He posted 1,202 speeding yards, had 924 receiving yards and carried the Niners by way of accidents all season. If San Francisco stays principally wholesome and wins 12-plus video games once more, voters will reward the league’s most full offensive playmaker.
Moody: Josh Allen, QB, Payments. The window will not keep open endlessly for Allen to win a Tremendous Bowl, however Buffalo is nicely positioned coming into the season. Since newly employed coach Joe Brady was promoted as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator in Week 11 of the 2023 season, the Payments have ranked second in factors per recreation at 29.1, a run that included Allen successful his first MVP in 2024. He’s firmly within the combine for this award once more, particularly if Buffalo provides a real No. 1 receiver this offseason.
Reid: Jordan Love, QB, Packers. Subsequent season will probably be Love’s fourth directing Matt LaFleur’s offense. Love dazzled along with his arm expertise in his first three and proved the Packers proper in selecting to make him the inspiration of their future. Love will take issues to a brand new degree and win MVP.
Schatz: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs. I nonetheless assume Mahomes is one of the best participant within the recreation and I am snug selecting him to win the MVP yearly. His odds are pretty much as good as anybody, assuming he both returns in Week 1 from his knee harm or would not miss a lot time.
Solak: Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens. Jackson has a full offseason to get wholesome and a brand new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle. When Jackson has a full season to accrue counting stats, he is at all times within the dialog.
Tannenbaum: Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders. Daniels will rebound from an injury-plagued 2025 season and reassert himself as the highest quarterback of the 2024 draft class. He stays wholesome, performs nicely throwing and working the ball and makes new offensive coordinator David Blough a main head teaching candidate.
Walder: Allen. I feel he is one of the best participant in soccer and has to shoulder such a heavy load for his crew. That makes him a perennial MVP candidate, and I do not see that altering. He did not even play his finest ball final season. If he performs higher in 2026, he actually has an opportunity at a second MVP in three years.
Yates: Jackson. As a brand new chapter of the Ravens franchise begins, Jackson will probably be invigorated by Doyle, thought-about by many within the teaching ranks to be an NFL head coach quickly. In my view, Jackson remains to be essentially the most dynamic participant within the recreation.
Make another large prediction about this offseason or subsequent season.
Bowen: Trey Hendrickson will signal with the Colts. Normal Supervisor Chris Ballard makes a splash transfer to signal the highest free agent in the marketplace. Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, would instantly improve the Indianapolis cross rush.
Fowler: The Giants will make the playoffs. The Yr 1 spike because of a top-shelf coach is a confirmed formulation that labored final season for New England’s Mike Vrabel, Chicago’s Ben Johnson and Jacksonville’s Liam Coen. John Harbaugh hopes to have the same affect, and New York’s roster is on the upswing. Just a few savvy additions this offseason would make the Giants contenders.
Graziano: The Steelers could have their first shedding season since 2003. For a number of years now, this roster has wanted a extra intensive rebuild than the crew has been keen to bear. For all the problems Steelers followers had with Mike Tomlin by the tip of his tenure, there is a good probability 2026 exhibits that he was really holding issues collectively in Pittsburgh.
Maldonado: The Payments will lastly repair their offense with one decisive transfer — buying Eagles broad receiver A.J. Brown. They might instantly be on the highest tier of Tremendous Bowl contenders in the event that they added Brown. Buffalo’s high precedence is receiver assist, and pairing him with Allen can clear up its greatest limitation in a single day. Buffalo has the uncommon mixture of an elite QB, a playoff-ready roster, a transparent singular want and a transparent desperation to fill it. All that’s lacking is the blockbuster deal to place it collectively.
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Will A.J. Brown nonetheless be with the Eagles subsequent season?
Jeff Saturday and Dan Graziano debate whether or not A.J. Brown will nonetheless be taking part in for the Philadelphia Eagles subsequent season.
Moody: Working again Travis Etienne Jr. will signal with the Chiefs throughout free company. Etienne can be intriguing as a confirmed, versatile again who has surpassed 1,000 speeding yards in three of his 4 wholesome seasons, together with 1,107 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2025. His skill to contribute as each a runner and receiver (5,136 profession all-purpose yards with 32 touchdowns) would increase a Chiefs backfield that averaged much less 4.0 yards per carry final season and failed to supply a working again with at the least 200 receiving yards.
Reid: Chiefs defensive deal with Chris Jones will revert to All-Professional type. Mahomes’ defensive counterpart all through Kansas Metropolis’s dynastic run, Jones was not as disruptive within the inside or off the sting through the crew’s nightmarish 2025 season. Reenergized, the long run Corridor of Famer will probably be chosen as a first-team All-Professional for the fourth time in 5 seasons.
Schatz: The Giants will take a giant leap, going from worst to first due to the teaching of John Harbaugh, the return of broad receiver Malik Nabers, and steps ahead from quarterback Jaxson Dart and edge rusher Abdul Carter in Yr 2. Like Jeremy alluded to above, it isn’t as large a leap as you may assume, as their underlying play-by-play efficiency final season instructed a 7-10 crew as an alternative of a 4-13 unit.
Solak: The Falcons will win the NFC South, as Kevin Stefanski instantly steps in as a high quality head coach with a roster that simply wants competent teaching and quarterback assist. However Stefanski can scheme an offense round a quarterback nicely, and he pushes the Falcons to 10 wins (which is all it might take to win the South, anyway).
Tannenbaum: The Chargers will take a giant step and win the AFC West. With offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater wholesome, and Mike McDaniel bringing some vitality, Justin Herbert & Co. recover from the hump and win the division.
Walder: The Cowboys will win the NFC East. Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense performed extraordinarily nicely final season, which went beneath the radar partly as a result of the protection was so dangerous. The latter ought to enhance by way of regression alone. If Dallas can get its protection to be simply OK, the Cowboys might change into contenders in a short time.
Yates: Caleb Williams will change into an All-Professional. There was a ton of fine in Williams’ second professional season however nonetheless a lot room for development. Williams’ completion share would be the space that almost all level to, and I’m bullish that quantity will enhance dramatically subsequent season. The Bears’ offense ought to return principally intact in 2026, and that familiarity will probably be instrumental of their franchise quarterback’s improvement.
