Tremendous Bowl LX is within the books. The Seattle Seahawks, who entered the season with a 1.1% probability to win the Tremendous Bowl based mostly on ESPN Analytics projections, beat the New England Patriots 29-13 to take house the Lombardi Trophy.
Now begins the method of constructing the Tremendous Bowl LXI champions via an offseason that might be characterised, partially, by the same old imbalance of obtainable quarterbacks relative to demand. Almost a 3rd of the NFL could possibly be in search of a brand new quarterback this offseason, however the 2026 draft is projected to be notably gentle on the place, and no stars are looming in free company.
Off the sector, the NFL might want to reconcile the concussion charge on its redesigned kickoff and likewise take into account whether or not to empower replay officers with the authority to throw flags in sure conditions.
The offseason course of will start accelerating within the coming weeks. Groups can start utilizing the franchise tag Feb. 17, and the scouting mix opens Feb. 23 in Indianapolis. There are 29 days remaining earlier than NFL groups can (legally) start contacting pending free brokers and 72 days till the NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at how the 2026 offseason will form up for its groups, gamers and league decision-makers.
Who will retire?
Based mostly on age alone, at the least two doubtless Corridor of Fame gamers are candidates: quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tight finish Travis Kelce. (Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, 38, mentioned final week that he plans to play in 2026.)
Rodgers, 42, didn’t commit both means after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wild-card playoff loss, but it surely’s value noting that the Steelers employed his former Inexperienced Bay Packers coach — Mike McCarthy — after Mike Tomlin’s resignation. Kelce, 36, mentioned he would spend a while after the season speaking to his household earlier than deciding whether or not to return to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Rodgers’ choice might be one of many first dominoes to fall on what’s a comparatively skinny group of free agent quarterbacks.
Which different QBs might transfer?
At the least six and as much as 10 groups might be in search of a starting-caliber quarterback this season, whether or not it’s the Las Vegas Raiders, who maintain the No. 1 decide, or the Minnesota Vikings, who need competitors for J.J. McCarthy.
The Raiders will nearly actually draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 decide, however the remainder of the groups will gauge their choices by way of free company or trades.
The highest pending free brokers embody Rodgers, Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, Gardner Minshew and Jimmy Garoppolo. If Rodgers performs in 2026, it appears doubtless it might be for the Steelers. The Colts have expressed robust curiosity in bringing again Jones, who tore his proper Achilles tendon in Week 14. Two veteran quarterbacks below contract, the Raiders’ Geno Smith and the Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins, are candidates to be launched.
Groups searching for a quarterback may discover higher choices by way of commerce. Amongst those that could possibly be obtainable are the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray and the Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa. The Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow sparked commerce rumors after some imprecise solutions about his future on the finish of the season, but it surely’s removed from clear that the Bengals would take into account transferring him.
Mendoza and ___ within the 2026 draft?
Although Mendoza is the clear prime decide within the draft, the remainder of the quarterback class is hard to parse. In his latest mock draft of Rounds 1 and a couple of, ESPN’s Matt Miller included solely two passers: Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, whom he had going to the New York Jets in the midst of the second spherical.
Together with Mendoza, the top-five gamers on Mel Kiper Jr.’s first large board of the draft season included two linebackers (Ohio State’s Arvell Reese and Texas Tech’s David Bailey), one working again (Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love) and one receiver (Ohio State’s Carnell Tate).
Who could possibly be traded?
Along with the quarterbacks, a number of different veterans could possibly be obtainable by way of commerce. Atop the record is Raiders defensive finish Maxx Crosby, whose 2025 season ended early due to a torn proper meniscus. Crosby, 28, won’t need to undergo one other rebuilding course of with the Raiders, who not too long ago employed their fourth coach up to now 4 seasons.
Different gamers to look at embody Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and Buffalo Payments receiver Keon Coleman.
Which gamers will make it to free company?
Right now of the yr, it is arduous to know what the free agent class will appear to be. A method or one other, via the franchise tag or contract extensions, many gamers whose contracts are expiring will stay with their present group by the point free company begins.
However for now, the theoretical free agent record consists of edge rushers resembling Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) and Odafe Oweh (Chargers). Groups in want of an offensive deal with may take into account Rasheed Walker (Packers) or Braden Smith (Colts). Alontae Taylor (Saints) may be one of the best cornerback obtainable. After a monster yr in 2025, receiver George Pickens (Cowboys) is in line for a giant deal. Working backs Breece Corridor (Jets) and Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars) could make large impacts on an offense in several methods.
Who will get contract extensions?
The 2023 NFL draft class is eligible for contract extensions. Here’s a partial record of the gamers you may be listening to about within the coming month, based mostly partially on Professional Soccer Reference’s approximate worth metric.
Quarterback: C.J. Stroud (Texans), Bryce Younger (Panthers)
Working again: Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions), De’Von Achane (Dolphins), Chase Brown (Bengals)
Receiver: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), Zay Flowers (Ravens), Jordan Addison (Vikings), Puka Nacua (Rams)
Tight finish: Sam LaPorta (Lions), Tucker Kraft (Packers), Dalton Kincaid (Payments)
Offensive deal with: Darnell Wright (Bears), Anton Harrison (Jaguars)
Inside offensive line: O’Cyrus Torrence (Payments)
Defensive deal with: Kobie Turner (Rams)
Edge rusher: Byron Younger (Rams), Will Anderson Jr. (Texans)
Linebacker: Jack Campbell (Lions)
Secondary: Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks), Christian Gonzalez (Patriots), Brian Department (Lions), Joey Porter Jr. (Steelers)
What’s the aftermath of this teaching cycle?
Almost a 3rd of NFL coaches have been changed, a complete of 10. When the mud settles, nonetheless, an even bigger pattern will emerge.
Coinciding with that turnover, practically two-thirds of groups (21) could have a brand new offensive coordinator. For comparability, there are 13 new defensive coordinators in 2026.
Not the entire offensive coordinators could have playcalling duties, however 16 groups could have new playcallers by way of a change at offensive coordinator or head coach. In different phrases, half of the league’s groups might be revamping their offenses at some stage. That will increase the possibilities for brand spanking new schemes, or distinctive functions of present schemes, in a means that can make the 2026 season a bit much less predictable than it in any other case would have been.
What might be finished concerning inclusivity?
Of these 10 new head coaches, one comes from a minority background — the Tennessee Titans’ Robert Saleh. That leaves the NFL, whose gamers are roughly 54% Black, with three Black head coaches: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Todd Bowles, the Houston Texans’ DeMeco Ryans and the Jets’ Aaron Glenn.
That final result coincided with the NFL’s choice to place its annual Accelerator program, designed to attach various candidates instantly with league homeowners and decision-makers, on hiatus in 2025. The league plans to carry again this system in some kind this yr, and Goodell careworn this month his dedication to labor variety via the Rooney Rule. However that philosophical pledge didn’t match outcomes in the course of the 2026 cycle.
“There’s bought to be extra steps,” Goodell mentioned. “So, we’re reevaluating every little thing we’re doing … together with each side of our insurance policies and our packages to satisfy the challenges of as we speak and tomorrow, reasonably than yesterday.”
How will the NFLPA transition?
The NFL Gamers Affiliation has but to call a everlasting alternative for government director Lloyd Howell, who resigned final summer time. David White has been serving within the interim since then, and NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin mentioned the union is constant to work with a search committee to supply candidates. White was a finalist when Howell was named to the job in 2023, however White has not but been knowledgeable if he’s a candidate throughout this spherical, Reeves-Maybin mentioned.
White mentioned earlier this month that the union has “stabilized the operations” and has been “strengthening our basis.” Nevertheless it nearly goes with out saying that the NFLPA wants a everlasting management construction earlier than transferring ahead on the most important points it faces, from the potential of an 18-game season to collective bargaining negotiations and participant well being and security.
What adjustments could possibly be made to the kickoff guidelines?
Sound acquainted?
When the kickoff return charge spiked to just about 80% early within the season, NFL officiating guidelines analyst Walt Anderson declared the multiyear challenge to revive the play as “mission completed.” After years of excessive touchback charges, the league discovered a algorithm that incentivized groups to kick returnable balls and for the receiving group to do exactly that. The league charge for the season landed at 74.5%.
However the second a part of the challenge was to make sure a low concussion charge, an final result that remained unsure after the top of the 2025 season.
The variety of concussions was anticipated to rise because the NFL added one other 1,157 returns in contrast with 2024. However the aim has been to carry the speed — the variety of concussions per return — as near a traditional NFL play as attainable, which was about 0.4% in 2025. That hasn’t occurred but. In reality, the concussion charge on kickoffs practically doubled from .87% in 2024 (the primary yr of the dynamic kickoff guidelines) to 1.69% in 2025.
There have been some corresponding advantages, together with higher area positions that led to the bottom variety of punts per recreation (7.1) since at the least 2000. That led to 6 fewer concussions on punts in 2025 than in 2024. The 2025 charge was nonetheless decrease than it was earlier than the NFL carried out the dynamic kickoff, however the league has already requested particular groups coaches for suggestions on scheme and tackling behaviors which may have impacted concussion charges in 2025, in line with NFL chief soccer administrator Daybreak Aponte.
Mentioned Jeff Miller, the NFL’s government vp overseeing well being and security: “As we mentioned once we first launched this play, we had been going to study quite a bit. And we’re within the means of studying quite a bit, each on the game-play facet, in addition to on the well being and security facet to higher perceive it.”
Will homeowners enable replay officers to throw flags?
A number of NFL executives, together with commissioner Roger Goodell, have floated the potential for increasing replay critiques to permit sure penalties to be added, not simply retracted, if there’s clear and apparent proof on video. House owners have largely seen this feature as a purple line (apart from a one-year experiment in 2019 to evaluation go interference) to assist their basic perception that video games ought to be officiated on the sector and backstopped solely from the sales space.
However after a number of high-profile misses on guidelines associated to participant security, notably hits to the top and face masks of quarterbacks, a marketing campaign is underway to alter homeowners’ minds.
“If there’s an apparent error, we’d like to have the ability to repair it,” Goodell mentioned. “And I feel know-how can assist that.”
Ought to there be extra flags for hip-drop tackles?
NFL officers threw solely two flags for unlawful hip-drop tackles in 2025, the league’s second season after creating the rule. There have been roughly 30 fines, in line with Aponte, about the identical quantity as in 2024.
The complete rule e-book definition — which requires a tackler to seize the runner with at the least one hand, unweight himself by swiveling and dropping his hips or decrease physique, after which land on the ball service’s legs or entice them beneath the knee — could make it troublesome for officers to see in actual time. However Aponte mentioned gamers and groups have pushed for extra flags to be thrown, which is able to spark discussions with the competitors committee and officiating departments.
Monetary penalties can change tackling behaviors over time, however in the meantime, groups don’t need apparent hip-drop tackles to have an effect on the end result of video games.
What’s going to outcome from challenges to arbitration?
One former coach and one present coach have lively litigation towards the NFL that, in several methods, is making an attempt to override the league’s in-house arbitration course of. The league will proceed to cope with each instances this offseason.
Typically talking, NFL contracts name for work disputes to be settled via that course of, not the courts. However longtime coach Jon Gruden, who resigned because the Raiders coach in 2021, has satisfied a Nevada courtroom to think about a lawsuit that accuses the NFL and Goodell of making an attempt to destroy his profession by leaking personal emails. Gruden’s attorneys are in search of testimony from Goodell and a number of homeowners.
In the meantime, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is preventing to maintain his dispute with the league and its homeowners over hiring practices in courtroom. Flores’ lawsuit dates again to his firing because the Dolphins’ coach after the 2021 season and his rivalry that some groups engaged in “sham” interviews as he sought one other job within the weeks after.
Tush push redux?
Even after NFL homeowners practically banned it — and a few league officers promised to attempt once more within the close to future — a handful of groups continued utilizing a gradual weight loss plan of the specialty short-yardage play. General, there have been barely extra tush push performs in 2025 (112) than in 2024 (101).
The Eagles (27) and Payments (17) continued to account for a lot of the pattern, however different groups started experimenting with utilizing tight ends reasonably than quarterbacks to take the snap, most notably the Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
There have been no speedy clues on whether or not homeowners will revisit the difficulty throughout their scheduled conferences in March and Might. It was barely much less efficient in 2025, changing first downs at a charge of 76.8% in contrast with an 82% charge from 2022 to 2024, however that is not more likely to be sufficient of a drop for groups to cease utilizing it on their very own.
Is an 18-game season linked to the worldwide schedule?
NFL homeowners have been speaking for years about shifting their 20-game schedule (three preseason plus 17 common season) to 2 preseason and 18 regular-season video games. They’ve additionally made clear their curiosity in increasing their worldwide attain. And so they’ve by no means pretended that rising revenues is something apart from a prime precedence, for them and gamers.
Earlier this yr, New England Patriots proprietor Bob Kraft related these three targets in a concise means that clearly illustrates the league’s enterprise priorities for this offseason and past.
In a radio interview with 98.5-FM, Kraft mentioned, “We’ll push just like the dickens now to make worldwide extra necessary to us.” He spoke as if an 18-game season is a certainty — though the NFLPA has but to agree — and endorsed Goodell’s plan to schedule sufficient worldwide video games (16) for each group to play in at the least one each season.
Kraft implied that the league is near reaching its home income ceiling. However with an 18-game common season and extra worldwide growth, he mentioned, “We will hold long-term labor peace” by sharing these increased revenues via the present break up within the collective bargaining settlement.
It stays to be seen how the NFLPA will reply to approaching proposals. In a information convention final week, the NFLPA’s White mentioned: “Our members haven’t any urge for food for an 18th recreation.”
