19 NFL predictions for 5 years in the future of the league
By Zach Cohen
12. The Vikings will find their franchise QB
Fear not, Vikings fans. The days of glory are ahead of you — just not with Kirk Cousins. The 32-year-old passer hasn’t been terrible, he just hasn’t been worth his contract. Admittedly, I’m one of the people who think Cousins gets a bad rap. He did just throw career-high 35 passing touchdowns and he’s entering a year with perhaps his greatest supporting cast yet.
But how high is his ceiling? I could argue he’s already hit it. That’s why it makes more sense for Minnesota to eventually move on from Cousins and to search for their franchise quarterback.
I don’t know when this will happen, but there seem to be plenty of options for the Vikings in the coming years. Could they be in play for Spencer Rattler or Sam Howell in next year’s draft? Maybe they’ll wait for Clemson‘s D.J. Uiagalelei? Could they wait five years before taking Arch Manning in the 2026 NFL Draft? Hey, maybe Kellen Mond ends up being the guy.
Whoever is at the helm for the Vikings in 2026, I think he’ll be much better than Cousins.
13. The Raiders will look completely different
Excuse me if I have little faith in the Las Vegas Raiders. More specifically, I have little faith in their front office. Let’s look at their first- and second-round picks since Mike Mayock came to town in 2019: Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, Johnathan Abram, Trayvon Mullen, Henry Ruggs, Damon Arnette. That’s not looking too good.
The reason I didn’t include Jon Gruden is due to his hefty 10-year contract. Don’t be mistaken, Gruden has the final say on the roster. For all we know, all those selections could’ve been forced by Gruden (I highly doubt it).
Here’s my full forecast: the Raiders fail to make the playoffs this season and Mayock is fired. Another two seasons go by before Gruden‘s contract is no longer the head coach. The team hires a flashy new head coach and moves on from Derek Carr, who is never better than an above-average passer.
By the time 2026 rolls around, Las Vegas will have a new head coach and a new quarterback. I’ll gladly send this to Old Takes Exposed if it’s wrong.