We are still months away from the start of the 2026 NFL Season, but the summer months should fly by. What we've seen this offseason has been a ton of high-end, aggressive moves. It's clearly turned into a bit of an arms race to emerge as the Super Bowl favorite.
A ton of big-name players have been traded and have signed with new teams in free agency, setting the stage for another insanely competitive season. The 2025 season definitely gave us a lot of surprises, and if this offseason is any indication, the 2026 campaign can be even more surprising.
As June gets underway, let's make a handful of insanely bold predictions for the upcoming season.
Making 5 insanely bold predictions for the 2026 NFL Season
Kansas City Chiefs miss the playoffs for the second year in a row
I am not high on the Kansas City Chiefs for this 2026 season. The same front office that got the team into this roster mess is the same front office that also made these offseason moves that people are hyping up.
The secondary got worse, as both Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie are now on the Los Angeles Rams. The defensive line is still a massive question mark on paper, and absolutely nothing of note was done at tight end or wide receiver.
But hey, the Chiefs did manage to overpay for Kenneth Walker III, a running back who isn't close to being a bell-cow, has limited receiving upside, and is bad in pass protection. And there is still the uncertainty with Patrick Mahomes' knee injury.
Sure, he might want to play come Week 1, but nothing has been decided as of yet. Overall, I get why some across the NFL landscape want to believe in the Chiefs, but even when Mahomes was healthy in 2025, this Chiefs team was, at best, a fringe-playoff squad.
It'll be another year of no playoffs for a team that made three Super Bowls in a row from 2022-2024.
Dallas Cowboys win the NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys may have what it takes to win the NFC East in the 2026 season. First and foremost, the Cowboys, at the moment, have the best quarterback in the division. Dak Prescott is a prolific passer who has been efficient his entire career.
The Cowboys also sport elite offensive weaponry with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams. This is a top-10, potentially top-5 offense if they hit their ceiling. All this team really needs from the defense in 2026 is average.
Dallas brought in a Vic Fangio disciple to run the show in Christian Parker, and there were some notable personnel moves like adding Rashan Gary and Caleb Downs to the mix. On paper, this could be a top-12 unit in 2026.
There's a lot of 'if' at play here, but the offseason moves Dallas made on that side of the ball should have this team playing more complete football in 2026, leading to an NFC East title.
Tyler Shough, Cam Ward, and Jaxson Dart all make sizeable jumps in 2026
What's funny is that the 2025 NFL Draft's quarterback class didn't seem to be that special, but there could legitimately be three franchise quarterbacks that come from it, which is a high number.
While all three listed above have to prove themselves, each one had spurts of playing quite well. Tyler Shough came on near the end of the season, helping the New Orleans Saints win four of five to finish things out.
Cam Ward played well down the stretch for Tennessee, too, and New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart had 24 total touchdowns in just 14 games. All three are the unquestioned starters of the team, and all three are going to make sizeable leaps in the 2026 season, adding three more franchise quarterbacks to the mix in the NFL.
While none of the teams are quite ready to truly compete, the 2026 campaign will be a massive step in the right direction.
Two NFC West foes meet in the NFC Championship Game
During the 2025 season, we did see two NFC West foes in Los Angeles and Seattle meet in the NFC Championship Game, but in 2026, things will be the same, but different. Yes, the Rams will make it to the title game, but they'll be joined by the San Francisco 49ers, a team that, under Kyle Shanahan, does turn it up quite a bit in the playoffs.
The game will be in Los Angeles, and it'll end up being an all-time matchup between two masterminds in Shanahan and Sean McVay. At this point, it's nearly impossible to envision the NFC title game, at least, as not having at least one team from the NFC West.
The Rams are a rather easy argument to make - the team went all-out this offseason and shored up their roster big-time with Myles Garrett and a pair of former Chiefs cornerbacks. The offense is already top-tier, featuring the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford, elite weapons, and a steady offensive line.
Despite being among the most injured teams in the NFL this past season, San Francisco won 12 games. Adding veterans like Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, Dre Greenlaw, and Osa Odighizuwa this offseason gave the 49ers an infusion of reliable, experienced talent.
San Francisco and Los Angeles meet in the NFC Championship Game.
Los Angeles Rams beat Denver Broncos by 7 points in Super Bowl LXI
While Denver and Los Angeles meeting in the Super Bowl would not be a huge shock, we are making this prediction months in advance. The two teams that were the title game losers in 2025 make a run to the Super Bowl in our bold predictions.
On paper, the Broncos and Rams might be the two best teams in the sport, and it would not have been hard to see Denver in the big game had Bo Nix not broken his ankle. The Rams adding all they did this offseason also makes them a logical favorite.
Given how experience the Rams are, and the fact that this team did win in all in 2021, could give them an advantage over the Broncos in Super Bowl LXI. Our predictions finish off with the Rams beating the Broncos by seven points in Super Bowl LXI.