The Los Angeles Rams are doing something in the 2026 season that has never been done in the history of the league. They have the reigning NFL MVP and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) on the same roster heading into a season.
Now that they've broken the mold, who else can do it?
Of course, the Rams could feature the 2026 NFL MVP as well as DPOY with Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua both contenders for the former, and Myles Garrett an obvious contender for the latter, but they are too easy of a pick.
We're making our top 3 picks from elsewhere in the NFL of teams that could end up featuring both the NFL MVP and DPOY for the upcoming 2026 season.
3 teams that could have both the NFL MVP and DPOY during the 2026 season
3. Detroit Lions: Jared Goff/Jahmyr Gibbs & Aidan Hutchinson
The Detroit Lions are a really interesting candidate for this potential distinction, because they have not only one but two potential candidates to win MVP offensively, and Aidan Hutchinson is already one of the top 3 or 4 candidates for Defensive Player of the Year entering the season.
The perception of a player like Jared Goff might require him to do something really special to win MVP, but if he can lead the Lions back to the #1 seed in the NFC after a down year in 2025 as well as throw 40-plus touchdowns, he could get it done.
Jahmyr Gibbs is obviously a threat to lead the NFL in total yards from scrimmage. While the MVP award typically goes to the quarterback position, you never know when a running back might sneak in there and take it. There's such a deep field of elite backs (especially in the NFC), so Gibbs will have to put up insane numbers to be in that conversation.
Aidan Hutchinson's numbers already speak for themselves. He posted a career-high 14.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles last season, and he did that coming off of a major injury. Just imagine how destructive he can be in 2026.
2. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix & Nik Bonitto/Pat Surtain
You may not even realize this, but Denver Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto has actually finished as a finalist in DPOY voting in each of the past two seasons.
The former 2nd-round pick out of Oklahoma has blossomed into one of the best edge rushers in the entire league, and he finished 4th in voting last year after finishing 9th in voting the year prior. After racking up 27.5 sacks and 52 QB hits over the last two seasons combined, Bonitto's DPOY credentials aren't really a question.
Then, of course, there's the inevitable Pat Surtain II. Surtain was the NFL DPOY back in the 2024 season, so he's already got the credentials here as the best cornerback in the league.
The big question here is whether or not Bo Nix has MVP-caliber stuff in him. Over his first two years in the NFL, Nix has become just the 3rd QB in league history (Peyton Manning, Justin Herbert) to have at least 3,500 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes in each of his first two years. He already has 11 game-winning drives under his belt, proving he's one of the most clutch players in the NFL.
Nix has the type of dual-threat abilities to win MVP, but can he be more consistent week to week? That's the big question entering year three, and the Broncos are believing in that potential with the addition of Jaylen Waddle to the team this offseason.
1. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts/Saquon Barkley & Quinyon Mitchell/Zack Baun/Jalen Carter
The Philadelphia Eagles might be a bit of a controversial pick here in the #1 overall slot, but they are one of the only teams that has multiple potential candidates for DPOY in the 2026 season as well as multiple candidates for league MVP on the offensive side of the ball.
It's been a few years since Jalen Hurts was truly being included in the MVP conversation, but he's finished 2nd (2022) as well as won himself a Super Bowl MVP in the 2024 season. Even though Hurts is coming off of a down year, he could still be in the mix if he bounces back.
Saquon Barkley was 3rd in MVP voting during the 2024 season, so it's reasonable to assume he could get back to that spot once again.
Defensively, the Eagles have so many interesting options. Quinyon Mitchell is a 1st-team All-Pro. Zach Baun finished 5th in DPOY voting just two seasons ago. They recently made Jalen Carter the highest-paid defensive lineman in NFL history.
The talent is there for the Eagles to be the second team in NFL history to have both the league MVP and DPOY on the same roster.
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