With the New Year just one day away and the NFL regular season about to end, now seems like the perfect time to make some bold predictions for the next calendar year.
The crystal ball wasn't completely out of whack last year, as I predicted that Mike Vrabel would return the New England Patriots to relevance and that Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers would win the NFC South.
Caroline is still a week away from this happening, but the fact that it is even close to becoming a reality is worth at least half a point to me.
Unfortunately, we also had some big misses, such as the Las Vegas Raiders trading up at the top of the draft to select Sheader Sanders. You may remember that he was drafted in the fifth round…
But that's all part of the fun. Predicting someone like Josh Allen to win MVP next season isn't entirely accurate. braveconsidering that every time he takes the field, he is usually the best player on it.
These are supposed to be long-range plans, and so it will be even more rewarding if they actually come to fruition.
So, without further ado, here are five bold NFL predictions for 2026.
The Chiefs have missed the playoffs two seasons in a row.
Can you imagine being the person who predicted the Kansas City Chiefs would miss the playoffs before this season? I'll share this with anyone who will listen.
But how about predicting that they will miss again next season?
The most important information for this forecast is Patrick Mahomes' season-ending ACL injury, which he suffered in the Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mahomes had surgery on Dec. 15, so with the typical return to play window being six to 12 months, it's safe to assume he'll return at some point next season.
Is there a world where he's miraculously ready for Week 1, but his prediction looks stupid? Absolutely, it's Patrick freaking Mahomes.
But let's just remember that even when Mahomes was on the field this season, the Chiefs looked like a shell of a team that had won three straight Super Bowls and seven AFC Championship games.
With the exception of Mahomes, the other stars are well past their prime. There's a very good chance that 36-year-old Travis Kelce decides to retire this offseason, and Chris Jones, their best defensive player, is 31.
Add in the fact that it looks like the Super Bowl windows are just beginning for the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, and suddenly the Chiefs' division looks like it's going to face a major challenge for years to come.
Since Mahomes came into the league, betting against the Chiefs has been foolish. But maybe, just maybe, those days are long gone.
The Bengals are ranked No. 1 in the AFC.
It's been a tough few years for the Cincinnati Bengals as 2025 will be the third straight season the Bengals miss the playoffs.
For a team that has been a popular Super Bowl contender every preseason, this was a disappointing development.
Of course, one of the main reasons for their problems was the health of star QB Joe Burrow.
His 2023 season was cut short by a torn wrist ligament, and he missed significant time this season with a toe injury.
But if you've watched the Bengals over the last two weeks, they've scored a total of 82 points with Burrow back at the helm and healthy.
This team simply has too much talent on the offensive side of the ball, and Burrow's injury luck should eventually change.
It's also pretty clear that the Bengals' weakness is their defense, which should make the offseason plan simple.
That's why we're projecting the Bengals to be the No. 1 seed in the 2026 season and that the AFC playoffs will come through Cincinnati.
For a team that is projected to finish the season 4-13 at best, projecting double-digit wins for the New York Giants may seem unrealistic.
But let's look at the facts.
The Giants spent most of the season without wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo, two of their best offensive players.
Even without those two, rookie quarterback Jackson Dart still showed enough potential to show that the Giants could have the quarterback of the future.
New York also has one of the best back fours in the league, led by Brian Burns, who will likely finish the season with the second-most sacks in the league.
And most importantly, the Giants will once again be armed with a pick at the top of the draft.
In fact, this prediction could lead to the Giants hiring the right head coach this offseason.
Just look at what Ben Johnson did in his first year as head coach of the Chicago Bears with a second-year QB.
If the Giants can attract the right coach to shape the Darts, there is absolutely enough talent in this squad for them to make some noise next season.
Tyler Shaw leads Saints to NFC South title
Another year, another worse outlook in the NFC South.
But given the way New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shaw finished the season, it's hard to give up on him.
After starting the season 1–7, the Saints are 5–3 as Shaw started and won their final four games.
Shaw, 26, has passed for 2,125 yards, nine touchdowns and has a QB rating of 92.1 since becoming the starter in New Orleans.
Despite only playing half the season, he is now considered one of the favorites to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Of course, one could argue that if the Saints start the Show in Week 1, they might even win the division this year.
But with the final spot likely coming in 2026, this seems like the perfect time for the Saints to be back at the top of the NFC South for the first time since 2020.
Rams trade for their QB of the future
The Los Angeles Rams are in a unique position this season.
Not only are they a Super Bowl contender, but thanks to the trade with the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles has two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
To give you a rough idea, if the draft were based on where things currently stand, the Rams would have the 12th overall pick (from the Falcons) and the 24th overall pick.
And with the way Matthew Stafford has played this season, who knows when they'll have that kind of draft capital again.
It would make a lot of sense for Sean McVay and the Rams to combine their picks, move up in the draft and present a succession plan for the 37-year-old Stafford.
Plus, allowing any youngster they draft to sit back and learn from a veteran like Stafford for at least one season would be a blessing that not many rookie QBs can afford.
This may be just the move the Rams need to keep their Super Bowl window alive for years to come.
