Five bold predictions for 2026 season: New MVP title contender, Saints go from worst to first in division

The 2026 NFL season kicked off with an unpredictable start on Wednesday night as the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks grabbed a 13-10 victory over the defending AFC champion New England Patriots.

Almost no one would have predicted Drew Lock would quarterback the winning effort for Seattle with Sam Darnold departing with a hip injury in the first series of the game. Nearly as unpredictable was the 2025 NFL MVP runner-up Patriots quarterback Drake Maye throwing a career-high three interceptions, but that's exactly what happened. Maye is now the first New England quarterback with three interceptions in the fourth quarter of a game since Tom Brady at the Denver Broncos in Week 7 of the 2001 season, his first as the Patriots' starting QB. 

So what other craziness could occur throughout the course of the 2026 season? Here are five season-long bold predictions for the NFL year ahead of us. 

Jordan Love wins MVP

What do 2025 NFL MVP Matthew Stafford and Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love have in common? They are the only quarterbacks in each of the last three seasons with the following: at least nine wins, 20-plus passing touchdowns and fewer than 12 interceptions. The last three seasons were Love's first three as an NFL starting quarterback, and in his last game out, he flashed high-level play in Green Bay's playoff-opening loss at the Chicago Bears. 

Love threw for 329 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 73% of his passes (27 for 37). That night, he became just the sixth player in NFL history to throw for four touchdowns and no interceptions in a road playoff game. Love's reputation entering 2026 would be a little different had now-released kicker Brandon McManus not left seven points on the field (two missed field goals and an extra point) in a four-point loss (31-27). 

His efficiency ranks among the league's best, and with a higher-volume passing attack expected in 2026 with running back Josh Jacobs facing suspension, Love could have the opportunity to produce MVP-caliber numbers this season.

Dallas Cowboys have a top-10 scoring defense

This might be the boldest prediction in the entire column given the Dallas Cowboys' 2025 defense ranked last in the NFL in scoring (30.1 points per game allowed), passing yards allowed (251.5 passing yards per game allowed) and third-down defense (47.3% conversion rate allowed). However, former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is gone, and new defensive coordinator Christian Parker completely overhauled Dallas' defensive communication system. Plus, the Cowboys have kicked many underachieving defenders from yesteryear to the curb: 46.2% of the snaps taken on last year's defense were by players who are no longer on the roster, per the Dallas Morning News. 

Between four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, future Hall of Fame edge rusher Von Miller, Pro Bowl edge rusher Rashan Gary, first-round rookies Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence and 2023 NFL interceptions leader DaRon Bland, the Cowboys have a much more talented defense than in 2025. They'll make a big leap with all the changes while not squandering the leads and field position Dallas' high-flying offense provides. 

New Orleans Saints go from worst to first to win the NFC South

New Orleans' 6-11 finish in 2025 clinched last in its division, the Saints' first time in consecutive seasons since 1995-96, and they've missed the playoffs in five straight years. However, the NFC South is always up for grabs, and the Saints might have the quarterback with the most potential in the division. Rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough profiled as a top-10 quarterback when he became New Orleans' starter in Week 9: He ranked fourth in the league in completion percentage (69.2%), ninth in passing yards (2,256), ninth in passing yards per attempt (7.6) and ninth in passer rating (95.8) in the second half of the season.

If Shough can continue that rhythm with 2026 second-team All-Pro wide receiver Chris Olave, top-10 pick Jordyn Tyson (when healthy) and new running back Travis Etienne, head coach Kellen Moore could have a high-flying attack on his hands. The hope for the defense is that the whole is more than the sum of its parts, but if Shough takes another leap, the Saints could find themselves atop the division in 2026. 

Christian McCaffrey plays in 10-plus games in 2026 after third 400-plus-touch season in 2025

Christian McCaffrey had an all-time season at the age of 29 to earn 2025 Comeback Player of the Year honors. After following up his 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year campaign by playing in just four games in 2024 thanks to Achilles tendinitis and a sprained knee, McCaffrey bounced back in 2025. He led the league with 413 touches (311 carries and 102 catches) for the second-most scrimmage yards in the entire NFL (2,126). 

The 2025 season marked the third of his career with 400-plus touches. But he has played just seven combined games following his two previous seasons with 400-plus touches. Despite turning 30 years old in June, McCaffrey will play 10-plus games in 2026, another year following a 400-plus touch season. The 2025 campaign marked CMC's third with 2,000-plus scrimmage yards and 15-plus touchdowns, which is tied for the most in NFL history (with Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson). McCaffrey is an anomaly, and he'll be more durable in 2026 than he was in 2020 and 2024 combined. 

Omarion Hampton wins NFL rushing title

Much of the focus on Mike McDaniel's addition as the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator has been how he will elevate two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert. However, he could have just as much of an impact on second-year running back Omarion Hampton, the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. McDaniel's zone-blocking scheme helped career journeyman Raheem Mostert produce his two best seasons in 2022 and 2023, including leading the entire NFL in both rushing touchdowns (18) and scrimmage touchdowns (21) with the Miami Dolphins in 2023. 

McDaniel worked as Kyle Shanahan's run game coordinator from 2017-2020 before being promoted to his San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator in 2021. He helped cook up solid run games with undrafted talents like Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson in those years. With Hampton, a first-round talent, McDaniel will have the Chargers' bell cow back winning the NFL rushing title at the end of 2026.