26 people who will define the NFL in 2026

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 29: Myles Garrett #95 of the Los Angeles Rams during training camp at Loyola Marymount University on July 29, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. | Getty Images Summer is coming to a close, the chill of fall will soon be in the air, and the NFL is back. The quest for the Super Bowl begins once more with 32 teams all trying to achieve their internal goals. Some are trying to hoist the Lombardi at center field, others trying to find a way to the playoffs, and some organizations are already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, trying to find their QB of the future. That’s the macro view of the league, but inside of it we have dozens of smaller storylines that will define the year. As the 2026 season begins we’re diving into the 26 people around the league who have the power to shape the larger narratives of football. Joe Brady, Head Coach — Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills have been underperforming when it comes to playoff success, which led to the dismissal of longstanding head coach Sean McDermott under some consternation from fans. Brady faces a lot of pressure in his first year with the head job to achieve what McDermott couldn’t — or at the very least manage to show the kind of progress needed to usher in this new era of Bills’ football. When you pair Brady’s first season, a new stadium in Buffalo, and the growing realization that the Bills need to capitalize on their window while it’s open, well, whatever happens this season will define the trajectory of football in Buffalo moving forward. Jalen Carter, DT — Philadelphia Eagles There is no doubting the talent of Jalen Carter. Heck, his ability was undeniable from the second he fell in the draft due to off-field issues, allowing Philly to snatch up the once-projected No. 1 pick. Still, the Eagles took a big-time risk this offseason by signing Carter to the highest-paid contract in NFL history for a defensive tackle, which puts pressure on the young player to hit that next level. For all of Carter’s raw talent there’s also far too many snaps where he doesn’t give maximum effort. In addition, he often allows emotions to get the best of him, which can overshadow his role as a leader on the team. That’s several questions about a guy the Eagles are paying to be the future of their team for numerous years moving forward. If he can ascend to another level we’ll be talking about him as a Top 3 defensive player in the NFL, but if he doesn’t — well, it could put a significant strain on Philadelphia’s cap moving forward. Ja’Marr Chase, WR — Cincinnati Bengals There aren’t many wide receivers in the NFL who can make their quarterback better, but Ja’Marr Chase is the ultimate force multiplier for an offense. As incredible as he is, it’s past time that the Bengals get it together and become a real threat — at least in the AFC North, if not the AFC as a whole. The handcuff between Chase and Joe Burrow is the best in the NFL, rivaled only by the Stafford/Nacua connection in Los Angeles, and Darnold/JSN in Seattle. The key difference is that those teams win. At this point the Cincinnati Bengals are in a lurch. The team has saddled itself with Zac Taylor, which can’t be mitigated — but they have to find a way to win. That begins with Ja’Marr Chase continuing to be at his absolute best in 2026, which will define the AFC North, and the conference as a result. Liam Coen, Head Coach — Jacksonville Jaguars Was 2025 the start of a new era, or beginner’s luck? That’s the big question for Jaguars head coach Liam Coen as he enters his second year in the league. There is no denying the offensive impact he had on Jacksonville his first season. Coen managed to get the most out of Trevor Lawrence, devised an interesting, diverse running game, and dragged the team back to the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade. Instead of entering as the new kid on the block, Coen now starts with expectation behind him — but also some roster questions. The Jags need to deal with the loss of Trevor Etienne, and Devin Lloyd, while finding a way to utilize Travis Hunter after a disappointing rookie season. The pressure is on, and with a wide open AFC South there’s room for Jacksonville to assert itself as the long-time owners of the division, if Coen is up to the task. Jayden Daniels, QB — Washington Commanders What is the future of the Washington Commanders? This team went from being one of the most promising organizations in the NFL to the cellar overnight, and we know that’s because of the injury to Jayden Daniels. However, even before that he was struggling — and it’s raised some questions about whether he has the frame to stand up to an NFL schedule. When Daniels is on his game there are few quarterbacks in the NFL capable of playing better football. Now it’s on him to show that this ability is the rule, and not the exception, turning brilliant flashes into long-term consistency. Jaxson Dart, QB — New York Giants The Giants enter this season with unbelievable hype behind them. For the first time in a decade it feels like they’re ready to compete, but that requires Jaxson Dart to step his game up in 2026. Dart garnered unbelievable hype during his rookie campaign, but it was a profoundly up-and-down year by the numbers. It was decent for a rookie, but there will need to be some major progression in year two in order to have faith in Dart as the signal caller long term. It’s not just about how he plays on the field, but how well he can adapt to a more demanding, exacting football coach in John Harbaugh. If this fits together then the Giants can be contenders in the NFC East — if it doesn’t, well, it will be another long season for the G-Men. Sauce Gardner, CB — Indianapolis Colts The Colts made a major splash in 2025 by trading for cornerback Sauce Gardner, and it didn’t result in the desired outcome. Sauce was fine, but Indianapolis traded for him with the belief they were getting a Top 5 NFL cornerback, which he wasn’t. In order for the Colts to take the next step they need a healthy quarterback, and also Sauce to be on top of his game. This is starting to feel like we’re entering last-gasp mode for Shane Steichen, who is under pressure to get this team winning games consistently. Sauce is a key part of that. Myles Garrett, EDGE — Los Angeles Rams Outside of being stuck on a floundering Browns team for his entire career, Myles Garrett has lived a charmed NFL life. The best defensive player in football has benefitted from being a big fish in a small pond, where expectations have been relatively relaxed. It’s allowed him to go out and play football, knowing he’ll be heralded no matter what, even if everything else around him is bad. That now changes with a move to the Los Angeles Rams. Now Garrett is viewed as the missing piece to the puzzle, the guy who can get the team over the top — and he moves to a much, much better division in the NFC West, which is a murderer’s row when it comes to quarterbacks and offensive lines. The pressure is on for him to show up and show out, which he absolutely has the potential for, but how that pressure manifests will define the pecking order in the NFC. John Harbaugh, Head Coach — New York Giants The Baltimore Ravens made a move similar to the Buffalo Bills, believing they needed a change of direction from their established defensive-minded coaches. That led to John Harbaugh joining the Giants in a role where he’ll be tasked with changing the culture of a floundering team. There’s a lot on paper that makes so much sense about Harbs joining the Giants. They have a lot of defensive talent waiting to be unleashed, and players desperate for tutelage. Offensively, it’s a bit of a minefield, as Harbaugh will need to navigate the larger-than-life personalities of Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo — which is easier said than done. The coach’s ability to put all these disparate parts together will determine this season for the Giants. Ashton Jeanty, RB — Las Vegas Raiders There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to getting the Raiders back on the right side of the winning ledger, and while the majority of the focus will be on Fernando Mendoza and the quarterback position, the player they really need to get going is second year running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty was absolutely fine in his rookie season, but definitely underwhelmed. It was clear the Raiders didn’t have the offensive line needed to really support him, and he suffered because of that. Now with a retooled offense under Klint Kubiak it’s time for him to shine, and the ability of Jeanty to become a three-down back will not only determine the season for the Raiders, but the future. Chris Jones, DT — Kansas City Chiefs The Chiefs are desperate to ensure that 2025 was a blip on the radar. One of the most dominant teams of the last decade struggled with injuries and poor performance, and now need to turn a corner to prove they can keep up in an AFC West featuring hungry young teams trying to assert themselves. Part of the reason for the team’s struggles was a down year from Chris Jones in the middle. Normally a stalwart defensive player, Jones really only shined as a pass rusher in 2025 which took a lot of the steam out of the defense. Two factors will determine this season for the Chiefs: The return of Patrick Mahomes, and a lift in play from Jones. Let’s see how that plays out. Daniel Jones, QB — Indianapolis Colts One of the best stories of the 2026 NFL season was Daniel Jones (at least the first part of it). Jones was playing the best football of his career for the Colts, who stunned the league with an 8-2 start to the season before their bye week. Then everything began to slip away, Jones had his season end due to injury, and everything was in tatters. The return of Jones is huge, and it defines the ceiling for the Colts this season. If he is able to return to that early-season form from a year ago then Indianapolis will be a team to watch in the AFC. If he can’t, well, it’s going to be another long season in Indy. Mike Macdonald, Head Coach — Seattle Seahawks Mike Macdonald’s ascension in 2025 was nothing short of remarkable. Not only did the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, but Macdonald asserted himself as one of the best coaches in the NFL. It was a staggering season that has made every Ravens fan shudder at the realization they had him in hand, and made every other fanbase in the league hope they can land a coach like Macdonald. Now the surprise is gone. There is no shock factor to a Macdonald team, and the entire league will have studied the Seahawks in the offseason to see what makes them tick. Part of this is because the NFL is a copycat league, but also because teams want to find answers. Macdonald’s ability to adjust this season to the added attention will determine his place in the coaching pecking order, and whether he’s a dominant coach long-term. Matt LaFleur, Head Coach — Green Bay Packers The Packers are out of excuses. Seemingly every year Green Bay is heralded as a team to watch, a potential Super Bowl dark horse, an organization that has the tools to put it all together — but each and every year they seem to fall short. Last year the justification was the season-ending injury to Micah Parsons, which is an understandable excuse, but this team has to produce and now. If LaFleur can’t get this team deep into the postseason in 2026 then we’re likely seeing him as the same kind of lame duck head coach that John Harbaugh and Sean McDermott became. Meanwhile, if the Packers can live up to their lofty potential they are likely a Super Bowl team. There is no in between here. Patrick Mahomes, QB — Kansas City Chiefs Injury derailed Patrick Mahomes’ 2025 season, but the Chiefs were a mess before that. In both 2023 and 2024 this was a team that lived on escaping close games by the skin of their teeth, but last year we saw the coin fall the other way and they were a mess because of it. Mahomes is making an unbelievably quick return from a torn ACL and LCL in the same knee, with speed that is frankly alarming. Only the quarterback and the Chiefs really know if he’s rushing back too soon, or if he’s truly ready to go. Kansas City is a changed team, with pieces being moved in and out on both sides of the ball, but at the end of the day it’s all about whether No. 15 plays. If he’s on the field this team has a chance, and they could upset everything we think we know about the season. Mike McDaniel, Offensive Coordinator — Los Angeles Chargers There isn’t a bigger odd couple union than Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel in L.A — and it might just work. Harbaugh is a no-nonsense, run-first fella who believes in pro-style passing, working out of play action, and extended drives. McDaniel is all about trickery, stacked formations, and unorthodox YAC-based passing that diminishes the need for air yards. Harbaugh has done very good things in molding the Chargers in his image, but offensively they’ve felt dated. That’s what makes the McDaniel hire so fascinating. This is a team with a franchise quarterback, a promising dual-threat running back, a solid offensive line, and good enough weapons to be really exciting. Pair all that with an efficient Harbaugh defense and we could have something very special. Don’t sleep on the Chargers, because this hire will define the AFC West. Christian McCaffrey, RB — San Francisco 49ers Another year, another season where things are reaching a point where Christian McCaffrey is going to be asked to do too much on offense. It’s not the Niners’ fault things are this way, but once again the injury bug is rearing its head, this time taking out Ricky Pearsall for the year and forcing the team to turn back to Deebo Samuel, hoping he’s found the fountain of youth. It’s a testament to how good McCaffrey is that this team falls apart when he isn’t able to play, which is also precisely why he will define the 2026 season for this potential contender. There aren’t many non-quarterbacks who are more impactful than McCaffrey when he can go full tilt, but it’s a lot of pressure to put on a 30-year-old running back with over 1,600 carries on his body over the last nine seasons. Mike McCarthy, Head Coach — Pittsburgh Steelers Talk about a tough act to follow. Walking into Pittsburgh and assuming Mike Tomlin’s mantle is a little like being thrust into Gordon Ramsey’s position as head chef during a full dinner service — except the restaurant is a Sheetz. McCarthy is a very good football coach, but he’s made underachievement his calling card. Now he’ll need to find a way to carry the same gravitas as Tomlin in the meeting room, while also managing the eternally mercurial Aaron Rodgers. The AFC North is no longer the unbeatable division it once was, making it wide open for whoever wants to grab the brass ring. The way the Steelers have operated in recent years feels like they know their window is almost closed, and are willing to do anything to force it open. McCarthy is the only one who can determine if that happens or not. Kyler Murray, QB — Minnesota Vikings The Vikings are doing everything they can to avoid fading into obscurity. The long-standing bridesmaids of the NFC North have watched as they’ve tumbled down the division standings, now in the cellar after being passed by everyone. The vaunted concept of a “competitive rebuild” has been a disaster, which has led to consistent mediocrity — but Kyler Murray has the strength to change all that. Murray is a good QB who has been locked in a series of bad situations since Kliff Kingsbury was fired in Arizona. He’s just never clicked with anyone else, and that torpedoed his career. Minnesota is a great landing spot, with weapons and a coach in Kevin O’Connell who can get the most out of quarterbacks. The hope for this team is that they have a burst of success like they had with Sam Darnold in 2024, and that is possible. If Murray goes back to his old form then this could be a surprise team in the NFC. Puka Nacua, WR — Los Angeles Rams The Rams have one of the best receiving tandems in the NFL with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, but at this point in Adams’ career he’s more of a red zone threat than anything else. That makes Puka the engine behind the passing offense, and the Rams are in dire need of him to show up this season with more emphasis than ever before. Nacua’s end to 2025 was bad, to put it nicely. The on-field product was fine, but he grated his teammates off the field, made headlines for anti-semitism, and there was real smoke around the idea that Los Angeles might trade its top catcher to get some more consistency in the locker room. Now he’s back, being the most integral piece of the Rams’ offensive aside from Matthew Stafford. Micah Parsons, EDGE — Green Bay Packers The NFC North has gotten much, much better with two of the Packers’ opponents finding franchise quarterbacks in recent years, which necessitated the team finding a legitimate, long-term pass rusher — and it just so happened they landed one of the top guys in the NFL. Parsons is a one-man wrecking crew with athleticism to chase down quarterbacks and derail the entire passing game before it begins. That’s only possible when he’s on the field, as 2025 showed when injury kept him out and tanked Green Bay’s chances as a result. The Packers need a full-strength Parsons to be on his game in 2026, and the fortunes of this team are directly tied to Parsons. Bijan Robinson, RB — Atlanta Falcons The Falcons are one of those teams that are easy to overlook, but could very well make the playoffs thanks to the randomness and inconsistency of the NFC South. Bijan Robinson is already one of the league’s best running backs, but he needs to ascend to another level in 2026 if Atlanta wants any hopes of making it to the playoffs. The QB situation is a mess, and there will likely be a lot of errors regardless of who ends up under center. That means Robinson’s role both as a runner, as well as a receiver out of the backfield might make him the most important offensive player in the entire NFC South this year. Atlanta is one of those teams that could either win 10 games and make the playoffs, or finish with four wins and picking in the Top 5 — neither outcome would be surprising. Nick Sirianni, Head Coach — Philadelphia Eagles There is mounting pressure on Nick Sirianni, which is wild after winning the NFC twice and having a Super Bowl ring — but this is a “what have you done for me lately?” league, and the Eagles being routinely regarded as a Super Bowl favorite means they need to perform every single season. Sirianni has quickly become the man perceived to be the weak link in the process. A struggling offense has been a problem for each of the past two years, with offensive coordinators being blamed — but Sirianni’s public sideline run-in with A.J. Brown led to the top receiver being traded, and questions raised about whether or not the coach was losing control of the locker room. This is a statement year for Sirianni and the Eagles, who need to assert themselves as the top of the NFC East once more. Mike Vrabel, Head Coach — New England Patriots Where the heck do you begin with Mike Vrabel? We don’t need to talk about the offseason tabloid mess he got himself embroiled in, because there’s enough on the football side to discuss. The Patriots were incredible and surprising in 2025, making it all the way to the Super Bowl before finally being bested. This team put in a major challenge with the Bills to become the long-term best team in the AFC East, which is why Vrabel will help define this season. The surprise is one thing, but building consistency is where it’s at now. The “gotcha” element of Drake Maye and Co. is gone, with the entire NFL now being ready for them. It will take Vrabel’s coaching prowess to put them over the top. His ability to mitigate all the noise around this team will be key to determine if the Patriots are long-term contenders, or flash-in-the-pan pretenders who had one amazing season. Caleb Williams, QB — Chicago Bears The emergence of the Bears was one of the great stories of the 2025 season. Caleb Williams took the step from being a promising athlete to an elite QB, and depending on who you ask, he’s a Top 10 player at the position now. With that lofty rank comes expectation, and it’s here that Williams needs to take another step as a leader and a consistent passer in order to truly cement himself as one of the league’s greats. Success in the NFC North isn’t easy. The Bears have to contend with the Lions, the Packers, and a Vikings team that could turn into something this year. That said, of all the passers in the division it’s Williams who has the brightest future. His union with Ben Johnson last season was brilliant, and if these two can continue to deepen their relationship then the Bears become a staple of the NFC playoff picture. That begins in 2026. Bryce Young, QB — Carolina Panthers It’s apt that alphabetical order has placed Young right after Caleb Williams, the two players who were ostensibly traded for each other. The first two years of Bryce Young’s career were rough as he struggled both to adapt to the NFL, but also adjust to having bad weapons, inconsistent coaching, and a mess of other issues. This changed in 2025 as Young finally found a reliable weapon in rookie Tetairoa McMillan, and the two have had brilliant chemistry which propelled T-Mac to rookie of the year honors, the Panthers to the playoffs, and began to lay the groundwork for Young to ascend to being a solid quarterback. That must continue in 2026, a year where the Panthers have yet to fully commit to Young long-term. This team is building a solid foundation that needs to turn into consistency, and the axis of all that is solid play from the QB position. If Young can deliver then the NFC South could be the Panthers for the taking long-term, if not the franchise is back to the drawing board.

Read it at SB Nation ↗

← Front page