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2026 NFL Season Predictions
Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. leaves the field after defeating the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. (Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

2026 NFL Season Predictions

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  Last updated Jul 17, 2026 7:30 AM ET
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NFL training camps are beginning to open this weekend, and a lot can happen between now and the start of the 2026 regular season. Still, the editors of Athlon Sports’ 2026 NFL Preview magazine have already made their predictions for who will be in the playoffs and who takes home individual player awards.

The following picks are from the magazine, which is on sale now. Order your issue online today, or grab a copy at newsstands and retail racks nationwide.

AFC East

  1. Buffalo Bills
  2. New England Patriots
  3. New York Jets
  4. Miami Dolphins

AFC North

  1. Cincinnati Bengals
  2. Baltimore Ravens
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers
  4. Cleveland Browns

AFC South

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Jacksonville Jaguars
  3. Indianapolis Colts
  4. Tennessee Titans

AFC West

  1. Denver Broncos
  2. Los Angeles Chargers
  3. Kansas City Chiefs
  4. Las Vegas Raiders

AFC Superlatives

Offensive Player of the Year: Josh Allen, QB, Bills
Defensive Player of the Year: Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Texans
Comeback Player of the Year: Nnamdi Madubuike, DE, Ravens
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Carnell Tate, WR, Titans
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Mansoor Delane, CB, Chiefs
Coach of the Year: Joe Brady, Bills

NFC East

  1. Philadelphia Eagles
  2. Dallas Cowboys
  3. Washington Commanders
  4. New York Giants

NFC North

  1. Chicago Bears
  2. Green Bay Packers
  3. Detroit Lions
  4. Minnesota Vikings

NFC South

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  2. Carolina Panthers
  3. Atlanta Falcons
  4. New Orleans Saints

NFC West

  1. Seattle Seahawks
  2. Los Angeles Rams
  3. San Francisco 49ers
  4. Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs© Peter Casey-Imagn Images

NFC Superlatives

Offensive Player of the Year: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons, OLB, Packers
Comeback Player of the Year: Malik Nabers, WR, Giants
Offensive Rookie of the Year:Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Rueben Bain Jr., OLB, Buccaneers
Coach of the Year: Ben Johnson, Bears

Wild Card Weekend

Broncos over Ravens
Texans over Chargers
Patriots over Bengals

Eagles over Packers
Bears over 49ers
Rams over Buccaneers

Divisional Round

Bills over Patriots
Broncos over Texans

Seahawks over Rams
Eagles over Bears

Championship Games

Bills over Broncos
Seahawks over Eagles

Super Bowl LXI

Bills over Seahawks

NFL 2026 team previews
AFC East:Bills | Dolphins | Jets | Patriots
AFC North: Bengals | Browns | Ravens | Steelers
AFC South: Colts | Jaguars | Texans | Titans
AFC West:Broncos | Chargers | Chiefs | Raiders
NFC East: Commanders| Cowboys | Eagles | Giants
NFC North:Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South:Buccaneers | Falcons | Panthers | Saints
NFC West:49ers | Cardinals | Rams | Seahawks

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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