Matt Johnson
NFL training camp is just a few weeks away, with all 32 teams set to begin the long grind toward the regular season and the playoffs. With the offseason wrapped up, it’s now time to try and make som early guesses at what could happen around the league this fall.
Let’s dive into a few of our bold NFL predictions for 2026.
Todd Bowles is First NFL Head Coach Fired in 2026
We’re still not sure how Todd Bowles remains the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. After a 6-2 start to the season entering the bye week, Bowles’ club imploded in the second half with a 2-7 record that kept them out of the NFL playoffs. A majority of the Buccaneers’ coaching staff was shown the door, but Bowles kept his job. The vibes in Tampa Bay haven’t felt right ever since, and that jeopardizes further issues in the locker room if the team gets off to a slow start. That’s exactly what we think happens. Tampa Bay will lose six of its first nine games, including on Sunday Night Football to the Chicago Bears on Nov. 8. That’ll be Bowles’ last game as a head coach, with the Buccaneers firing him entering their Week 10 bye.
Josh Sweat Traded to Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys checked in on multiple edge rushers this offseason, ultimately settling for Rashan Gary. Given Gary’s performance in the last two seasons with the Green Green Bay Packers, we feel pretty confident that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office will decide a few months in that an upgrade is necessary. Fortunately, the Arizona Cardinals are rebuilding and Josh Sweat wants out. Just ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Dallas will trade a 2028 second-round pick to Arizona in exchange for Sweat. That move will be pivotal in the Cowboys’ having a top-12 defense in the second half of the season.
Houston Texans Earn AFC’s No. 1 Seed
The Houston Texans won 12 games this past season despite quarterback C.J. Stroud ranking 17th in passer rating (92.9) and the offense ranking 22nd in rushing (114.5 yards per game). Houston finally overhauled its offensive line this offseason, adding Wyatt Teller, Braden Smith, and Keylan Ratledge. Houston now has a top-three defense in the league with an offense that should be far more consistent with a much lower rate of negative plays. Pair that with the seventh-easiest strength of schedule in the NFL, per ESPN, and we think you’ll get the Texans sitting atop the AFC entering the playoffs.
Myles Garrett Breaks Single Season Sacks, TFLs Records
Myles Garrett already broke the single-season sack record in 2025 by recording 23 with the Cleveland Browns. What’s remarkable about that achievement is he did it on a defense whose opponents threw the football at the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL (53.2 percent). Unlike in Cleveland, opponents will be playing catch-up most weeks with this Los Angeles Rams offense. Furthermore, there’s more talent on the Rams’ defense than he had in Cleveland. We believe all of that will result in Garrett breaking his own single-season sack record with 24 and eclipsing T.J. Watt’s single-season mark (39) for the most tackles for loss in a season.
Los Angeles Rams Win the Super Bowl, Matthew Stafford Retires
The perfect walk-off moment will come this season for Matthew Stafford. Even with the Ty Simpson pick, the Rams have surrounded him with the best roster in the NFL and every possible resource he needs to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. We’re confident that will eventually include the return of future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Los Angeles will finish the regular season with a 15-2 record, earning the NFC’s No. 1 seed and then winning in the Divisional Round and NFC Championship Game by double-digit points. After Stafford caps things off with the Lombardi Trophy and a Super Bowl MVP, he and Donald will retire with two rings and be part of the same Hall of Fame class.
