2026 NFL SEASON PREDICTIONS

The sun shines a bit brighter this Monday morning. NFL football returns this week, earlier than usual, in fact, with Seattle hosting New England on Wednesday night in a mouth-watering Super Bowl rematch.

And we wouldn’t be entering a new season correctly if we didn’t produce a list of predictions for the winners of the league’s major awards, as well as a Super Bowl pick, so without further deliberation, here is Preme Football’s 2026 season predictions.

Most Valuable Player: Joe Burrow

Currently listed as the 2^nd favourite for the award, Burrow’s best season to date came in 2024, delivering 4,918 passing yards and 43 passing touchdowns, albeit only enough to finish 4^th in MVP voting, due to Cincinnati missing the playoffs as a result of the team’s horrendous defense. Hampered for most of 2025 with a turf toe injury, Burrow enters this year with full health for himself but also those around him, and everything, for once, seems to have aligned perfectly for him to deliver a league-leading season and push the Bengals right back into contention as he did in 2021-22. Burrow’s primary competition comes in the form of Josh Allen, who is certain to be thereabouts in the voting on awards night, but we’re expecting Cincinnati’s star to claim his first major honour on the back of a stellar season this year.

Coach of the Year: Ben Johnson

Johnson ended a 5-year playoff drought immediately in his first season as head coach of the Chicago Bears and was one of the leading candidates for the award last year, and the outlook is just as promising for him and the team this year. While expectations have naturally heightened as the team looks to improve on their divisional round exit at the hands of the Rams, there’s no reason for Chicago’s youthful team to not improve on the foundations built in Johnson’s first year and pose a genuine challenge for the NFC title. Caleb Williams will, of course, continue to be the biggest beneficiary of Johnson’s high-octane, offensive system, and an improved defense might be the point of difference this year. Johnson’s coaching reputation was also boosted last year by the struggles of the Detroit Lions, where he served as offensive coordinator before being hired by the Bears, in the wake of his departure. Will certainly be among the front runners for the award if he can replicate his 2025 performance.

Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Donald

It’s scary how quickly Donald’s leap out of retirement and onto the Rams’ roster has eventuated. Less than a month ago, he was posting regular home workout videos but now appears to be ready to go for the Rams’ season opener against the 49ers in Melbourne. While it’s unrealistic to expect the now 35-year-old Donald to be the same player that won 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards, he still appears to be in immense physical condition, and doesn’t necessarily need to be that player, given the assistance of reigning DPOY winner, Myles Garrett. This story is too good to ignore; expect Donald to make a genuine impact on one of the most talented rosters the league has seen in recent history. Offensive linemen are going to have sleepless nights in the leadup to playing the Rams this year.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jadarian Price

Price’s stocks have risen rather rapidly over the past couple of months, with it becoming less and less likely that Seattle’s first choice running back Zach Charbonnet, who was placed on the PUP list and will miss at least the first 4 weeks, will feature this season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Taken by the Seahawks with their 1^st round pick in the 2026 draft and now assuming the RB1 duties in one of the league’s best offenses, Price will get plenty of usage from the get-go and could seriously challenge Jeremiyah Love as the best rookie running back of 2026. With Fernando Mendoza not expected to start until at least halfway through the season, the award is up for grabs and there are plenty of talented rookies capable of winning it, but Price has the best role of them all and should stake a very good claim throughout the year.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: David Bailey

Bailey was the highest drafted defensive player and is the betting favourite for the award for a reason. He brings elite traits to the Jets’ defense and seems to be physically ready to take on a strong workload across the course of the season. Despite featuring only briefly throughout the preseason, he didn’t take long to show what he can do, with a polished repertoire of pass-rushing moves and quick feet, which opposition backfields will struggle to deal with. The Defensive Rookie of the Year award is, naturally, heavily statistically based, and Bailey looks capable of registering 10+ sacks in his first year in New York, especially due to the attention already being delegated to his teammate Will McDonald IV, who’s put up 18.5 himself over the last 2 seasons. While the Jets’ offense still has gaping holes, not least at quarterback, the future of this defense looks scary.

Offensive Player of the Year: Jahmyr Gibbs

While Gibbs’ ascension was likely the primary reason for the move, Detroit’s dealing of David Montgomery to Houston in March eliminates any potential for a split in the backfield and means it’s time for him to assume the true workhorse role his production warrants. The Lions’ offense has ranked top 5 in points per game 4 years running and shows no sign of regressing this year, giving Gibbs every chance to lead the league in both scrimmage yards and total touchdowns en route to the award. Saquon Barkley’s 2024 campaign, which most notably ended in Super Bowl glory, serves as a genuine aim for Gibbs this season, who turned 24 over the offseason and should be primed to take the competition by storm as he goes to work behind one of the league’s best offensive lines.

Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett

Is it too basic to put Garrett here? Probably, but it’s basic for a reason. Coming off a historic, record-breaking campaign with 23 sacks, Garrett finds himself in Los Angeles this year with the Rams, following a blockbuster move out of Cleveland. As aforementioned, the returning Aaron Donald likely even helps Garrett’s case to win the award, as although he may steal a few sacks, offensive lines are going to face logistical nightmares as to how they’ll combat the duo, which should open up even more opportunities for Garrett in his pursuit of a 3^rd DPOY title. There are no doubt plenty of elite pass rushers capable of winning the award, Will Anderson Jr., Aidan Hutchinson and Maxx Crosby, to name a few, but the stars seem so perfectly aligned for Garrett, who finally has the chance to get the ring he deserves, to join an exclusive list as 3-time winners.

#1 Pick: Miami Dolphins

It’s hard to know where a win actually comes from for this team. Even splitting the season series with the Jets could be an uphill battle. While accepting a rebuild was definitely the right thing for Miami to do from a long-term perspective, the next couple of years look bleak. The team selected 12 players in the recent draft as they commence the rebuild and will be hoping at least a few of those rookies show signs that they could be a part of Miami’s next Super Bowl. De’Von Achane will be an absolute workhorse in the backfield and Malik Willis gets his chance to prove he’s one of the NFL’s best 32 quarterbacks, but other than that, this year will be a very tough watch. Adding 2027’s 1^st overall selection will be at the forefront of Dolphins fans’ minds all year as they seek top-tier talent to headline their next period of contention.

Super Bowl Champion: Cincinnati Bengals (defeating Los Angeles Rams)

Same venue, same teams, but flipping the script from Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals have truly done everything right this offseason and finally seem to have a clean bill of health coming into a season. No one should have any doubt over the team’s offensive power but defense wins championships, and the complete overhaul of theirs, adding Dexter Lawrence II, Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook and Jonathan Allen, has potential to transform the entire team into a Super Bowl winner if combined with a complete season from Joe Burrow and his weapons. They’ll need to overcome strong AFC competition just to make the big game, but we’re expecting them to handle all the external pressure and overcome a 3-year playoff drought and usurp the likes of Baltimore and Buffalo, who have been waiting a long time for their opportunity. The Rams’ position on the biggest stage of the year doesn’t need much explanation, but its Cincinnati who we think will write the story of the franchise’s first Super Bowl against the odds.

Who do you think will claim the NFL’s major awards this season?