With the new year just one day away and the NFL regular season about to wrap up, it feels like the perfect time to take a stab at some bold predictions for the next calendar year.
But before we do that, it's important to revisit both my successes and failures from last time around.
The crystal ball wasn't completely faulty last year, as I predicted that Mike Vrabel would lead the New England Patriots back to relevance and that Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers would win the NFC South.
Carolina is still a week away from making that happen, but the fact that it's even close to becoming a reality, I'm counting it as at least half a point.
Unfortunately, we also had some big misses, like the Las Vegas Raiders trading up to the top of the draft to select Shedeur Sanders. You may remember he ended up as a fifth-round pick...
But that's all part of the fun. Predicting something like Josh Allen to win the MVP next season isn't exactly bold, given that every time he steps on the field, he's usually the best player on it.
These are supposed to be long shots, which makes it even more rewarding if they do in fact come true.
So, without further ado, we offer up five bold NFL predictions for 2026.
Chiefs miss playoffs in back-to-back seasons
Can you imagine being the person who predicted that the Kansas City Chiefs would miss the playoffs before this season? I'd be sharing that with everyone who would listen.
But how about predicting them to miss again next season?
The most important piece of information for this prediction is Patrick Mahomes' season-ending ACL injury he suffered in a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mahomes had surgery on Dec. 15, so with the standard return to play period being six to 12 months, it's safe to assume that he will be back at some point next season.
Is there a world where he's miraculously ready for Week 1 and he makes this prediction look silly? Absolutely, it's Patrick freakin' Mahomes.
But let's just remember that even when Mahomes was on the field this season, the Chiefs looked like a shell of the team that had made it to three straight Super Bowls and seven AFC Championship games.
Outside of Mahomes, their other stars are well past their prime. There's a very good chance that 36-year-old Travis Kelce decides to retire this off-season, and Chris Jones, their best defensive player, is 31.
Add in the fact that it looks like the Super Bowl windows for the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers may just be beginning, and suddenly the Chiefs' division looks like it might be a gauntlet for years to come.
Since Mahomes came into the league, it's been a fool's errand to bet against the Chiefs. But maybe, just maybe, those days are long gone.
Bengals finish as AFC's No. 1 seed
It's been a rough few years for the Cincinnati Bengals, as 2025 will be the third straight season the Bengals have missed the playoffs.
For a team that every pre-season is a popular Super Bowl pick, it's been a disappointing stretch.
Of course, one of the biggest reasons for their struggles has been the health of star QB Joe Burrow.
He had his season cut short in 2023 due to a torn wrist ligament, and this season, he missed a substantial amount of time due to a turf toe injury.
But if you've watched the Bengals over the past two weeks, they've put up a combined 82 points with Burrow back at the helm and healthy.
There's simply too much talent on the offensive side of the ball for this team, and Burrow's injury luck has to turn eventually.
It's also glaringly obvious that the Bengals' weakness is their defence, and that should make the off-season plan straightforward.
That's why for the 2026 season, we're predicting that the Bengals finish as the No. 1 seed and that the AFC playoffs will run through Cincinnati.
Giants win 10-plus games
For a team that's at best going to finish with a 4-13 record this season, predicting double-digit wins for the New York Giants may seem out to lunch.
But let's look at the facts.
The Giants played most of the season without wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo, easily their two best offensive weapons.
Even without those two, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart still flashed enough potential to show the Giants may have their quarterback of the future.
New York also has one of the best defensive front fours in the league, led by Brian Burns, who is likely going to finish with the second-most sacks in the league this season.
And most importantly, the Giants are once again going to be armed with a pick near the top of the draft.
What this prediction could really come down to is if the Giants make the right head coaching hire this off-season.
Just look at what Ben Johnson did in his first year as head coach of the Chicago Bears with a second-year QB.
If the Giants can bring in the right coach to mould Dart, there's absolutely enough talent on this roster that they could make some noise next season.
Tyler Shough leads Saints to NFC South title
Another year, another worst-to-first prediction in the NFC South.
But with how New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has played to end the season, it's too hard to pass up.
After starting the season 1-7, the Saints are 5-3 since Shough became the starter and have won their past four games.
Shough, 26, has passed for 2,125 yards, nine touchdowns and has a QB rating of 92.1 since he became the starter in New Orleans.
Despite playing only half the season, he's now considered one of the favourites to bring home the offensive rookie of the year award.
There's certainly a case to be made that if the Saints started Shough from Week 1, they may even win the division this year.
But with a last-place schedule likely coming in 2026, that seems like the perfect time for the Saints to end up back on top of the NFC South for the first time since 2020.
Rams trade up for their QB of the future
The Los Angeles Rams are uniquely positioned this season.
Not only are they a Super Bowl contender, but thanks to a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, L.A. holds two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
To give you a rough idea, if the draft were based on the current standings, the Rams would have the 12th overall pick (via the Falcons) and the 24th.
And with the way Matthew Stafford has played this season, who knows when they will ever have this kind of draft capital again.
It would make a lot of sense for Sean McVay and the Rams to package together their picks, move up in the draft, and get their succession plan to the 37-year-old Stafford.
Plus, allowing whichever youngster they choose to sit behind and learn from a veteran like Stafford for at least one season would be a blessing that not many rookie QBs are afforded.
It could be just the move the Rams need to keep their Super Bowl window alive for years to come.
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