Theoretical dead periods in the NFL are often the most fun. Free from the anticlimactic realization of hundreds of games, we are left to play in our own imaginations for a little while. Up next is the NFL combine, which is the crockpot of league news—it simmers with all the ingredients together, though the finished product is still a while away (and is always, really, just some gussied-up version of chicken thighs and rice). Not long after, we’ll have the start of the new league year and, by my estimation, some fascinating quarterback movement along with a few desperate teams trying to emulate the Seahawks instead of understanding how the team really got there (hiring a whip-smart head coach and building off of preexisting roster strengths).
That makes the offseason fun, though the actual occurrences rarely live up to what we’ve cooked up between two ears (way better than chicken thighs and rice). That’s ultimately the spirit behind these 32 post–Super Bowl predictions, one for each team, focused specifically on the offseason. We’ll try to go bold because if not now, when? If not here, where?
Let’s dig in.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills will edge the Chiefs and Patriots for Tyreek Hill’s services and be in the conversation for Mike Evans.
While I think the chase for Hill will be closer to the post-hype “chase” for Odell Beckham Jr.—less of a drama and more about which team is willing to shell out even the slightest of guarantees—he is good enough to warrant the curiosity of a team on the doorstep. Brandon Beane and new head coach Joe Brady have been on a PR blitz this offseason to counteract the firing of Sean McDermott. Pacifying the fan base by showing interest in a slew of brand-name wide receivers is one of the fastest ways to alter public perception.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins won’t be able to move Tua Tagovailoa, but will move into mandatory minicamp with Quinn Ewers in pole position to be the Week 1 starter.
There aren’t a ton of good options here. While Miami still has an attractive set of offensive weapons and would be a theoretical draw for free-agent quarterbacks, Ewers has a leg up on the scheme and will stand out in camp against another incoming passer. My guess is that whomever the Dolphins sign, it will have to be on a budget to accommodate the Tagovailoa deal.
New England Patriots
The Patriots will sign either Kyle Pitts or Isaiah Likely.
The Patriots had the 19th-most frequent use of 12-personnel (two tight end sets) this past year, but the third-best EPA in passing sets out of the same grouping. With Austin Hooper set to hit free agency, the Patriots have a chance to move on one of the top tight end targets in the NFL with one of the highest amounts of cap space this offseason.
New York Jets
One of the Jets’ coordinators will step away before the start of the season.
I don’t think this will be a normal Jets campaign by any stretch of the imagination. While reports have potentially exaggerated the breadth of hiring malpractice exhibited by the Jets this offseason, this is not a résumé-building position for anyone—and the clearer that becomes, the more likely it is that 2026 feels like a good year to spend more time with family instead of spending more time trying not to get shoved under a steamroller.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will be the team leaving the combine that everyone hears excited whispers about.
While this doesn’t always translate—I remember someone in the scouting industry telling me that Chris Ballard was going to change the NFL, which, no offense to Ballard, hasn’t happened yet—there is always one new coaching staff that rips through Indianapolis with a bold new strategy and exciting new ideas. My guess is that Baltimore will wind up being the it girl of the offseason.
Is this man the new viral coaching star of the offseason? | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Cleveland Browns
Todd Monken will be the viral coaching star of the offseason.
Because life and football come in eras, I feel we’re absolutely ready for another 60-year-old first-time head coach, à la Bruce Arians, to endear us further to the boomer generation once again.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals will draft a player in the defensive secondary with their first-round pick.
The Bengals want the coaching staff to develop the talent up front, and in the meantime, will aid the pass rush by bolstering the secondary. Either Caleb Downs or Mansoor Delane will wind up in stripes.
The Steelers will leave no stone unturned to find Mike McCarthy a starting quarterback. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will call the Texans about C.J. Stroud.
I’m not saying Houston will pick up, but I am saying that the Texans will receive a phone call. Stroud is the perfect pipe-dream reclamation project for a Steelers team that never plans to rebuild and is still probably too good to project for a top-10 pick in 2027. Would he be worth a pair of late first-round picks to a Texans team that can find a veteran bridge starter in this year’s class (Jimmy Garoppolo paired with Nick Caley?) and add to that vicious defense?
Houston Texans
The Texans will sign two offensive linemen in free agency, giving the team some flexibility heading into the first round.
Armed with additional second- and fourth-round picks which also provide trade flexibility (though the list of tackles in the 2027 free agency class is not that attractive), the Texans have flexibility to shore up a struggling offensive line before the first round, where all options are on the table, including many for DeMeco Ryans’s evolving defense.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts will sign Trey Hendrickson.
In a move that will help bolster a team that was middle of the road in both run defense and quarterback pressure percentage, relocating Hendrickson just an hour west and bringing him back together with Lou Anarumo is a critical piece of Indianapolis’s sweeping offseason strategy.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars will trade Brian Thomas Jr.
While it would not seem likely given that Travis Hunter is, indeed, not changing football forever and will be relegated mostly to defense in 2026, Liam Coen needs wide receivers suited specifically for his system. Trevor Lawrence preferred Parker Washington in gotta-have-it situations a year ago and his specificity may lead him to exploring options that make up for the draft capital Jacksonville lost on the Hunter deal.
Tennessee Titans
Two of the top-five edge rushers in free agency will wind up in Nashville.
The Robert Saleh era is underway and one thing he needs to realize the full potential of his defense is a hockey-style rotation of talented edge rushers. While the draft can also aid this plan, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh and Trey Hendrickson are all available, in addition to Cam Jordan and Arnold Ebiketie.
Denver Broncos
Sean Payton will trade for both David Montgomery and A.J. Brown.
Continuing last season’s aggressive free-agency push to bolster the defense, Payton, spurred by his near miss at reaching Super Bowl LX, will spend multiple picks between the second and fourth rounds to bring in veterans who can keep Denver in the hunt.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will not draft Jeremiah Love in the first round.
Despite Kansas City and the Notre Dame running back being a mock draft obsession, Kansas City will bolster its defense with the highest pick it expects to have over the next 10 years.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders will be left at the altar for Tyler Linderbaum.
Much like Kyle Shanahan made getting Alex Mack a priority when he arrived in San Francisco, Klint Kubiak is going to want a heady center to buoy the operation in Las Vegas as he remakes the line to suit an outside-zone scheme. However, Linderbaum, one of the best offensive linemen to hit the market in years, will be swooned at the last moment by … (see below).
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers will attack Joel Bitonio in free agency with an enthusiasm previously unknown to mankind.
Jim Harbaugh is not going to put Justin Herbert at risk again like he was forced to last season. Bitonio can spearhead the offensive line’s transition to a Mike McDaniel system—Bitonio was drafted during McDaniel’s season as the Browns’ receivers coach—and could be a critical, dependable asset amid constant injury woes.
Jerry Jones does not need to know your name to have you on his staff. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones will call his new defensive coordinator “Charlie Parker” at least three times at his introductory press conference.
Christian Parker is a rising coordinator and perhaps the brightest star to be plucked off the Vic Fangio tree since Brandon Staley. Charlie Parker—aka “Bird”—is one of the greatest Jazz musicians ever. Michael Parsons will understand.
New York Giants
The Giants will steal Tyler Linderbaum from underneath the Raiders’ nose.
In the final stamp of a major offseason power grab, John Harbaugh will give Jaxson Dart the ultimate gift: a cerebral center who can stabilize a massively uncertain offensive line and help stem the leak of interior pressure. This would spell an end for former Joe Schoen second-round pick John Michael Schmitz.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles will draft a quarterback in the second round.
… and bring on all the speculation that entails. Welcome to Philadelphia, Sean Mannion!
Washington Commanders
The Commanders will sign Mike Evans in free agency.
Despite interest from the Bills, Washington can commit more with breathing room under the salary cap. The push to get Jayden Daniels to a Super Bowl before his rookie contract tolls is real, and Evans is one of the most quarterback-friendly receivers in the NFL.
Bears fans should get ready to cross a state line to see their team. | David Banks-Imagn Images
Chicago Bears
The Bears will move to Hammond, Ind.
Even though the team will still be called the Chicago Bears, and even though Hammond is closer to Chicago than Arlington Heights, the proposed site of a new Bears stadium in Illinois. This is going to cause some absolutely insufferable navel gazing from a fan base that will essentially be New York City residents rooting for the Jets or Giants in New Jersey.
Detroit Lions
The Lions will make Jahmyr Gibbs the highest-paid running back in NFL history, setting records in every meaningful contractual category.
Bold? No. But Brad Holmes was with the Rams when the franchise bucked trends and signed Todd Gurley to a top-of-market extension. While this ultimately was a cautionary tale, the Lions’ offense won’t function as designed without the former first-round pick.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers will try to spin the Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson feud into a frenemy situation with a series of cute combine and owners meetings videos of the two of them hanging out, attempting to lessen the animus between both men after it became clear that Johnson was not just a podium blowhard but an actual football maniac.
Can’t wait for that “[cheese emoji] [handshake emoji] [bear emoji] #Respect” post.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings will bring in Aaron Rodgers to “compete” with J.J. McCarthy.
While it may be just a hunch, I don’t see Rodgers walking away from the chance to pass Peyton Manning on the NFL’s all-time touchdown list. And I don’t see Kevin O’Connell walking away from the chance to add meaningful depth to his roster. While Rodgers and Zach Wilson ended up not being the developmental bridge the Jets had hoped, McCarthy must realize he’s in a similar sink-or-swim situation and can take copious notes.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons will keep Kirk Cousins.
As we mentioned in our quarterback carousel piece, the slate has been wiped clean between Cousins and the Falcons after the ouster of general manager Terry Fontenot. Additionally, Cousins can sign a new contract with more guarantees and be absorbed into a system that he’s familiar with. He could end up being a logical Week 1 starter for the Falcons—a near guarantee that would be hard to obtain elsewhere on the market.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers will give Sir Purr a much-needed raise.
Purr, who has been Carolina’s mascot since 1996, has been subsisting on a diet of Meow Mix for three decades, despite the prevalence of pet foods that are more conducive and clinically studied to improve pet health. Purr, technically a panther who says he enjoys eating various birds (like Falcons), actually requires a complex diet that balances healthy fats, whole grains and copious amounts of proteins. The average lifespan for a panther is 15 years in the wild, and it’s a miracle that Purr is still alive, nevermind asked to perform rigorous aerobic exercises and routines under a beating sun for hours every week during games. Realizing this, the Panthers will hold an emergency meeting to discuss both legal liability related to a potential at-work Purr injury and a long-term succession plan.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are going to trade Pete Werner to the Bears
With Chicago looking to move on from Tremaine Edmunds, the Bears will use a late-round pick to pair a Dennis Allen favorite with a defense in need of quality run support.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers will not finish the offseason as one of the two betting favorites to win the NFC South.
While betting against the Buccaneers may ultimately be a fool’s errand, the team has yet another new offensive coordinator, could lose Mike Evans and has seen the rest of the division change coaches in an effort to rapidly close the gap.
Is it time for an angrier bird? | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are going to make their mascot look 30% angrier.
In an effort to not have the news of breaking ground on a new practice facility trumped by the Titans’ sensible and obvious return to a retro helmet design, Arizona owner Michael Bidwill will insist that the bird on his team’s helmets is made took a third angrier, thus giving the docile bird, which most people associate with a far more successful baseball team, a distinct feel.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams will trade for Spencer Rattler.
[Snake noise.] The toolsy former prospect, who fell during the draft because of things he said on a predatory-feeling documentary when he was a teenager unaware of the consequences, will find a safe haven with Kliff Kingsbury and Sean McVay, and develop into a potential Matthew Stafford successor.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are going to “win” free agency.
While this is an obvious red flag, the distance between the 49ers and the Seahawks was made obvious during the divisional round of the playoffs. With many of their best players in their prime or near retirement age, the 49ers will spin more than $40 million worth of cap space into Alec Pierce and a top veteran offensive lineman.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks will be purchased by a sentient AI robot named PIONEER 1 that has spent the previous 24 months stealing all of our banking information.
Well, we’re screwed.
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