NFL 2026 – Ten Things to Look Out for Early in the New Season

The new NFL regular season is about to begin, and fans will be filled with both optimism and trepidation in equal measure. It is, of course, not always easy to predict how things will pan out. Consider that this time last year, nobody was talking about the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots as blue-chip contenders for the Super Bowl, and we all know how that panned out.

Nevertheless, we can look at some areas that may define the narrative of the new season; potential talking points that could impact how we view the campaign. Below, we present ten of them that may characterize the early part of the 2026 NFL season:

A Super Bowl Hangover?

The 2026 Kick-Off Game sees last season’s Super Bowl teams, neither of whom is placed among the very top bracket of favorites for Super Bowl LXI. It’s a strange state of affairs, with an almost universal consensus that neither the Seahawks nor Patriots will be as good as last season. Oh, how the two Mikes – MacDonald and Vrabel – would love to prove the doubters wrong again.

Mahomes’ Knee

Last season’s capitulation by the Chiefs was about so much more than Patrick Mahomes’ ACL injury, but there is definitely a sense that Andy Reid needs his star man back and fully fit in order to prove that last season was a blip, and not something more terminal. Few teams are as difficult to call as the Chiefs this season.

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The Harbaugh Effect

The Giants need something to kickstart a new era, and the ultra-experienced John Harbaugh is tasked to deliver it. The long-time Ravens head coach does not have a huge amount to work with in New York, at least not yet, so he will be tasked with laying some foundations in 2026. With a couple of exceptions, the Giants have a generous schedule across the first seven weeks before their bye. Four wins look achievable in that period, equaling last season’s total.

All Change in Baltimore

Speaking of Harbaugh, his departure means the Ravens have a new face in the dugout for the first time in almost two decades. Jesse Minter has some big shoes to fill, and he will be under pressure from the get-go, as the Ravens are still expected to fly. Can he do what Harbaugh failed to do by getting Lamar Jackson to the Super Bowl?

A Blockbuster Down Under

While the Kick-Off Game is always going to catch the eye, the match-up between the Rams and 49ers in Melbourne a day later feels a little bigger, and not just because it’s the first ever NFL game in Australia. The stacked Rams have big ambitions this season, but so, too, do the 49ers. It could have a big say in the direction of travel in the fascinating NFC West.

The Road to Inglewood

While the Rams are the Super Bowl favorites, no team is more favored in the NFL Week 1 game spreads than the Chargers, who will face the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium, the venue for the Super Bowl next February. There’s never been two teams from the same city in the Super Bowl before, and while still statistically unlikely, there’s two very good LA teams this year with an eye on the championship game in their home stadium.

A Gentle Introduction

Patience seems to be the strategy coming from the Raiders on the No.1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza. Veteran QB Kirk Cousins also landed in Las Vegas over the summer, and he will likely get the starter’s berth early on. Mendoza’s job will be to dislodge him.

The Long Goodbye

A Super Bowl victory in Aaron Rodgers’ final season is probably out of reach for a Steelers team still trying to find an identity, but a run to the Playoffs is not beyond Pittsburgh and Rodgers, as one of the best of the modern era embarks on his farewell tour.

An Easy Ride?

There’s not a huge amount expected of the Atlanta Falcons, and any improvement on last season’s eight wins would be a decent achievement. Yet, the Falcons have also been given the easiest strength of schedule (SoS) on paper of all 32 NFL teams. Debate rages on how much SoS matters, but, on first glance, the Falcons have a generous ride.

Travel Woes

No fewer than nine NFL games will be played abroad this season, with some teams, such as the 49ers, playing twice. It means that not all teams will get a bye week when returning from their travels. None of us feel at our best after flying across the Atlantic, never mind halfway across the world to Australia: Will the extra travel hurt teams?