Peter Schrager: Myles Garrett, Joe Burrow, the Cowboys, & More NFL Storylines to Watch in 2026

Football season is back — here’s everything you need to know that went down in the NFL offseason, and which players to keep an eye on.

This story appeared in Boardroom’s Fall Issue print magazine and has been adapted for online publication.

It was a magical sports summer, wasn’t it?

The Knicks brought New York City together and broke a 53-year NBA championship drought, and the World Cup brought soccer to American cities and saw the sport’s biggest stars shine on the grandest of stages. And just like that, the summer’s winding down, and the NFL is back.

Last season was a quirky one. The Seahawks and Patriots both went from not even making the playoffs the year before to playing in the Super Bowl, neither Lamar Jackson nor Joe Burrow — preseason MVP favorites — made the playoffs, and the Lions went from everyone’s darlings to watching football from their couches in January. Josh Allen’s inability to get through the AFC and to the biggest game on Earth was only made more frustrating because Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs went 6-11 and were eliminated from playoff contention in the middle of December.

This season is wide open, and starting Thursday, that’s what we’ll be talking about all season long on my new daily ESPN show, Big Day with Peter Schrager, where we’ll break down the biggest stories, players, teams, and business of the NFL. The Rams and Seahawks may be among the Vegas favorites, but with a slew of coaching changes, offseason roster moves, and a mile-long list of players with something to prove — it’s anybody’s Lombardi Trophy to seize. The New York teams should be better, the L.A. teams should be competing for conference titles, and smaller markets like Jacksonville and New Orleans should be feeling pretty good about their squads, too.

But what do you really need to know? Here are all the things I think are important heading into the 2026 NFL season.

Familiar faces, new places.

Who are the big names who made career moves this offseason?

Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams: The single-season sack record holder was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams. Garrett is nearly impossible to block. The Rams’ hope is that he solidifies a return to the Super Bowl in Los Angeles in February.

Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs went just 6-11 last year, and their putrid run game was one of the reasons why. They went and paid big money to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl MVP and got a running back who can complement Mahomes and Kelce.

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings: Murray is a former Heisman Trophy winner and a first overall pick. His former team, the Arizona Cardinals, is responsible for most of his fully guaranteed $36.8 million in 2026 as he tries to course-correct his career in Minnesota on a one-year deal.

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Which QB is making the Drake Maye leap?

Drake Maye went from being an average NFL quarterback in his rookie season to the runner-up in his second year in one of the closest MVP races the NFL’s ever seen. Maye was electric but also made the most of having an entirely new coaching staff, a beefed-up roster, and a favorable schedule. There are three quarterbacks I’ve got my eyes on for a Maye-like jump in year two.

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans: The 2025 first overall pick showed flashes in his rookie season but hasn’t even started to scratch the surface. A new head coach, Robert Saleh, has done nothing but sing his praises, and his new offensive coordinator, former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, is often credited for being the most influential person in Josh Allen’s development in Buffalo. Ward has all the gifts, a warrior’s spirit, and a new wide receiver in fourth overall pick Carnell Tate.

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants: New York City is starving for a quarterback superstar, and Dart looks poised and ready to be that guy. At times reckless, Dart has earned his stripes through his toughness and his ability to use his legs when needed. His new head coach is John Harbaugh, who happens to be one of the most respected men in the sport, and might have a chip on his shoulder, too, after the Baltimore Ravens opted to go in a different direction after 18 seasons. Dart is fearless, and Giants fans are licking their chops for someone with a little swagger.

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints: Perhaps none of the rookie quarterbacks from a year ago showed as much promise as the Saints’ second-round selection. The 26-year-old was the oldest of the first-year signal callers and ended up winning the most games, and had the best completion percentage and the second-best passer rating. Shough is a sneaky preseason pick for MVP, and I don’t hate it.

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Which coaching hire will make the biggest difference in Year 1?

As first-year head coaches for their respective teams, Ben Johnson, Liam Coen, and Mike Vrabel led their teams from the doldrums of the league to the playoffs. Here are three names that are fascinating for 2026:

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills head coach: Sean McDermott was fired after another disappointing end to a Bills season, but instead of hiring from the outside, they promoted from within. Brady was first Josh Allen’s quarterbacks coach, and then his offensive coordinator the past two seasons. Can Brady—who has never been a head coach—be the guy to finally get Allen and the BIlls over the hump? We’ll see.

Declan Doyle, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator: When the Ravens moved on from John Harbaugh, offensive coordinator Todd Monken moved on as well. In comes new head coach Jesse Minter from the Chargers, but the fascinating hire was Declan Doyle from Chicago. Doyle is just 30 years old, has never called plays before, and is only 10 months older than his quarterback, Lamar Jackson.

John Harbaugh, New York Giants head coach: There’s a lot of buzz heading into this season for Big Blue. Jaxson Dart showed real flashes, the defense is loaded with young talent, and Harbaugh brings a no-nonsense championship résumé to the city that never sleeps.

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Which player will be the fantasy-football darling?

In recent years, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tetairoa McMillan have won owners’ fantasy leagues. Here are three names who can be the difference makers this year.

Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears: The Bears offense is filled with young stars, but none may be brighter than Burden. The second-year wide receiver from Missouri was Caleb Williams’s go-to guy down the stretch a season ago and will only see his targets increase after the trade of DJ Moore to Buffalo.

Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers: Wide receivers Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs are no longer with the Packers, meaning it’s time for 2025 first-round pick Golden to step up into the No. 1 role. The first wide receiver taken in the first round by Green Bay since 2002, he is a burner with hands to match. It’s his time.

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders: Jeanty’s rookie-season statistics look awful on paper, but there were reasons why he faltered out of the gates in his first year. Poor offensive line play, injuries, and a coaching staff that saw its play caller fired midway through 2025 are just a few of the things that don’t show up in the box score. Look for a bounce-back campaign in 2026.

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Who is the sneaky MVP pick?

Matthew Stafford was viewed as a long shot to win the award a year ago and was hoisting the NFL MVP award at the end of the season. So who can we point to this year?

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: Lawrence has always had the golden arm (and hair). This year, he’s in the second season under two of the brightest minds in coaching in Liam Coen and Grant Udinski. Big year coming.

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: Burrow has been to a Super Bowl but hasn’t been to the playoffs in three years. The Bengals return 11 starters on offense, and Burrow’s finally fully healthy.

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears: Williams had a breakout campaign in 2025, and the former No. 1 overall pick is expected to make an even bigger leap in Year 3.

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And the big-swing teams to ride with are…

You know the favorites, but if the Seahawks and Patriots came from nowhere a year ago, who are those teams in 2026?

Dallas Cowboys: It’s been 31 years since the Cowboys made the Super Bowl, but they have an elite offense and added a ton of defensive talent over the offseason. I know it sounds like a broken record, but this could really be their year.

Cincinnati Bengals: The additions of Dexter Lawrence, Bryan Cook, and Boye Mafe on defense make the Bengals a very tantalizing pick out of the AFC.

New York Giants: The roster is legit, the coaching staff is revamped, and the vibes are high in the Big Apple. Could the Giants really go from the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft to the top of the heap? It’s the NFL. Anything is possible.