5 NFL Hot Takes and Bold Predictions as OTAs Continue

We're smack dab in the middle of the 2026 NFL offseason. 

Organized team activities are rolling and mandatory minicamps are looming as teams get a feel for what their rosters look like following free agency and the draft. 

That being the case, let's check in with a handful of hot takes that have emerged as the offseason has progressed.

New England Patriots Will Miss the Playoffs 

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Drake Maye

The Patriots made a surprise Super Bowl run in a Cinderella 2025 campaign, but the stars are anything but aligned as the team prepares to battle a potential Super Bowl hangover in 2026. 

The key factors: 

New England benefited from the league's easiest schedule in 2025, but the schedule is expected to be significantly more difficult in 2026.

The Patriots were the league's healthiest team in terms of adjusted games lost in 2025, but injury luck tends to balance out from season to season. There's a good chance they'll be impacted by a lot more injuries in 2026. 

The Pats sneaked up on the league in 2025. That element of surprise will be gone in 2026. 

They are not even the favorite to win their division, as there's a good chance the perennial contender Bills bounce back to grab the AFC East title in 2026. 

Given the ongoing off‑field scrutiny around head coach Mike Vrabel, any continued media attention could further disrupt the team's focus during the 2026 campaign.

These guys will have a target on their back, which isn't ideal considering they overachieved under the aforementioned circumstances in 2025. 

The previous year's Super Bowl loser has failed to win a playoff game in each of the last three seasons. Look for that trend to continue in 2026. 

Jacksonville Jaguars Could be the Team to Beat in the AFC

AP Photo/John Raoux

Trevor Lawrence

It may finally be Jacksonville's time. 

The Jaguars somewhat quietly had the league's sixth-highest-scoring offense in 2025, thanks primarily to a 10-game post-bye run in which they averaged an AFC-best 32.8 points per game while going 9-1 to win the AFC South. 

During the final six games of that stretch, 26-year-old Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence finally looked like a phenom No. 1 overall pick by throwing 15 touchdown passes to one interception and posting a 113.2 passer rating. 

Was the competition consistently fierce? No, but you could still see the groundwork being laid in Liam Coen's system despite the absence of two-way rookie sensation Travis Hunter.

Hunter will be back to bolster the Jags on both sides of the ball as Coen and Lawrence take it to the next level in 2026, and a defense that led the conference with 31 takeaways last year should continue to be an asset despite the loss of linebacker Devin Lloyd. 

The momentum is there, and the path should be relatively unobstructed in that soft division. 

Outside of the South, Baltimore and Buffalo are great but evidently flawed when it comes to winning when it matters, New England could struggle as I've noted, and Kansas City will have its hands full as well. 

It's entirely possible that with all that in play, the Jaguars sneak into the Super Bowl picture come winter. 

Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard Replaces Daniel Jones in Indy

AP Photo/John Raoux

Daniel Jones

Within that same division, the Colts and their so-called franchise quarterback are trending in the opposite direction. 

Indianapolis was 8-2 following its Week 11 bye and proceeded to lose each of its final seven games. Jones being sidelined for much of that slump by a torn Achilles didn't help during that freefall, but that injury—and many others that preceded it during his time with the Giants—factors in here. 

So does the fact that the 29‑year‑old quarterback, who owns a career 86.6 passer rating with 89 touchdown passes in 83 games, actually turned into a pumpkin last year even before tearing his Achilles. Jones put up an 84.2 passer rating as the Colts went 1-4 in his final five starts. 

That fresh two-year, $88 million contract doesn't change the fact that Jones is not a franchise-caliber quarterback who can be relied upon for sustained top-end production.

I believe that's partly why Richardson remains on the Colts roster, and let's not overlook the fact that 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard flashed a little as Indy put up 30 points in a Week 18 matchup with the Texans. 

Look for either of those guys to get at least a shot in 2026. 

New York Giants Will Win the NFC East

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Jaxson Dart

The Giants haven't won the league's most popular division since 2011, but they have a major opportunity to do some unexpected damage as a team that could resemble the 2025 Patriots in 2026. 

They've got an intriguing quarterback in Jaxson Dart, who generated 24 passing/rushing touchdowns to just five interceptions in 14 games as a rookie. And now, he should have top receiver Malik Nabers (knee) and high-impact second-year running back Cam Skattebo (ankle) back in the mix. 

A solid offensive line has been beefed up with first‑rounder Francis Mauigoa, and the pass‑catching corps should benefit from the addition of veteran Isaiah Likely. A defense already loaded with young talent up front also added prime DROY candidate Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in last month's draft.

Throw in a head coach with Super Bowl pedigree in John Harbaugh, and the ingredients are there for a sneaky breakout. 

The Eagles are vulnerable on both sides of the ball. Saquon Barkley is aging and they could take a big risk in trading A.J. Brown. The Cowboys still have a lot of questions to answer on defense. And the Commanders will need to see major improvement on D as well, while quarterback Jayden Daniels faces some challenges following a sophomore season to forget. 

In other words, the NFC East could be wide open for the G-Men to shock the football world in 2026.  

Arizona Cardinals Should Release Jacoby Brissett 

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Jacoby Brissett

This one is as much a point of passion as it is a hot take. Brissett is holding out for a raise as part of a reworked deal ahead of a $4.9 million walk year in which he's slated to count $9.2 million against the salary cap, per Spotrac.

In fact, ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reported last week that player and team are "significantly" far apart on a potential new agreement. 

How is this even a thing?

A 33-year-old journeyman who went 1–11 in 12 starts last season is acting like he has the leverage to dictate terms to a rebuilding team coming off a 3–14 campaign. That's an unrealistic stance, especially since Arizona should view him strictly as a short-term bridge. With two other viable options on the roster and modest expectations for 2026 anyway, the Cardinals don't need to bend to his demands.

The Cardinals have a chance to send a strong message here. They're frankly better off losing a bunch of games this season anyway, and they would be well-served getting a thorough look at rookie Carson Beck so that they have a feel for his future before potentially making a franchise-altering decision in the 2027 offseason. 

The team used a third-round pick on Beck and also signed veteran Gardner Minshew II, who is several years younger than Brissett, just as capable, and provides similar experience. 

The organization can save $5.9 million against the 2026 cap by cutting Brissett loose, making a statement and eliminating a distraction in the process. If he thinks he's worth a lot more, they can let him pursue that on the open market. 

Rebuilding teams shouldn't bow to the demands of journeyman quarterbacks. It's time for Arizona to bank the savings, cut the noise, and set a clear line on what it will and won't pay.