8 Bold Predictions for 2026 NFL Training Camp

Next week will be the final week of 2026 without NFL football action, as all 32 teams return to the field to start training camp in the second half of July. 

And while plenty of splashy headlines have already been made in this adventurous offseason, a lot will inevitably go down this summer as teams prepare for the 2026 campaign. 

In terms of position battles, transactions and contract situations, here are eight bold predictions for camp season.

Shedeur Sanders Wins Starting Quarterback Job in Cleveland

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Shedeur Sanders

The initial feeling this offseason in Cleveland was that the healthy, highly paid Watson would be the preferred choice to quarterback the Browns in one last attempt at salvaging his career there.

And that makes sense considering his profile and contract, but I still get the sense he'll blow it. 

Watson, who is still trying to revive his career in Cleveland, reportedly lacked consistency during organized team activities, even as he looked healthy. Meanwhile, head coach Todd Monken and the Browns staff have publicly praised Sanders for his progress this offseason.

It's just going to be too hard for Watson to suddenly revive his career after so much time off the pedestal, and Sanders has the tools to become something awesome in this league. I'm not convinced he'll put it all together, but I believe he'll make it impossible this summer for the Browns to turn away from his high ceiling. 

Matthew Golden Runs Away With Top Receiver Spot in Green Bay

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Matthew Golden

Some might have been disappointed by the fact that the Packers' first Round 1 pick at receiver in about a million years was brought along somewhat slowly during a rookie campaign that contained zero regular-season touchdowns. 

The Packers cleared some of the path for Golden by moving on from Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks in the offseason, but Golden is still left fighting for primary reps with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed.

There's little doubt that all three will play significant roles in the passing game this season, but the jockeying matters especially with tight end Tucker Kraft returning from injury. And I have a feeling Golden is going to emphatically lock down the WR1 gig before the regular season arrives. 

The Texas product, who scored nine touchdowns in his last college season, dropped just one pass as a rookie and shined with his best performance of the year in Green Bay's playoff loss to the Bears. He possesses superstar-level explosiveness and is developing the right way. Watch for that to pay off in camp and the preseason. 

The Rams Add Deebo Samuel 

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Deebo Samuel 

Slightly-less-bold: They'll bring in a wideout to work with and provide insurance for Puka Nacua and 33-year-old Davante Adams. No other receiver on the roster caught 20 passes or scored more than a touchdown in 2025, and the Rams must know that they need something else there in what appears to be an all-in campaign. 

That could mean Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Samuel, or a less glorified but familiar veteran like Josh Reynolds. I'm predicting it's Samuel because I get the sense they don't want to risk inviting the distractions that could come with Diggs and Hill, and I think Samuel is an ideal fit as a versatile addition to Sean McVay's creative offense. 

The Rams saw a lot of Samuel during his six-year run in the NFC West. I wouldn't be shocked if they were to find a way to bring in the 30-year-old former star on a one-year contract. 

Blake Miller Wins Right Tackle Job in Detroit

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Blake Miller

With Taylor Decker gone, and Penei Sewell moving to left tackle, the Lions understandably brought in veteran Larry Borom to potentially bridge the gap to first-round rookie Blake Miller on the right side. 

I'll bet Miller easily wins the job ahead of Week 1. 

For starters, Miller should be more than ready after starting 54 games and playing a school-record 3,778 snaps at Clemson. There's of course room for improvement, but he's got the requisite speed, explosiveness and technique to be a factor out of the gate. He's a tremendous fit for this organization in general, and it says a lot that only Borom was brought in to provide competition. 

That's because Borom strikes me as more of an insurance plan than anything. He's your swing tackle, and he's there in case of injury or major early struggles from Miller. 

If the Lions were concerned about Miller's ability to step up from the get-go, a team in win-now mode would have invested more deeply in the position in free agency after the draft. They know they nailed it with this pick, and I'm expecting it to pay dividends quickly.  

San Francisco 49ers Acquire Maxx Crosby from Las Vegas

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Maxx Crosby

I think the 49ers have been slow-playing their edge-rusher situation, waiting to see how things develop with Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams as both recover from torn ACLs.

Bosa still has a chance to be back for Week 1, but who knows how much of a factor he can be, and Williams is a huge question mark anyway. 

That being the case, look for a desperate veteran team in win-now mode to make a splash move for Maxx Crosby this summer. 

Of course, the Raiders already showed their hand by agreeing to trade Crosby to the Ravens this offseason before Baltimore backed out of the deal over medical concerns. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is still awesome but may be nearing the back side of his prime, and it makes little sense for a rebuilding team to keep him around on that kind of contract.

What does make sense is trading him to an NFC team that is ready and trying to win now, needs edge help and happens to be located in the same region in which Crosby started his NFL career. 

The Colts Trade Anthony Richardson 

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Anthony Richardson 

The Colts are now deeply committed to Daniel Jones financially, and Richardson likely remained on the roster through the heart of the offseason because Jones was still recovering from a torn Achilles. 

But now, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the 29-year-old Jones is on track to begin "working in team drills at the start of camp," which should enable Indianapolis to get something for an extremely talented and potentially intriguing 24-year-old former top-five pick. 

Potential landing spots include the Cardinals—especially if Jacoby Brissett's contract dispute boils over—the Jets, once they realize Geno Smith is not the guy, or the Steelers, Cowboys, or Panthers as a premium stash-away option for 2027.

Chris Rodriguez Becomes a Star in Jacksonville 

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

Chris Rodriguez

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen appears to have sought out Rodriguez this offseason, and it's possible that factored into the team letting Travis Etienne Jr. get away in free agency.

Bhayshul Tuten remains in the mix on the RB depth chart, and they did also add veteran Ameer Abdullah to a somewhat crowded backfield. 

But Rodriguez has been generating buzz throughout his first offseason with his former coach at Kentucky after quietly averaging a strong 4.6 yards per carry in Washington and scoring seven touchdowns in 2025. 

The gently-used 25-year-old led qualified NFC backs with 3.0 yards per carry after contact last season, which is a sign he could be on the verge of a breakout campaign with a larger workload in Florida. 

That could start with a killer August as Rodriguez returns from a foot injury and easily wins the competition for the RB1 job in camp and the preseason. 

Lamar Jackson Becomes Highest-Paid Player in NFL History

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Lamar Jackson

The Ravens and Jackson are engaged in another contract standoff, but I get the sense both parties are just playing their roles in a leverage game.

Jackson is a superstar in his prime, and the Ravens are a veteran team with the league's third-highest Super Bowl odds entering 2026. 

There's little reason the Ravens would actually let Jackson get away, and they're aware that they're running out of time to make something new happen in order to avoid an extremely uncomfortable situation along with an approximately $84.5 million cap hit for 2027. 

Is it possible the Ravens could call Jackson's bluff and let this linger into the 2027 offseason despite that potential price tag? Sure, as that's essentially what they did in 2023 and it almost led to Jackson's departure. 

This time, however, things are different. Since then, Jackson has won another MVP and been runner-up for the award as well. Meanwhile, the Ravens have surely assembled this new staff with the notion that they've built this around their star quarterback.

They know it's in their best interests to bite the long-term bullet one more time with a blockbuster contract that contains significant guarantees and makes Jackson the highest-paid player in NFL history (again). 

Watch for a new four-year deal worth more than $250 million, with at least $150 million guaranteed.