Expert picks for Super Bowl winner, MVP and more

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Expert picks for Super Bowl winner, MVP and more

The wait is almost over.

The 2026 NFL season kicks off in less than a week, ushering in another year of Super Bowl dreams, MVP races and championship expectations across the league.

The 272-game regular-season schedule gets underway Wednesday, Sept. 9 when the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of the big game.

All 32 teams open the season with aspirations of competing in game 286 for a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Several contenders enter the season with legitimate championship aspirations. The Los Angeles Rams open the year as preseason favorites, while the Seahawks and Patriots look to defend their conference crowns after last season’s Super Bowl run.

In the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills headline a crowded field of contenders, but they’re far from alone. The conference once again features no shortage of teams capable of making a deep playoff push – looking at you Chargers and Texans. The NFC is just as loaded, with the Lions, Packers, 49ers, Bears and Eagles among the teams expected to challenge for a trip to Super Bowl 61.

Of course, every season delivers a surprise contender. The question is: Which team will emerge as this year’s biggest sleeper?

The race for individual awards is equally compelling. Josh Allen enters 2026 as the favorite to win MVP, while reigning MVP Matthew Stafford begins the year surprisingly outside the top tier of preseason odds. Jahmyr Gibbs leads the Offensive Player of the Year conversation ahead of Bijan Robinson and Ja’Marr Chase, while Jeremiyah Love and Reuben Bain Jr. are frontrunners for Rookie of the Year on their respective sides of the ball.

Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson, and Will Anderson Jr. headline as favorites for the Defensive Player of the Year category.

The NFL’s newest individual honor, Protector of the Year, also returns for its second season after debuting in 2025. The award recognizes the league’s top offensive lineman, with Lions standout Penei Sewell entering the year as the favorite after Bears guard Joe Thuney claimed the inaugural award.

So who will hoist the Lombardi Trophy? Who will take home MVP and the league’s biggest individual honors?

A panel of nine USA TODAY Sports experts make their predictions for Super Bowl 61, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Protector of the Year and more ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

2026 NFL predictions

Participating analysts: Jarrett Bell, Nick Brinkerhoff, Chris Bumbaca, Tyler Dragon, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Jack McKessy, Jacob Camenker, Adam Kaufman, Tom Viera

All odds listed next to each player are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and were accurate as of 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a complete list.

MVP

1. Joe Burrow (+850) – 4 VOTES: McKessy, Camenker, Bumbaca, Viera
2. Lamar Jackson (+800) – 2 Votes: Bell, Dragon
T-3). Josh Allen (+600) – 1 Vote: Middlehurst-Schwartz
T-3). Drake Maye (+1000) – 1 Vote: Kaufman
T-3). Justin Herbert (+1000) – 1 Vote: Brinkerhoff

Offensive Player of the Year

1. Jahmyr Gibbs (+550) – 4 VOTES: Bell, Bumbaca, Camenker, Kaufman
2. Ja’Marr Chase (+1000) – 3 Votes: Middlehurst-Schwartz, McKessy, Viera
T-3). Puka Nacua (+1300) – 1 Vote: Dragon
T-3). Justin Jefferson (+1400) – 1 Vote: Brinkerhoff

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Will Anderson Jr. (+500) – 8 VOTES: Middlehurst-Schwartz, Bell, McKessy, Brinkerhoff, Camenker, Bumbaca, Kaufman, Viera
2. Myles Garrett (+450) – 1 Vote: Dragon

Offensive Rookie of the Year

1. Jadarian Price (+600) – 5 VOTES: Brinkerhoff, Bumbaca, Kaufman, McKessy, Middlehurst-Schwartz
2. Jeremiyah Love (+550) – 3 Votes: Bell, Dragon, Viera
3. De’Zhaun Stribling (+1100) – 1 Vote: Camenker

Defensive Rookie of the Year

1. Reuben Bain Jr. (+450) – 5 VOTES: Bell, Dragon, Camenker, Bumbaca, Viera
2. David Bailey (+500) – 2 Votes: McKessy, Brinkerhoff
T-3). Caleb Downs (+600) – 1 Vote: Kaufman
T-3). Mansoor Delane (+1100) – 1 Vote: Middlehurst-Schwartz

Comeback Player of the Year

1. Patrick Mahomes (+185) – 6 VOTES: Dragon, Middlehurst-Schwartz, Bell, Bumbaca, Camenker, Viera
2. Malik Nabers (+1400) – 2 Votes: McKessy, Kaufman
3. Kyler Murray (+600) – 1 Vote: Brinkerhoff

Coach of the Year

1. Jessie Minter, Baltimore Ravens (+1000) – 3 VOTES: Bumbaca, Middlehurst-Schwartz, Viera
2. Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints (+1200) – 2 Votes: McKessy, Camenker
T-3). Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys (+1500) – 1 Vote: Brinkerhoff
T-3). Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions (+2500) – 1 Vote: Kaufman
T-3). Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams (+4000)- 1 Vote: Dragon
T3). Sean Payton, Denver Broncos (+10000) – 1 Vote: Bell

Protector of the Year

1. Penei Sewell (+500) – 3 VOTES: Dragon, Middlehurst-Schwartz, Bumbaca
T-2). Joe Alt (+800) – 2 Votes: Kaufman, Viera
T-2). Lane Johnson (+1200) – 2 Votes: Brinkerhoff, Camenker
T-3). Trent Williams (+1200) – 1 Vote: Bell
T-3). Rashawn Slater (+2200) – 1 Vote: McKessy

Super Bowl winner

1. Los Angeles Rams (+500) – 5 Votes: Bell, Dragon, Bumbaca, Kaufman, Viera
T-2). Buffalo Bills (+1000) – 2 Votes: Middlehurst-Schwartz, McKessy
T-2). Denver Broncos (+2000) – 2 Votes: Brinkerhoff, Camenker

Renan Cardoso 41 minutes ago