The excitement of the NFL goes beyond X’s and O’s. There are stories told weekly and annually in the league. From contract disputes to “prove-it” contracts, there is always something to wonder about before the opening kickoff. What are the biggest storylines going into the 2026 season?
Aaron Rodgers announced that he’s returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for one more season. He confirmed that this would be his final run in the NFL, reuniting with former head coach Mike McCarthy.
Rodgers and McCarthy won a Super Bowl together with the Green Bay Packers in 2011. They’ll be looking to recapture that magic one more time before the 42-year-old QB hangs up the cleats.
Another name that could be hurdling toward retirement is the Kansas City Chiefs’ legendary tight end, Travis Kelce. He signed a three-year, $54.7 million contract this offseason. The deal is essentially a one-year, $12 million move. The structure is simply a cap-saving maneuver.
At 36 years old, Kelce has considered retirement before. His contract suggests he could be done as soon as 2027. Whether the Chiefs have another Super Bowl run in them, we’ll get to that.
There are two major quarterback battles taking place in the NFL right now. The Atlanta Falcons signed Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year, $1.3 million contract. The Miami Dolphins are carrying the remaining $54 million after releasing him.
Tagovailoa is competing with third-year QB Michael Penix Jr. The 2024 eighth overall pick has struggled to break out, and his feet are now in the fire. He’s started 12 games in his two-year career, nine of which were in 2025.
In 14 total appearances, Penix recorded 2,757 passing yards for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Tagovailoa is the veteran in the room and seems to be the favorite for the starting job.
The other QB battle is taking place in Minnesota. The Vikings’ 2024 10th overall pick, J.J. McCarthy, is going head-to-head with former first overall pick Kyler Murray. After an inconsistent tenure with the Arizona Cardinals, Murray was released this offseason.
Through seven seasons with the Cardinals, Murray has 20,460 passing yards, 121 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions. He’s never had a 4,000-yard season, and his career highs came in 2020 (3,971 yards and 26 TDs).
McCarthy has struggled with injuries through his two-year career. He missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus. He also suffered a high ankle sprain, a concussion, and a hairline fracture in 2025.
McCarthy has only started 10 games in his career, but it already feels like it’s too late for him. In that span, he went 6-4, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 TDs, and 12 INTs. Murray is the reported favorite, but where does that leave “Nine” in 2026?
The Los Angeles Rams made a huge move on June 1st, trading for superstar defensive end Myles Garrett. LA sent Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second, and a 2029 third-rounder.
Garrett is coming off an incredible year where his 23 sacks broke the all-time, single-season sack record. He’s a future Hall of Famer, and still only 30 years old. He’s ready to get a Super Bowl ring, and where better than Los Angeles?
The Rams made it to the NFC Championship last season, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. They responded to that loss by adding Trent McDuffie to the secondary, and Garrett to the front seven.
Los Angeles is the current betting odds favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, sitting at +550 on Fanduel Sportsbook. They have the reigning NFL MVP in Matthew Stafford, the reigning DPOY in Garrett, and arguably the smartest head coach in the league. Every team on their schedule will be preparing for a fight.
There are many players returning from injury in 2026, some of which will be under a microscope. The first being Daniel Jones with the Indianapolis Colts. He played arguably his best football in 2025 before suffering a torn achilles in Week 14.
Jones signed a two-year, $88 million extension with the Colts this offseason, despite the injury. In 13 games, he threw for 3,101 yards, 19 TDs, and eight INTs with a career high 68.0 completion percentage.
Whether Jones can regain form remains a mystery. His six seasons with the New York Giants was hindered by injuries, but he finds a way to bounce back.
Another major injury is Patrick Mahomes returning from a torn ACL and LCL. The three-time Super Bowl MVP suffered the injury in December of 2025, and his status for Week 1 is still in the air.
The Chiefs’ entire season, and Kelce’s aforementioned (probable) last run, depends heavily on Mahomes’ timetable. If he can return quickly, without risking further injury, they may have another Super Bowl run in Kansas City.
The last major injury is the Giants’ star receiver, Malik Nabers. New York is revamping under new head coach John Harbaugh, but Jaxson Dart’s number one target is still on the shelf.
Nabers’ recovery has become a hot topic this offseason. Whether it’s Week 1, Week 5, or as late as November, it’s unclear when he’ll return. If Harbaugh’s going to turn Big Blue around, he’ll need “Leek” back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
What may be the biggest storyline to start the 2026 season: when will Fernando Mendoza take over? The first-overall pick won the Heisman trophy and the National Championship at Indiana last year, and the Las Vegas Raiders wasted no time getting their guy.
Vegas went on a spending spree in free agency, revamping the entire roster for Mendoza’s eventual arrival. They also signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins to a five-year, $172 million deal that essentially serves as one-year, $20 million guaranteed.
Cousins is entering his 15th NFL season and will serve as a mentor to Mendoza. He’ll also be looking to bounce back from a less-than-stellar tenure with the Falcons.
Similar to the Giants bringing Dart into the fold last year with Russell Wilson, Cousins will likely start the season as Vegas’ QB1. Also similar to Dart, fans will be clamoring for Mendoza the second Cousins makes a mistake.
There will be a weekly debate on whether or not Mendoza is ready all the way up until he gets the nod. It could be Week 2, it could be Week 10. His timetable may hinge on how long Cousins can ball out.
The 2026 NFL season will surely be a wild ride. 2025 was full of surprises, all the way through Super Bowl LX. New contenders will rise, old contenders will fall, but there will be no shortage of storylines.
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