Five Offseason Shifts Poised To Shape The 2026 NFL Season
The 2026 NFL season opens with several offseason trends set to influence how contenders approach the year, from personnel innovations to marquee player relocations. Five developments stand out as ones likely to affect the league's competitive balance, beginning with a personnel package the Los Angeles Rams popularized a year ago.
Last season, the Rams found consistent success with 13 personnel - one running back, three tight ends and one wide receiver - a grouping that forced defenses into base or short-yardage looks regardless of down and distance. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed nearly 70% of his passes and threw 20 touchdowns out of that formation, according to ESPN, aided by tight ends Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen. The approach proved influential enough that 22 tight ends were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, nine of them in the top 100 overall, with the Broncos, Browns, Dolphins, Jaguars and Ravens each drafting multiple players at the position. Jacksonville, led by Sean McVay disciple Liam Coen, took Nate Boerkircher in the second round and Tanner Koziol in the fifth - a sign that more offenses may lean on multiple-tight-end sets this fall. waterpolo live odds
In New England, the reunion of receiver A.J. Brown with head coach Mike Vrabel, his former coach in Tennessee, gives the Patriots a true No. 1 target for third-year quarterback Drake Maye. Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler with six 1,000-yard seasons, ranks among the most productive receivers against press coverage in recent NFL history; during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2022 to 2025, he led the league with a 3.4 yards-per-route average against press coverage among receivers with at least 100 such routes, per Next Gen Stats. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has compared Brown's physical profile to that of former tight end Rob Gronkowski, suggesting the Patriots may deploy him in isolation and slot alignments to create mismatches. Maye, who led the NFL in completion percentage and passer rating in 2025 without a clear top receiver, will debut the pairing in Wednesday's season opener against Seattle, a defense known for aggressive bump-and-run coverage.
On defense, Myles Garrett arrives with the Rams as a potential MVP candidate - an honor no primarily defensive player has won since Lawrence Taylor in 1986, when Taylor recorded 20.5 sacks and led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl title. Garrett, the NFL's all-time single-season sack leader and a five-time All-Pro, joins a Los Angeles front that also includes Aaron Donald, Kobie Turner and Byron Young, giving new defensive coordinator Chris Shula multiple double-digit-sack threats to deploy around his star. The Rams open the season against the San Francisco 49ers.
In Minnesota, the arrival of quarterback Kyler Murray gives coach Kevin O'Connell - previously credited with strong performances from Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold - his most talented quarterback option yet. After a difficult 2025 season under J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings are expected to build a rhythm-based passing attack around Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler, alongside receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Minnesota hosts Green Bay to open the season, with Murray's dual-threat ability as a runner and pocket passer likely to test how defenses allocate coverage and pressure.
Dallas, meanwhile, enters the season with a retooled defense under first-year coordinator Christian Parker, a Vic Fangio disciple who spent the previous two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. The unit features pass rushers Von Miller - whose 138.5 career sacks are the most among active NFL players - along with Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary, paired with a secondary built to limit explosive plays. If the group performs to its talent level, the Cowboys' defense could complement an offense already viewed as one of the league's most productive heading into 2026.
