The three most significant storylines heading into the 2026-27 NFL season
Photo Courtesy of All-Pro-Reels- Wikimedia Commons
The 2026-27 National Football League (NFL) season is now underway, giving some relief to the millions of restless football fans who have been counting down the days since the end of last season. For the fans who may not have been keeping up with the offseason and are just now getting back into the swing of things, boy, has a lot changed in the NFL.
Akin to the average National Basketball Association (NBA) offseason, there have been massive league-altering trades, stunning roster overhauls, and ever-shifting power dynamics. It’s very likely that fans will look back at this offseason in due time as one of the most impactful and dramatic periods in league history. Without further ado, it’s time to dive into the major storylines that are primed to define this upcoming season.
Are the Rams the team to beat in the NFC?
With the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl in such dominant fashion last season, it would only make sense for them to be favorites once again heading into the 2026 season. Yet, it seems the Los Angeles Rams are determined to enact revenge on their division rivals. After bowing out in a tight affair in the National Football Conference (NFC) championship, the Rams went “all in,” trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs. They also swung a trade for the NFL’s undisputed best defensive player, Myles Garrett, the pass rusher coming off a record-breaking 23.0 sack season, an NFL Record for a single season. Garrett now finds himself on one of the league’s premier squads, and paired with future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, to form what could be the league’s most intimidating defensive duo. The Seahawks aren’t going anywhere, but head coach Sean McVay and reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford have all the tools at their disposal to dethrone the defending champs.
The Return of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs
The disappointing 2025 season saw Mahomes and the Chiefs finish with a 6-11 record, marking Mahomes’ first losing record in a season. On top of that, the transcendent quarterback tore his ACL in a December matchup against the Chargers. With Mahomes now in his thirties and star tight end Travis Kelce in his last season, many pundits have theorized that the Chiefs are amidst a steady decline after terrorizing the NFL for half a decade. That memo must have never reached Kansas City, as the organization completely revamped their roster this offseason. Most notably, they signed the reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to a three-year, 45 million deal. With the aforementioned Kelce returning and having acquired talented cornerback Mansoor Delane in the NFL Draft, the Chiefs look poised to revert back to the team that all NFL fans love to hate.
Can the Buffalo Bills finally get the job done?
When the Bills endured yet another January heartbreak in last year's playoffs, the ill-fated franchise was left with more questions than answers. Can Josh Allen get it done in the playoffs? Is Sean McDermott the right head coach to lead this franchise? Will General Manager Brandon Beane be fired for his negligence? Well, Buffalo decided that McDermott was the issue, firing the coach in January, and subsequently promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. Beane, whose job security is hanging in the balance, managed to swing a deal for star wide receiver DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears. With Joe Brady now at the helm, a new star wide receiver, and Josh Allen in year nine of his career, the time is now for the Bills to relinquish past demons and finally bring home a Lombardi to Western New York, immortalizing themselves as heroes in Buffalo forever.