Narratives are always in flux in the NFL. Just ask Sam Darnold.
The thought that Darnold wouldn't ever be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback came crashing down in spectacular fashion in February, as the Seahawks trounced the Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Heck, you could argue that even New England busted a narrative in getting to that game, dispelling any belief that the Patriots would continue to sink in the post-Bill Belichick era.
Narratives, you could argue, are meant to be broken. The NFL is a league of opportunity, and each season provides a new set of chances for teams, coaches and players to rewrite their own scripts.
Here are five strong candidates I think will emerge with new, more positive narratives following the 2026 season.
1) Burrow stays healthy and Bengals land back in playoffs. The Bengals have missed the playoffs three years running, and Joe Burrow missed nearly a full season's worth of games in that span. There's likely a correlation between the two things. There's also evidence that both can change in 2026.
True, the Bengals went 9-8 in Burrow's 17-game season in 2024, but it was recent proof that Burrow can make it through a campaign fully, and there's no doubt that he's been saddled with some bad injury luck. Burrow also is clearly a big reason for the Bengals' success. Since the start of the 2021 season, Cincinnati has gone 41-26 in games he started vs. 5-12 with anyone else taking his place. Zac Taylor likely was retained for this reason, and he'll certainly be feeling pressure to win again.
The Bengals' worsening defensive performance over the past several seasons has been a major roadblock, registering as one of the worst-tackling teams in recent memory last season. But there's some hope for improvement with a revamped defensive front, along with unrealized talent up front. They also added to the back end with the underrated Bryan Cook, who could be a major glue guy. Even incremental improvements could yield big results after coughing up some close games in recent years.
But the biggest factor remains Burrow. It's hard to know if the Bengals can protect him better with minimal short-term help for the offensive line, but it's worth noting that Burrow was sacked at a career-low rate last season. Even with a nightmare game against the Ravens, he played pretty darned well down the stretch.
Burrow is now expected to come into training camp healthy and has said this is the most talented roster they've had in his time in Cincinnati. The division feels open again, especially after the departures of Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, and the Bengals have arguably the easiest schedule among the AFC North teams.
Everything is lining up for a Bengals resurgence if Burrow can make it through the season in good shape.
2) Stroud will shed bust-risk label and re-emerge as top-10 QB. C.J. Stroud followed a remarkable rookie season with a decline in Year 2, but it wasn't until last season that the panic about him really rose. Justifiably so.
Stroud's 2025 campaign opened with three straight losses, and though he rebounded somewhat from that, Stroud also missed three games with a concussion. Backup Davis Mills led the Texans to three straight wins in his absence, and though Stroud once again bounced back with six straight wins of his own after returning, he also crashed out in the playoffs, following a five-fumble game with a four-interception showing in the loss at New England.
He enters Year 4 with major questions now. But I am not at all ready to punt on Stroud. What we saw as a rookie was too good to forget.
The Texans invested heavily in the offensive line this offseason, and they added a strong complementary weapon in David Montgomery. Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz are trusted options in place, and Tank Dell might even add hidden value if he can return from a devastating injury. And we know what the Texans are capable of defensively, perhaps featuring the best unit in the league.
This is very much a make-or-break season for Stroud, and he might have to wait for his contract extension, but perhaps that's the best result. Stroud can dial in this season and put to bed the notion of the ghost-seeing that appeared in last season's playoffs. He has the team with which to do it, and don't forget: The guy won't turn 25 years old until Week 4. Let's give Stroud another chance to prove himself with what appears to be his best team yet.
3) Saints' Shough will be viewed as best QB from 2025 draft class by end of season. Right now, I think it's fair to say that the quarterback draft class of 2025 is a mixed bag. Cam Ward endured a challenging first season. Jaxson Dart had some high notes but missed time in the concussion protocol. Tyler Shough couldn't pull a last-place team out of the basement. Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders each had more downs than ups as rookies. Few other QBs did much in Year 1.
But following the 2026 season, I believe Shough will advance the most of the group and establish himself as the top quarterback of the bunch heading into their third pro season. His progress in a short span down the stretch was the most encouraging patch of football authored by a rookie QB all of last season.
Shough is a big, talented athlete who is more physically and mentally mature than most of his class, turning 27 in late September. He moves well in the pocket and showed far more mobility than many expected -- less of a scrambler than Dart but a more effective mover than Ward.
No Saints player benefited more from Shough's promotion to starter than Chris Olave. In the eight games started by Spencer Rattler, Olave had three TDs and averaged 62.9 yards. In his eight games with Shough starting, Olave caught six TDs and averaged nearly 20 yards more (82.5). The Saints appeared to upgrade the offense this offseason. They added help along the offensive line, drafted three receivers, including first-rounder Jordyn Tyson, and selected a talented tight end in Oscar Delp.
I expect Ward and Dart to improve in Year 2, and Sanders could surprise with a more talented Browns team. Can't forget about Will Howard down the road in Pittsburgh. But in the short term, Shough appears to have the best chance to thrive in Kellen Moore's offense, which started to show some real spark down the stretch and might be capable of even more in 2026.
4) Giants become consistent winner, starting this season. John Harbaugh's arrival brought with it a lot of hope for a franchise that has been in short supply in recent years. Since the Super Bowl victory 15 seasons ago, the Giants have only made the playoffs twice, winning one postseason game. They have failed to win more than six games over any of the past three seasons.
This would not appear to be a quick fix on the surface, but the Giants do have some boxes checked already.
Jaxson Dart had some real high points in his rookie season and could be even better in Year 2, assuming he can stay healthy. If Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo return healthy, there's some exciting skill-position talent. And perhaps the offensive line won't be a disappointing unit; it has been trending upward.
Combine that with a talented defense, especially up front, and the Giants might just have a path back to respectability, perhaps even the playoffs this season. The schedule is a bear, with several tough games, and the Eagles have owned the division the past two seasons, so there are roadblocks.
But if Harbaugh can instill his trademark toughness -- pretty much all his Ravens teams boasted it -- they could make a big leap. The Giants were 1-7 in one-score games a year ago and might not be as far away as they appear to some.
5) Hunter will emerge more on one side of the ball. Travis Hunter entered the 2025 NFL Draft pegged as a once-in-a-generation prospect, capable of playing at a high level on both sides of the ball -- something rarely if ever attempted in the modern NFL. Hunter's rookie season, however, was plagued by a knee injury that limited him to seven games. He appeared about twice as much on offense as he did on defense but didn't make a major dent in either spot.
The Jaguars continue to say that Hunter will see time on both offense and defense. But it wouldn't shock me if his usage is altered dramatically. I still believe the Jags will have a role for Hunter on offense, but I think there's a strong chance he's featured much more on defense this season.
It certainly feels like there's a lane toward claiming the starting outside CB spot opposite Montaric Brown. After not drafting a corner and adding only Dane Jackson (who played a mere three snaps last season) in free agency, their need appears far stronger on defense. Plus, I thought after a few trials by fire against the Bengals and Texans, Hunter settled down and played pretty well on defense -- better than he did on offense -- before getting hurt.
The Jaguars have ample weapons. Parker Washington emerged down the stretch. Brian Thomas Jr. is a bounce-back candidate who had a marvelous rookie season. Jakobi Meyers was huge after coming over via trade. Brenton Strange even showed some real spunk as a pass catcher. There's a role for Hunter in four- and five-WR sets, but I think his best chance at stardom comes with a defense-heavier role. I think he'll reach that level this season, assuming he stays healthy.
