After the Bengals retained his high targets in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Burrow believes the 2026 Bengals might be particular. However for that to occur, he should uphold his finish of the cut price – staying wholesome. He solely performed in eight video games final fall.
If wholesome, Burrow ought to be candidate to win his first league MVP and possibly even his third Comeback Participant of the Yr Award.
Being truthful to Prescott, he confirmed he can carry out to an elite stage in his two most up-to-date wholesome seasons (2023, 2025). He surpassed 4,000 passing yards and reached 30 landing passes in each seasons.
However being the beginning quarterback and captain of the Dallas Cowboys comes with constant pressure and being judged off issues typically past his management, and, after all, profitable at a excessive stage, one thing the historic franchise hasn’t carried out for the reason that mid Nineteen Nineties. And till he improves on his 2-5 playoff file, there’ll all the time be Cowboys followers who refuse to embrace Prescott.
Needing to get the ball to George Pickens as he fights for a brand new contract and needing to handle the media firestorm that comes with main the Cowboys, Prescott has to have an enormous 2026 or the noise could attain a brand new excessive.
In April, the Texans exercised the fifth-year option on Stroud. What they did not do was current him with a brand new huge contract extension to make sure he stays a Texan for all times. That reveals the stress the second general choose from the 2023 NFL Draft is beneath as he enters his fourth 12 months within the NFL.
Stroud has proven indicators of regression since being named Offensive Rookie of the Yr. As a rookie, he threw for 4,108 yards and solely 5 interceptors. However in 2025, he tossed for simply 3,041 yards and turned the ball over 10 occasions off eight picks and two fumbles.
Nonetheless ok to guide the Texans to playoffs, the constant early-career decline has led to questions on whether or not Stroud ought to be the way forward for Houston shifting ahead, particularly whereas alongside one of many league’s high defenses.
It is doable Stroud’s traditionally nice rookie 12 months positioned the bar at an unreasonable stage, however in a league that tends to cycle by means of quarterbacks on a yearly foundation, 2026 will dictate if he stays as a budding star or is compelled to rehabilitate his profession elsewhere.
Honorable point out: Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert
