The NFL’s 2026 league year officially begins March 11. In reality, it’s already well underway.
For Klint Kubiak, it began within 24 hours after he won the Super Bowl as Seattle’s OC. He and his family arrived in Las Vegas via private plane on Monday, with his introductory news conference yesterday. Rest can come later, maybe.
Kubiak’s work is just beginning. And he’s already late. Other new coaches have plucked top assistants to fill out their staffs. The combine is in about two weeks. Such is life as a champ on the move.
How Kubiak helps position the Raiders to build around Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the projected No. 1 pick, is one of this offseason’s top questions. Yesterday, though, “Kubiak sidestepped any definitive indication about working with Mendoza, simply saying there was work to be done ahead of the draft.”
Inside: Pressing offseason questions, and what history tells us about Klint Kubiak’s exit. The new Raiders coach is tied for sixth in this ranking by NFL insiders of all 10 new head coaches. Let’s go.
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Eight NFL offseason storylines to follow
1. Any big-name trades to expect?
Two 28-year-old stars — Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and Eagles receiver A.J. Brown — would fetch significant returns in any deal. Could Kubiak agree to a reset so early? I’d be surprised. As he said yesterday:
💬 “We want (Crosby) to be a part of our success moving forward. There’s no doubt about that. He’s one of the best players in the NFL. That’s a no-brainer, to get to work with Maxx and see him continue to have success with this organization.”
As for Philly, it seems likely Brown will be traded, and I’d expect the Patriots to be interested in reuniting him with Mike Vrabel, his former Titans coach. The Bills, 49ers, Browns and even those Titans should also be calling Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
2. Will Aaron Rodgers and Travis Kelce return?
Our Steelers beat reporter, Mike DeFabo, shared an incredible review of Mike McCarthy’s offense, highlighting the symbiotic relationship developed by Pittsburgh’s new coach and the 42-year-old Rodgers during their Green Bay era. McCarthy wants Rodgers back, but the quarterback hasn’t committed, as usual.
As for Kelce, my colleague Dianna Russini reported that “many close to him believe he could return for at least one more season,” which would be his 14th. Among tight ends, the 36-year-old sits behind only Tony Gonzalez in PFR’s career Hall of Fame Monitor, and he’s been dialed in all winter. Just look at this dart.
3. Does George Pickens reach free agency?
Anything is possible after last summer, when Jerry Jones traded Micah Parsons, though it appears the 24-year-old Pickens is stuck in Dallas: My colleagues reported that the Cowboys intend to use the franchise tag on Pickens. If he isn’t available for other teams, look for 25-year-old Colts receiver Alec Pierce to fetch a sizable payday as the top pass-catcher available. As for his QB:
4. What will the Colts pay Daniel Jones?
He’ll likely be back, as general manager Chris Ballard confidently said Jones is “both” the near- and long-term answer at quarterback. The question is how much Jones can demand, given the 28-year-old is rehabbing from a torn Achilles and has a lengthy injury history. Last offseason, Sam Darnold got about $33 million per year. Could Jones break $40 million?
5. Who bets on Malik Willis?
The sample size is tiny — Willis only started three games for the Packers, though he attempted a pass in 10 — yet he has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, based on advanced metrics.
A third-round pick in 2022, the 26-year-old has gone from an afterthought in Tennessee to the most-coveted free-agent quarterback after two years in Green Bay. Rightfully so.
6. Which quarterback will be drafted next after Mendoza? And will it matter?
Dane Brugler’s fresh list of the top 100 prospects only has two other passers:
No. 34: Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who had an up-and-down 2025 and just 15 college starts to his name overall. But the first half of the season had him in consideration to be a top-10 pick, so the potential is there. Nick Baumgardner’s post-Super Bowl mock sees the Steelers taking a shot on the 6-2 redshirt junior in the first round.
No. 82: Garrett Nussmeier of LSU also had an uneven 2025. Listed at 6-1 and wielding a strong arm, the son of Saints OC Doug Nussmeier is likely forgiven for underachieving behind a fired head coach’s weak offensive line while playing through an injury. Being a Senior Bowl standout helps.
Overall, it’s a lackluster QB draft class, which brings us to the incumbents.
7. What happens to veteran quarterbacks?
Tua Tagovailoa is fully guaranteed $54 million in 2026, which makes him difficult to move, but Miami’s new regime might be willing. Others who could start fresh include the aforementioned Jones, Willis and Rodgers, as well as Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith and the 41-year-old Joe Flacco. Jeff Howe has a helpful primer on the 2026 quarterback carousel, which I’ll call: “Unexciting Faces in New Places.”
8. What rule changes are coming?
Topics up for discussion likely include more kickoff tweaks, adjusting replay usage and perhaps better handling of the hip-drop tackle, a rule most players don’t consider well-enforced.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, at least one team could push to extend draft-pick trading limits from three years to five. No thanks. The last thing the NFL needs is a general manager mortgaging a half-decade’s worth of franchise resources just to save his own job. Just look at this NBA disaster for Exhibit A. Now imagine what the Browns might do for a quarterback.
Over to Mike Sando.
✍️ Sando’s Pick: Seattle faces rare challenge
The Seahawks feel great about hiring Mike Macdonald as their head coach two years ago. They just won the Super Bowl and look like a team that could contend for years to come. One key for sustained success: finding a strong replacement for Klint Kubiak.
With so much emphasis on quarterback play, NFL teams have leaned toward hiring head coaches with offensive pedigrees. That is partly because teams with defensive-minded head coaches risk losing their offensive coordinators to head-coaching jobs, jeopardizing their ability to maximize QB play.
That is where the Seahawks find themselves now. But could the worries be overblown?
Seattle is the fourth team in the free-agency era (1993-present) to win a Super Bowl with a defensive-minded head coach, then lose its offensive coordinator to another team. The other three remained strong on offense.
The Jimmy Johnson-coached 1993 Cowboys slipped from second to sixth in yards per play after losing Norv Turner and replacing him with Ernie Zampese.
George Seifert’s 1994 49ers dropped from first to fifth in yards per play after losing Mike Shanahan and replacing him with Marc Trestman.
Bill Belichick’s 2004 Patriots improved from ninth to seventh after losing Charlie Weis and handing play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels.
Then again, those three teams had top-tier quarterbacks in Troy Aikman, Steve Young and Tom Brady, respectively. They also landed strong replacements.
The Seahawks have gotten solid play from Darnold, but offensive structure could matter more for him than it did for the current and future Hall of Famers who went through similar transitions. This will be an important hire for Macdonald. Back to Jacob.
Extra Points
🎙 Draft prep. Want to quickly get up to speed on 2026 prospects? Dane dives into his top 100 in the latest episode of “The Athletic Football Show.” Click here to find that podcast for later.
👋 Gase who’s back? Adam Gase memes helped me get my original newsletter’s first subscribers, and they might be back on the menu after the Chargers hired him as a passing game assistant.
🗒 Take notes. The Vikings let Darnold leave in free agency. Then plenty of others needed a quarterback, but chose someone else. Alec Lewis shares what teams can learn from how the Seahawks supported Darnold.
▶️ Yesterday’s most-clicked: Our review of the massive, yet underwhelming $180 Super Bowl LX burger.
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