The 2026 NFL season kicks off Wednesday, and while the focus will be on the field, the award predictions are already heating up. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled executives and scouts across the league for their picks on the major honors, and when it comes to MVP, there’s a clear consensus — and it’s not a surprise that a quarterback tops the list.
Since Adrian Peterson’s 2012 triumph, the MVP trophy has been a quarterback’s domain. That trend isn’t changing this year, according to the insiders. The name on everyone’s lips? Joe Burrow.
Burrow has long been a favorite in MVP conversations, and this season feels different. One AFC executive told ESPN, “He senses the urgency this year and is talking like it — I think he’s ready to back it up. If he stays healthy. Big if.”
The “if” is the crux. Burrow’s talent has never been in question. In 2024, he threw for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, numbers that scream MVP. But injuries have derailed his seasons too often. When he’s on the field, he’s dynamic; the question is whether he can stay there for a full 17-game slate.
Burrow, however, isn’t thinking about individual accolades. His eyes are on a much bigger prize: a Super Bowl in Cincinnati. After three straight seasons without a playoff appearance, he believes the front office has finally assembled a roster capable of ending that drought.
“I just want to win this year. I just want to win. The rest will take care of itself. I think we’ll break a bunch of records eventually, but I think we’re going to have a really good team that has a chance to win every game that we step foot on the field for. I don’t know about you, but I could really feel it in my bones and my soul in OTAs this year — different from years past,” Burrow said via FOX Sports. “We brought in a lot of the right guys, a lot of the right people with the right mindsets to go and chase this goal of winning a Super Bowl and winning as many games as we can and being the best possible team that we can. I felt it from our D-line. I felt it from our defense. Our offense has the same guys as years past. … These veteran guys that we brought in on defense to be able to help our younger guys [are going to make a difference].”
That defensive overhaul is a key reason for optimism. The Bengals have added seasoned veterans to a unit that was often a liability, and the early returns in practice have been promising. Burrow’s confidence in the defense is a stark contrast to previous seasons.
But the AFC is a gauntlet. The Chiefs, Bills, and other contenders aren’t going to roll over. Yet, if Burrow stays upright and the defense holds up, Cincinnati could finally return to the elite tier. As the college football playoff predictions show, bold forecasts are part of the season’s fun, and the NFL is no different.
Burrow’s MVP odds will be a storyline all season, but for him, it’s all about the Lombardi Trophy. As he put it, the rest will take care of itself. For Bengals fans, that’s the best possible mindset.
