When it comes to picking Super Bowl champions, Peter Schrager has a track record that demands attention. The ESPN analyst correctly predicted every Super Bowl winner from 2019 through 2023, including calling the Chiefs' victory over the 49ers before the 2023 season even kicked off. Now, with the 2026 campaign on the horizon, Schrager has unveiled his latest crystal-ball forecast, and it's a bold one.
On the debut episode of his new show, The Schrager Hour, the NFL insider declared that the Los Angeles Rams will emerge from the NFC and punch their ticket to Super Bowl LXI. But it wasn't a runaway pick—Schrager sees the Seattle Seahawks as the only real threat.
"Let's start off in the NFC. It's two teams this year to me. It's Seahawks or it's Rams," Schrager said. "Seahawks come in with a chip on their shoulder that they didn't enjoy this offseason of being showered in love like everyone else because the Rams kind of hijacked it. Everyone talking about, 'The Rams bringing in this, bringing in that.' We did a segment on Get Up that was the Rams vs. the field. I nearly fell off my chair because of how absurd that is considering a team in their own division beat them two out of three games and won a Super Bowl. They're going to split with the Rams in the regular season. These two teams are going to play in the NFC Championship Game, a rematch of last year. It's going to be in L.A., and I've got the Los Angeles Rams winning the NFC."
The Rams' roster is stacked with star power, featuring Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, Puka Nacua, and Matthew Stafford. Schrager believes head coach Sean McVay is the perfect leader for such a talented and personality-filled locker room. With the home-field advantage at SoFi Stadium in the Super Bowl, the Rams are also the odds-on favorites, according to sportsbooks.
Over in the AFC, Schrager is going with the Baltimore Ravens, a team that fell short last season but now has a new voice at the helm. First-year head coach Jesse Minter inherits a squad led by Lamar Jackson, who Schrager believes is the most gifted player in the league.
"I think there's no greater talent in the league [than Lamar Jackson]. I think there's no guy that can win a game like that player right there," Schrager explained. "I think the message with John Harbaugh got stale."
The Ravens' offseason has been marked by Jackson's own Super Bowl-or-bust mindset, and Schrager's pick aligns with that mentality. Baltimore's path to the big game will be tough, but Schrager sees Jackson's brilliance as the difference-maker.
Schrager's prediction comes with his usual confidence, and he's already looking ahead to February. "An annual tradition unlike any other. After a summer of speaking to and seeing everyone, my Super Bowl pick is officially in. The season is a marathon. Ups and downs. See you– and these two teams– in LA in February, folks," he tweeted.
If Schrager's history is any guide, this prediction carries weight. His new show has already generated buzz, and ESPN's commitment to Schrager is clear. The Rams will open their 2026 season against the 49ers in Melbourne, but the real target is February's championship game in Los Angeles.
