2026 NFL season predictions: Picks for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and six more awards

As the upcoming professional football season approaches, sports media outlets and prediction markets have published comprehensive forecasts regarding major season-long honors, focusing heavily on Most Valuable Player and Comeback Player of the Year candidates. The New York Post, AOL.com, and The Amherst Student highlight Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens as a prominent MVP candidate, noting his value within a new-look offensive scheme. Concurrently, Sports Illustrated and Betway Insider point to other contenders in the MVP race, reporting that Josh Allen holds a slight edge over Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson according to Kalshi prediction markets, while Joe Burrow also offers notable value.

These season-ahead assessments build upon ongoing discussions of roster adjustments, player recoveries, and market odds tracked by prediction platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi. Outlets are coupling their traditional award selections with broader evaluations of team trajectories, including bold predictions about worst-to-first turnarounds and defensive achievements like surpassing Myles Garrett in total sacks. Readers and observers monitoring these markets will look to the opening weeks of regular-season play to see how early performances validate or disrupt these current award odds and expert projections.

Coverage does not yet specify how early-season injuries or team success might shift these betting favorites in the weeks following kickoff.