The Athletic’s 40 Staffers Pick Rams to Win 2026 Super Bowl, Josh Allen for MVP
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 9
The Athletic’s 40 Staffers Pick Rams to Win 2026 Super Bowl, Josh Allen for MVP
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 9
Summary
More than half of 40 Athletic staff voters picked the Rams to win the Super Bowl, making Los Angeles the overwhelming NFC champion choice ahead of a season-opening trip to Australia against the 49ers.
That confidence rests on an already strong roster adding Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald and Trent McDuffie, with several voters arguing Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford now have the league’s most complete team.
Josh Allen emerged as the consensus MVP pick, while Jahmyr Gibbs led Offensive Player of the Year voting and Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. narrowly topped Myles Garrett for Defensive Player of the Year.
Patrick Mahomes was the runaway Comeback Player of the Year choice less than nine months after knee surgery, and Jets coach Aaron Glenn was the clear favorite to be first fired.
The panel also flagged the Saints as the biggest surprise candidate and the Bears and Patriots as leading disappointment picks, underscoring how volatile last year’s breakout teams still look.