Yahoo Sports forecasts Rams as top Super Bowl contender for 2026 season

Yahoo Sports analysts have identified the Los Angeles Rams as the leading favorite to win the 2026 Super Bowl after the team added defensive end Myles Garrett and saw Aaron Donald return from retirement. The Rams were the most frequently selected team in the poll, though they were not unanimously chosen as the NFC West champion.

The experts reached near-consensus on division winners in the AFC North and AFC South, and almost unanimous support for the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, indicating expectations of a decline for the defending conference champion New England Patriots. In the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys were also broadly favored.

Award predictions are more dispersed. Four players received votes for the league MVP, with multiple selections for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who has not previously won the award. The Coach of the Year honor saw six different coaches mentioned, none receiving more than two votes. Although the Rams' acquisition of Myles Garrett was highlighted as the biggest offseason move, he was not the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

The outlet also included a "hot take" segment offering speculative commentary on the upcoming season.