A handful of NFL teams are heading into 2026 with the same basic question hanging over everything: who is really in charge, and can that person settle the biggest issue on the roster?
For some clubs, that means a new voice on the sideline. For others, it means a quarterback battle that could shape the whole season before September even gets going. And in a league this volatile, a storyline that feels enormous in June can disappear by October.
Arizona is one of the clearest examples. The Cardinals hired Mike Lafleur as head coach this offseason, giving him the job after Jonathan Gannon went 15-36 over three years.
Lafleur arrives with a strong coaching lineage - he spent seven seasons under Kyle Shanahan across three stops from 2014-20 and later worked as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022 - but his time calling plays in New York was rough. The Jets finished in the bottom 5 in points scored in both of those seasons, which leaves a real question in Arizona: can Lafleur build a productive offense and establish a winning tone right away, especially with the quarterback situation still unsettled?
Atlanta’s central drama is even more direct. Michael Penix Jr. is reportedly ahead of free-agent signing Tua Tagovailoa in the quarterback competition, but neither option exactly has the fan base breathing easy.
Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in 2024, is entering his third year and has yet to play double-digit games in either of his first two seasons. The flashes have been there when he’s on the field, but the consistency hasn’t.
Tagovailoa, meanwhile, signed a one-year deal in March after a disappointing season in Miami and has reportedly struggled in training camp. New head coach Kevin Stefanski inherits a loaded set of skill players in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, but the whole operation still comes back to one question: who starts Week 1, and can that quarterback actually drive the offense?
Baltimore’s transition is more about leadership than talent. John Harbaugh was fired this offseason after 18 seasons, a run that ended with recent playoff disappointment and a missed postseason this past year.
Even so, Harbaugh’s overall body of work in Baltimore was strong, including a 60.9 percent winning percentage and the kind of culture that became part of the franchise’s identity. The Ravens turned to Jesse Minter, formerly the defensive coordinator for the Chargers, and one of the league’s most respected defensive minds.
Minter’s defenses finished top 10 in points allowed in each of his two seasons in Los Angeles, but he has never been a head coach. He also has a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle, who came over from the Bears and has never called plays at any level.
Doyle has worked under Sean Payton in Denver and Ben Johnson in Chicago, which gives him a strong foundation, but he still has to prove he can build an offense on his own. For Baltimore, the issue is whether this new staff can maintain - and maybe even extend - the standard Harbaugh left behind.
Buffalo made a different kind of move, promoting Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach after Sean McDermott’s departure. Brady’s path has been a winding one: he first made his name with LSU’s record-breaking offense in 2019, then had underwhelming runs as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022 before thriving in Buffalo.
The Bills finished top 5 in scoring in both 2024 and 2025 under his play-calling. Now Brady has to do more than design the offense.
He’s responsible for the whole team while still serving as the play-caller, and that’s a much bigger ask. The continuity helps - he’s been in Buffalo since 2022, has a strong relationship with 2024 MVP Josh Allen, and knows the personnel well - but he has never been a head coach.
That leaves one big test waiting for him in 2026: can he run an entire locker room, not just an offense?
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Falcons Suddenly Have A Defensive Opening Ulbrich Can't Ignore
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Jeff Ulbrich now has a chance to mix and match more aggressively, using Abdullah in pass-rush packages or on special teams while the Falcons sort through the missing pieces around him. With James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker unavailable, the next stretch should tell a lot about how creative Atlanta can get with its personnel, and whether this waiver claim becomes more than just a short-term fix. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Playoff Hopes Ride On One Offense Question
The Falcons have spent most of the last decade trying to climb out of the same hole, and the path back to the postseason still runs through the offense. Atlanta has not reached the playoffs since 2017, a drought that trails only one other team in the NFL, and the franchise has spent the years since cycling through coaches and executives in search of a steadier direction. Under Matt Ryan in the front office, with Ian Cunningham as general manager and Kevin Stefanski as head coach, the next phase is built around finally giving the roster enough support to matter in December.
The broad plan is clear enough, even if the margin for error is not. Atlanta needs better quarterback play, more from Bijan Robinson, and a stronger offensive line, while the wide receiver group has to become a more reliable part of the passing game. That is a lot to ask of one side of the ball, but for a team trying to end an eight-year absence from the playoffs, it is also the sort of offensive answer that has to show up before the questions about 2026 stop sounding theoretical. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Wright Is Making A Falcons Playoff Case Fans Hate
Nick Wrights latest NFC South forecast has the Falcons in a familiar but frustrating spot: good enough to stay in the conversation, not quite convincing enough to quiet the doubts. The Fox Sports personality expects Tampa Bay to win the division, while Atlanta sneaks into the playoffs at 9-8 with Michael Penix as the starting quarterback, a projection that lands right in the middle of the leagues wider uncertainty about a roster still dealing with injury questions and other concerns.
For Falcons fans, the irritation is less about the playoff nod than the path Wright laid out to get there. Atlanta is still being viewed through a skeptical lens by analysts and oddsmakers alike, with the team sitting at +400 to win the NFC South, and the idea of a postseason trip built on a modest record only sharpens the debate about whether this group is truly ready to contend or simply positioned to hang around. [Read more 🡒]