Summer break is over, and with training camps opening across the NFL, it’s time to hand out the offseason superlatives before the preseason takes over.
The Raiders made the strongest case for “Most Improved” after entering the offseason with more cap space than any other team and putting it to work. They added Tyler Linderbaum, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Kwity Paye and Jalen Nailor in free agency, then revamped the coaching staff with Klint Kubiak, who arrives fresh off a Super Bowl win as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator.
Las Vegas also used the No. 1 pick on Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Maxx Crosby was nearly shipped to the Ravens, but after a failed physical, he remains in Las Vegas.
The Raiders may not be a playoff team in 2026, but they are a better one than the group that finished the season in January.
If there was an award for the most aggressive all-in move, the Rams would take that one without much debate. They swung blockbuster trades for cornerback Trent McDuffie and edge rusher Myles Garrett, loading up for a run at a Super Bowl.
Already one of the league’s most talented teams last season, the Rams now look like the clear favorites heading into 2026. And if Aaron Donald decides to come out of retirement, they may not be done stacking the roster yet.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, are shaping up as the league’s biggest makeover project. After moving on from GM Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel, Miami has already overhauled plenty of the roster, including Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa and Bradley Chubb.
The team that spent so much of McDaniel’s tenure leaning into stars, speed and offense is now taking a different path under defensive-minded coach Jeff Hafley and new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who is bringing a Green Bay-style approach to drafting and development. The Dolphins are also putting more emphasis on size.
The offseason’s biggest splash outside the league came with the American “royal” wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. The guest list drew movie stars, celebrities and plenty of NFL names, including tight ends from around the league, Kelce’s Chiefs teammates, broadcasters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson, and rules analyst Dean Blandino. For anyone whose invitation somehow got lost in the mail, the FOMO had to sting.
There was also a first-round pick that turned heads for all the right and wrong reasons. Ty Simpson going in the first round was no shock, but the surprise was the Rams taking him in the first half of the round while operating in full win-now mode. The selection kicked off plenty of debate about what it meant for both the present and future in Los Angeles, especially after SI’s Albert Breer later reported that landing Simpson was a priority so the Rams could deal future first-round picks for Myles Garrett.
The Bengals, for their part, have spent the offseason sounding a lot more confident after trading for Dexter Lawrence II and upgrading the defense. Joe Burrow, never one to shy away from a statement, said during the team’s offseason program, “We’re going to go win a lot of games this year and play great and win a Super Bowl.”
Not every team was looking up. The Cardinals were stuck in the kind of offseason that can push a fan base toward draft-season slogans, with a months-long contract dispute involving a journeyman coming off a 3-14 season.
That’s the sort of setup that leads to “March for Arch,” or “lose more for Dante Moore,” or whatever version of “Suck for Luck” fits the next top quarterback prospect. To make matters worse, Arizona was listed as an underdog in all 17 games when the schedule was released.
Among the new head coaches hired this offseason, the Ravens’ Jesse Minter looks like the safest bet to hit. He brings defensive play-calling ability and coaching chops, and he’s stepping into a strong situation with a Ravens roster led by a two-time MVP-winning quarterback. If things break the right way, Minter could be in the Coach of the Year conversation by the end of the season.
And then there’s the human-interest moment of the summer, courtesy of Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill. A bride named Olivia had hoped to book the presidential suite at a hotel for her wedding weekend, only to find out it was reserved for the Cardinals during their game weekend against the Giants. Olivia reached out to the organization, and Bidwill responded by filming a video letting her know he’d be giving her the suite.
In Other News...
Broncos Face A Big Vance Joseph Question After Latest Interest
Vance Joseph is headed back to Denver for the 2026 season after once again drawing head-coaching interest, a familiar kind of offseason validation for a coordinator who keeps getting mentioned in those conversations. For Broncos coach Sean Payton, the return keeps a key piece of his staff intact and extends the runway for a coach he has continued to back publicly.
From the Raiders perspective, the ripple effect is less about Denver than the division-wide chessboard around it, where every staff decision and roster move gets watched closely. Las Vegas also had its own quarterback-room storyline surface, with Fernando Mendoza framing his approach as competition alongside Kirk Cousins and the rest of the group rather than a straight one-on-one battle, a small but telling sign of how these summer jobs are being defined. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Camp Will Answer One Huge Question About This Defense
Training camp is where the Raiders should start getting real answers about a defense that has been reshaped in a hurry. Christian Wilkins is in place up front, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker have been added at linebacker, and the staff now gets a full look at how the new pieces fit with the holdovers as Las Vegas tries to raise the floor on that side of the ball.
The most interesting part may come along the defensive line and in the cornerback room, where camp reps will matter as much as any offseason label. Players like Hemingway and Decamerion Richardson are on the spot to show they can claim bigger roles, and for a team still rebuilding its secondary, the next few weeks could go a long way toward deciding how much confidence the Raiders can have when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Fernando Mendoza Just Gave Raiders Fans A Reason To Be Patient
The Raiders have spent training camp balancing the present and the future, with Kirk Cousins installed as the starter while first overall pick Fernando Mendoza gets his early education behind him. For a team opening against the Miami Dolphins, the plan is clear enough: let the veteran handle the immediate pressure, and let the rookie absorb as much as he can while the staff works to bring him along at a steady pace.
Mendoza has already shown why Las Vegas is willing to be patient. He has looked promising in practice, even if he knows there is still a long way to go, especially with the playbook. Cousins is expected to help in that process as a mentor, and the bigger question now is not whether Mendoza has talent, but how quickly he can close the gap and make the Raiders revisit the quarterback picture. [Read more 🡒]