ESPN Survey: NFL Executives Offer Early Predictions for 2026 Award Winners
League executives and scouts weighed in on potential MVP, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year honorees for the upcoming season, according to a new ESPN report.
ESPN has published a report canvassing National Football League executives and scouts for their predictions on major individual and team awards ahead of the 2026 season, according to the outlet.
The report, titled "NFL execs predict 2026 award winners: MVP picks, top rookies and a stunning Coach of the Year," gathers input from anonymous league sources on categories including Most Valuable Player, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and potential breakout players for the coming season, ESPN said.
According to ESPN, the survey also produced what the outlet described as a surprising pick for Coach of the Year, though the network did not detail all specific selections in the material reviewed.
ESPN frequently conducts these kinds of executive and scout surveys in the offseason and preseason period to gauge league-wide sentiment on player performance expectations, coaching outlooks, and award races before the season begins.
Predictions of this nature are informal assessments based on the opinions of team personnel and talent evaluators rather than official league determinations, and outcomes are subject to change as the season progresses.
ESPN did not immediately provide additional details beyond the initial excerpt reviewed for this report. Further specifics on individual picks named by executives were not available at the time of publication.
Sources
- NFL execs predict 2026 award winners: MVP picks, top rookies and a stunning Coach of the Year — ESPN
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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