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It’s been an eventful summer with improbable returns, ugly quarterback battles, disputes over jersey numbers and whatever was going on with the 49ers.
The NFL headlines that emerged amid training camps and the preseason resembled something out of a reality TV show on Bravo.
It wasn’t hard finding losers for this story, and it was a little difficult finding winners that weren’t from Los Angeles. But at least the off-the-field drama and projections (everyone seems to think the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl) can now take a backseat to the regular season.
Let’s do one last winners and losers story before we welcome the 2026 NFL regular season.
WINNERS
Rams GM Les Snead
There was no bigger winner these past six months than the Rams.
Rightfully, they’ve gotten plenty of praise for their notable acquisitions. But I don’t think Snead has received enough credit for building this stacked roster.
The all-in blockbuster trades likely don’t happen if the team didn’t hit on draft picks as much as it did. As a reminder, they got Puka Nacua (2023) and Kyren Williams (2022) in the fifth round. And it seems Snead might have found something in rookie quarterback Ty Simpson after his impressive preseason. Snead took plenty of heat for using the No. 13 pick on Matthew Stafford’s future replacement instead of adding a player who could help now.
Welp, Snead got plenty of players who can certainly help the Rams win another Super Bowl in 2026. It started with the trade for Trent McDuffie in March, followed by the free-agent signing of Jaylen Watson, the mega trade for Myles Garrett on June 1, and now convincing Aaron Donald to come out of retirement to give the Rams the last Infinity Stone before their Super Bowl-or-bust season.
It’s time to talk about Snead in the same way we talked about Eagles GM Howie Roseman for a few years when he was wheeling and dealing.
Jahmyr Gibbs
Just look at what Bijan Robinson has to deal with in Atlanta for a better understanding of why Gibbs is listed as a winner in this column.
Gibbs has it great with a reliable quarterback, stout offensive line and several playmakers who can command attention and give him favorable matchups. Gibbs might be on the verge of breaking a few records and adding some hardware now that he doesn’t split carries with the departed David Montgomery.
Oh, and Gibbs became the highest-paid running back this offseason, signing a three-year, $67.5 million contract extension, which was a little higher than Robinson’s three-year, $66.75 million deal.
Life is good for Gibbs.
Bengals’ hype machine
I jumped off the Bengals’ bandwagon a few years ago, but now that I’m sort of back on, I’m amazed at how many never left.
Cincinnati is regularly discussed as a Super Bowl contender despite missing the postseason for three consecutive seasons. I guess annual hype is expected for a team with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.
The bandwagon got extra crowded this offseason when the Bengals executed the trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. I don’t know if that one move will be enough to turn this defense around, but I can’t imagine Burrow and Chase missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. I think they’ll find a way in.
Uh, oh. Maybe the hype machine has brainwashed me, too.
2014 NFL draft class
It’s been a good summer for this memorable draft class.
Donald, the No. 13 pick in 2014, ended his two-year retirement to chase another ring with the Rams.
Odell Beckham Jr., who was selected one pick before Donald, made the initial 53-man roster with the team that drafted him after two seasons away from football. Also, Beckham got back his old No. 13 number with the Giants.
Mike Evans, the No. 7 pick, is still going strong heading into his 13th season and will likely be the No. 1 wideout in San Francisco.
Jadeveon Clowney is back with the Texans, the team that made him the No 1 pick in 2014. And just this week, Kyle Van Noy, the No. 40 pick, landed with the Vikings.
Additionally, Khalil Mack, the No. 5 pick, Jake Matthew, the No. 6 selection, and Davante Adams, who went in the second round, are still playing at a high level.
Quiet Seahawks
No one seems to be talking about the reigning Super Bowl champions. Despite being on Hard Knocks, the bulk of the spotlight was on the team they beat in the NFC championship game.
However, this could be a good thing for Mike Macdonald’s crew. They usually thrive when they’re being counted out. There’s plenty of motivation before Seattle begins its quest to repeat, which starts Wednesday in the opener against the Patriots.
LOSERS
Drama-filled 49ers
I don’t even know where to begin with all that occurred in San Francisco this summer.
There were multiple scandals: one involving the head coach and the other involving the team owner, conspiracy theories about a nearby electrical substation, several injuries to key players and an imposter who claimed to have played for the 49ers as a way to scam people for money. That last one isn’t on the 49ers, but their team name being attached to it is the cherry on top for this drama-filled summer that turned into gold for tabloids. This doesn’t even include disgruntled receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who’s somehow still employed by the 49ers and hasn’t said much in a while.
The season can’t come fast enough for this team, but now they have to get on a plane for a 16-hour flight to Australia to face the star-studded Rams. Yikes.
Still, I wouldn’t count out the 49ers. We’ll see if this veteran-heavy roster that has plenty of star power can overcome all of the noise.
Jayden Daniels
Daniels being upset about LSU allowing another player to wear No. 5 is somewhat understandable, especially if he was told it would be retired. Also, he won the Heisman Trophy there, and his image and likeness brought the university plenty of money.
However, Daniels got some really bad advice for how to go about it. Unsurprisingly, he was ridiculed for filing a cease-and-desist order with the university and demanding they take the No. 5 jersey from sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett. It came off as petty and a bully tactic to force a college student to stop wearing the number.
Daniels would have been better off talking about it in an interview and criticizing new LSU coach Lane Kiffin for not honoring what the old regime promised him. Turning Kiffin into the villain isn’t that hard, but somehow Daniels and his team failed at that.
Just like Daniels’s image this summer, he could also be hit hard on the field this season with all the uncertainty surrounding his offensive line. The Commanders will likely be without left tackle Laremy Tunsil for most of the season due to a torn triceps, and the team has limited options at center, rolling the dice to start the season with guard Nick Allegretti, who doesn’t have much experience at the position.
To summarize how bad this Washington offensive line could be: One reporter said this unit was “inoperable” during a joint practice with the Ravens. It could be a rough season for Daniels.
Short-handed Packers
I can see any of the four teams in the NFC North winning the division, but someone has to finish last, and it might be the Packers because of concerns about their key players.
The Packers will officially be without star edge rusher Micah Parsons for at least the first four games of the season after keeping him on the physically unable to perform list after cutdown day. While this news isn’t surprising to the team, it’s still unclear how they’ll get by without their best defensive player.
Green Bay lacks proven players at edge rusher, with Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell likely being the Week 1 starters at the position. To make matters worse, the team lost former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to Miami and replaced him with Jonathan Gannon, the former Cardinals coach.
The offense could also be in trouble after losing running back Josh Jacobs, who was recently placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. Jacobs was arrested in May due to a domestic dispute and faces misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal property damage.
It’s unknown whether Jacobs will play this season, but Green Bay is moving forward with inexperienced running backs MarShawn Lloyd and newcomer Kaleb Johnson, who arrived in a trade with the Steelers last week.
Browns’ decision-makers
It’s tiring writing about all the chances the Browns have given Deshaun Watson to earn the starting job.
Watson had a dreadful training camp, but apparently that was good enough to beat out second-year player Shedeur Sanders. I get Cleveland had to name a starting QB, but, strangely, that GM Andrew Berry didn’t look for outside help. Anthony Richardson Sr., J.J. McCarthy, Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell likely could have been had for a Day 3 draft pick.
It just doesn’t make sense to keep trotting out Watson, who arrived with plenty of controversy in 2022 amid allegations of sexual assault, and continues to alienate Browns fans with his words and performances. It’s been two years since the Broncos cut Russell Wilson and ate all the dead money on his disastrous five-year, $245 million contract. It appears the Browns are hell-bent on getting some return on their five-year, fully-guaranteed $230 million contract they handed Watson.
After trading Garrett to the Rams, this could have been the beginning of a new era in Cleveland, with plenty of young talent on the roster. Instead, the focus will be on the quarterback the Browns refuse to move on from.
Falcons’ skill players
New coach Kevin Stefanski might occasionally forget he’s no longer in Cleveland because his quarterback situation in Atlanta is just as bad.
The Falcons spent the offseason locking up their talented skill players, handing Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts lucrative multi-year contracts. But they forgot to prioritize the quarterback position to ensure those three players they invested heavily in can perform at their best.
Like the Browns, the Falcons stubbornly are hoping one of their in-house options steps up at the most important position. The decision to sign Tua Tagovailoa as a way to motivate Michael Penix Jr. to improve (he has only completed 59.6% of his passes in his career) in his third season seems to have backfired.
After Tagovailoa’s ugly training camp and preseason, Atlanta now desperately needs Penix to be fully ready by next week to face the Steelers despite being limited most of the offseason while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Bills’ new stadium
The reviews for the Bills’ new stadium haven't been very good.
They’ve been criticized for having small video boards, seats with obstructed views and poor field conditions, which is wild considering they’ve only used the field for two preseason games.
Seems like upgrades are badly needed before the Bills’ home opener in Week 2, the first of three consecutive home games.
Anyone who still enjoyed watching the Pro Bowl
Not sure if there’s anyone out there who still enjoyed watching the Pro Bowl. But I’m thinking of you during this difficult time. Still, it had to go.
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GILBERTO MANZANO
Gilberto Manzano is a staff writer covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated. After starting off as a breaking news writer at NFL.com in 2014, he worked as the Raiders beat reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and covered the Chargers and Rams for the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News. During his time as a combat sports reporter, he was awarded best sports spot story of 2018 by the Nevada Press Association for his coverage of the Conor McGregor-Khabib Nurmagomedov post-fight brawl. Manzano, a first-generation Mexican-American with parents from Nayarit, Mexico, is the cohost of Compas on the Beat, a sports and culture show featuring Mexican-American journalists. He has been a member of the Pro Football Writers of America since 2017.
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