About 60,000 fans at Chicago’s Soldier Field celebrated in unison as D.J. Moore caught a walk-off touchdown in overtime of Week 16, and the Bears beat the Packers for just the second time since the end of 2018.
(That play later won the NFL’s Moment of the Year award for 2025, and was only bested by Caleb Williams’ playoff miracle against the Rams, in my opinion.)
For the Packers, it was a painful reminder of their biggest defensive weakness: cornerback, specifically a true No. 1. Keisean Nixon is currently their top option and was in coverage on Moore’s catch, a low moment in an up-and-down season for the two-time All-Pro.
Inside: The critical offseason needs for playoff and non-playoff teams, and where the latter rank in bounce-back potential.
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Playoff team needs
Our Packers beat reporter Matt Schneidman is skeptical about Green Bay’s Super Bowl chances with Nixon as its top corner, and lists that role in today’s story on the biggest needs for all 32 teams.
We’ll dig into a few of the non-playoff teams below. Here’s what the 14 playoff team are searching for:
It’s interesting how similar much of that list looked last offseason, especially for teams like the Bears, Bills, Chargers and Steelers.
But enough about the playoff teams. Mike Jones ranked the 18 non-playoff teams based on the likelihood of a rebound in 2026. It feels like the top five are shoo-ins, especially my Bengals. Right?!?
1. Ravens: First-year coach Jesse Minter inherits a talented roster that underachieved in 2025. Lamar Jackson missed time, sure, but Baltimore was still just 6-7 when he played. Expect Minter to quickly get its defense back to the standards of Mike Macdonald’s 2023 unit, which was the league’s No. 1 scoring defense two years ago. (In Minter’s first year as Chargers DC, they went from 24th in points to first).
2. Lions: I met with running back Jahmyr Gibbs last week in San Francisco and asked him what needs to change to get Detroit back into the playoffs: “Details and health” were the crux of his answer, though a revamped offensive line is its biggest need.
3. Bengals: The path to a Super Bowl for this win-now roster should either be a big swing for a quality pass rusher or an emphasis on quantity. Improving the defense and protecting Joe Burrow, as usual, are the keys to a perfect offseason for Cincy. I’m not optimistic.
4. Buccaneers: What happened during their Week 9 bye? Tampa Bay was 6-2 prior, with wins over the Seahawks, Texans and 49ers, yet finished 2-7 after the bye. Injuries were a factor, with quarterback Baker Mayfield wearing a sling at one point while receiver Mike Evans was out until Week 15. Coach Todd Bowles is back, armed with a new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson, formerly of the Falcons.
5. Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes is expected to be back for Week 1, but that’s not the only fix needed here; the Chiefs (6-11) lost five of their final six games with Mahomes. Their rushing game was non-existent, and they need help along the defensive line and at receiver. Jesse Newell’s Chiefs mock draft has them taking a tackle at No. 9, however, before later addressing those other positions.
Here’s a tough question: Which of those five teams do you think is most likely to be back in the playoffs next season? You can only pick one. Make your choice here.
As for all 32 teams’ needs, some will be addressed by this time next month, via free agency. Others will turn to the draft. Let’s go there now.
Draft SZN: Who might help?
We primed you yesterday on eight burning offseason questions, but after our draft guru Dane Brugler dropped his top 100 prospects, it’s time to quickly set the table for this draft class.
The 2024 class was defined by its first-round quarterbacks, and 2025 by the uncertainty at No. 2 (and the fall of a famous fifth-round QB). What might we remember about this 2026 class?
Three things Dane’s rankings and notes taught me:
It’s a good year to need a receiver. There are 17 in the top 100, most of any position. North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance, younger brother to Chargers backup QB Trey, is an intriguing prospect and the last at his position in the rankings (No. 99). Ohio State’s Carnell Tate is the top-ranked wideout (No. 10).
Pass rusher, too. Sixteen edge players are among the top prospects, with Ohio State’s Arvell Reese (so long as he takes that position and not linebacker) as Dane’s top overall guy: “He falls somewhere between Micah Parsons and Jalon Walker in terms of his pro projection.” High praise. Consensus rankings agree.
Good news, Packers: Plenty of corners. Top name to watch is LSU’s Mansoor Delane, the No. 7 prospect. Green Bay is without its first-round pick due to the Micah Parsons deal, but five of the 13 corners in Dane’s top 100 are ranked No. 59 or lower. The Packers’ first pick is No. 58, so they’ll get a shot.
The full list is here. We’ll be at the combine to see some of them in less than two weeks. Draft season is nearly here.
Extra Points
🏆 Victory! The Seahawks enjoyed cigars and several kegs of beer during a rowdy celebration in Seattle for the franchise’s second Super Bowl.
🎤 Luke Kuechly exclusive. Our Panthers beat reporter, Joe Person, spoke with the Hall of Famer about Cam Newton’s candidacy, and the time Kuechly was nervous to approach a kicker. Full story here.
💼 Fallout? We’re still waiting to see how the NFL responds to Giants co-owner Steve Tisch’s name being mentioned throughout the Epstein files. My colleagues looked inside the transactional friendship. The league said it will “look at all the facts.”
🚨 James Pearce Jr. update. WNBA star Rickea Jackson is “willing to testify” against the Falcons’ 2025 first-round pick. Pearce was arrested Saturday and is facing five felony charges after a domestic dispute with Jackson.
▶️ Yesterday’s most-clicked: What the Vikings can learn from how Seattle supported Sam Darnold.
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