FOX Sports Digital
Thousands upon thousands of people will have a role in how the 2026 NFL season will play out. However, only a small percentage of that group will control the storylines this fall and who'll play for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14. Who will those people be? Well, we know that quarterbacks have the strongest influence over the final result on the field. But from star players to owners and NFL executives, there are many other people you should know about who'll shape the year ahead. So, as we say goodbye to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and begin the countdown to the start of the 2026 NFL season, here are the 100 people who'll shape the upcoming year. JUMP TO: QBs Bad Teams Are Competing To Draft Impactful Offseason Adds Impact Rookies | Breakout Candidates Intriguing New Hires | Coaches Who Must Make The PlayoffsFuture Head Coach Candidates | Power Brokers DPOY Candidates | OPOY Candidates Bounce-Back Candidates Who Will Shape The Trade Deadline The OL Who Can Win Games | Contracts On The Line 1 Celeb Who Could Impact The Season We start with the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, who led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes last year. With the Rams trading for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, there's a clear win-now push that makes their season very Super Bowl or bust, even with the defending champs in their division. Can Stafford stay healthy for another full season at age 38? That's arguably the biggest vulnerability for a Los Angeles team trying to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Maye was a breakout star in 2025, finishing as runner-up for both the MVP and the Super Bowl. The Patriots traded for A.J. Brown and signed Romeo Doubs, so he could easily surpass the 31 touchdown passes he had last season. Oddsmakers are expecting a step back from New England, facing a first-place schedule, so his challenge is validating his success with more of the same. If they're the team to beat in the AFC, that starts with holding off the Bills for the division title, or else the Patriots will be on the road in the playoffs. The Bills will have the NFL's first new stadium in six years, and fresh off his 30th birthday, the goal for Allen is to get playoff football games back to Buffalo. They had two thrillers on the road in 2025, winning at Jacksonville before losing in overtime at Denver. Allen's won at least one playoff game six years in a row, but lost to the Chiefs in four of those seasons. With D.J. Moore as a new weapon to throw to, can Allen get back in the MVP conversation, or lead Buffalo on a deep playoff run to show off that new stadium? It's hard to imagine a steeper two-year climb, going from journeyman backup to consecutive 14-3 seasons and a Super Bowl championship last year...
