The NFL offseason can feel like a blur and a drag at the same time.
What do you mean? We have gotten through the scouting combine, free agency, the draft, and the schedule release and the mandatory minicamps are underway? Now, I’m freaking out about getting my stories done for Sports Illustrated’s annual NFL season preview issue.
At the same time, the Seahawks crushing the Patriots in the Super Bowl seems like ages ago. Now that I think about it, what a cool experience it was to be in attendance for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance and for Sam Darnold to prove the doubters wrong with a Lombardi Trophy.
Darnold and the Seahawks certainly showed me, but now it’s time to get ready for the 2026 season because we’re almost at the start of training camps. But before teams break for summer, let’s put a bow on the offseason by reviewing what occurred in my winners and losers column.
Winners
Chris Shula and Myles Garrett
Shula didn’t necessarily need help landing a head-coaching gig in the future because he was already a coordinator under Sean McVay, and being a coach on McVay’s staff is currently the league’s best stepping stone for taking over an NFL team. But the Rams’ defensive coordinator recently received another nudge with the team acquiring Garrett in last week’s blockbuster trade.
After the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, teams started jumping on the trend of prioritizing defense, which led to defensive-minded coaches Jesse Minter, Jeff Hafley and Robert Saleh being hired by the Ravens, Dolphins and Titans, respectively. Trading for Garrett and versatile cornerback Trent McDuffie was the Rams’ way of keeping up with the league’s latest trend after building a dynamic offense the past few seasons.
With that kind of talent, it’s all set up for Shula to become a head coach in 2027. However, there was one thing going against Shula this past coaching cycle. McVay’s defensive coaches haven’t had as much success as offensive ones after moving up. Brandon Staley had success with Justin Herbert, but his three years with the Chargers are mostly remembered for late-game blunders and failed defenses. Raheem Morris had better results with his defenses, but the offense often struggled in his two years with the Falcons.
Maybe this is a bit of a reach, but how McVay’s past defensive coordinators performed could have played a role in Shula being passed over this year for one of the 10 head-coaching vacancies. Former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur got one of those jobs as the Cardinals’ new coach.
Come January, it would be surprising if Shula gets shut out again after acquiring the pieces to build a defense that could rival Seattle, Houston and Denver. Shula managed to produce quality defenses the past two years despite the team’s frugal ways on that side of the ball.
As for Garrett, it’s simple. He’s a winner because he’s likely to become accustomed to winning after spending nine years in Cleveland, where he won only one playoff game. Garrett will go down in history as one of the best edge rushers ever, but he won’t have a flawless résumé until he wins a Super Bowl. Bruce Smith would likely trade one of his Defensive Player of the Year awards for a ring. Garrett now has a chance to complete his stellar résumé.
Cam Ward
This is the time of year when social media coordinators get fans to be overly optimistic about the upcoming season by posting highlights of players working out in shorts. But I’m sort of buying the content that the Titans have posted of rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate.
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