How will the Patriots follow up an unexpected Super Bowl trip? An answer to that and other too-early predictions.

While player movement shakes up the NBA and NHL, the NFL is in the doldrums of summer.

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As I did last year around this time, let’s once again spice things up with some way-too-early bold predictions for the upcoming season.

The Patriots will win 11 games.

After they capitalized on their historically soft schedule en route to an improbable Super Bowl appearance, it’s natural to think the Patriots are due for regression. Their schedule is undoubtedly tougher, the sixth hardest in the league, with games against eight playoff teams, including five division winners.

Yes, the competition will improve. But so should the Patriots.

Quarterback Drake Maye will benefit from a second season with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, as well as a new weapon in wide receiver A.J. Brown. Coach Mike Vrabel, despite being embroiled in offseason controversy, doesn’t appear to have lost a step as a leader. The roster has its question marks, particularly at edge rusher and tight end, but should have enough to remain competitive in all three phases.

Sportsbooks have New England’s over/under at 9½ or 10½ wins. The Patriots also are tied with the Eagles and Chiefs for the fifth-best odds to win the Super Bowl, behind the Rams, Bills, Ravens, and Seahawks.

Justin Jefferson will lead the NFL in receiving.

Jefferson finished second in 2024 with 1,533 yards, behind only Ja’Marr Chase (1,708), and previously led the league in 2022 with 1,809. The common thread? Quarterback. Kirk Cousins logged one of the best seasons of his career in 2022, while Sam Darnold emerged as a viable starter in 2024.

The Vikings, after some abysmal play from J.J. McCarthy, brought in veteran Kyler Murray to improve the position. Murray, who dealt with a foot injury last season before getting released by the Cardinals, could rebuild his reputation (and career) with coach Kevin O’Connell. He signed only a one-year, $1.3 million deal, so his playing future likely hinges on this season.

A bounceback could mean big things for the 27-year-old Jefferson’s production. Even last season, he still eclipsed 1,000 yards for a sixth straight time.

Kirk Cousins will start more games than No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders are paying Cousins $20 million in guaranteed money to serve as a veteran mentor to Mendoza. The price tag, coupled with the desire to give Mendoza as much time as possible to develop behind the scenes, indicates Cousins is in a strong position to be the Raiders’ starting quarterback in Week 1.

Cousins, who is entering his 15th season, also has experience with coach Klint Kubiak, his quarterbacks coach for two seasons in Minnesota and his offensive coordinator for one.

It’s possible Cousins might struggle, as he turns 38 in August and suffered a torn Achilles in 2023. But he’s working with a familiar offensive scheme, star center Tyler Linderbaum, and a pair of talented weapons in tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty.

There are several examples of first-round picks that went on to be successful after sitting for the majority of their rookie year. Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers all played seven or fewer games their first season as a pro.

The Raiders begin their season with games against the Dolphins, Chargers, Saints, Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, and Rams.

The Saints will make the playoffs.

One of the most compelling aspects of the NFL is the ability for a team to go from worst to first in a year (e.g. 2025 Patriots and Jaguars). The past three-plus decades, every season has seen at least four teams advance to the postseason after missing out the year before.

The Saints, who finished 6-11 and last in the NFC South, are my pick to do so this year. The returning tandem of coach/offensive playcaller Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley should keep both sides of the ball in good hands, with Moore facilitating the development of second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. The additions of rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, drafted eighth, and running back Travis Etienne will help Shough, too.

Plus, the Saints are projected to have the second-easiest schedule and play in the NFC South, where 8-9 was good enough to win the division in both 2025 and 2022.

As for other candidates to make the playoffs after missing out last year? The list can get long pretty quickly. The Lions, who finished last in the NFC North, seem like another strong possibility. The same goes for the Bengals, Ravens, and Chiefs in the AFC. The Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants all might have a chance in the NFC East, and there’s almost always a surprise team. (Falcons? Raiders?)

Justin Herbert will win his first playoff game.

Since getting drafted by the Chargers in 2020, Herbert has established himself as one of the more talented quarterbacks in the league. His optimal size (6 feet 6 inches, 236 pounds), elite arm strength, and impressive mobility should pose a formidable threat. His toughness and willingness to play through injury has deservedly garnered praise.

But Herbert is 0-3 in the postseason over six seasons. His playoff performances have been dismal. The Chargers blew a 27-0 lead to the Jaguars in 2023. Herbert threw four interceptions against the Texans in 2025. He lost a fumble and threw for just 159 yards in a 16-3 loss against the Patriots in January.

In his three postseason outings, Herbert has completed 54.7 percent of his passes, averaged 225 passing yards, and thrown just two touchdowns. The numbers are a clear step down from those during the regular season.

Still, there’s reason for optimism.

The Chargers dealt with a depleted offensive line for the majority of last season, but, when healthy, have the personnel — 2021 first-round pick Rashawn Slater and 2024 first-rounder Joe Alt — to protect Herbert. This offseason, they also hired Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator with hopes that he can jumpstart the offense.

Upgrades on the line and at playcaller should pay significant dividends.

The Texans will win the AFC.

Houston’s defense proved its prowess last year, finishing as one of the top-ranked units in the league and wreaking havoc in the postseason.

The Texans return the bulk of their starters, remaining overwhelmingly impressive at nearly every spot. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, who combined for 37 sacks in the regular season, anchor the edge. Linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o are two physical run-stuffers. Cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter lock down the secondary with safeties Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock.

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That group, led by coach DeMeco Ryans, should scare everyone in the AFC.

The key will be C.J. Stroud rebounding after his ugly divisional round game, in which he threw four interceptions and took his team out of the game. Stroud, whose numbers have declined since wowing his rookie year, just needs to be able to take care of the football.

As 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan put it in February: “I think there were two Super Bowl defenses this year. It was Seattle and Houston. When I say that, it means they’re capable of winning totally on their own if the other side of the ball, special teams and offense, don’t mess it up.”

Kudos to Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones, who has dedicated part of his offseason to spending time with the community.

At the end of June, Jones traveled back to his hometown of Enterprise, Ala., to speak at his former high school about the importance of financial literacy. Jones partnered with a local credit union to host a free event, open to students as well as the public, with a focus on living below one’s means, maximizing money, and planning for the long term.

“When you’re a kid, I feel like you’re never going to get as much education until you get in a predicament,” Jones said.

The goal of the event was to emphasize the importance of making smart financial decisions, no matter the amount of one’s income.

“Everybody gets to the point of wanting something, but a want and a need are two different things,” Jones said. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have. There’s still a difference between a want and a need.”

Jones also stressed the importance of building relationships.

“Money ain’t the root of all problems,” he said. “Some people think when you have money, and a lot of it, you’re going to be happier.”

The day after the event, Jones flew to Minnesota to support Team Massachusetts in the Special Olympics USA Games. He attended multiple competitions, including flag football, tennis, basketball, and powerlifting, and also assisted with the distribution of medals.

The opportunity was particularly meaningful for Jones because he views the Special Olympics as a potential pathway for his son, Major, who was diagnosed as on the autism spectrum.

“He’s four, but I’m looking for when he’s 20, being able to be a part of sports and everything he wants to,” Jones said. “I want to make sure he has a great support cast.”

According to Jones, Major, who has experienced speech delays, is in applied behavior analysis therapy six days a week to help improve his communication skills. Jones has enjoyed seeing his personality start to shine more throughout the process.

“Whenever he wants something, he’ll bring your hand to what he wants,” Jones said. “He’ll walk you to the door if he’s trying to go outside. He loves his little stroller-wagon. He will sit in there for hours. I took him on a three-, four-mile walk. He was chilling.”

Jones said he is hoping to remain involved with the Special Olympics beyond this year.

“It’s not going to be the last time,” he said.

Embattled quarterback Brendan Sorsby and his representatives decided they will no longer be pursuing legal action against the NFL and NFLPA in the wake of the league’s decision not to hold a supplemental draft following Sorsby’s application.

What’s next for Sorsby? He remains eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft and plans to prepare for it in the coming year. The league has said that Sorsby cannot sign with a team as a free agent.

If he wants to play football in the fall, there aren’t any serious options. He’s ineligible to return to college and play in the NCAA. The Canadian Football League, which runs through the end of October, announced it would not allow its teams to sign Sorsby. United Football League co-owner Mike Repole extended an invitation to Sorsby, but the UFL season ended on June 13 and won’t start again until late March.

The most likely course of action is that Sorsby trains on his own while also attempting to show contrition for the behavior that created this situation. The NFL previously highlighted Sorsby’s lack of accountability in its letter denying him a pathway to the league this season.

Sorsby, who turns 23 in January, appears to have understood the message. He issued a statement Tuesday saying he’s committed to “being the best version” of himself.

“I accept 100 percent responsibility for my actions,” he posted on social media. “I did not have control of my gambling problem and it took getting caught for me to realize that, but it was truly the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Because of this, I have been able get [sic] the help I need and fully focus on my recovery.”

Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas continues to make inroads in the local area, recently hosting a skills camp in Boston. He also collaborated with Connecticut-based Avery’s Soda to create his own soda, a strawberry cream flavor, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting students at Covenant Preparatory School in Hartford. And he did something similar with Prep Hero Café in Malden, unveiling a custom smoothie (pineapple, banana, strawberry, almond milk, and a dash of condensed milk) with 100 percent of the proceeds going to charity … The NFL continued the release of its Top 100, as voted on by the players. There are no Patriots on this list yet. The reveal picks up with No. 80 on July 6 … Cornerback Terrion Arnold’s lawyer claims three NFL teams have already reached out to his client in the wake of his eight felony charges and subsequent release from the Lions. The lawyer also said he expects Arnold to sign with a team within 30 days. Such an outcome would be surprising, given the current situation … A number of aging wide receivers are still without a team, among them Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, and Deebo Samuel. Vrabel already has indicated the Patriots do not plan to pursue a reunion with Diggs, but he should still be able to find a landing spot, especially now that his legal case has been resolved. The NFL confirmed earlier this month that Diggs will not be subject to any discipline … Maye is among the celebrities expected to participate in the American Century Championship, a golf tournament held July 8-12 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Nevada. Others include Minnesota Wild forward and Millis native Matt Boldy, former Red Sox player Kevin Millar, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, and former Celtics coach Doc Rivers … Vrabel secured an invite to one of the most highly anticipated events of the year: pop star Taylor Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s wedding. He and his wife Jen traveled to New York for the festivities, which took place Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

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