Rich Eisen#38 of 87 NFL pundits · May 4, 2026
Eisen called their shot on the top five MVP vote-getters (Stafford, Josh Allen, Lamar, Burrow and Dak Prescott), agreed Fernando Mendoza wins Offensive Rookie of the Year, ran through eight new division winners for 2026, tabbed Omarion Hampton for a 1,600-yard rushing season, and insisted Patrick Mahomes starts Week 1.
Said on air, transcribed by us · Overreaction Monday (podcast)Hear the original
What Rich Eisen said
I'm saying Stafford and Josh Allen will get the MVP votes.
- Where it was said
- Overreaction Monday (podcast)
- The episode
- Malik Willis Concern Already? Mendoza as ROY? Mahomes' Return & More
- The original
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The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 12, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Division Winners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Player Season Numbers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
How each call scored
16 checkable claims — 8 division winners, 6 award picks, 1 depth chart call and 1 player season number — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 18 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Award Picks6 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Lamar Jackson to win top five in MVP voting
“I'll say Lamar and Joe Burrow are back. Both of them are back. Down with staff and Allen.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Dak Prescott to win top five in MVP voting
“And I'll go Dak Prescott just to just to really knock you off”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Matthew Stafford to win top five in MVP voting
“I'm saying Stafford and Josh Allen will get the MVP votes... make sure the rest of the top five be with them”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Fernando Mendoza to win Offensive Rookie of the Year
“I don't think it's an overreaction to say that first overall pick quarterback who's going to get some starts is going to wind up rookie of the year.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Josh Allen to win top five in MVP voting
“I'm saying Stafford and Josh Allen will get the MVP votes k. As a repeat customer.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Division Winners8 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Dallas Cowboys to win the division
“I wanna go Dallas... So Dallas, I think, can win the I like Dallas.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
San Francisco 49ers to win the division
“And then in the in the West, you go to Rams. Yeah. Or the Niners. You're gonna go Niners? I was really impressed with Kyle Shanahan last week.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Buffalo Bills to win the division
“So the Bills and the AFC East? I think so. Yeah... I think the Bills kinda snuck that in right here.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Los Angeles Chargers to win the division
“Then we're gonna go Chiefs. I'm gonna go Chargers.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Green Bay Packers to win the division
“Not the Lions. Are you gonna go to the Lions? No. I think the window's closed. I'm gonna go Green Bay.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Houston Texans to win the division
“Texans in the South? Yeah. Of course you will... I believe in CJ Stroud with David Montgomery and the other pieces”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Baltimore Ravens to win the division
“No. I wanna go Ravens. Okay. Go Ravens. Yeah. I wanna go Ravens.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Player Season Numbers1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Omarion Hampton to record 1,600 rushing yards
“Give you let me give you one that you're maybe not thinking of at all because he was hurt last year. How about a Marion Hampton?”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Depth Chart Calls1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Patrick Mahomes to be 1st on the depth chart
“Do you think Mahomes starts week one? Absolutely. I do.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Lamar Jackson, Atlanta Falcons, Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Chargers, Omarion Hampton, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Joe Burrow
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks.Joshua Poniatowski · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Poniatowski names several trade targets, predicting Malik Willis underperforms this week against New England, that Omarion Hampton could become a viable RB2 if Adam Gase takes over play-calling, that Josh Downs gets traded (ideally to Kansas City, where they'd be a top-24 WR), that Brian Thomas Jr. could be dealt to the Rams or 49ers, and that Travis Kelce remains a consistent weekly TE.
More division winners
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · New York Giants · Miss 0
Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. They also expect Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and they float the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one.Chris Brockman · Division Winners · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Brockman called the Broncos-Packers game the best of the day, said Denver looks poised to lock up the AFC's No. 1 seed and reach the AFC Championship Game, predicted the Bears win the NFC North and the Eagles win their division (though they think they lose to a five seed from the NFC West), and said Philip Rivers will be in the NFL in 2026.Chris Brockman · Division Winners · Carolina Panthers · Hit 100
Brockman argued the Texans will reach the AFC Championship Game, declared the Chiefs dynasty over, said the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Lambeau Field, that Josh Allen is still the most dangerous QB and the Bills will win a playoff game (with the AFC East runner-up as the 5 seed winning in Pittsburgh or Baltimore), that Carolina will win the NFC South, that Baltimore finishes under .500 with Lamar no longer a top-five QB, that the Colts should trade for Mac Jones, and that Marcus Freeman will be in the NFL next year.Nick Wright · Division Winners · Philadelphia Eagles · Hit 100
Wright says the Eagles' offense is deeply broken but that they will still win their division and finish with a strong record; they also rate Dak Prescott the second-best quarterback in the league this season behind Matthew Stafford, and predicts Myles Garrett breaks the single-season sack record and wins Defensive Player of the Year.