# Carter Bahns: A CBS Sports tier list of 2026 Super Bowl contenders places the Rams and Seahawks in the top tier (expecting a possible third playoff meeting), says the nine B-tier teams should all make the playoffs, sees Caleb Williams as a potential All-Pro, and pegs the Dolphins and Cardinals as No. 1 pick contenders. **Claimed:** Sep 1, 2026 **Pundit:** Carter Bahns — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/carter-bahns **Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/cbs-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-power-rankings-super-bowl-tiers/ 11 checkable claims — 8 playoff picks, 2 team draft slot calls and 1 pro bowl and all-pro call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 11 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > Los Angeles has the shortest odds to win the Super Bowl, and it is not close. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Caleb Williams to make All-Pro** - Kind: Pro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · About: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Arizona Cardinals to pick “No. 1 pick contenders”** - Kind: Team Draft Slot Calls · About: Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Miami Dolphins to pick “a top-two pick” (picks 1–2)** - Kind: Team Draft Slot Calls · About: Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chicago Bears to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Caleb Williams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-williams - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers ## What others said about the same people - Chris Clark on Nikko Remigio: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/99521265-d5c0-4db1-b2a0-fe77908ea0b3 (scored 0) - Nate Gosney on Daiyan Henley: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/60272861-4ad0-4749-b36a-dcdf09b9213f (scored 0) - Parker Hurley on Khalid Kareem: Hurley predicts the 49ers will release Khalil Kareem when Nate Hobbs is activated and cut Brandin Cooks when C.J. West returns, while arguing Sebastian Valdez won't be the one let go and no cornerback will be cut. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5a729417-69ee-493a-9bec-d905fd1a7082 (scored 0) - Gilberto Manzano on Josh Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/67d5af78-94ea-4ee2-a277-5e68347022de (scored 100) - Joshua Poniatowski on Josh Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d1752582-a799-48b9-984b-39bf7cb8b709 (scored 100) - Andrew Erickson on Josh Downs: Erickson floated Kansas City as the landing spot for Josh Downs and said a trade there would make them at least a WR3 rest of season; they also expect Rashee Rice to leave the Chiefs after this season as a free agent. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e97e28f2-31fc-4702-915c-63c38477e97d (scored 100) ## More playoff picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Dan "Buzz" Wilson on Philadelphia Eagles: Wilson argued the Eagles' offseason approach of prioritizing 2026 and beyond doesn't mean a bad 2025 — they expect them to remain among the NFC's best teams and to make a deep playoff run rather than fall off to eight or nine wins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/afce079c-b986-476b-a872-09905017fc6f (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on New Orleans Saints: Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4dc05898-73fd-4fcb-92c4-a940d7e395ba (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Minnesota Vikings: Eisen argues Ohio State will produce multiple top-10 picks — Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs — becoming the first school with three defensive players in the top 10, and that Styles will not be available at No. 12 to the Cowboys. He also thinks Fernando Mendoza is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and expects the Raiders to draft him, and picks Trey Lance over Anthony Richardson to start a game first, Micah Parsons to fetch a bigger trade return than Maxx Crosby, Kirk Cousins as the released QB most likely to reach the playoffs, and J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings' Week 1 starter. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/29ea2738-79a2-4be9-aa45-e794cd3848fb (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Carolina Panthers: Eisen forecast the Week 18 results and the entire wild-card field: Buccaneers over Panthers but Carolina still gets in as the 5 seed when Atlanta beats New Orleans, 49ers over Seahawks, Ravens over Steelers, Jaguars beating Tennessee to win the AFC South, and six wild-card matchups (Seahawks-Panthers, Bills-Jaguars, Texans-Ravens, Packers-Bears, Chargers-Patriots, Rams-Eagles), with Houston upsetting Baltimore. They also tabbed Saints rookie Tyler Shough as a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/34345186-876a-4c4b-9567-9c289a6cbace (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Pittsburgh Steelers: Brockman argued the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Foxborough, meaning the Patriots will finish as the No. 1 seed, and called their shot that the Chargers beat Denver in Week 18. They also declared the Bears a team of destiny who will win the NFC, said the Steelers will end their playoff win drought, and that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7792215a-c787-44bd-b294-5ff028851d30 (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Green Bay Packers: Eisen agreed the Bears are a team of destiny who will win the NFC, insisted the Packers will make the playoffs and won't lose at home to the Ravens, said the Steelers should make the playoffs, and endorsed the view that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1f7633c5-427b-4993-8849-3f53865241bd (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=carter-bahns