Nick Wright#49 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 4, 2026
Nick picked Chiefs rookie corner Mansoor Delaine as Defensive Rookie of the Year, Patrick Mahomes as MVP, and locked in a playoff field headlined by a Ravens-Chiefs AFC title game and a Seahawks-Eagles NFC title game, with Kansas City winning the Super Bowl over Philadelphia.
Said on air, transcribed by us · First Things First (podcast)Hear the original
What Nick Wright said
The Chiefs get back to their rightful place in the Super Bowl representing the AFC.
- Where it was said
- First Things First (podcast)
- The episode
- Super Bowl and MVP Predictions, Cowboys’ best chance to win a title, Matt Leinart joins
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Super Bowl Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Playoff Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Conference Champions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Surprise Team Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Division Winners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
How each call scored
15 checkable claims — 8 playoff picks, 2 award picks, 2 conference champions, 1 division winner, 1 super bowl pick and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
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 Picks2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Patrick Mahomes to win MVP
“Let's get right to it. Patrick Mahomes... So I'm gonna go with Patrick Mahomes.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Mansoor Delane to win Defensive Rookie of the Year
“Mansoor Delaine is my answer to this... And Mansoor Delaine is going to be outstanding”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Super Bowl Picks1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl
“And if there's gonna be a team of the decade, who's it gotta be? The Kansas City Chiefs.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Playoff Picks8 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs
“the Chiefs and the Ravens didn't make it last year”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs
“the Chiefs and the Ravens didn't make it last year”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Atlanta Falcons to make the playoffs
“Do we have a deep sleeper? Yeah. Yes. The Atlanta Falcons.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Detroit Lions to make the playoffs
“The Lions, the Bucs, and the Falcons didn't make it, so that's two per conference.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Philadelphia Eagles to make the playoffs
“In the NFC, I have the Seahawks hosting the Eagles.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs
“do I think there are seven teams in the AFC that are gonna have a better season than them? And my answer to that is unequivocally no.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the playoffs
“The Lions, the Bucs, and the Falcons didn't make it”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Seattle Seahawks to make the playoffs
“In the NFC, I have the Seahawks hosting the Eagles.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Conference Champions2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Kansas City Chiefs to reach the Super Bowl
“The Chiefs get back to their rightful place in the Super Bowl representing the AFC.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Philadelphia Eagles to reach the Super Bowl
“I feel like the city of Philadelphia is gonna do a lot of winning this year... Even though he's picking us to lose the Super Bowl.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Surprise Team Calls1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Atlanta Falcons to beat expectations
“Do we have a deep sleeper? Yeah. Yes. The Atlanta Falcons.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Division Winners1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Detroit Lions to win the division
“Do we have a worst to first? Sure do. Detroit Lions winning that division from worst place.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
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.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.Jordan Dajani · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
After reporting that Colts receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, they identify five clubs as plausible landing spots for them: the Rams, Patriots, Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders, and suggests Las Vegas could also give them a long-term extension.Mike Kadlick · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Kadlick names the Chiefs, Patriots and 49ers as the three best trade landing spots for Colts wide receiver Josh Downs ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
More playoff picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Ross Jackson · Playoff Picks · New Orleans Saints · Miss 0
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.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Minnesota Vikings · Miss 0
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.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Carolina Panthers · Hit 100
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.Chris Brockman · Playoff Picks · Pittsburgh Steelers · Hit 100
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.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
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.