Tom Pelissero#5 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 4, 2026
Pelicero expects Christian Gonzalez to eventually sign their extension with New England, thinks CJ Stroud may end up playing out their contract without a new deal, believes Patrick Mahomes will be on the field for the Chiefs' week one opener, and named Seattle, Minnesota and Washington as teams being overlooked that will be in the mix.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Tom Pelissero said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromI think that Seattle isn't being talked about enough even though contextually, I understand why.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 1: Top 5 Things that would shock Rich if they Happen in the 2026 NFL Season, The Ringer NFL Insider Tom Pelissero
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Washington Commanders to beat expectations“I just wouldn't be surprised if we're talking in the opening weeks of the season like, oh, yeah... maybe this Washington team, we've we've overlooked the entire off season.”
- 2Christian Gonzalez to become the highest-paid at his position“I think it gets done, but I also thought that it was gonna get done over the past several weeks.”
- 3Seattle Seahawks to beat expectations“I I think the Seahawks, Rich, have a potential to be better this season... I think that Seattle isn't being talked about enough”
- 4C.J. Stroud to play out his deal with no new contract“they may be in a situation, barring a significant move here, where he ends up playing this thing out”
- 5Patrick Mahomes to be 1st on the depth chart“Signs are pointing toward Patrick Mahomes being out there... if he's on the field, he's out there not because they think he's 85%.”
- 6Minnesota Vikings to beat expectations“nobody is talking about Minnesota as even being a factor... I think that they're a team that's gonna be in the mix”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Commanders to beat expectations1 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Christian Gonzalez to become the highest-paid at his position2 | Contract Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Seattle Seahawks to beat expectations3 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| C.J. Stroud to play out his deal with no new contract4 | Contract Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Patrick Mahomes to be 1st on the depth chart5 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Minnesota Vikings to beat expectations6 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 6 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
6 checkable claims — 3 surprise team calls, 2 contract calls and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 9 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.
1Surprise Team CallsWashington Commanders
Washington Commanders to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Contract CallsChristian GonzalezNew England Patriots
Christian Gonzalez to become the highest-paid at his position
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Surprise Team CallsSeattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Contract CallsC.J. StroudHouston Texans
C.J. Stroud to play out his deal with no new contract
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Depth Chart CallsPatrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Surprise Team CallsMinnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot 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.Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 95
Dajani picks the Commanders to edge the Giants 21-20 on Thursday and the Chiefs to beat the Falcons 26-20 in Week 10.Tyler Sullivan · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Sullivan takes the Commanders 24-21 over the Giants on Thursday night and calls for a Steelers upset of the Bengals, 27-24, in Week 10.John Breech · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 90
Breech picks the Commanders to upset the Giants on Thursday night, 24-17, and takes the Texans to beat the Browns 24-16 in Week 10 behind a pass rush that should batter Deshaun Watson.Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 95
Dajani picked seven Week 10 games with final scores, including a Commanders upset of the Giants, Lions over the Patriots in Munich, Chiefs over the Falcons, Packers edging the Vikings, 49ers over the Cowboys, Bengals over the Steelers and Ravens over the Chargers. They also suggested Joe Burrow could win MVP this season.Eva Geitheim · Game Outcome Picks · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Geitheim picked the Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Vikings, Jaguars, Colts, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.
More surprise team calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Dan Orlovsky · Surprise Team Calls · Detroit Lions · Waiting
Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward.Bill Simmons · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch.Danny Kelly · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA.Jordan Dajani · Surprise Team Calls · Pittsburgh Steelers · Waiting
Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper.