2026 NFL season X factors: Key players for all 32 teams - ESPN

The NFL season is but five days away — we've almost made it! And as such, we've almost talked about these NFL teams and previewed this NFL season in as many ways as we can. Almost.

Today, I have for you my yearly look at 32 X factors — one for each team. X factor players, as I understand them, are players who can dramatically swing the season with their individual play. A helpful way of defining an X factor is «if this team has a surprisingly great year, I'm certain that this one player had a great season.» X factors are the straw in the wind — the way they bend is the way everything will go.

Last year's X factors featured Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III (Super Bowl MVP, I dunno if you heard), Cowboys WR George Pickens and Patriots WR Stefon Diggs. It's not just the good ones who are winners, unfortunately. Bills WR Keon Coleman, Steelers OT Broderick Jones and Buccaneers LB SirVocea Dennis were also key X factors… whose season went the wrong way.

Finding an X factor for each team is as much about what they aren't as what they are. Here are my self-imposed X factor restrictions, which force us to talk about players who we wouldn't otherwise touch on in such detail.

No quarterbacks. Obviously, an elite season at quarterback will have a bigger impact on the team than any other position. Same with a disastrous one. Some quarterback X factors are certainly bigger than others (What if Kyler Murray is lights-out in Minnesota? What if Bryce Young falls apart in Carolina?). But all quarterbacks are huge factors. Which means none of them made this list.

No coaches. See above quarterback explanation. All coaches are X factors, so we're not going to talk about them here.

No rookies. Every team will experience a huge and surprising