NFL Trade Deadline Results: Burrow MVP Favorite, Playoff Projections
CBS Sports analysts project the Bills and 49ers as top contenders while Joe Burrow leads the midseason MVP vote.
By Mia Bennett ·
The trade deadline has passed for the 2026 NFL season, and the landscape for the postseason is solidifying. CBS Sports analysts released midseason predictions and playoff projections on Thursday, offering a snapshot of where teams stand heading into Week 10. The data suggests a tight race in both conferences, with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers positioned as top contenders.
Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals is the clear frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award. In a vote among 15 CBS Sports writers, Burrow received 11 of the 15 first-place ballots. Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars finished second with two votes. Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers and Brock Purdy of the 49ers tied for third with one vote each. This margin is the closest to a unanimous result among all major award categories this season.
The voting for other major awards shows more fragmentation. Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks leads the Offensive Player of the Year race with six votes. Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions and Kenneth Walker of the Kansas City Chiefs are tied for second with four votes each. Denzel Boston of the Cleveland Browns is the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, securing seven first-place votes. Jonah Coleman of the Denver Broncos is second with three votes.
Coaching honors are also in play, with John Harbaugh of the New York Giants leading the Coach of the Year vote with seven selections. Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers is second with four votes, followed by Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears with two. The spread of votes indicates that the award could go to several different coaches as the season progresses.
The playoff projections, calculated by analytics expert Stephen Oh, show the Bills entering the postseason as the number one seed in the AFC. The Jaguars and Broncos are projected to win their respective divisions in the AFC. In the NFC, the 49ers and Bills are described as being on a collision course, though the specific NFC seed list was cut off in the report. The model simulates the remainder of the season to determine final standings.
Current records support these projections. The Bills hold a 7-1 record, while the Jaguars and Broncos are both 6-2. The Bengals and Chiefs also sit at 6-2. In the NFC, the Giants are 5-2-1, and the Washington Commanders are 2-5-1. The Commanders face the Giants on Thursday night in a game that could determine their playoff chances.
The Commanders and Giants previously tied in Week 5. That game ended with Washington in field goal range in overtime. Jayden Daniels did not spike the ball on the final play, allowing the clock to expire. The Commanders are currently three games behind the Giants in the NFC East. A loss on Thursday would likely end their playoff hopes.
Betting analysts have identified specific props for the upcoming games. Rachaad White of the Commanders is projected to exceed 54.5 combined rushing and receiving yards. White has surpassed this total in three consecutive games. Drew Stevens, the Commanders kicker, is favored to kick more than 4.5 points. Stevens has made at least two field goals in six of his last seven games. He is 12 for 12 from inside 50 yards this season.
