Rich Breaks Down How the NFC South Could Play Out in the 2026 NFL Season

Rich worked through the NFC South on The Rich Eisen Show and arrived somewhere unexpected. The division, he kept saying, is sneaky good.

The argument started with the New Orleans Saints. Rich and the show ran the depth chart out loud. Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara potentially in the same backfield. Tyler Shough at quarterback heading into year two. Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Noah Fant, and rookies Jordyn Tyson and Oscar Delp. If Shough keeps climbing the way he did at the end of last season, that offense could be more than respectable.

The Kamara variable still hangs over the room. Trading him before June 1 costs the Saints roughly seven to nine million in cap space. After June 1 the savings are minor, under a million bucks. The show acknowledged he might still get moved. Plenty of teams would want a two-way back if he is still the Alvin Kamara everyone remembers.

Then Rich pushed the conversation higher. He had picked the Saints to land outside the top half of the draft on Overreaction Monday. The show called it. For a division where 8-9 used to win it, Rich said double digits will be the bar this year.

Carolina drew a long defense. The Panthers crushed free agency, added Jaelan Phillips, used the 19th overall pick on offensive lineman Monroe Freeling, and have now spent first-round picks on offensive players in five straight drafts. Their first two picks both cleared 6-3 and 315 pounds. Bryce Young's late-season run with Coker on fire was real. Vegas put the Panthers at 6.5 wins. The show called it disrespect and took the over.

Atlanta came up next. The James Pearce news complicates the rookie picture, though it sounds like he plays. The Falcons added cornerback Avieon Terrell, brother of A.J., and wide receiver Zachariah Branch out of Georgia. The pick that matters most is at quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa landing in Atlanta is a Baker Mayfield type of restart in Rich's read. Indoors in Atlanta, indoors in New Orleans, Tampa as a third trip, and a manageable cold-weather slate. The hardest weather game on the schedule might be a road trip to Carolina in November or December. Rich kept noting it. Compare that to flying out of Miami to play New England, the Jets and Buffalo in winter. Three potential losses gone.

Vegas put the Falcons at 7.5. Rich went over.

Tampa Bay sat at 8.5. Rich called it silly to have Tampa that high relative to the rest of the division and went over there too. Three overs in the South.

The Saints sat at 7.5. That one Rich went under, with an honest caveat. He thinks New Orleans is still building.

The show noted the Falcons' coldest road game is at Green Bay. If that lands in September or early October, it has Thursday or Monday night written all over it. Tua versus Jordan Love. Two storylines. One nationally televised game. Rich liked the smell of it.

Baker Mayfield news closed the segment. He and his wife welcomed their second child, a son named Krew, spelled K-R-E-W. Congratulations from the show.