Nate Tice: The NFL Trends That Will Define 2026

Nate Tice joins Steve Palazzolo to map where the NFL is actually heading: lighter, smarter defenses that have decided to dare you to throw short, and the offenses trying to punch back over the top. They get into why post-snap disguise replaced Belichick man coverage, whether the "copycat league" label holds up, the real value of a blocking tight end, the tempo counter nobody's running yet, and the decade's biggest question: how Mahomes, Allen and Lamar age once the legs go. Plus a hard look at late-career Aaron Rodgers, why Nate buys quarterbacks at their lowest, a full Arch Manning scouting report, and the case that CJ Stroud is back. 00:00 Intro 02:59 Why NFL defenses are better than they've ever been 06:14 Less Belichick man, more Fangio: how we got here 13:24 The copycat league, blocking TEs and 13 personnel 28:00 Where the NFL goes in 2026: attack over the top 33:02 Tempo, and who holds the pen last 44:10 Why elite QBs are impossible to predict 50:00 How Mahomes, Allen and Lamar age 01:01:52 The Aaron Rodgers reckoning 01:11:09 Buying quarterbacks at their worst 01:21:19 The Arch Manning scouting report 01:30:14 Is CJ Stroud back? Check the Mic w/ Steve & Sam is presented by FanDuel. Thanks to our sponsors! Visit https://www.FanDuel.com/33rd to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Contact harrison@the33rdteam.com for sponsorship opportunities. ⁠Get your Check the Mic mugs & merch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Discord server!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hang out & enjoy free voice and text chat. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Check the Mic on X.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Sam Monson ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Steve Palazzolo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices