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Kickoff

Football superfans from Alice Cooper and Melissa Etheridge to Breland and Bret Michaels predict how their favorite teams will fare

September 9, 2026

Now that your favorite team has wrapped its preseason mostly unscathed from a devastating injury, and your fantasy football roster is primed for victory, it’s time for the actual games to begin. So, are you ready for some football? These 26 gridiron-savvy artists are.

Ahead of the NFL 2026 season, which kicks off tonight in Seattle, we asked everyone from Michael Buble and Melissa Etheridge to Alice Cooper and Cage the Elephant — who will perform at the NFL’s Munich, Germany, game in November —  to predict how far their favorite team will go. The answers reflect a mix of home-team optimism and stark reality. But not many fans outside of the Pacific Northwest predicted the Seattle Seahawks would win their second Super Bowl title last year, and that’s why they play the games.

• Tim Commerford, Rage Against the Machine

  

  Team: Denver Broncos
  Prediction: Wake up! The Broncos are raging and will be killing fools! We all know we were a broken ankle away from the show last year. Bo Nix is a beast! The defensive line and offensive line are bar none! The defensive secondary, led by PS2, is the best in the league! The receiver room and running backs are also fire! We will get 70-plus sacks this year regardless of who gets suspended. Inside linebacker and tight end are my only question marks.

  The first seven games are a gauntlet for sure, but if we are a .500 team after those games, you better look out! I think we win the AFC West division with a 12-5 record and a Super Bowl run. Go Broncos!

• Matt Shultz, Cage the Elephant

  

  Team: Detroit Lions
  Prediction: Detroit is going on year two without Ben Johnson, which could prove to be a real test. With that though, we do have Jahmyr Gibbs — undoubtedly one of the best backs in the league — and of course Jared Goff at the helm. That’s a lot to lean on. 

  It’s no secret, NFC North might be the toughest division in the NFL: Green Bay and Minnesota are both loaded on offense. And of course Chicago coming off of an insane season last year. Detroit’s been the North’s powerhouse in recent years, but I think stepping back up to dominate, is obviously going to come down to defense — if that holds up, I think the division is theirs. 

  I could see the Lions easily going 11-6 this season and making a serious playoff run.

• Darius Rucker

  

  Team: Miami Dolphins
  Prediction: It’s going to be a real down year. But I’m still thinking Super Bowl. 7-10.

• Patrick Carney, the Black Keys

  

  Team: Cleveland Browns
  Prediction: I think they have a relatively easy schedule this year, but with no clear quarterback, really it’s totally up in the air as usual for Cleveland. I’m gonna be a true Cleveland sports fan and have some faith they can go 9-8.
  

• Melissa Etheridge

  

  Team: Kansas City Chiefs
  Prediction: Chiefs go 11-6, make the playoffs, beat the Broncos in the championship game, and play the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl! They win it by 2 points: 28-26.

• Michael Buble

  

  Team: Seattle Seahawks
  Prediction: I’m going with 12–5. They’re the defending champs, and the defense is nasty. I’m gonna miss [Kenneth] Walker, but I think Mike Macdonald has built something that’s going to last. Also, I’m from Vancouver, so geographically and emotionally I’m probably not an impartial witness.
  

• Rhett Miller, Old 97’s

  

  Team: Dallas Cowboys
  Prediction: [Rhett Miller’s Dallas Cowboys 2026 Season Prediction by a 7th-generation Texan and Lifelong Cowboy Fan Rhett Miller: An Essay.]

  When will Jerry Jones, The Owner, fire Jerry Jones, The General Manager?

  This is the question we ask ourselves year after year. No scandal can oust him from his perch atop the Cowboys’ totem pole. No amount of failure, and he has accumulated a significant amount, can shake his belief in himself as the consummate “football man.” So, yes, I just completed my annual reread of Craig Miller’s Guide to Never Again Buying Into the Cowboys By Craig Miller (yup, he put his name in the title twice because it’s a pretend book, BUT IT’S A REAL ISSUE), and as always I find myself buying into the Cowboys anyway.

  I like Brian Schottenheimer despite people’s universal insistence on calling him Shotty. His offense last year kicked a lot of ass. The D? Not so much. But the Christian Parker Defensive Shift is Underway and The Dallas Defense Finally Has Their War Daddy (both of these are titles of Substack essays by my buddy Bob Sturm, who’s the final word in Cowboys coverage), so to quote the title of the 1998 Sandra Bullock vehicle (which features the Old 97’s song “Jagged”), Hope Floats. But does it float like a mighty warship or a lowly turd?

  Do y’all remember that the Cowboys went 7-9-AND ONE last season? They tied the Green Bay Packers in a 40-40 game. A scorigami! That’s a sign of a team that’s cursed. Again, I’m looking at you, Jerry.

  But. But! 

  I can’t help but agree with Old 97’s lead guitarist Ken Bethea, who just emerged from his bunk on our tour bus and announced, “Cowboys are gonna win the fucking Super Bowl!”

  So there you have it. The Cowboys are gonna win the fucking Super Bowl.

• Alice Cooper

  

  Team: Detroit Lions
  Prediction: The Detroit Lions did something very smart during the draft. They picked up three or four, maybe five defensive players. Jared Goff is one of the most accurate passers in all of football. Everybody knows that. He’s got receivers. If you give any quarterback of that caliber an extra second, he’s going to pick you apart. So I think they did very, very well in what they did.

  I will predict that they are in the playoffs. I don’t know if they can go all the way. That’s going to depend on the team’s momentum. I love the coach. Somebody once said that Dan Campbell is the only guy who could walk into a prison cafeteria and feel right at home. The players play for him; they love him. It’s about time Detroit showed some muscle and won. I predict they will be 11-6. 
  

• Julia Steiner, Ratboys

  

  Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
  Prediction: My expectations are pretty low entering the season, but I’m hopeful that Mike McCarthy can tease some swan song magic out of Aaron Rodgers and his offense to help us compete for the division. Or if Rodgers gets injured, hopefully we’ll find that we have something in (Browns fan) Drew Allar or Will Howard. I’m excited about our rookie class (especially Germie Bernard and Eli Heidenreich), and hopefully some fresh coaching on the defensive side will inspire our vets. Excited to watch Coach T in the booth on Sunday Nights as well, especially Week 10 when the Steelers take on the Bungles in Cincy!
  

• Zach Lind, Jimmy Eat World

  

  Team: Arizona Cardinals
  Prediction: 4-13. This will be a rebuilding year for the Cards. I think their offense will be better than people are expecting, but the defense needs to prove itself before we can expect more Ws in the win column.

• Butch Vig, Garbage

  

  Team: Green Bay Packers
  Prediction: The Packers are going to score some points this year. Jordan Love is really going to hit his stride as an elite QB. But the Pack D is a question mark, especially with Micah Parsons sitting out the first half of the season, and the Pack has one of the hardest schedules in the NFL; three of the first four games are on the road. Packers end up 10-7. They make the playoffs as a Wild Card but are one-and-done. 
  

• Breland

  

  Team: Philadelphia Eagles
  Prediction: I think the Eagles go 11-6 this season. We’ve got some potentially tough matchups in the division against what I imagine will be much-improved versions of the Giants and Commanders, but I think we go 4-2 overall in the NFC East. I think we take three of our four games against the AFC South, and maybe we lose two games to the NFC West teams, who are always a threat for the conference title. I always like to leave a little margin for error in case someone is injured, or we just have a tough game, but overall I like us winning at least 10 and taking the division title again. I’d imagine our defense is similarly stout as they were last year, but the offense should take a step forward with Sean Mannion calling plays and a deep wide receiver room, even in AJ Brown’s absence. Super excited for the season. 
  

• Scott Ian, Anthrax

  

  Team: New York Giants
  Prediction: I’ve been a New York Giants fan since I was a kid, and it’s been really tough to be a Giants fan for a long time. As bad as the Giants are doing, last year kind of gave me some hope. It felt like a transitional year. I’m not saying the Giants are winning it this year, but I think they’re gonna do better than people think. They could go 10-7, and maybe I’m crazy thinking that, but there’s an outside chance the Giants make the playoffs.
  

• Nathan Followill, Kings of Leon

  

  Team: Detroit Lions
  Prediction: The Lions will go 14-3. Jahmyr Gibbs is going to go off now that he’s not splitting time with [David] Montgomery. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league and should have an All-Pro season. The sky’s the limit!

• Bret Michaels, Poison

  

  Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
  Prediction: As the season is upon us, my never-ending love of the Pittsburgh Steelers is undeniable. I AM FIRED UP TO ROCK THIS NFL SEASON!!!

  The Steelers have been an inspiration in my personal and professional life from then till now, and as a lifelong diabetic, they have inspired me in so many ways, especially this year, being able to live a bucket list dream come true by musically headlining the 2026 draft in Pittsburgh, PA, with my good friend Wiz Khalifa. 

  So as always my prediction will stand for a winning season with the offense, the defense, special teams, and coaches firing on all cylinders. And also as a Steeler Yinzer fan having the teams back and taking a leap of faith as we step into a new head coach with my good friend Mike(Never A Losing Season) Tomlin departs us and welcoming home coach Mike (McAwesome) McCarthy back to The ‘Burgh. 

  And rocking our opponents each and every game with hard-nosed, smash-mouth football, as all fans know, no matter who’s your team, you gotta believe to receive, so let the season begin! Go Steelers!

• Kane Brown

  

  Team: Kansas City Chiefs
  Prediction: I think they’ll go 13-4 in the regular season before heading to the playoffs. Their season will be incredible because of QB Patrick Mahomes, who is going to have an incredible season. Plus, tight end Travis Kelce is now married and happy and bigger and stronger and ready to roll over anybody that gets in his way.

• Soup, Jurassic 5

  

  Team: Dallas Cowboys
  Prediction: We’re looking at 8-10 wins this season. The biggest question mark and telltale sign (as usual) will be the defensive side of the ball; it seems like every two to three years we’re plugging holes on defense.  

  With this new young(er) DC, maybe that’ll inject life into these guys, and they’ll run through a brick wall for him, but only time will tell. And then there’s George Pickens, who I hope will really give effort, despite not having that extension.   

  But hey, these are my Cowboys, and easy has never been their forte. We shall see!

• Raphael Saadiq

  

  Team: Las Vegas Raiders
  Prediction: I’m betting on the Raiders to win over eight games and earn a Wild Card spot. I think the Raiders will make the playoffs and put together a strong season.

• Billy Morrison

  

  Team: Las Vegas Raiders
  Prediction: I would rate it as mediocre to acceptable this year, given that it was atrocious last year. I think we picked up a great draft pick in Fernando Mendoza. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I think Tom Brady doesn’t touch things that aren’t successful, and given a three-to-five-year trajectory, we stand a chance of turning everything around. It can’t get any worse. It seemed like we had the janitor playing QB for us at some point. It seemed like the groundsman would have done a better job, because we just couldn’t hold on to it. It was crazy, but I do believe it’s the start of a turnaround.
  

• Aidan Noell, Nation of Language 

  

  Team: Kansas City Chiefs
  Prediction: 12-5. With the new running back (Kenneth Walker), a healthy Mahomes, and the return of Eric Bieniemy, we’re looking strong offensively. I trust in Spags to take care of the rest.

• Steve Gorman, Howl Owl Howl, the Black Crowes

  

  Team: Tennessee Titans
  Prediction: 4-13 because we don’t have the guts to go 0-17. Another season of fans continually starting conversations with, “Yeah, sure…Bud Adams was truly shithouse crazy, but at least….”

• Dave Hause, Dave Hause and the Mermaid

  

  Team: Philadelphia Eagles
  Prediction: 12-5. The Eagles are going back to the fucking Super Bowl, baby! GO BIRDS!

• Benny Horowitz, Gaslight Anthem

  

  Team: New York Giants
  Prediction: 8-9. To be clear, the eight wins are no indication of my excitement about this roster, the new staff, and the future goggles on. But, with the offense hinging on four players in Dart, Nabers, Skattebo, and Andrew Thomas, it leaves me with a “see it to believe it” feeling. I like the additions surrounding them, but until consistent health allows these four to play together and get some track record, I don’t fully believe it.  

  The defense is in a similar spot. Fun, young players all over the field (Reese will make Pro Bowls), but…can they play together, and can they stop the run? Still to be seen. I predict having a heck of a time watching this team with a couple of big-time highs, but a more reasonable finish in mind.

• Andy Biersack, Black Veil Brides

  

  Team: Cincinnati Bengals
  Prediction: 13-4. AFC North champs; we will see where it goes from there. Every year I’ve done this, I’ve been pessimistic and downtrodden about our possibilities, and 35 years as a Bengals fan have backed up that pessimism, but this year, maybe insanely, I am choosing to be a hyped-up, excited fan who is hopeful about good things. WHODEY!

• Emily Nenni

  

  Team: San Francisco 49ers
  Prediction: As a Bay Area gal it pains me to say the Rams and Seahawks are gonna be really good in the NFC. They also happen to be in the same division as the 49ers, so it will be tough. The Ravens and Bills will be good in the AFC.

  Super Bowl pick: Rams vs. Bills. Bills win the Super Bowl. But obviously my heart says 49ers vs. Bills, and the 49ers win the Super Bowl.

• Pharoahe Monch

  

  Team: New York Giants
  Prediction: 9-8. I think we take a giant leap forward this season. Pun intended. Having a run-centric offense will lead to fewer turnovers and more manageable games heading into the fourth quarter. Getting better at the small things, like kicking and special teams, will lead to positive results in close games.

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