From now until the regular season kicks off between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, there are going to be countless predictions made across the league with various topics. It could be free agent signings leading up to the season, possible trades, taking guesses at who will win division titles, and there may even be some Super Bowl predictions.
Depending on how the Buffalo Bills come out of the gate to open their season, they could very well be involved with some predictions (specifically who they could add to the roster at the trade deadline).
However, predictions can affect a team both directly and indirectly and some scenarios tend to get overlooked. Well, there is one specific prediction that Ben Solak from ESPN is predicting for the 2026 season that involves a December opponent for the Bills.
Early 2026 prediction would give Bills major trouble against NFC opponent late in the season
One of Solak’s predictions is the Chicago Bears trading for Indianapolis Colts running back, Jonathan Taylor, who has been one of the best backs in football since being drafted. He has rushed for 1,100+ yards in four of his six seasons in the league which includes 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.
"If the Colts come out of the gates slow and consider an organizational change midseason, then Taylor surely would draw trade interest. His start to 2025 proved he still has "best RB in the league" potential left in his legs, especially if his total touches are more carefully managed. A playoff-aspiring team that has viable change-of-pace backs but no dominant starter would love to grab Taylor for a one-year rental." said Solak.
"The Bears make perfect sense. D'Andre Swift had a strong 2025 season, but he has not been reliable and has dealt with injuries for much of his career. Kyle Monangai is a likable thumper but not for more than 10 or so carries per game. If the Bears' offense coalesces into a top-five unit -- certainly possible given how they finished the 2025 season -- the team might be fishing at the deadline for a field-tipping running back to give it an additional edge." Solak added.
Now, this may not seem like a big deal to Bills fans right off the bat, but the Bills will be hosting the Bears on December 19th which is when the playoff race really kicks into gear for teams that are looking to clinch a spot. If the Bears were to acquire Taylor, it would have to be before the trade deadline which means that Buffalo would then have to gameplan for Taylor in that Chicago offense.
Even though the Bills cannot control what other teams do, they better hope that their late season opponents don’t improve to give Buffalo trouble late in the season when it is crucial the most.
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