In a week and a day, the NFL regular season is back.

Phew. We can hardly wait any longer!

The return begs many questions, one of which The Athletic's Mike Jones recently attempted to answer: Who are some of the most intriguing figures across the league for the 2026 season?

Jones took a stab at picking 26 individuals whom "cast longer shadows and own brighter stars."

His assessment begins with three quarterbacks: Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers and Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield. The first has "already accomplished everything there is to accomplish in this league," said Jones. Except, Mahomes "has never had to deal with serious injury, but now as he enters Year 10, he's working to both complete a full recovery from a torn ACL and put the Chiefs back among the ranks of the NFL's elite." So, there's definitely intrigue.

There is too for Rodgers, who proclaimed this as his final season and reunited with former Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy; and for Mayfield, a gritty player who placed 11^th in MVP voting in 2024.

Seven other quarterbacks entered Jones' chat, including new Vikings starter Kyler Murray at No. 15.

Jones wrote the following of the two-time Pro Bowl selection:

"After [falling short] to live up to potential with the Arizona Cardinals, who took him No. 1 in 2019, Murray receives a fresh start in Minnesota, where he will find himself surrounded by the best supporting cast he has ever worked with in the pros. [Head] Coach Kevin O'Connell has played a role in the career resurrections of both [Sam] Darnold (FYI, No. 13 on Jones' list) and Daniel Jones, and now he'll attempt to do the same with Murray, who beat out J.J. McCarthy midway through training camp. Murray's athleticism should add another dimension to Minnesota's offense, but he'll have to stay healthy — something that proved challenging in Arizona — for the Vikings to contend."

For what it's worth, there are two other NFC North entries on Jones' list: Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs (one of two running backs) at 20, plus Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson (one of eight head coaches) at 24.

Click here to read Jones' full ranking of intriguing figures.

Fraternity of fullbacks

Eleven rookies made Minnesota's initial 53-man roster Sunday, and 10 remain after undrafted wide receiver Dillon Bell was waived Monday. One of them is anticipated to instantly impact the offense.

Max Bredeson. At a position that's been somewhat abandoned. Fullback.

Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune on Tuesday detailed how the fifth-round rookie from Michigan is the earliest-selected player at his position (159^th overall) since the New York Giants picked former Alabama FB Jalston Fowler with the 108^th choice in 2015.

Note: Indiana product Riley Nowakowski was listed as a TE by NFL.com in the pre-draft process, but the Steelers are rostering him as a fullback. Nowakowski was drafted 10 slots after Bredeson at 169.

In Krammer's article, he points out Bredeson is the next in line in Minnesota's strong fraternity of fullbacks that includes Pro Bowlers Jerome Felton and C.J. Ham; each one thrived before him.

Krammer shared some of the historical trends of the position that has faded but is not extinct:

NFL fullback usage has plummeted from its heyday that extended into the 2000s; 26 fullbacks started at least six games during the 2000 season, per Pro Football Reference.

Fullbacks remained prominent into 2012, when Felton was named to the Pro Bowl while blocking for Adrian Peterson's MVP season in Minnesota; that season, 16 teams — or half the league — used a fullback for at least 75 snaps.

Over the past decade, only about 10 teams per season have deployed a fullback for at least 75 snaps.

Bredeson, however, has a significant role in store for him that will be integral to the Vikings reshaped run game and influenced by new Assistant Head Coach Frank Smith, who in four seasons as Miami's offensive coordinator utilized former Dolphins FB Alec Ingold on 23.2 snaps per game.

Here is Krammer’s article, which features insights from former Baltimore FB Lucas Scott, who was waived Saturday but offered good perspective while he was part of Vikings-Ravens joint practices.

View the Vikings 2026 Schedule.

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See more about the 2028 NFL Draft in Minnesota.