Superstars may lead the discussion when it comes to success in the NFL, but more often than not, it’s the guys you barely know who will make the plays needed when they’re needed. Such players can be underrated for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps they’re playing in a smaller market, and the media isn’t appropriately trumpeting their exploits. Maybe they’re hidden in a depth chart behind bigger names who may not be doing as much. Or, it’s always possible that a wayward coach hasn’t quite figured out that one guy needs elevation to bring better results to the team.

Whatever the reason, we at SB Nation always like to bring the underrated names to you with the offseason Hidden Gems and in-season Secret Superstars series.

And with that in mind, here are our NFC Secret Superstars for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. And if you haven’t yet, download the new SB Nation app, so you can better read and comment on our stuff wherever you are!

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has never received the credit he deserves for designing one of the best and most diverse run games in the NFL.

This was the case when David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were running wild with Johnson as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator in 2022 through 2024, and it’s the case now. Everybody wants to talk about Caleb Williams’ explosive passing plays and overall development, and that’s understood, but Johnson is right up there with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay and whoever else as a run game genius, and that was never more apparent than in Chicago’s 59-37 demolition of the Carolina Panthers’ defense in Week 1.

Not only did the Bears set a franchise record for the most points ever in a season opener — pretty impressive when your franchise has been around in one form or another since 1920 — but they also participated in the highest-scoring Week 1 game in pro football history. Yes, Williams was impressive through the air, completing 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 124.1.

All well and good, but it was the Bears’ run game that gave the Panthers fits, with 39 carries for 291 yards (7.5 yards per carry), and SIX rushing touchdowns. D’Andre Swift was the main man with 18 carries for 129 yards and three scores, but in terms of explosiveness, it was second-year man Kyle Monangai who really set the tone. He gained 100 yards on 10 carries, and averaged an amazing 8.4 yards after contact. Most of that came on his 61-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, but you could see it all over the tape.

The ways in which tight end Cole Kmet, as well as receivers Jahdae Walker and Luther Burden III, blocked on the play told you everything you need to know about how much everybody in the building values that run game.

“I saw Jahdae chasing down and making sure that wasn’t just a big play, but a touchdown,” Raymond said postgame. “I mean, it’s a huge play for Kyle, but Jahdae’s out there taking guys to make sure it happens. I mean, it goes from a big play, a first down to a touchdown. That’s a testament to the guys blocking. I think Lu had a big block too … so just all the stuff working together, and that’s what you want, especially for the backs we have.”

And the schemes they have. Bears opponents already know what others are just waking up to realize — that Ben Johnson would be noteworthy if all he did was to design the ground game.

Last season, the 49ers’ pass rush splits with and without Nick Bosa, who missed the last 14 games of the 2025 regular season with a torn ACL were about what you’d expect.

Per Sumer Sports:

With Bosa on the field (65 opposing dropbacks faced):

With Bosa off the field (569 opposing dropbacks faced):

This wasn’t just a testament to Bosa’s greatness; it was also an unfortunate statement about the rest of that defensive line. Bryce Huff led the team with five sacks and 46 total pressures, and only Huff and fellow edge defender Sam Okuayinonu had more than 30 total pressures. San Francisco’s interior defensive line was especially problematic from a pass rush perspective — Jordan Elliott, Alfred Collins, CJ West, Kalia Davis, and Kevin Givens combined for four sacks and 55 pressures, and when the entire guts of your pass rush is that light, it’s a severe problem.

Which is why in March, the 49ers traded a 2026 draft pick for ex-Dallas Cowboys interior disruptor Osa Odighizuwa and the four-year, $80 million contract he signed in 2025. Odighizuwa is a relative bargain on a $5.122 million cap hit in 2026, but the obligations shoot up to $23.407 million in both 2027 and 2028 if he’s still on the roster.

Based on what the 6’2”, 280-pound Odighizuwa did in his 49ers debut as his new team clocked the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in Melbourne, Australia, there shouldn’t be any worries about his ability to live up to the deal. Odighizuwa has generally been more of a guy who racks up pressures than sacks — he had three takedowns and 52 pressures last season for Dallas’ abysmal defense — and that played out against the Rams. While Odighizuwa didn’t have a sack, all five of his quarterback pressures resulted directly in Matthew Stafford incompletions.

If you had a cornerback who could guarantee an o-fer from the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player every time he was involved in a play, that would be pretty nice, no? In this case, it was Osa Odighizuwa’s ability to blow stuff up along multiple gaps that really stood out, as long as you were paying attention to more than just sack totals.

How often does a special teams play go viral?

Well, one did on Sunday.

With 8:57 left in the first half of the Washington Commanders’ eventual 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington punted to Philly on fourth-and-18 from its own 19-yard line. That gave Commanders safety Tyler Owens the opportunity to blast through a double team “vice” consisting of receiver Darius Cooper and cornerback Jonathan Jones, and absolutely blast return man Michael Carter II on a 12-yard return.

It was a heroic effort, and Commanders head coach Dan Quinn had quite a bit to say about it on Monday.

“I didn’t see the start of it on the field,” Quinn recalled. “Might have caught like the corner where he beat the vice to go down the field, but I did see the tackle. And he had actually made a play earlier on punt as well where he had a tackle in a similar spot where he had beat a vice and went all the way inside. So, that’s the mark of a good gunner when they’re trying to vice you.

“It was one of the proudest plays for me of him, though. He’s a guy who’s speed and strain is always there, but to see that one come together, it was just awesome. And it was so him, like, ‘Oh, thanks, man. That’s what I do. ’ You know, like it was like no big deal. And you’re like, ‘Man, this is a really big deal. ’ It was a really cool play, and I got to see it probably like everybody else did from the network feed afterwards. And it was one of my favorite plays in a long time on special teams for sure.”

Owens did indeed have a similar play earlier in the game. With 7:42 left in the first quarter, the Commanders punted on fourth-and-10 from their own six-yard line, and this time, Owens went around the vice to stop returner Britain Covey for a one-yard loss.

Everybody loved what the 2024 undrafted free agent defensive back from Texas Tech did.

Owens has just 67 regular-season defensive snaps in his NFL career, but if he keeps dominating on special teams like this, he will absolutely stick and stay as a crucial part of Washington’s roster.