These rankings are a bit of a combination of final rankings for 2025 & a look forward to 2026.

The Super Bowl champions & they should be the favorites for next season. The road won’t be easy, the NFC is stacked and their own division is a juggernaut, but the Seahawks have the pieces to repeat.

Two special teams blunders cost them the NFC title against Seattle or we could be talking about the Rams repeating. Stafford has already said he’ll be back, so LA is definitely a Super Bowl contender.

If only Bo Nix hadn’t gotten hurt. The Broncos defense makes them contenders and the return of Nix and some upgrades on offense could make Denver the favorites in the AFC.

Buffalo fired Sean McDermott after bowing out of the playoffs, yet again. It had to happen, the Bills had hit their ceiling under McDermott. They still have Josh Allen, if they get him some reliable receivers maybe Joe Brady can get them over the hump.

The Niners had a helluva season despite numerous injuries to top level players. Most of those guys should return for the start of 2026. San Francisco has the horses to challenge for the NFC title in 2026.

Year one of Ben Johnson was magical, but the flaws were evident in Chicago. Caleb Williams could be a legit MVP candidate in year two under Johnson & if they can improve the defense just to respectable, the Bears are contenders.

The Patriots made the Super Bowl & Drake Maye came in second in the MVP vote, but they were exposed in the Super Bowl. New England benefited from perhaps the easiest path to a Super Bowl, ever, and history has not been kind to Super Bowl runners up the following season.

The Texans have the defense to make noise in the AFC, but there are questions surrounding CJ Stroud and the offense. Was his phenomenal rookie season the outlier? Is he just a mid quarterback being carried by a top notch defense?

The Eagles made a change at offensive coordinator, which was necessary, the question is did they get the right guy? If they can fix the offense, Philly is right there with Seattle & LA as NFC favorites.

Jacksonville had a great run in 2025, but fell short against Buffalo in the playoffs. If they can build on the positives from this season, the Jaguars should be right in the mix in 2026.

The Chargers produced yet another dud in the playoffs, but they have the pieces to make another run next year. I love the addition of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.

The Packers started 2025 with Super Bowl dreams, only to be eliminated in the Wild Card round by their bitter rivals, the Chicago Bears. They lost their defensive coordinator and some key pieces are coming off injury, while others are likely departing in free agency. Can they overtake Chicago or hold off Detroit in a tough NFC North?

I’m not sure that moving on from John Harbaugh was the right move, but the fact is the Ravens are too talented to have missed the playoffs. I like the hire of Jesse Minter and if Lamar Jackson bounces back, Baltimore is a legit threat in the AFC.

The Lions also have way too much talent to have missed the playoffs. Was it really all due to losing both their coordinators from 2024? I have to expect a bounce back in 2026.

The Falcons were probably the best team in the NFC South at the end of the season, unfortunately their early season inconsistency doomed them to an early offseason. I think Kevin Stefanski is the perfect head coach for this team. They have question marks, do they re-sign Kyle Pitts? Is Michael Penix Jr the answer at quarterback, and will he be ready for the start of the season?

The Cowboys have an offense that can go toe to toe with anyone, but their defense needs serious work. Firing defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was step one. Can Dallas fix their defense enough to contend in a stacked NFC?

The Chiefs championship window is closed, but they can still be a playoff contender. How much time will Mahomes miss? Will Travis Kelce return? Can they get some young talent in to replace the aging stars?

The Panthers won the NFC South, albeit with a losing record, and they played the Rams tough in the playoffs. Carolina needs to find more consistency to take the next step.

Despite the ups and downs of their 2025 season, the Vikings managed a winning record. Can JJ McCarthy make enough progress to get Minnesota into playoff contention?

If the Bengals can keep Joe Burrow healthy for a full season, they have the firepower to contend for a playoff spot. Cincinnati will ultimately go as far as their atrocious defense will allow them.

The Buccaneers lost their grip on the NFC South and it feels like the bottom is about to drop out of this ship. The roster is aging and the rest of the division is getting better.

The Steelers were willed to the playoffs by Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers. Tomlin is gone and Rodgers almost surely is. Pittsburgh has no answer at quarterback and an overpriced and underperforming defense. New head coach Mike McCarthy has never been known for pushing a team to greater heights.

2025 started so promising, then the bottom dropped out. Daniel Jones may miss a significant portion of 2026, and do they really want to bank on half a season of decent football from Jones? Colts have a tougher road ahead in 2026.

The Commanders had high hopes for 2025 but things spiraled out of control. Can they keep Jayden Daniels healthy in 2026? Washington had the oldest roster in the NFL last season, how much younger can they get?

The Saints had one of the least talented rosters in 2025, but they battled nearly every week and showed some growth down the stretch. Surrounding Tyler Shough with more talent will be the key to how far they can go in 2026.

John Harbaugh arrives to instill a winning culture in New York, which has been lacking since the end of the Tom Coughlin era. Can the Giants continue to develop Jaxson Dart?

The Raiders were a train wreck in 2025, but they have a shiny new head coach, fresh off winning the Super Bowl and they hold the number one pick in the draft, where they will presumably grab their franchise quarterback.

The Titans brought in Robert Saleh as head coach and he, in turn, brought in Brian Daboll to help develop Cam Ward. I love both those moves. Tennessee, however, has a distinct lack of talent surrounding Ward.

New head coach Mike LaFleur will most likely have to navigate 2026 with Jacoby Brissett or some other bridge quarterback. Kyler Murray is most likely gone and the Cardinals will look to 2027 for their next franchise quarterback.

The Dolphins and new head coach Jeff Hafley will also be looking at veteran bridge quarterbacks as Tua Tagovailoa is most likely gone. Miami has some work to do to get back to contender status.

The Browns are a mess, what’s new? 2026 could be a long year as they figure out if Shedeur Sanders can be a legit starting quarterback. The defense figures to take a step back without defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, as well.

The Jets are looking like they could be the biggest dumpster fire in the NFL in 2026. Aaron Glenn overhauled practically his entire coaching staff as he desperately tries to prove he’s not in over his head.

(2025 Preseason Ranking)