The dust has mostly settled in the offseason, with the draft, free agency and coaching changes in the rearview mirror. Although the 2026 season is still four months away, it’s never too early to look for teams that will improve or regress. The NFL is a league with plenty of year-to-year parity, and it’s almost a guarantee that there will be several new playoff teams in a given year.
What non-playoff teams from 2025 have the best chance of bouncing back in 2026? There are several factors that go into a team ascending, whether it be the strength of schedule, offseason moves, or getting key players back from injury.
2025 Non-Playoff Teams With the Best Chance to Make it in 2026
Kansas City Chiefs
The most shocking absence from the 2025 postseason was the Kansas City Chiefs. After making seven consecutive AFC Championship appearances, they were nowhere to be found in the playoffs. The biggest question for Kansas City is how Patrick Mahomes will look coming off a torn ACL. While Mahomes should be ready to go Week 1, how productive will he be at the start of the season? Even if he isn’t at 100%, adding Kenneth Walker, who left Seattle in the offseason, means he won’t have to carry the offense.
Kansas City also addressed its defense in the draft, bringing in Mansoor Delane, Peter Woods, and R Mason Thomas. These defensive additions, along with having Rashee Rice available for the full season, should help the Chiefs rebound. Among all non-playoff teams from 2025, Kansas City feels like the safest pick to return this season.
Baltimore Ravens
Following a disappointing 2025 campaign, the Baltimore Ravens have had an eventful offseason. After the Maxx Crosby trade fell through, Baltimore addressed its pass rush by signing Trey Hendrickson. The addition of Hendrickson will help a pass defense that ranked 30th in the NFL last season. Although the Ravens lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, they supplemented the interior offensive line by selecting Olaivavega Ioane 14th overall.
After missing several games and playing below his standards last season, Lamar Jackson is on track for a bounce-back year. Having Jackson healthy in 2026 plays a significant role in Baltimore getting back on track. New head coach Jesse Minter should also help improve the defense, making the Ravens a well-rounded unit. Baltimore has higher expectations than all other non-playoff teams from a year ago, but it has the personnel to return to the top of the AFC.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2025 was a tale of two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting 6-2 before finishing 2-7 after the bye. The late-season collapse cost the Buccaneers an extremely winnable NFC South. Fortunately for them, the division is still the weakest in football. Despite losing franchise legend Mike Evans, Tampa Bay still has plenty of pass catchers at its disposal. Baker Mayfield, who is set to join Season 3 of Netflix’s show, Quarterback, is still the best at his position in the division, and Bucky Irving looks to get back to his rookie form after missing much of 2025.
The Buccaneers’ biggest weakness was their defensive front seven, which they improved by drafting Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter in the first two rounds. Tampa Bay has the most manageable path back to the postseason out of all non-playoff teams in 2026.
Detroit Lions
Following agonizing playoff defeats in 2023 and 2024, the Detroit Lions took a step back with a 9-8 record in 2025. One of the more surprising non-playoff teams, Detroit still has a talented enough roster to make noise in the NFC. Jared Goff isn’t the flashiest quarterback, but he consistently provides top-ten caliber production. There’s still an abundance of talent at the skill positions, with Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. While the offensive line will look different, the tackle duo of Penei Sewell, who was moved to left tackle and first-round pick Blake Miller should keep the pocket clean for Goff.
Another factor working in Detroit’s favor is the schedule. While the NFC North is tough, the Lions have the sixth-easiest strength of schedule in 2026. All three of their division opponents face significantly tougher schedules this season. Between the manageable path and the overall talent of the roster, Detroit should be one of the best 2025 non-playoff teams this season.