The 2026-27 NFL season starts this week. So, let’s start the season off right with our first look at where each team ranks ahead of week one.
**F Tier:** Is the season over yet?
32\. Miami Dolphins
31\. Cleveland Browns
30\. New York Jets
**D Tier:** Maybe next year
29\. Tennessee Titans
28\. Las Vegas Raiders
27\. Arizona Cardinals
26\. Atlanta Falcons
**C Tier:** Wild card watch
25\. New York Giants
24\. Washington Commanders
23\. Dallas Cowboys
22\. New Orleans Saints
21\. Carolina Panthers
20\. Cincinnati Bengals
19\. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18\. Pittsburgh Steelers
17\. Green Bay Packers
16\. Minnesota Vikings
15\. Indianapolis Colts
**B Tier:** Dark Horse Contenders
14\. Los Angeles Chargers
13\. Jacksonville Jaguars
12\. San Francisco 49ers
11\. Detroit Lions
**A Tier:** The Real Deal
Starting off this top ten I have the most dominant franchise of this decade: the Kansas City Chiefs. Their 2025 season left much to be desired, yet when you look at the bigger picture, you realize this past season was more of a fluke than the direction their team is heading in.
Yes, a 6-11 record is not what Patrick Mahomes and company wanted, especially after suffering no big losses in the offseason prior. Yet this defense just didn’t look as unstoppable as usual and the offensive pieces around Mahomes were not clicking. Topping it off, Mahomes suffered a gruesome ACL tear in week 15 against Los Angeles, which salted the wound that was their below par 2025 performance.
It seems it only got worse for Kansas City this offseason. Losing corners Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the Rams was a big hit to their defensive fire power, as these two were the cornerstones of the unit’s secondary. Although, this offseason wasn’t all losses. The Chiefs managed to snag superbowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency, bolstering that running back room that has been their biggest position of need for the past five years. Good news came out of camp as well. Patrick Mahomes is fully recovered from his ACL tear and ready to start their week one matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Even after such a disappointing season from Kansas City, it still doesn’t feel right to put them this low. When you look back at what Patrick Mahomes and Andy Ried have accomplished this decade, winning three super bowls and appearing in five of the last seven; one rough season isn’t enough for me to underrate them. I firmly believe they will return as one of the top teams in the NFL this season.
At No. 9 I have the Chicago Bears and oh man does this team get me excited. In 2025 Chicago lived up to the preseason hype. After bringing in wizkid Ben Johnson to mold this young offense into one of the best in the league, the Bears looked like they may be the dark horse to win the whole thing in just one year of Johnson’s tenure. Although that didn’t happen, they put themselves on the map heading into 2026.
As I touched on a second ago, Chicago’s offense headlined their flashy run this past season. Year-two Caleb Williams looked a little Mahomey the entire season, making possibly some of the biggest highlight plays I’ve ever witnessed as a football fan. Be it his cross field bomb to beat the Packers in overtime, or his off-platform fade to Cole Kmet to head into overtime against the Rams in the divisional round, Williams proved he is the future of the franchise, and even the future of this league.
It wasn’t just Caleb that made this team as elite as it was. Running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monongai flourished under Johnson’s scheme. Receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and others made Williams’ life just a bit easy when dropping back to pass. Finally, this defensive unit was a force to be reckoned with. While the front seven has room for improvement, Chicago’s secondary wreaked havoc, leading the league in turnovers the majority of the season.
While the Bears did take significant hits in free agency, losing big names like safety Kevin Byard III and Moore, I refuse to doubt this team in 2026. After seeing what Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen did with this young core in 2025, I cannot see a world where they do not run it back as one of the top teams this season.
Similar to the Chiefs, 2025 was a rough season for Lamar Jackson and company. Starting off 1-6 and missing the playoffs for the second time since Jackson took over under center; this was easily one of Baltimore’s worst season performances in some time. Heading into the 2026 season however, they made sure that a disappointment of that level did not happen again.
It started with the bold decision to fire head coach John Harbaugh and bring in former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter led the Chargers defense to one of the best years for the unit in recent memory, and combining him with studs like Kyle Hamilton, Trey Hendrickson and others in Baltimore may prove to be the best decision this franchise has made in a while.
The Ravens offense has more than enough fire power to dominate the league. With Jackson, Derrick Henry and newly extended Zay Flowers all healthy, this offense is set. Now adding to this defense in the offseason and getting a head coach that can bring them to that next level, I see no reason that Baltimore cannot return to their former glory and more this season.
The 2025 Houston Texans were a special unit. Starting the season off 3-5 they managed to win nine in a row, ending off the season 12-5 and heading into the playoffs as one of the scariest teams in the AFC. Houston’s defense was lethal. With Will Anderson Jr., Danile Hunter and Derrick Stingley Jr. headlining one of the top units in the NFL. Yet when playoffs came Houston was exposed for their true weakness… the offense.
The Texan’s offense was always the weak spot for them in the regular season. While they managed to slide by with a mediocre unit for the majority of the season, their flaws showed up in the playoffs. When facing the Patriots in the divisional round, quarterback CJ Stroud threw four interceptions, while the offense as a whole struggled from the offensive line to receivers.
2025 was a polarizing year for all of Houston. Not much changed for the Texans team. Retaining the same roster and coaching staff, what is needed for this Houston unit is the offense to step up. While the defense has more than held down the fort, if Stroud and this offensive unit can even be a top 20 offense statistically, Houston is looking to be a true contender in 2026.
Similar to Houston, the Eagles biggest issue in 2025 was their offense. Under offensive coordinator Kein Patullo, the Birds offense lost their spark. 2024 offensive player of the year Saquon Barkely looked like a shell of his former self, and the passing game struggled to catch a tempo as well. On the other hand, this defense continued to look great with young talent like Quinyon Mitchell, Jalen Carter and others blossoming into stars. While it was a down year compared to 2024 for the entire team, they still managed to squeak out an 11-6 record and win the NFC East.
While ending the season as one of the top teams in the league, a disappointing season and an abrupt exit in the playoffs after losing to the 49ers at home, it was clear something needed to change. They started by firing Patullo and bringing in Sean Mannion, former Green Bay offensive assistant. On top of that they bolstered their defense by adding more talent. Extending Jordan Davis and adding pieces like Tariq Woolen to the secondary, it seems this defense is in for another strong season.
While last season was a disappointment for the 2024 champs, an 11-6 season in which the team had completely lost its rhythm, the talent is still there. After no big losses aside from receiver A.J. Brown, all that is needed is an offensive coordinator to bring this offense back to its former glory. If quarterback Jalen Hurts and company can flourish in Mannion’s system, Philly can easily return as a top contender in the NFL.
**S Tier:** Super Bowl Contenders
Your Super Bowl 60 runners up land at No. 5 on my list. While New England fought the schedule allegations in 2025, their run to the superbowl proved this team is truly talented. With an even harder schedule ahead of them in 2026, I think they will continue to prove the doubters wrong and show they are one of the best teams in the NFL.
It all starts with their gunslinger. Drake Maye was on fire in 2025. The runner up MVP threw for 31 touchdowns and only eight interceptions on 4,394 passing yards, in only his second year as a pro. Yet this team was talented outside of Maye this past season as well. The team had breakouts all around from guys like Kayshon Boutte, Christian Gonzales, Robert Spillane and others.
When it comes to their 2026 outlook, this offseason has been a strong start. Big time signings like Kevin Byard III to pair with Gonzales in the secondary, and getting Maye a true wide receiver one in AJ Brown are big moves that the Pats needed to make if they want to truly contend. However, where they struggle in the offensive line and pass rush, were not addressed as strongly as they should have been. Grabbing Alijah Vera Tucker in free agency was big, but it may not be enough to turn the offensive line into a top unit.
The Patriots still have weak spots that may hold them back in the long run. Yet addressing the receiver room and defense with veterans may put this team right back on top of the AFC, even when facing harder competition in 2026. As long as Maye and company can continue to thrive as they did in 2025, this team will stay dominant all season long.
After years of Buffalo seeming like they could finally get over the hump, I do believe that this could be the season. 2025 was far from a success for the Bills. After an ugly showing against the Broncos in the divisional round last season and years of falling short in the postseason, the franchise is looking to make big changes this season.
They started off the offseason with a bang. Firing head coach Sean McDermott surprised many, yet their inability to make it to the superbowl after many hopeful seasons lead to his eventual demise. From there the organization promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. On top of the changes they made a big splash by trading for DJ Moore, a true wide receiver talent, for Josh Allen.
While Buffalo made a few splashes in the offseason and brought in a guy that knows their offense to lead the team, they still have major issues they need to address. For starters, the defense still leads to a lot to be desired. Having one of the worst run defenses in the league last year, they did little to address this aside from adding some young talent in the draft in edge TJ Parker.
As long as the defense is as weak as it is, I do not think Buffalo will be able to contend with the true super bowl contenders this season. Yet with Josh Allen at the helm and strong pieces around him in DJ Moore and running back James Cook III, I see no reason why they woill not return as a dominant force in the AFC.
The Denver Broncos were one score away from a ticket to super bowl 60, all without their starting quarterback Bo Nix for the most important game of their season. Although they fell short, I have reason to believe they will be back better than ever this season.
Despite Denver’s incredible 2025 season, it feels like they were a bit underrated last year. With constant conversation around how good Bo Nix truly is, and teams like Denver and New England being discredited for their success because the rest of the AFC was in turmoil; the Broncos truly never got enough credit for how talented they are.
Denver’s defensive unit is easily one of the best in the league. Stars like Nick Bonnito, Pat Surtain II and others headline this defense, leading it to holding some of the most explosive offenses off amidst Denver’s own offensive struggles.
Yet even with small struggles here and there, Denver’s offense stayed strong. With running back J.K. Dobbins going down mid season, rookie RJ Harvey came in and did more than enough for this offense to function. Young receivers like Pat Bryant II and Troy Franklin stepped up along with Courtland Sutton to give Bo Nix some options in the pass game.
Although the offense was addressed this offseason. With J.K. Dobbins healthy and the addition of star receiver Jaylen Waddle, this offense is set to match the defense’s energy as true contenders. While I do not think they can hang with the teams ahead of them, I expect Denver to pick up right where they left off and then some.
At No. 2 on my preseason rankings I have the reigning Super Bowl Champs. Seattle’s dominance was on another level this past season. With the emergence of young stars like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Byron Murphy II and others, the Hawks look like they could dominate for years to come. While I believe they can, I think their losses in free agency and other teams moves make me question them as the sure fire No. 1 team in the league.
Following a Super Bowl season, Seattle had a lot of star guys head out in hopes of a new contract. Big names like Kenneth Walker III and Tariq Woolen found new homes on the Chiefs and Eagles, while they also lost a few other pieces like Boye Mafe, who were big parts in their super bowl run.
Yet even with these losses, this is still the same Seahawks unit that dominated the league this past season. Sam Darnold and Smith-Njigba have the offense locked down along with rookie running back Jadarian Price. Meanwhile defensively stars like Devon Witherspoon, Julian Love, Leonard Williams and company remain one of the best defensive units in the league.
As the Hawks head into 2026, I would not be shocked if we see them end up back in the super bowl. Even with the team ahead of them looking as dangerous as they are, Seattle is a lock to be one of the best teams in the league in 2026.
At the No. 1 spot to start the season, I have the Los Angeles Rams. It almost feels inevitable that they will finally get it done this year. I will admit teams like the Seahawks have historically had their number. But, when you look at their offseason, I cannot help but give them the No. 1 spot to start the season.
The 2025 Rams already seemed unstoppable. Yet when it came to the Seahawks, their weaknesses began to be exposed. Suddenly their secondary was a liability, as they failed to consistently contain Seattle’s pass game when it mattered most. So they went out in free agency and made sure that was no longer an issue. Les Sneed worked his magic and snagged Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Chiefs, two of the best man corners in the league.
Not only did LA fill out their secondary, they added possibly the best player in the league to their team as well, trading for defensive end Myles Garret. We already thought this team was unstoppable before, yet they managed to top what was one of the most talented rosters in 2025.
After seeing what LA managed to do in this offseason while retaining their star players, I see no reason that the Rams are not the overwhelming favorite to win it all in 2026. If they do not manage to win a Super Bowl while Matthew Stafford is still under center, I would consider this a huge failure for the franchise, which is exactly why I have them at No. 1 on my first official power rankings of the 26-27’ season.