2026 NFL Power Rankings: Way-Too-Early Look At How Every Team Stacks Up

For the Seattle Seahawks, the party is just getting started. For everyone else, there is no party at all. There is only misery and the bitter memory of a disappointing 2025 season. So, to borrow a phrase from a should-be-Hall-of-Fame coach, “We’re on to 2026.” And who will be the best and worst teams next season? No need to wait for the draft, free agency or training camp to find out. Our (Way-Too-Early) Power Rankings are already here. They still have no quarterback, no path to getting one, and Aaron Glenn is on the hottest of hot seats after firing most of his staff. Jets fans are already hoping Woody Johnson can lure Mike Tomlin out of retirement and land Arch Manning with the top pick of the 2027 draft. Dare to dream. They are in Quarterback Hell for the foreseeable future, unless new coach Mike LaFleur can magically revive Kyler Murray. And if not, who replaces him? The search for a successor might have to wait another year, at least. They are a mess from top to bottom, but at least the No. 1 pick in the draft gives them hope. Even if QB Fernando Mendoza is a star, though, the rebuilding here will take a couple of years. If anybody can fix their quarterback mess, it’s probably new coach Todd Monken. But with Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson as the options, there may be no winner in this game of quarterback roulette. Jeff Hafley might be the strong, disciplined leader the Dolphins need, but QB Tua Tagovailoa isn’t. They’re either stuck with him or his massive cap hit if they cut him. Either way, it’s not good. Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll, his new offensive coordinator, are terrific guys. But is it really a wise strategy to put the franchise quarterback and the franchise’s future in the hands of two failed New York head coaches? Kellen Moore and QB Tyler Shough generated a lot of excitement about their future with a four-game winning streak in December. One look at who they played in that stretch, though, shows they’ve still got a long way to go. If you believe Daniel Jones will be back in Indy, healthy, and the same player in 2026, then the Colts should be higher. But that takes a big leap of faith. Also, Indy has defensive issues to fix. There’s no doubt QB Bryce Young made progress last year, but it wasn’t a lot and not nearly enough to get the Panthers above mediocrity. The odds seem to be against a necessary big leap in Year 4. Mike McCarthy is a good coach, but the quarterback situation will be their downfall. Do they really want to bet on squeezing more out of Aaron Rodgers at age 42? It’s time to rebuild around someone younger. But whom? Don’t be fooled by their season-ending, five-game winning streak. J.J. McCarthy still has to prove he’s a winning quarterback. The good news is while he may be in Year 3, he’s still only 10 starts into his career. Their offense is so good, but their defense is so, so bad. And it’s not like they’re going to have the cap space to fix it this offseason. What you saw might be what you’ll get next season, too. Better health would mean a lot to this team, but only if new OC Zac Robinson can do better with the Bucs than he did with the Falcons last year. Otherwise, expect more Todd Bowles-inspired mediocrity. If they’re right about QB Jaxson Dart, then it’s a short leap for them to at least respectability. Because they have talent that has underachieved. And now, with John Harbaugh, they finally have a capable head coach. Kevin Stefanski is going to have a huge impact on the Falcons and their offense. But unless QB Michael Penix Jr. is fully recovered by September and an improved player, the impact might not happen right away. A healthy Jayden Daniels will be a big boost for this team, but now he’ll have to succeed without OC Kliff Kingsbury. Also, his injuries weren’t the only problem in D.C. The defense needs a big offseason overhaul, too. A healthy Joe Burrow would make them instantly dangerous, but they still have so much work to do on defense. That’s especially true if they lose Trey Hendrickson, which they likely will. They found success in the middle of what sure looks like a rebuilding effort, which is impressive. But they have a lot of holes to fill, especially on defense, and losing DC Robert Saleh won’t help. A healthy Micah Parsons and some new cornerbacks will help the defense, but it’s really their offense that failed them at key times. They need to get better at receiver and especially along the offensive line to help QB Jordan Love become a star. They have enough offensive talent to survive their post-Ben Johnson era, but the defense has never been good under Dan Campbell. They need help at edge rusher and cornerback. If they can find that with limited cap space, they’ll vault back into the top 10. They have the defense to be ranked a lot higher than this, but do they have the quarterback? If C.J. Stroud can be what he’s supposed to be, consider them a legitimate Super Bowl contender. What, you thought they were dead? Underestimate Andy Reid and a healthy Patrick Mahomes at your own peril. But remember, they were 1-7 in one-score games last year, including 0-6 against playoff teams. They’re the object in your rearview mirror that is closer than it appears. The strain on Caleb Williams and that dangerous offense is going to be too much if the Bears trot out the same bad defense. They’re still a playoff threat, but if they develop a pass rush and fix their secondary, they could be a Super Bowl contender. They have all the pieces in place to be a contender except one: the offensive line. If they can fix that, and stay healthy, and keep QB Justin Herbert in one piece, there’s no reason they won’t be a top team in the AFC. Jesse Minter inherited a gold mine from John Harbaugh. If Lamar Jackson can stay healthy, this team is still good enough to immediately become a Super Bowl contender again. They’ve been a sleeping and underachieving giant for years, and Liam Coen’s rookie year is only the beginning. Even if they don’t get 13 wins again, they’re not going to fade away anytime soon. As long as they have Josh Allen, they should be considered a top-10 team, no matter how inexperienced and young their head coach is. Get Allen a true No. 1 WR in the offseason, though, and look out above! Well, they are on an every-other-year plan with the Super Bowl. They’re also still talented enough to be the class of their division. Beyond that, it depends on whether someone can fix Saquon Barkley and their dysfunctional offense in time for the playoffs. They have an MVP-caliber QB, a great coach, and a strong defense. But it’s hard to ignore their pillow-soft schedule and the breaks they got in the playoffs. They’re not going away, but odds are their road next season will be much tougher. Is Sam Darnold elite enough for the Seahawks to repeat their title season? It’s hard to doubt him at this point. They do have some key free agents to deal with (RB Kenneth Walker, CB Riq Woolen, WR Rashid Shaheed), but they’ve got the cap space to keep the band together. They are loaded for one final run at a ring with QB Matthew Stafford, if they can convince him to return. They were the NFC’s second-best team this year, but stuck in the wrong division. With two first-round picks and plenty of cap space, they have the ammunition to close any gap. Let’s be honest: The Patriots don’t get to the Super Bowl if QB Bo Nix doesn’t fracture his ankle one week earlier. He’ll be back with the NFL’s best coach (Sean Payton), a punishing defense, hopefully another receiver, and a battle-tested team that should be hard to beat.