With Super Bowl LX in the books, it’s time to look ahead to the 2026 NFL season with our new NFL Power Rankings.

Sure, free agency doesn’t start for another month and the NFL draft is in April. But right now, we can provide early outlooks for all 32 teams and preview what the offseason has in store. So in addition to our way-too-early rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to describe each team’s offseason in three words. Some teams need to find a starting quarterback, 10 teams have new head coaches and every team has to make key decisions in free agency.

Let’s take a look at which teams are primed to dominate the 2026 season. Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

Offseason in three words: Break the bank

Two of the Seahawks’ best players, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon, will be eligible for extensions that could each top $30 million per year in new money. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, another Pro Bowl selection, is scheduled to become a free agent, along with running back Kenneth Walker III and Coby Bryant. If general manager John Schneider is going to keep his Super Bowl team together, he’s going to spend a lot of Jody Allen’s money. Speaking of Allen, she’s expected to put the Seahawks up for sale, and an executive from another team estimated that they could be worth $7 billion to $8 billion. — Brady Henderson

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Offseason in three words: Late-round draft picks

As a result of their surprising run to the Super Bowl, the Patriots won’t be in a similar spot as they were last year by picking high in each round. So it will be harder to duplicate their 2025 draft class in which all 11 selections (plus four undrafted rookies) made the roster. One of the Patriots’ goals has been to replenish the roster with younger talent after some lean years prior to coach Mike Vrabel’s arrival. Despite the overall success at that in 2025, the goal remains the same going forward. — Mike Reiss

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Offseason in three words: Fix special teams

The Rams’ special teams unit played a major part in four losses. In their playoff loss to Seattle, wide receiver Xavier Smith muffed two punts, including one the Seahawks recovered before scoring a touchdown on the next play. Coach Sean McVay tried to fix the issues at midseason when he moved on from kicker Joshua Karty and long-snapper Alex Ward. He later fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn after Los Angeles’ Week 16 loss to the Seahawks. The first item will be deciding on a special teams coordinator, whether that means keeping Ben Kotwica or starting fresh at the position. — Sarah Barshop

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Offseason in three words: Find some pop

When the Broncos debrief the 2025 season, it will be difficult for them to escape the conclusion that a Super Bowl trip was hindered by their lack of impact on offense. The Broncos were 14th in scoring even with quarterback Bo Nix in the lineup, so it’s well beyond the question of whether Nix playing in the AFC Championship Game would have changed anything. They were 29th in percentage of drives that ended in a three-and-out. They were 15th in plays of 20 yards or more (the other three conference championship teams were Nos. 1, 2 and 4), and running back J.K. Dobbins led the team in explosive runs despite not playing after Nov. 6. — Jeff Legwold

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Offseason in three words: Pressure is on

With Sean McDermott’s firing after the team’s overtime loss in the divisional round, the expectations are high for what new coach Joe Brady and president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane can do to help quarterback Josh Allen reach and win a Super Bowl. That starts right now, as the decisions made this offseason in the draft and free agency will go a long way in determining how successful Allen is for years to come. — Alaina Getzenberg

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Offseason in three words: The next nucleus

The 49ers exceeded expectations by finishing 12-5 and winning a road playoff game after a massive roster overhaul and a series of devastating injuries. Given how 2025 went, it’s time for them to go hunting for more star power. Only quarterback Brock Purdy and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir have established themselves as part of the next foundation, which means it’s on the Niners to find more — whether by draft, trade or signing — to sustain success. The pass rush and receiver groups, in particular, need significant attention. — Nick Wagoner

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Offseason in three words: Retool offensive line

After failing to reach the postseason, the Lions need to focus on improving their offensive line — particularly in the interior. Dan Skipper announced his retirement in January, and it goes without saying that the unit wasn’t up to par this season. The Lions were 31st in pass block win rate at 55.5% and could benefit from taking a guard in the early rounds of the 2026 draft. Even All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell admitted after the season that the unit wasn’t completely in sync and will look to get its “swagger back” under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. — Eric Woodyard

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Offseason in three words: Unlock the offense

The most expensive offensive roster in the NFL fell flat last season, ranking 21st in points per game (21.1) and 19th in offensive efficiency (48.55). They also had more three-and-outs than any other team. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was replaced by 33-year-old Sean Mannion, the former Packers QB coach with only two years of coaching experience. Mannion played for Sean McVay and is expected to bring a more modern approach to a system that has grown stale. There are major questions facing the group, though, including whether A.J. Brown will continue on in Philly or if the front office will feel compelled to trade him. — Tim McManus

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Offseason in three words: Pass rush help

The Jaguars did a good job of getting close to the quarterback in 2025 (222 pressures, ranked third), but not so much in getting the quarterback on the ground (32 sacks, ranked 27th). Fixing that will likely come either via trade or free agency because they don’t have a first-round pick after trading up for wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter in 2025. Their interior pass rush especially needs a boost (7.5 sacks, including 5.5 by defensive tackle Arik Armstead). — Mike DiRocco

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Offseason in three words: Run it back

President Ed Policy’s first major decision since taking over was to retain coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst. While Policy said bowing out in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season was disappointing, he felt the team had the right leadership in place. Now, it’s on LaFleur and Gutekunst to reward Policy for his decision to run it back. It’s Year 7 for LaFleur and Year 8 for Gutekunst, and they’re still looking for their first Super Bowl. — Rob Demovsky

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Offseason in three words: Quiet-ish, for once.

This is one of the quieter offseasons for the Bears in recent history. Sure, they’ll have to find a new assistant general manager, offensive coordinator and running backs coach, but they don’t have to make franchise-altering moves ahead of next season. The Bears have the right coach-quarterback pairing with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. They established a winning culture that they can build off next season. There’s work to be done on the roster, notably with the pass rush, in free agency and the draft, but this is setting up to be a drama-free offseason. — Courtney Cronin

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Offseason in three words: Restart the reload

While quarterback Patrick Mahomes rehabs his left knee, coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach have to improve the roster to better support their quarterback. The Chiefs need to have an offseason similar to 2022, which continued the franchise’s dynastic run. With a rare top-10 draft pick, they have the opportunity to acquire a difference-maker. With proper youth and the right veterans acquired, the Chiefs can restart their quest for another Super Bowl. — Nate Taylor

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Offseason in three words: Improve within margins

The Texans aren’t operating with a lot of cap space (rank 21st in 2026, per OverTheCap.com), so this year more than ever is about getting past the divisional round. They’re 0-8 in those games, but at least they have draft capital to improve the roster with four picks in the top 69 picks. The offensive line and running back positions will be key spots to focus on, along with adding to the safety room. Every move will help a 12-5 roster that can’t get over the hump. — DJ Bien-Aime

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Offseason in three words: All about Lamar

Baltimore’s priority is reaching a new contract with Lamar Jackson and getting the two-time NFL MVP back on track on the field. The first issue is reducing Jackson’s $74.5 million salary cap number, and owner Steve Bisciotti spoke to Jackson about the urgency to create more cap room before the start of free agency in March. Then, Baltimore’s new coaching staff will look to build a scheme around Jackson, who is coming off 2,549 passing yards and 21 touchdowns — both of which are his lowest since 2022. The good news: Jackson has won NFL MVP the past two times Baltimore hired a new offensive coordinator. — Jamison Hensley

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Offseason in three words: Secure the edge

The anchor of the Chargers’ defense has been their edge group. But Odafe Oweh and Khalil Mack are unrestricted free agents, and Tuli Tuipulotu is eligible for a contract extension ahead of the final year in his rookie deal. The Chargers’ rush defense struggled significantly when Mack was sidelined with an elbow injury this season. And the 27-year-old Oweh, fresh off a single-game postseason-record three sacks against New England, will demand interest in free agency. Tuipulotu’s 13.5 sacks were the sixth most in the league. General manager Joe Hortiz will have his hands full trying to keep this group intact. — Kris Rhim

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Offseason in three words: Improve the defense

Cincinnati failed in its attempt to fix the defense. After a rough 2024 season, it actually got worse in 2025. The Bengals finished 27th in points allowed per drive (down from 26th the previous season). The Bengals need playmakers at each level, and defensive coordinator Al Golden needs to continue developing ascending players, such as defensive end Myles Murphy and cornerback DJ Turner II. Cincinnati cannot be passive in free agency when it comes to adding impactful players to the defense. — Ben Baby

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Offseason in three words: Recapture their mojo

After one of the hottest starts of any team in the first half of the 2025 season, the Bucs missed out on the postseason for the first time since 2019. Quarterback Baker Mayfield struggled after back-to-back seasons of personal bests, the defense seldom looked like it was in “attack mode” and the special teams unit was nightmarish. As a result, coach Todd Bowles significantly revamped his staff. The team will await word on the futures of wide receiver Mike Evans and linebacker Lavonte David, but the Buccaneers need to find more marquee players regardless (especially an edge rusher opposite YaYa Diaby). — Jenna Laine

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Offseason in three words: Fix the defense

There is a lot of work to do, but the Cowboys started by hiring 34-year-old Christian Parker at defensive coordinator and an almost entirely new coaching staff. Now, they have to find Parker more talent after the defense allowed 511 points in 2025. They have two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 20). They can be more aggressive in free agency depending on how they want to handle their salary cap. But they also need improvement from players already in-house, such as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku and cornerback DaRon Bland. — Todd Archer

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Offseason in three words: Running it back

The Colts are doubling down after their hot start to 2025, retaining coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard while making plans to re-sign quarterback Daniel Jones. Keeping the leadership was unpopular among some Colts fans, but Indianapolis is leaning into the decisions that had it among the top teams in the league before a series of late-season injuries. Still, it’s an imperfect plan. Jones’ long Achilles injury rehab looms over it all. Plus, Indy will need to bolster its defensive front seven and also make a pivotal free agency decision on wide receiver Alec Pierce. — Stephen Holder

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Offseason in three words: Rebuild the operation

After going from the NFC Championship Game to 5-12 in back-to-back seasons, Washington has already changed both coordinators and let go of four other defensive coaches. Now, the Commanders have to turn to talent acquisition. According to OverTheCap.com, they have the fifth-most cap space — but only seven teams have fewer roster spots filled for 2026, so that space must be spread around. They also need to add more explosiveness on offense, whether at tight end, receiver or both. If Washington does all this and stays healthy, then it has a chance to get back on the track it was on a year ago. — John Keim

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Offseason in three words: Not a rebuild

Though the Steelers changed from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy at head coach, they still don’t have clarity on the starting quarterback for the 2026 season. But team president and CEO Art Rooney II was clear that he doesn’t view the offseason as an opportunity to rebuild. Instead, Rooney signaled in his actions and words that he believes his roster is primed to break the drought of playoff success. After McCarthy finishes building his staff, the next priority to fulfilling Rooney’s wishes is to identify the next franchise QB — either in the upcoming draft or via a bridge QB until the Steelers can secure their signal-caller of the future. — Brooke Pryor

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Offseason in three words: Time to build

With no coaching search for the second straight offseason, the Panthers can now focus on adding much-needed depth instead of rebuilding. General manager Dan Morgan said he already has over 600 names on his draft board, and Carolina is no longer hindered in the draft by its trade up to take quarterback Bryce Young in 2023. Morgan also strongly believes ability and hope will attract top free agents. In 2025, the Panthers won their first NFC South title since 2015 and made their first playoff appearance since 2017. — David Newton

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Offseason in three words: QB and leadership

The Vikings already had a big task ahead of them this offseason. At the very least, they need to upgrade their quarterback depth to give them a better hedge against J.J. McCarthy’s performance and injury history than they had in 2025. But after firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30, they’ll have to address that need with an interim leadership structure led by Rob Brzezinski, their longtime executive vice president of football operations. Adofo-Mensah’s replacement isn’t likely to be named until after the 2026 draft, putting the franchise in an extended stretch of limbo. — Kevin Seifert

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Offseason in three words: Add depth everywhere

There’s no doubt the Falcons have talent across the roster. But the team’s depth was called into question in training camp after wide receiver Darnell Mooney and right tackle Kaleb McGary went down with injuries. McGary and his backup, Storm Norton, both missed the entire season. Mooney missed three games, and Drake London missed five games. Atlanta’s offense never seemed to be firing on all cylinders. The Falcons will need to address their depth, including at quarterback due to Michael Penix Jr.’s ACL surgery. — Marc Raimondi

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Offseason in three words: John Harbaugh’s team

The Giants have some solid players, beginning with quarterback Jaxson Dart. It’s partly why Harbaugh took the job this offseason. But this roster is about to get reworked to Harbaugh’s liking. He has already made it known that anybody who doesn’t love football will not be part of the team. Adding a fullback, becoming more physical and building the defense from the back end will all be part of this offseason. Also, finding more playmakers for Dart and the offense. — Jordan Raanan

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Offseason in three words: Build off 2025

The Saints had momentum at the end of the season, winning four of their last five games thanks to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and strong performances from defensive players such as defensive end Chase Young. Now, they need to keep that energy going in coach Kellen Moore’s second season. Offense will be a priority, as they look to add more playmakers after losing several players to trades, releases and injuries. In 2025, the Saints were 28th in rushing yards per game (94.3) and tied for 27th in yards per play (5.0). — Katherine Terrell

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Offseason in three words: Just add playmakers

The Titans averaged 16.7 points per game in 2025, placing them 29th in the league. Although quarterback Cam Ward showed promise as a rookie, he’ll need help to take his game to a higher level in Year 2. Tight end Chig Okonkwo was the Titans’ best yards-after-catch option, but he’s set to be a free agent. Tennessee lacks a true game changer who can dictate coverage assignments and be a scoring threat whenever he touches the ball. The defense also needs help at pass rusher and cornerback. — Turron Davenport

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Offseason in three words: Reset and reboot

Arizona hit the reset button on its rebuild yet again by firing Jonathan Gannon and hiring Mike LaFleur. That means everything is up in the air, including what the Cardinals will do at quarterback. Either LaFleur will be allowed to decide if he wants to work with Kyler Murray, or that decision will be made for him by the powers that be. Regardless, LaFleur will have to place his fingerprints all over the building, from his roster to the culture and everything in between, restarting another timeline for an organization that just came off a three-year span that was supposed to result in a rebuild. — Josh Weinfuss

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Offseason in three words: Time to rebuild

The Dolphins hired a new general manager and head coach this offseason, as team owner Stephen Ross avoided the half-measures he has taken in years past. Under Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, Miami wants to establish a new culture — an act that often requires a shuffling of both players and personnel. With a difficult schedule, thin roster and limited starting quarterback options, the Dolphins are likely facing at least a yearlong rebuild in 2026. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

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Offseason in three words: Fix the trenches

The Raiders are expected to land coach Klint Kubiak — one of the best offensive minds in the league. But if the Raiders want to maximize the potential of Kubiak, running back Ashton Jeanty, tight end Brock Bowers and projected No. 1 pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza, they will need to improve the offensive line. Defensively, Las Vegas will need to bring in reinforcements up front to improve its pass rush. Outside of defensive end Maxx Crosby, the Raiders struggled to provide consistent pressure on the quarterback. Expect them to invest heavily in the trenches this offseason. — Ryan McFadden

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Offseason in three words: Start over (again)

Very few positives came out of coach Aaron Glenn’s first season (3-14), so the Jets are resetting in key areas — two new coordinators and (probably) a new quarterback. Glenn overhauled his staff (10 departures), creating the perception of a dysfunctional team starting from square one. The positives: four of the top 44 picks in the draft and about $80 million in cap room, per OverTheCap.com. The question is, will the Jets use the resources wisely? — Rich Cimini

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Offseason in three words: All-in on offense

General manager Andrew Berry said Cleveland’s offense, which ranked last in scoring over the past two seasons, will receive “significant investment” this offseason. That process started with the hiring of Todd Monken, an accomplished and veteran offensive mind, as head coach. The work continues with personnel upgrades across the unit. The Browns need to add another playmaker at receiver and possibly replace as many as four starters on the offensive line. The quarterback position will also be a top priority again, as Cleveland searches for answers in free agency and the NFL draft. — Daniel Oyefusi