8. San Francisco 49ers
Even with a ton of injuries, an electrical substation, and a lot of questionable drafting in recent years, the San Francisco 49ers have been one of the best and most dangerous teams in the league. Kyle Shanahan knows what he's doing.
If there was ever a year where the 49ers could actually get some good luck in the health department, we could see this team win 14 or 15 games and coast into the Super Bowl. But that feels like a pipe dream at this point.
The 49ers brought in Mike Evans this offseason, they re-signed Dre Greenlaw, and they have a roster that looks ready to compete for an NFC Championship...maybe even a Super Bowl.
7. Houston Texans
There is not a better defense in the NFL than the Houston Texans right now. The Texans have elite top-end talent at all three levels of their defense, and they simply do everything so well on that side of the ball. There is nothing not to like heading into the 2026 season, especially after they stole Kayden McDonald for the interior defensive line in the 2nd round of this year's draft.
Houston's offense has been a problem area for this team, struggling to find consistency running the ball. CJ Stroud has also not played at the same level we saw from him as a rookie. With David Montgomery now on board, the Texans look poised for a deep playoff run.
6. Chicago Bears
What we saw from the Chicago Bears last season was -- hopefully -- a sign of things to come. Of course, fans of the Lions, Packers, and Vikings don't hope that's the case, but the Bears finally found a winning combination at head coach and quarterback with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams.
The strides Williams took this past season were incredible to see. He cut down on sacks and turnovers, and looked like the prospect everyone was gushing over during his time at Oklahoma and his first year at USC.
The Bears have a lot of moving parts on the defense, and I wouldn't say they made overwhelming (and necessary) upgrades to their pass rush, but the pieces are in place to contend in 2026.
5. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots made it all the way to the Super Bowl this past season, but Patriots haters were proven correct in the Super Bowl as New England was completely decimated by the Seattle Seahawks. The Patriots' relatively easy regular season resulted in an underwhelming playoff run, and major Super Bowl disappointment.
Still, you can't look at this roster and see anything less than 11 or 12 wins if everyone is healthy. Especially if the Patriots add AJ Brown, this team is a force.
The biggest question looming for the organization is how much the off-field drama is going to affect Mike Vrabel.
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