8. Chicago Bears
Going 11-6 in the 2025 season and shockingly winning the NFC North, the Chicago Bears are suddenly on the doorstep of Super Bowl contention, but last year, the defense was below-average outside of forcing a ton of turnovers.
The unit did get a bit of a makeover this offseason, so there is reason to believe that better results will happen, but given how much better the Detroit Lions are on paper, Chicago is going to have a tough time winning this division for a second year in a row.
And now, there is an entire year of film out on Ben Johnson's offense, so that unit could fall behind a bit.
7. Buffalo Bills
Buffalo should be able to capture the AFC East title in 2026. Last year, Buffalo did have a great season and won as many games as many of us thought they would, but thanks to the Patriots' breakout season, the division fell out of reach.
The one thing that could cap this team's ceiling is now having a first-year head coach in Joe Brady. Sean McDermott was shockingly fired, and Brady was promoted to take his place. There is always an adjustment period for first-time head coaches, so Buffalo may not walk all over their opponents in 2026.
6. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle's defense is the best in the NFL, but the offense is a bit top-heavy with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Furthermore, losing Kenneth Walker III in free agency could hurt, and with former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak now with the Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle could take a step back in 2026.
This roster is still good enough to stack a ton of wins, but the utter dominance we saw last year won't be the case in 2026.
5. Detroit Lions
Speaking of dominance, the Lions could do just that in 2026 after a second-half collapse in 2025. This roster is a top-3 unit in the NFL, and the Lions are just one year removed from winning the NFC North in 2024 with 15 games. Detroit may not hit that total in 2026, but finishing around 13 wins and regaining control of the division is on the table.
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