Given how many teams are in the league and how tough it is to build a competitive roster, there are always a slew of teams that have plans on winning a lot of games, but never do. For the most part, the main reason why NFL teams aren't winning consistently is the quarterback position.
There may only truly be 12 legitimate franchise quarterbacks in the league right now, and perhaps even less than are capable of leading their team to a Super Bowl. This leaves a tier of teams hovering in something I have called the 'irrelevant middle,' a tier where you clearly aren't bad enough for a top pick in the NFL Draft, but also not nearly good enough to win it all.
To be blunt, these teams need to quit trying to hang with the juggernauts and should instead embrace a rebuild. We've power-ranked teams across the league that must do this for 2026.
Which NFL teams need to embrace the tank for the 2026 season?
6. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons figure to start one of Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. this upcoming season, which is a major problem. The ideal scenario might be if Penix wins the job and suddenly puts it all together in a breakout season, but that doesn't feel likely.
The Falcons have struggled since the prime Matt Ryan days and just haven't been able to put any sort of viable quarterback solution on the field. Embracing the tank for what could be a loaded quarterback class in 2027 is a wise idea.
5. Minnesota Vikings
In a similar situation, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback inconsistencies hit a boiling point during the 2025 season, and you really have to wonder just how much this team has regretted not retaining Sam Darnold.
Kyler Murray is the likely starter, but he's really never cemented himself as an unquestioned quarterback. On paper, the Vikings aren't overly threatening, either. Sure, Minnesota could mess around and win 9 or 10 games, but that feels like the ceiling.
4. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have also been a team that has struggled to figure out a long-term quarterback situation, and this has been the case since the days of Andrew Luck. The team did seem to go backwards into a viable solution in 2025, as Daniel Jones was playing at a near-MVP level before a second-half collapse.
Now recovering from a torn Achilles, it feels like Jones is an average option, at best, for the Colts. The roster is rather solid, but nothing special, and General Manager Chris Ballard's hands are all over this operation.
At some point, the Colts need to get more serious about the quarterback situation, as even the swing on Anthony Richardson felt rather disappointing and a massive reach.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh might be the best example in the NFL of a team that needs to embrace the tank. This franchise has tried to field respectable teams year after year without embracing a viable quarterback solution. It's now becoming a running joke that the Steelers are going to win 9 or 10 games most years and get throttled in the playoffs.
Yet another team that hasn't had a viable solution since the prime days of a former franchise great, the Steelers need to stop this Band-Aid quarterback nonsense and invest legitimate resources into a future rookie.
2. Miami Dolphins
Maybe a bottom-3 team in the NFL right now, the Miami Dolphins did begin to embrace the tank this offseason, but signing Malik Willis just felt like weird timing given the other offseason moves. With a new front office and coaching staff, this could be as logical a team as any that does not need to have winning top of mind for 2026.
1. Arizona Cardinals
We could be looking at a team that struggles to win one game in 2026, in the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals surely see where they are right now and are perhaps internally talking about how to approach the 2027 offseason.
The team is fielding a bottom-3 quarterback room, a bottom-5 roster, and also happen to be in the best division in football. Yes, the Cardinals are going to try to win some games in 2026, but a silent tank is what this team needs to embrace.
The 2027 NFL Draft seems to project to be rather strong at quarterback, so, like other teams on this list, targeting someone in next year's draft could be a legitimate long-term solution.