14. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have definitely made some progress this offseason, but nothing is guaranteed. Fernando Mendoza is now in the building as the future starting quarterback, as the team also added Kirk Cousins this offseason.
It's clear that this new coaching staff doesn't want to rush Mendoza onto the field. And while Raiders fans might want to see the rookie on the field immediately, there are strong arguments for his debut to wait a little bit.
On paper, the Raiders did get better this offseason, but the wide receiver room might just be the worst in the NFL, and, one again, it feels like the offensive line and secondary are both sore spots. Given how dysfunctional this team has been in recent years, it's going to take a lot for us to change our minds.
Furthermore, the Raiders are in the AFC West, which could be the best division in football, so for 2026 at least, there isn't much of a path to compete.
13. Miami Dolphins
I guess to a degree, the Miami Dolphins could be a fun team in 2026. The team signed Malik Willis this offseason in a major quarterback change, cutting Tua Tagovailoa. Recently as the Green Bay Packers backup, Willis was playing his tail off and was honestly pricing his way off the team and into a payday.
The Dolphins hired Jeff Halfley as the new head coach, who had recently spent time as the Packers defensive coordinator. On paper, this team is a bit of a mess, but there are some fun pieces at running back in De'Von Achane, and even along the defensive line.
Perhaps a defensive, rugged culture established by Halfey could pay off immediately and help the Dolphins emerge as more of a spoiler team, but this operation is clearly in the beginning stages of a rebuild, so it's likely going to take a good bit of time before we see this plan hit its stride.
Add us as a preferred source on Google