You never know how quickly the script will be flipped in the NFL.
Even teams that had losing records a season ago could be contenders for this year's Super Bowl. We saw the New England Patriots go from a 4-13 record in 2024 to winning the AFC in 2025. We've seen the Washington Commanders go from picking 2nd in the NFL Draft to playing in the NFC Championship the very next season.
Things can turn on a dime in the NFL, and we're going to take a look at a handful of AFC teams that could be up next in the 2026 season. Which AFC teams can flip the script and go from having a losing record during the 2025 season to being Super Bowl contenders in 2026?
3 AFC teams that will go from losing records in 2025 to Super Bowl contenders in 2026
3. Indianapolis Colts
2025 record: 8-9
The Colts hit their bye week last season feeling really good at 8-2. Coming out of the bye, they didn't win a single game the rest of the season. Nobody could have seen that coming.
After the Daniel Jones injury, it felt like all hope was lost for this Colts team, but they surprisingly showed some fight even with Philip Rivers coming out of retirement to run Shane Steichen's offense.
Still, the sting of finishing the season 8-9 after starting the year 8-2 cannot be overstated. The Colts have a bad taste in their mouths entering the 2026 season, but Daniel Jones appears to be back to full health, and optmism is renewed.
The Colts might have the best non-quarterback in the AFC in running back Jonathan Taylor. Even without Michael Pittman Jr., it's not hard to see this team taking another step forward offensively as Tyler Warren's role continues to expand. The Colts' defense has some moving parts this year, but they made a legitimate case to be considered the best team in the AFC last year -- maybe the entire NFL -- before they hit their bye week.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
2025 record: 6-11
Before we say nice things about the Bengals, we have to point out the harsh reality for this team in recent years. Of course, the Bengals' defense has been embarrassingly bad, and they've been plagued by some injuries they haven't been able to recover from, but this team has not even made the playoffs since the 2022 season.
The fact that Joe Burrow hasn't played in a playoff game since then seems like it can't possibly be true, but it is.
After going 6-11 last season, and dealing with another year of injuries for Burrow, the Bengals have to be considered one of the top AFC teams that could bounce back and flip the script in 2026.
The additions of players like Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen to the defensive front, along with a clean bill of health for the offensive core, should give this team a shot to win the AFC North once again. At the very least, you have to expect a healthy Bengals team to have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. If the defense is even respectable, they should be Super Bowl contenders.
1. Baltimore Ravens
2025 record: 8-9
Not to talk out of both sides of our mouths here, but the Baltimore Ravens might simultaneously be one of the most overrated teams in the NFL this offseason and one of the most likely teams to bounce back in 2026.
There are certainly holes to be poked for this team. You have a rookie head coach, a first-time play-caller offensively, an overhauled interior offensive line, and a number of injury question marks from last season.
With that in mind, if the Ravens have a fully-healthy Lamar Jackson, it's not difficult to see this team competing among the best teams in the entire AFC. In an extremely optimistic world, the Ravens' offense returns to being one of the most dynamic and balanced in the NFL with a healthy Jackson, and Jesse Minter puts a magic touch on the defense that transoforms them overnight.
This is a team that won 12 games back in the 2024 season, so if their core is healthy, we know they are a threat.
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