With free agency happening in about one month, teams across the NFL are preparing to potentially make some major changes to improve their rosters and perhaps ascend into playoff-contender status. With a relatively strong free agency class overall, there could be a ton of early signings and maybe even some major trades as well.
The 2026 NFL Draft isn't the most talented class we've seen, so that could prompt clubs to be more aggressive in March and in April before the draft kicks off. Well, we're going to shift our focus here and look at a few teams that seriously disappointed in 2025.
But the disappointment does not have to continue into 2026, as these three squads are primed to double their win total from the season prior.
These 3 teams could win double the amount of games in 2026
Tennessee Titans (3-14 in 2025)
The Tennessee Titans won just three games in the 2025 NFL Season and decided that major change was needed. The team hired Robert Saleh to be the next head coach, and one of the best hires Saleh could have possibly made was bringing in Brian Daboll to be the offensive coordinator. Daboll has a decent track record working with young quarterbacks, and with Cam Ward playing quite well down the stretch in 2025, the odds of a year two breakout are increased.
The Titans have a ton of cap space to use, and Saleh typically fields a tough defense. You could expect the front office to go on a bit of a spending frenzy to improve the key parts of the roster. While the Titans might not become a complete, legitimate team until 2027, there is a path for the team to win at least six games and begin to show signs of stability and respectability.
New York Giants (4-13 in 2025)
The New York Giants are another dysfunctional team from 2025 that made some solid, necessary changes. The Giants landed John Harbaugh after a shocking fire from the Baltimore Ravens. Harbaugh clearly hit a ceiling with the Ravens, but that doesn't mean he can't have a successful tenure with the Giants.
At long last, the Giants have a competent head coach and a proven winner. They also have a quarterback in Jaxson Dart who almost instantly became one of the more notable dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, and he also did do some damage through the air. The stage is set for the Giants to become a frisky, fringe-playoff team in 2026. Winning eight games with Harbaugh as the head coach in year one is absolutely on the table.
The Giants also feature a strong defensive line and might only be another starter away along the offensive line from finally sorting that unit out.
Washington Commanders (5-12 in 2025)
Just one year after going 12-5 in the regular season, the Washington Commanders completely flipped their record and went 5-12, but much of that was due to mounting injuries, including to Jayden Daniels. The Commanders, if they simply stay healthier, will win a ton of games in 2026.
This team just didn't forget how to win, and with the second year of Daniels' rookie contract effectively wasted, we'll see an uptick in aggression from General Manager Adam Peters. While Washington may not emerge as a contender in 2026, a much more modest, respectable 10-win season is on the table.
Dan Quinn knows how to win football games, as the 2025 season, to me, was more of an outlier than anything else.