The 2025 NFL Season brought some majorly shocking division finishes. Not many people thought that the New England Patriots were going to win 14 games, and I am not sure many thought that the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to break out in year one of the Liam Coen era.
Those wild things happened, and it could set the stage for an even crazier season in 2026. It is likely that a few divisions look wildly different this year than they did in the 2025 campaign. However, is there a chance that a handful of divisions field the same exact standings?
Let's dive into four divisions that we believe could finish with the same standings from 2025 into 2026.
Predicting four divisions that could look exactly the same from 2025 into 2026
AFC East (Patriots, Bills, Dolphins, Jets)
As unlikely as it was to see the Patriots winning the AFC East last year, could the same thing happen in 2026? The main thing that could go in the Patriots favor is the Buffalo Bills sporting a new head coach, While Joe Brady was already with the franchise, there is no guarantee that he'll pan out as a head coach.
And while many of us believed that the Patriots won primarily because of an ultra easy schedule, there is always a chance that the Pats are simply a great team and are not going anywhere. As for Miami and New York, two of the worst teams in the NFL, it's really a tossup as to which club finishes last, but the Dolphins could get some efficient quarterback play from Malik Willis, and the Jets, on the other hand, are going to trot out Geno Smith, who has played benchable-level football for multiple years now.
AFC South (Jaguars, Texans, Colts, Titans)
While the Houston Texans do have the better roster overall, we have seen quarterback CJ Stroud play some painfully average football over the past two seasons, and this is primarily who he has been throughout his career now. He broke out in a big way as a rookie back in 2023, but that is now approaching three years ago, which is a lifetime in the NFL.
The Jaguars have a stellar coaching staff, and a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who ended up being an MVP candidate. Jacksonville won 13 games last year, and it clearly was not a fluke. Indianapolis and Tennessee both have things to be optimistic about, but the Colts might not have an answer at quarterback, and the Titans are clearly still on the earlier side of this rebuild.
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