AFC West (Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders)
Our third division that could finish with the same standings in 2026 is the AFC West. The Denver Broncos won the division with three games to spare in 2025, finishing with a stellar 14-3 record. The Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Las Vegas Raiders combined for 20 wins, with the Chiefs and Raiders combining for just nine.
The Chargers just did not make enough roster moves in the offseason to leapfrog the Broncos. On paper, Denver is still a significantly better football team. The Chiefs, while always a threat, weren't that great even when Patrick Mahomes was healthy and in the lineup.
The wide receiver room is still a mess, and defensively, there are roster concerns all over the place. The same front office that got the Chiefs in this roster mess were the ones making all the moves this offseason, so I am not sure how one could be optimistic about a rebound.
The Raiders do seem to be building something notable, as Fernando Mendoza could be a viable long-term solution, but this is clearly a rebuild, and with Kirk Cousins in the room, the Raiders are wanting to take it slower with Mendoza.
The Broncos are flat-out loaded and might not have to do much heavy-lifting in the AFC West to capture the division for a second year in a row.
NFC East (Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders, Giants)
All four teams in the NFC East seem to have some major concern. The Philadelphia Eagles traded AJ Brown and are now missing that explosive element from the offense. Jalen Hurts is a limited quarterback, so the offense is again something to keep an eye on.
The Dallas Cowboys did add a lot to the defense this past offseason, but given how bad it was in 2025, all of the newness is not guaranteed to fix things, so we could still see that unit struggling in 2025. I am personally optimistic, but you're asking a lot from that side of the ball after a league-worst season.
The Washington Commanders did spend a lot in free agency to improve the roster, but this team won just five games last year, and it's not common to see a significant change in win total year-over-year. Washington should be better, but another few wins could still have them in third place.
And the dysfunctional New York Giants might need a year to figure things out before truly hitting their stride. John Harbaugh was a great hire, but Harbaugh might be more of a floor-raiser at this point, and the quarterback, Jaxson Dart, is the least-proven in the division.
The Giants do fit into that breakout team tier for 2026, but a lot would have to go right for that to happen.
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