It's not a secret to find success in today's NFL. For the most part, if a team has a franchise quarterback, they will finish with a winning record, and it would take a lot for that not to happen. However, this does open up a new discussion about the varying tiers of franchise passers.
And even when a team does get the quarterback right, there is still a lot that can go wrong around them. With the 2026 NFL Free Agency mostly over at this point, teams are now turning their attention to the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins in about a month.
But even before we hit the NFL Draft, we looked at five teams that have absolutely no shot of finishing with a winning record for 2026.
These five teams are going to finish with a losing record in 2025
New York Jets
It's hard to figure out what the New York Jets are trying to do, as they made a ton of free agency moves this offseason and added many new faces on defense. They also swung a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders for Geno Smith, which was an odd move.
What it could be is that the Jets are at least trying to field a semi-competent team to give head coach Aaron Glenn a shot at something in 2026, but it does feel like he is a lame duck head coach. Even with two first-round picks this year, the Jets bottom-tier quarterback situation, shaky coaching, and average-at-best roster is going to prevent them from winning more than five games at best.
Arizona Cardinals
Perhaps the worst team in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals may already be 0-6 on the season, as they're in a division with the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks. Not only do they sit in the best division in the NFL, but the collection of talent in Arizona might be the worst among any team.
The quarterback situation is also a massive unknown. It's clear that Arizona might be building toward 2027 and beyond. This could be a one or two-win team in 2026.