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.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns got to work this offseason overhauling the offensive line, signing Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson, and swinging a trade for Tytus Howard. On paper, the offense does actually have a good bit of talent.
It's the same defensively, too. In fact, the defense doesn't have many holes at all. However, as we all know, the quarterback situation might be the worst in the NFL. Both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel looked overwhelmed in 2025, and it's not likely that Deshaun Watson is going to be a viable option.
Not only that, but Todd Monken is now in as the head coach, and while he's a sharp offensive mind, there is no guarantee he's head coach-caliber. Cleveland could play spoiler a few times this year, but they won't win many games.
Miami Dolphins
It's quite clear that the Miami Dolphins are not trying to win football games this year. Their most recent move was trading stud wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos for a first and third-round pick.
The Dolphins might have a bottom-3 roster right now and have a ton of quarterback uncertainty. With a mountain of NFL Draft capital, this team is eyeing 2027 and beyond. Internally, it would not be a shock if they were hoping for a very high pick in next year's draft.
Miami could struggle to reach the five-win mark in 2026.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders could very well be on the right track, as Fernando Mendoza is likely headed to Vegas after an offseason of free agency aggression. Both sides of the ball saw big-time moves, and there is always a chance that Klint Kubiak is the right man for the job.
However, the newness of this all could take a year to get going, and being in the AFC West is a giant challenge, too. Vegas could perhaps flirt with six or seven wins if most things settle in, but this team is still a year early, even if Mendoza ends up being functional as a rookie.