Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South last year with an 8-9 record, and I am not sure that is going to be a thing in 2026. One of the main areas of improvement was Bryce Young, as the then third-year quarterback had the best season of his career, and it looked like this:
8-8 record
304/478
63.6 percent completion
3,011 yards
23 touchdowns
11 interceptions
87.8 passer rating
188.2 yards per game
Sure, the Panthers were a fun team, but this was Young's career-year - thoroughly mediocre. Sure, you can cite the sizeable leap that he made from 2024 into 2025, but it's clear that the quarterback is an extremely limited player. Given that he's already played three years in the NFL, the odds that he improves once more in year four feel low.
Typically, a quarterback really begins to round out as their 'final form' if you will, in year two or year three, so Young might be capped at this point. The roster, while solid, isn't anything special, and given how feisty the Saints looked last year, and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having taken ownership of this division in recent years, I just struggle to see how the Panthers make any progress. Expect a losing season, and perhaps some major changes following the year.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns appear to have a good enough defense to win some games in 2026, but the big issue here, as most of us can see, is the quarterback position. The Deshaun Watson trade has blown up in this team's face, but if nothing else, General Manager Andrew Berry has largely done a solid job outside of that blunder.
Unless Watson somehow channels his Houston days, which feels very unlikely, the Browns are going to again be a single-digit win team. Furthermore, a new head coach in Todd Monken is in town, so there's another level of unknown there, as many head coaching hires just do not work out.
The Browns could end up being a fun team in 2027 if the defense is still solid and a new quarterback is brought in, but for 2026, this team really doesn't have a path to a winning record, especially if you figure that all of Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh will be competent.
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