Most teams in the NFL think they can win the Super Bowl in a given year, but we know that isn't the case. Year after year, there might not be more than 6-10 legitimate contenders in a given season. With how much parity is present in the NFL right now, there could be a large 'middle class' of teams for the 2026 NFL Season.
What I mean by this would be a group of competent, playoff or playoff-caliber teams that have a lot of nice elements, but just aren't quite good enough. With how tough it is to build a Super Bowl team in this league, there aren't more than a handful of legitimate contenders in a given season.
And with training camps now in full force ahead of the 2026 season, let's dive into the actual Super Bowl contenders for this coming season.
Predicting the teams that can actually win the Super Bowl this year
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos won 14 games in the regular season during the 2025 campaign, and as we know at this point, this team would have at least made it to the Super Bowl had Bo Nix not broken his ankle. It happened during one of the last plays of the AFC Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills.
While the Broncos may not have been able to beat the Seattle Seahawks, it's clear that Nix and Denver would have advanced to the big game had he been healthy, and the main move this team made this offseason had Nix in mind, as they swung a deal for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Nix and the Broncos just have not had a consistent go-to player on offense until Waddle's arrival. Furthermore, with how elite the offensive line and defense are, two other key elements of being a Super Bowl team, Denver does have what it takes.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have made two AFC title games in the Josh Allen era and have been in the playoffs each year since 2019. Perhaps the 2026 season is when this team finally gets over the hump, and two major moves this team made in the offseason were to acquire wide receiver DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears, and also promote Joe Brady to the head coaching spot.
While those moves might not help the Bills avoid playoff heartbreaks, there is also a chance those moves are enough. Allen actually has the most playoff wins of any quarterback to have not started in a Super Bowl, so this is getting a bit out of hand.
And yes, this trend could continue into 2026, but with how stable and juggernaut-y the Bills typically are, there isn't anything to say, right now, that they cannot win it all in 2026.
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