Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks did just win the Super Bowl, and one thing this team will have to try to avoid is the Super Bowl hangover. On paper, they might be able to do just that, as the roster is quite good and incredibly deep on defense.
And with how balanced this team was in 2025, a slight regrssion would still keep them fighting for the NFC West title. The Seahawks have won 24 regular season games in the Mike Macdonald era and are again poised to field one of the best squads in the league.
With the team sporting a defensive identity, it also becomes more likely that success is sustained, as doing that on defense is easier than on offense.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears definitely brought some notable changes to the defensive side of the ball in the offseason, and it's clear that the Bears might be willing to sacrifice turnovers for a more stable unit down-to-down. Chicago's offense was in the top-10 in points scored in 2025 as well, so if that remains, and if the defense is even just a few slots better in terms of points allowed, the Bears would have a rather clear path to the playoffs in 2026.
Detroit Lions
I am not quitting the Detroit Lions. They won 27 regular season games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons and have finished with a winning record four years in a row. While this might be naive of me to think, why can't the injuries on defense regress to the mean in 2026 for the Lions? This might be too hopeful of me to think, but with how elite the offense is, all you'd really need from the Lions defense is a top-16-ish unit in points allowed.
They ranked 22nd in points allowed last year. A modest jump is reasonable to think, and it'd be enough for a 10 or 11-win, playoff season.
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