With OTAs starting to begin across the NFL, the bulk of the offseason is upon us. The summer months will soon be here, so many camps and other activities will begin as well. With free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft behind us, the main roster shifting has also ended.
There could still be some trades that go down, and there are enough free agents left on the market to help out certain teams, but much of the roster movement that we have left may only occur when injuries inevitably happen, which is an unfortunate part of the game.
As the 2026 NFL Offseason continues, let's dive into our full season predictions, which include records, playoffs, and the Super Bowl champion.
Full season predictions for 2026 including records, playoffs, and the Super Bowl
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: 11-6
Dealing with a ton of injuries in 2025, the Baltimore Ravens regress to the mean in that regard, and, with a new head coach in Jesse Minter, a defensive guru, being a more balanced team is on the table, and a return atop the AFC North takes place.
Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
The Cincinnati Bengals remade defense is going to be enough for this team to sneak into the playoffs in 2026. Cincy hasn't made the postseason since 2022, so this would be a welcome result.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-10
Even with Aaron Rodgers back in the mix, the Pittsburgh Steelers just aren't threatening on either side of the ball and will take a notable step back in the loaded AFC for 2026, finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2003.
Cleveland Browns: 4-13
Cleveland's defense is formidable, but the quarterback position might be the worst in the league, so the Browns are going to struggle on offense and only scrape together a handful of wins in 2026.
AFC South
Houston Texans: 12-5
The Houston Texans had a great offseason. Shoring up the offensive line and the backfield were stellar moves, and General Manager Nick Caserio even found a way to improve the defense. On paper, this could be the best team in the NFL.
Houston is the most talented team in the AFC South, by far, and if it wasn't for a shocking 0-3 start in 2025, Houston would have won the division. Seeing as the Jacksonville Jaguars lost some talent this offseason, it's the Texans' turn to ascend back to the top as the division winners.
Jacksonville Jaguars: 10-7
The Jaguars shocked the NFL world with a 13-4 season in 2025, but the Jags absolutely overachieved based on their roster talent, and now that there's an entire season worth of film out on the team, replicating that kind of success in 2026 feels quite hard.
Still good enough to win some games, Jacksonville is going to regress a bit and settle into a modest 10-win season.
Indianapolis Colts: 8-9
Indianapolis finished 8-9 after a 7-1 start in 2025. You'd think that since the Colts are returning many of the same players, a strong season could be on the table, right? Well, there isn't a guarantee that Daniel Jones won't miss games in 2026, and given how the team ended the season last year, there is no guarantee that their second-half collapse in 2025 doesn't carry over into 2026.
This is a solid team overall, but there really isn't any part of the roster that makes you believe an improvement is coming.
Tennessee Titans: 6-11
Tennessee is going to be a more stable franchise in 2026. Winning six games would be an improvement and could set the stage for a breakout year in 2027. It's clear that the Titans are still another strong offseason away, but this team is going to be frisky at times and could end up playing spoiler.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: 12-5
The Buffalo Bills will return to the top of the AFC East in the 2026 season. Buffalo wins the division nearly every year, and many could argue that the only reason why the team did not in 2025 was due to the New England Patriots having an insanely easy schedule.
That won't be the case in 2026. Buffalo and New England are largely evenly-matched, but Buffalo being a more known commodity, and New England's schedule getting tougher, are going to be the two main factors here.
New England Patriots: 9-8
A Super Bowl hangover could be on the docket for the Patriots in 2026. This team rode a very easy schedule to a 14-win season in 2025. It was quite the year, but the one thing that comes with winning that much is the increased probability that fewer games would be won the following season.
Winning 14 games means a team really had no margin for error and were about maxed-out in today's NFL. This is still a good team, but a less prolific season is on the horizon.
Miami Dolphins: 2-15
Maybe the worst team in the NFL right now, the Miami Dolphins have a new coaching staff, front office, and starting quarterback. This isn't a team trying to win games, either, so let's not lose sight of that. The Dolphins are absolutely building toward 2027 and beyond, so it's going to be quite the lean year for the Dolphins in 2026.
New York Jets: 2-15
Another team in a similar situation, the New York Jets are building this roster up for 2027 and beyond, and with three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, the organization probably just wants to fast-forward past this year.
The Jets did improve the roster this offseason, but a bad coaching staff and bottom-7 quarterback in Geno Smith is a recipe for disaster.
AFC West
Denver Broncos: 12-5
The Denver Broncos may not win quite as many games in 2026 as they did in 2025. The Broncos did win 11 games in a row at one point and were stacking one-score win after one-score win. While this roster might be the best in the league, sustainable those type of razor-thin margins aren't likely year over year.
The Broncos are still plenty good enough to stack a ton of wins, reach the double-digit win mark for the third year in a row, and notch their second AFC West title in a row. This team is a solid tier above the two other notable teams in the division.
Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
Los Angeles again feels like a 'good not great' team. They did kind of improve the offensive line this offseason, but many were left wanting more. Losing Minter is also going to hurt the defense, so this team could take a very slight step back.
Sure, Mike McDaniel is now in the picture as the offensive coordinator, but many of the same players are there, and that likely defensive regression could take away from any offensive improvement. This is going to be a fine football team in 2026, but nothing more.
Kansas City Chiefs: 9-8
The Kansas City Chiefs still need another strong offseason of improving this roster to get back to the top of the division. Offensively, the unit is in a bad spot outside of Kenneth Walker III, and on defense, all three phases are still in question.
Sure, the Chiefs addressed both sides of the ball this offseason, but the same front office that got them into this roster mess was the one that added new players this offseason. There's also no guarantee that Patrick Mahomes is 100 percent and ready to Week 1, either.
Las Vegas Raiders: 4-13
Sure, there's been a lot of change, but change doesn't always mean success is to come. Fernando Mendoza was the big prize this offseason, but he's not starting immediately with Kirk Cousins in the picture, and Cousins isn't anything special.
Being stuck in a good division is also a factor here. The Las Vegas Raiders should again have a rather disappointing season.
NFC North
Detroit LIons: 13-4
The Detroit Lions sport some of the best roster talent in the NFL, period. What we saw in 2025 was clearly an outlier, as this team had won a combined 27 regular season games in 2023 and 2024. Detroit gets back on track, stays healthier on defense, and rides a consistent season, finishing 13-4 and earning the NFC North division title for the third time in four seasons.
The Lions are for real and are going to take care of business in 2026.
Green Bay Packers: 11-6
I do wonder about the Green Bay Packers' ceiling, given that this roster has a lot of good and not much great, but if all goes well, it would not be a stretch to see them winning 11 games. Oddly enough, quarterback Jordan Love has won exactly 9 games in all three years of his starting career.
This team, if nothing else, has a high floor, but high floors do not win Super Bowls.
Chicago Bears: 10-7
Chicago could take a slight step back, but at the same time, maybe not. The Bears won 11 games last year, but they were struggling on defense outside of the turnovers. A slightly improved, more consistent defense could be on the table given the amount of personnel change, but now that there's an entire year out on Ben Johnson's offense, a slight regression on that side of the ball could be likely.
Minnesota Vikings: 6-11
I wanted to predict the Minnesota Vikings to win more games than this, but it wasn't in the cards. The performance of the defense is up in the air, as that unit got a bit of a makeover in the offseason, and while I do love the Murray-Minnesota pairing, his skillset doesn't exactly translate into a Kevin O'Connell offense.
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10-7
Tampa could get back on track in 2026. The Buccaneers did take ownership of the NFC South for a while, dating back to the Tom Brady days, but this team does have a rather low ceiling in the post-Brady era. That's still largely been good enough for 9, 10 wins and a division title.
And while I am higher on the New Orleans Saints than most, Tampa having the 'been there, done that' experience under their belt, this team is a safer bet for the NFC South title in the 2026 season.
New Orleans Saints: 9-8
The Saints are going to shock some people in 2026. Having gone 4-1 to end the 2025 season, New Orleans has a young-ish quarterback in Tyler Shough who really surprised a ton of people, and suddenly, the additions on offense in Jordyn Tyson, Travis Etienne, and David Edwards give the Saints a rather complete unit.
The defense was also sneaky good in 2025 and could take a step forward in 2026. While this team is still a year away, expect a sizeable jump this coming season.
Carolina Panthers: 6-11
I am not sold on the Carolina Panthers. Bryce Young is an extremely limited quarterback who 'helped' this team to an 8-9 record and an NFC South title in 2025. I struggle to see how the Panthers
Atlanta Falcons: 5-12
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback room is the main issue here. While there is a path for Tua Tagovailoa to win the job and look competent, there's just so much unknown with him and Michael Penix Jr, that it's hard to predict a winning season. There's also a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski, so there's always a chance that things just take some time to get going, and 2026 is more of an 'assess where we are' type of season.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: 10-7
I love what the Dallas Cowboys have done this offseason. The defense feels improved big-time, and already sporting a top-10 scoring offense is going to help. A borderline elite offense and, let's say, a top-14 defense could help the Cowboys win 10 games in 2026 and capture the NFC East.
Having the best quarterback in the division also helps, too.
Philadelphia Eagles: 10-7
Philadelphia just cannot find consistency on the offensive side of the ball, and with it still being firmly possible that AJ Brown is traded, this unit could look very different in 2026. Sure, the defense is elite, but we have seen Philly struggle at times. Having a limited quarterback in Jalen Hurts isn't an ideal scenario, and I'd even argue that Philly is missing a piece or two on defense as well.
The Eagles are still good enough to win some games, but they won't be a juggernaut like in previous seasons.
Washington Commanders: 10-7
A modest bounce-back season is coming for the Washington Commanders, but it won't be anything special. The front office did get very active in free agency this offseason, which should bring a huge boost to the defensive side of the ball, and there is reason to believe that Jayden Daniels stays healthier than he did in 2025.
Washington reaching that 12-win mark, which is what they did in 2024, doesn't feel likely, but hitting 10 wins in a course-correction year feels like a solid prediction.
New York Giants: 6-11
The New York Giants hiring John Harbaugh was a great move, but this new era might take a year to get going. Here in our predictions, the three other NFC East teams are all projected to be rather solid, so it could be an uphill battle for the Giants here. Six wins wouldn't be the end of the world, and it could set the stage for a breakout campaign in 2027.
NFC West
Los Angeles Rams: 12-5
I love what the Los Angeles Rams did this offseason. Adding Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie being added into the secondary shores up the main weakness on this roster. It's pretty clear where the front office wanted to allocate much of their resources.
Los Angeles may have the best roster in the NFL, and also have the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford. Given how good the rest of the division is, though, I don't believe the Rams are going to runaway with the NFC West title.
Seattle Seahawks: 12-5
Seattle won the Super Bowl this year, but I do wonder about a potential offensive regression. Kenneth Walker III left in free agency, and the passing attack, while potent, is top-heavy with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. All in all, the Seahawks will still be a great team, but there could be a slight regression on offense, and given how much better the Rams got, Seattle could fall a bit behind.
San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
San Francisco is the third 12-5 team in the NFC West here in our latest predictions. It's going to be another bloodbath, and there has to be one of these teams finishing in third place. The Niners have struggled with injuries for what has felt like years now, and there really isn't any indication that those injuries will decrease for a year.
I also have concerns about some of the key players getting up there in age, and the team just not being explosive enough to get out of this position.
Arizona Cardinals: 2-15
Perhaps the worst team in the NFC this year, the Arizona Cardinals will struggle to win a game. With a bottom-5 roster and a bottom-5 quarterback room, and being in the best division in football, this is going to be a long, painful year.
Let's dive into the playoff teams now.
AFC Playoff Teams
1. Buffalo Bills
Regaining control of the AFC East in our predictions, the Bills also earn the top seed in the AFC, which guarantees the team a first-round bye into the Divisional Round, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Perhaps this would actually be a scenario where Buffalo takes care of business and makes the Super Bowl?
2. Denver Broncos
Denver wins the AFC West for a second year in a row in our predictions, but they'll miss out on the top seed in the AFC, having earned it last year. The Broncos would be slated to face the No. 7 seed at home in the Wild Card Round, but it would project to be a strong opponent if our predictions end up coming true.
3. Houston Texans
Houston takes a year off from winning the AFC South title, but gets back on track in 2026, winning the division in our predictions and earning the third seed in the playoffs, which would give them a similar matchup in the playoffs as one they saw in recent years.
4. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore earns the fourth seed in our predictions, making it quite the first year for Minter as the team's new head coach.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville regresses just a bit in our predictions, but the team still does enough to settle into the fifth seed, which is the top Wild Card seed. The Jaguars failed to get past the Bills in last year's Wild Card Round.
6. Los Angeles Chargers
Yet again, the Chargers are slotted into a Wild Card spot. This is a good team, but there wasn't any sort of roster move made that could make us think they'll win the division. This would be the third year in a row that the Chargers earn a Wild Card spot in the AFC.
7. Cincinnati Bengals
Having not made the playoffs since 2022, the Bengals just barely get into the postseason in our predictions. Despite being the seventh seed, Cincy could make some noise here.
NFC Playoff Teams
1. Detroit Lions
The Lions earned the top seed in the playoffs back in 2024, and they’ll get to that spot this year. Better injury luck and an improved defense could be plenty enough for the Lions to earn the bye and home-field advantage.
This team is good enough to win it all, but it’s not going to be easy…
2. Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles earns the NFC West title and the No. 2 seed here in our predictions. The Rams are able to get out traveling for the Wild Card Round and could end up staying at home for the entirety of the playoffs, depending on how things shake out.
In what could be one of the final two seasons of Stafford’s career, the Rams feel well-positioned to make some noise.
3. Dallas Cowboys
Dallas could end up being one of the more balanced teams in the NFL in 2026. I am not sure the defense can go from ‘bad’ to legitimately good or great, but improving into more of a league-average tier would be enough to thrust the Cowboys to a home playoff game.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It feels like the Buccaneers, at this in this era, are built for that No. 4 playoff seed, which isn’t ideal, but it’s not the worst thing, either. The Bucs don’t have a Super Bowl-caliber group, but a home playoff game could get them into the Divisional Round.
5. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle not winning the NFC West in our predictions drops them to the No. 5 seed, but a favorable matchup against Tampa Bay could be one of the easier matchups in our postseason predictions.
6. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco does tend to go far in the playoffs with Kyle Shanahan as the head coach. It’d be tough to see this team getting over the hump in the sixth spot, but if the group is healthy…
7. Green Bay Packers
Once again, the ‘good not great’ Packers settle into a Wild Card spot. Sure, it’s a strong sign of stability, but this can’t be the standard…
AFC Wild Card Round
(1) Buffalo Bills - BYE
(7) Cincinnati Bengals @ (2) Denver Broncos
The Bengals head to Denver to face the Broncos in our Wild Card Round predictions. With the Broncos suffocating defense, clutch quarterback, and stellar home record, Denver holds on in this one and advances to the Divisional Round for the second year in a row.
Prediction: Broncos win 28-20
(6) Los Angeles Chargers @ (3) Houston Texans
In a matchup of one of the AFC Wild Card showdowns in 2024, Houston again takes care of business. It’ll be a close game, but Houston’s elite defense comes through in the end.
Prediction: Texans win 20-17
(5) Jacksonville Jaguars @ (4) Baltimore Ravens
The Jaguars are a clever team, but playing in Baltimore against Lamar Jackson will prove to be too much, as the Ravens keep the foot on the gas and get into the second round if the postseason.
Prediction: Ravens win 23-17
NFC Wild Card Round
(1) Detroit Lions - BYE
(7) Green Bay Packers @ (2) Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles would win this matchup - Stafford and the offense are too much for Jonathan Gannon’s defense to handle. The Rams notch the win here and get one step closer to a Super Bowl berth.
Prediction: Rams win 30-20
(6) San Francisco 49ers @ (3) Dallas Cowboys
While Dallas is at home and the higher seed, this team tends to get in their own way when they make the playoffs. Unfortunately, given how experienced the Shanahan-era 49ers are in the playoffs, it’s realistic that the 49ers make more plays than the Cowboys in what could still be a close game.
Prediction: 49ers win 24-21
(5) Seattle Seahawks @ (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In our last Wild Card Round game here in our predictions, Seattle goes into Tampa Bay and takes care of the Buccaneers. From top to bottom, the Seahawks are the better team.
Prediction: Seahawks win 24-17
AFC Divisional Round
(4) Baltimore Ravens @ (1) Buffalo Bills
Baltimore and Buffalo square off in the Divisional Round here in our predictions, and this game could end up tilting toward the home team. Josh Allen can be a more dominant quarterback in the playoffs than Jackson, and we have seen that before.
Jackson’s playoff performances aren’t the best, and if nothing else, Allen has come through in a ton of big moments. This game being at home for the Bills is also quite the advantage, and while this matchup would promise to be a back-and-forth affair, I would pick Buffalo here.
Prediction: Bills win 27-24
(3) Houston Texans @ (2) Denver Broncos
Arguably the two best defenses in the NFL would square off in the second AFC Divisional Round in our predictions. During the 2025 season, the Broncos went into Houston and beat the Texans on a last-second field goal.
The Broncos are also one of the best teams in the NFL when playing at home, and that’s been a strong trend throughout the Bo Nix era. CJ Stroud is a fine quarterback, but you get the sense that he’d get overwhelmed in this environment. Denver wins and gets to the title game for the second year in a row.
Prediction: Broncos win 21-14
NFC Divisional Round
(6) San Francisco 49ers @ (1) Detroit Lions
San Francisco and Detroit would make for a fun matchup. On paper, the Lions are more talented, but I just can’t shake the 49ers. Shanahan has lost two Super Bowls as the team’s head coach, but he simply has his teams ready to roll when the playoffs roll around.
We’ve seen the 49ers go a stellar 9-5 in the playoffs in the Shanahan era. The 49ers manage to pull off an upset here and will advance to the NFC Championship Game.
Prediction: 49ers win 30-28
(5) Seattle Seahawks @ (2) Los Angeles Rams
In what would be a rematch of last year’s NFC title game, the Rams would get this one at home and would have the advantage here. Seattle would still give Los Angeles a ton of fits here, but it’s hard for me to go against Stafford and Sean McVay at home.
I struggle to find a notable Rams’ flaw that would prevent them from making it to the Super Bowl. This is a more complete team and can win this one.
Prediction: Rams win 27-24
AFC Championship Game
(2) Denver Broncos @ (1) Buffalo Bills
Our AFC Championship Game would be a rematch of last year’s insane Divisional Round finish. The Broncos and Bills had gone back-and-forth in Denver, heading into overtime. An insane interception by Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian was the key late in the game.
Denver was able to get into field goal range and kick a chip-shot to win. Obviously, Nix breaking his ankle and that news breaking shortly after the game was a wild, unbelievable moment, and while Nix and the Broncos get back to the title game in our predictions, it’s not going to be easy.
Denver was in Buffalo for the 2024 Wild Card Round, but the Broncos were just getting this new era of football started. The Broncos are the better team and may also have a stronger coaching staff.
It’d be easy to pick the Bills due to them being at home, but I like the Broncos to take care of business.
Prediction: Broncos win 27-23
NFC Championship Game
(6) San Francisco 49ers @ (2) Los Angeles Rams
A classic NFC West showdown, the 49ers and Rams meet up in the NFC Championship Game in what could be an all-time battle between two future Hall of Fame head coaches in Shanahan and McVay.
Los Angeles is the better team and would win this one. In high-stakes games like this, the winning team is usually the one with the better head coach and quarterback. While McVay might not be significantly better than Shanahan, the gap between Stafford and Brock Purdy is sizeable enough to tilt this game in the Rams’ favor.
Prediction: Rams win 23-21
Super Bowl LXI
(2) Denver Broncos vs. (2) Los Angeles Rams
For our Super Bowl LXI matchup, we have a battle of No. 2 seeds in Denver and Los Angeles. Arguably the two best rosters in the NFL, the Broncos and Rams would each have some advantages over the other.
The Broncos likely have the better defense, but the Rams would be more efficient on offense. Denver’s trench play is also a tick better than Los Angeles’, but this game would largely be a coin flip.
I would give the nod to the Rams here, though. McVay and Stafford won it all back in 2021, and the experience those two have shared together in the playoffs could end up being the deciding factor here. However, the Broncos being able to get to the Super Bowl a year after how the 2025 season ended would clearly position this team to win it all in the near future.