Everybody in the NFL world expects teams like the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills to be good in 2026. Nobody is questioning whether or not teams like the Patriots or Seahawks will be able to stay near the top of their respective conferences.
But which teams are the consensus way too low on as everybody reports for training camp around the league?
There are plenty of teams that have been steadily flying under the radar throughout the 2026 offseason, even after some big moves or quietly strong finishes to the 2025 season.
We've picked the top 3 teams around the league who have way too low of odds to win this year's Super Bowl, teams not getting nearly enough preseason hype, and teams who could vastly exceed low expectations for 2026.
3 NFL teams the consensus seems to be sleeping on entering the 2026 season
1. New Orleans Saints
All offseason, I've been extremely bullish on the New Orleans Saints. They are easily one of the most slept-on teams in the NFL, and people typically want to stop this conversation with the fact that Tyler Shough is still a relatively inexperienced quarterback.
That's a fair assessment.
The reason why I'm bullish on the Saints has less to do with Shough (who I'm really excited about) and more to do with their improvements in the trenches offensively and their high floor defensively.
Adding David Edwards to the left guard position in free agency was a huge pickup, and the Saints already had one of the most underrated defenses in the league. They ranked in the top 10 last season in:
- Yards allowed (9th)
- Pass defense (4th)
- Yards per carry allowed (6th)
- Sacks (10th)
- 3rd down efficiency (3rd)
- Red zone efficiency (10th)
The roster has gotten better. The Saints play in a wide-open division. They were hot at the end of the last season, and are clearly building something. The fact that this team is so close to the bottom of most Super Bowl odds for the upcoming season makes them an intriguing breakout team.
2. Tennessee Titans
If we're talking about some bold predictions for the upcoming season, I want to go on record and say that I believe the Titans could be one of the 7 playoff teams in the AFC this season.
The hiring of Robert Saleh is going to drastically change the complexion of that defense overall. The addition of Brian Daboll to the coaching staff is going to put Cam Ward in position for a huge jump in year two, not to mention all of the weapons they put around him.
Are the Titans a finished product in terms of their roster overall? No, not at this point. But there has been a huge influx of talent this offseason, and when you combine a huge influx of talent with massive upgrades on the coaching staff?
That could lead to the Titans being a huge surprise team in 2026.
3. Dallas Cowboys
It seems like very few people really want to go out on a limb and say it, so we'll just throw it out there:
The Dallas Cowboys could be legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2026.
If what we were saying about the Cowboys last year is true, then even an average defense for this team in 2026 could propel them to the top of their division. Even with an embarrassing defense, the Cowboys played really tough against teams like the Eagles and Packers, but simply couldn't put enough points on the board to beat teams like the Broncos and Lions.
The offense isn't a question whatsoever for the Cowboys, and with all of the players added to Christian Parker's new-look defense, it's reasonable to assume the Cowboys could significantly outplay anyone's projections for the upcoming season.
Most rankings lists around the NFL media world right now have the Cowboys somewhere between the 13th- and 20th-best team in the NFL. It's possible that they could end up in the final four of the NFC.
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