6. AFC North
The AFC North always has the potential to be a great division, as all four teams have made the playoffs in the semi-recent past. In 2025, though, the division wasn't that special, as all it took was a 10-7 season from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and had Tyler Loop made a field goal at the right time, it would have been the 9-8 Baltimore Ravens heading into the playoffs.
While all of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cincinnati have been great at times, the 2025 season was rather forgettable. The Steelers ceiling is low and has been low for years, the Ravens struggled big-time with injuries and began the year 1-5, and the Bengals just cannot get out of their own way at times.
Cincy has missed the playoffs three years in a row, and quarterback Joe Burrow is also someone who struggles to stay on the field. If all three of these top teams are stable and playing at their best, the AFC North could again be a gauntlet, but it was far from the case in 2025.
And then you have the Cleveland Browns, arguably the worst team in the league and a franchise that could have one of the worst quarterback rooms in recent NFL history. Ideally for the sake of these rankings, Baltimore and Cincinnati both re-emerge as juggernauts as they have been in recent years and battle it out for the AFC North crown.
5. AFC East
The AFC East saw the New England Patriots finish 14-3 and capture the title. The Buffalo Bills had won the division each year between 2020 and 2024, so it ended a five-year reign atop the division for Josh Allen's Bills, but they still won 12 games and actually had a better home record and the same conference record as the Patriots.
The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets continue to be irrelevant, as both could end up being some of the very worst teams in the sport this year. This division could not be more of a two-horse race, and it will be entertaining to watch both New England and Buffalo figure out who is better when 2026 rolls around.
But the Dolphins and Jets are both years away from competing with the top two teams, so they should quickly fall into irrelevance when the season gets underway. With all of that said, we did see the Patriots crumble against good competition in the playoffs, and the Bills even sometimes can't get out of their own way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google