Going from worst to first is not the most uncommon thing in the world, and if you look at certain last-place teams from the 2025 NFL Season, you can certainly envision a scenario where there is indeed a worst-to-first team.
Something that definitely happens more regularly are the non-playoff teams getting into the playoffs the next year. Seeing a team go from worst-to-first is largely uncommon, but it's interesting enough to talk about.
And that's what we did here - we ranked all eight last-place teams from 2025 based on how likely they are to finish in first place for the 2026 season. Let's dive in.
Ranking worst-to-worst teams for the 2026 NFL Season
8. Arizona Cardinals (3-14 in 2025)
The Arizona Cardinals were not only among the very worst teams in the sport last year, but they also happen to be in the best division in football and are still among the worst in the sport. The Cardinals simply don't have the future franchise quarterback on the roster, which, if the opposite was true, would at least give the team some level of optimism for 2026.
The Cardinals might be eyeing the 2027 NFL Draft to take a major swing on one of those QBs, but for now, there is simply no chance that this team finishes in anything other than last, as the three teams ahead of them are three of the best in the NFC and all finished with double-digit wins in 2025.
7. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14 in 2025)
Similar-ish to the Cardinals, the Las Vegas Raiders aren't in as quite a tough division, but it's still a near impossible climb. The Raiders did snag Fernando Mendoza in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Mendoza may not start in Week 1 and is also a major unknown simply because he's a rookie.
The Raiders may have a path in 2027 and beyond to be a competitive team, but it's quite obvious that they're still firmly in a rebuilding mode right now.
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