The lead-up to any NFL season is a time for optimism to run rampant for almost every fan base around the league, but some of the national hype is already getting out of control for a handful of teams.
It's a lot easier to sneak up on people than play with a huge target on your back, but there are some teams who simply cannot hide from the spotlight no matter how hard they try.
As the 2026 offseason has trickled along, all 32 teams are now back on the field for training camp and preparing for what should be one of the most exciting and compelling seasons we've had in a long time. Along with teams reporting for camp come bold predictions about which teams are going to be good this year, which teams could sneak up on everyone, and which teams will be picking high in next year's draft.
There are some teams who are being majorly overhyped this offseason, and we're got a few bubbles to burst.
Top 3 most overhyped teams entering the 2026 NFL season
1. Baltimore Ravens
Can the Baltimore Ravens get back into contention this season? Absolutely.
Should the Ravens be popping up in the top 3-5 teams of any offseason NFL Power Rankings? Absolutely not.
The Ravens have a legitimate MVP candidate in quarterback Lamar Jackson, and the idea of Jackson playing his best football would have the Ravens in the discussion as being one of the best teams in the NFL by season's end, no question. With that in mind, there are holes to be poked in the Ravens before the start of the season.
There are questions that can quickly be answered, and then there are questions that will take a longer amount of time to answer. Some of the top reasons for some healthy skepticism for the Ravens in 2026 would include having a rookie head coach, a rookie offensive coordinator/play-caller, a revamped interior offensive line, and a complete change of culture.
Again, the Ravens could absolutely flip the script, and Jackson will be a catalyst if that's going to happen, but considering this team one of the top 5 favorites in Super Bowl betting odds, putting them as the 3rd-best team on any Power Rankings list, or generally just ignoring any questions surrounding this team feels premature at best.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have had plenty of "haters" praying for their downfall in recent years, but that's part of the territory that comes with being a dynasty-type team in the NFL. You have to accept that.
But that's also not what this is.
The Chiefs have major concerns on the offensive line at both tackle positions. Patrick Mahomes is coming off of a serious leg injury and we don't know if he's going to be the same player out there, especially as quickly as he's come back from that injury.
The Chiefs have a brutal group of wide receivers on the roster right now. They have almost completely revamped their defensive personnel.
The reason why so many people are expecting the Chiefs to bounce back this year is the core they have in place, starting with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. And yes, you have to acknowledge that this team absolutely could get back to the top of the AFC, but they need a lot of other things to go right and/or progress in the right direction quickly for that to happen.
3. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots getting smacked around in the Super Bowl by the Seattle Seahawks was an outlier for the way their season went in 2025, but it might have also exposed some reasons to be skeptical of this team in 2026.
Yes, it's a different group of players than a season ago, but the Patriots also didn't do enough to upgrade their biggest problem in 2025: Sack differential (Sacks allowed offensively vs. sacks defensively).
New England's issues in pass protection were a huge problem as Drake Maye took 21 sacks in the playoffs alone, and the pass rush defensively is lacking anyone dangerous or proven off the edge.
People maybe took it a little too far when talking about how much the Patriots benefitted from their schedule last season, but nobody can deny that they played the literal easiest schedule in the NFL in total opponent winning percentage.
Although they showed poise in some tough games in the playoffs, it's hard to imagine the Patriots could have beaten the Josh Allen-led Bills with the way they were playing in the postseason, and certainly not the Bo Nix-led Denver Broncos.
This team might not be in for a major regression, but they also might have had it a lot better/easier in 2025.
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