The NFL was insanely competitive during the 2025 NFL Season, and that high level of competition figures to continue into 2026. Teams are beginning to figure out how to build quality rosters, and while there will always be bad, dysfunctional teams, there will also be teams consistently among the best, or battling for that top spot.
The eight division winners from the 2025 NFL Season did feature some teams that not many people expected to be there. There were some unsurprising winners, but the eight were largely a shock when grouped all together.
With the 2026 NFL Offseason rolling on, let's power-rank the eight division winners from the 2025 season.
Power-ranking all eight division winners as the 2026 NFL Offseason continues
8. Carolina Panthers
A rare division winner with a losing record, the Carolina Panthers did give the Los Angeles Rams some fits in the NFC Wild Card Round, but it's clear that the Panthers were not there yet, and honestly won the division simply because other teams like Tampa Bay crashed and burned down the stretch.
If Carolina again plans on winning eight games, they'll likely finish in second or third next year. Bryce Young did play the best football of his NFL career in 2025, but it simply wasn't good enough for this team to continue and hope that they can again capture the NFC South title in 2026.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a mess. Pittsburgh has continued to tread in these 'in between' waters - they aren't bad enough to land a top pick in the NFL Draft, but not nearly good enough to actually contend for Super Bowls.
This would remain the case with Aaron Rodgers back in the mix in 2026 as well. Pittsburgh's roster is fine, but it's not exceptionally good at any position.
Overall, the Steelers feel primed to win nine or 10 games yet again, and if both Baltimore and Cincinnati stabilize and play as they can in 2026, the Steelers will absolutely be in a long, far away third place.
6. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have been a bit of a mess in 2021, 2023, and 2025, but have made the Super Bowl in the 2022 and 2024 seasons. Despite winning double-digit games nearly every year, the Eagles will have a season where reaching 10 wins or more doesn't feel right.
And that was the case in 2025. The Eagles roster talent is better than most teams, so they do have a massive talent advantage most of the time, but an inept offense and a quarterback whose weaknesses were exposed were the main reason why this team just wasn't that good in 2025, despite having a stingy defense.
5. Chicago Bears
Chicago shocked the NFL world and turned into one of the more frisky teams in the NFL for 2025. Sure, the defense wasn't that good outside of a ton of turnovers, but winning 11 games how they did and winning the NFC North was flat-out impressive.
The Bears need to get that defense playing at a more consistent level down-to-down in 2026, and if that does happen, Super Bowl contention is not far away.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville led the NFL in rushing defense last year and saw quarterback Trevor Lawrence really heat up as the season went on. What the Jaguars established in 2025 is absolutely sustainable for the long-term. While the roster isn't quite there yet, the Jags do have what it takes to again win the AFC South, especially if Lawrence continues to be the best quarterback in the division.
3. New England Patriots
New England benefitted from a very easy schedule in 2025, but this team still won a ton of games and advanced to the Super Bowl. The schedule gets a lot tougher, and it's hard to see how the Patriots get back to the big game in 2026, but the winning this team established in 2025 is something that can help them continue on the right path for 2026.
2. Denver Broncos
Arguably, the Broncos sport the best roster in the NFL, and if not for a broken ankle, this team may have won it all. Adding Jaylen Waddle to the offense was a great move, and on paper, there isn't a major weakness. Sure, you might want Bo Nix to elevate his game a bit more, but he now has all the weapons necessary for that to take place.
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Super Bowl champions and unsurprisingly No. 1 in our power rankings, the Seattle Seahawks throttled many opponents and boasted one of the more explosive defenses in the NFL. Seattle's deep defensive line and high-flying passing offense were the two main pieces of this puzzle in 2025.