While we expected the AFC to be deep during the 2025 season, nobody could have seen the total youth movement and breakthrough of a number of new contenders jumping into the mix.
Now, as the dust settles on the 2026 NFL offseason, the AFC looks absolutely stacked.
Especially on the offensive side of the football, this is truly the deepest we've seen from the conference in quite some time. With the combination of teams that have proven they can be elite offensively and all of the breakout teams from last year, we're going to break down every offense in the AFC in these brand-new NFL Power Rankings. How much have teams improved this offseason based on their 2025 numbers, coaching additions, free agent pickups, trades, and draft picks?
2026 NFL Power Rankings: Every AFC offense ranked worst to best
16. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have completely blown up their offense this offseason, and even though it will be unrecognizable in terms of the number of new players, a new era always brings at least a degree of optimism. And the Dolphins should be at least somewhat optimistic. When we've gotten short glimpses at watching Malik Willis with the Packers the past couple of seasons, he's really done a solid job.
Can that carry over in Miami with very little proven talent around him? That's going to be the tough part. This is expected to be a year of growing pains for the Dolphins, and they could be painful.
The team paid a huge contract to running back De'Von Achane, and they're going to get their money's worth out of him. That running game is going to be key to whatever success this unit has in 2026.
15. Cleveland Browns
The arrival of Todd Monken meant one thing above all else: The Browns were going to upgrade significantly in the trenches.
And that's exactly what they've done this offseason. The Browns traded for Tytus Howard, they signed both Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, and they used a 1st-round pick on Spencer Fano. Although you can't expect that unit to be a finished product overnight, you can't help but love the process there.
The Browns will be a run-first team in 2026, and if Quinshon Judkins is healthy, that's good news. This team needed weapons in the passing game, and they got them. KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in the first two rounds of the Draft felt like a really nice haul, and now the Browns just have to figure out that quarterback position. And that's the biggest reason they're down this far on the list.
14. Las Vegas Raiders
The future has arrived for the Las Vegas Raiders, but according to the team, the future is not now. And the distinction between those two is the fact that #1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is not expected to start immediately.
That will be veteran Kirk Cousins, who showed some good things late last season with the Falcons. Cousins was signed in NFL free agency not to be a backup, but to play the whole year, assuming all goes well. Cousins has a chance to give the Raiders' new-look offense under Klint Kubiak a good look, and he'll have a couple of "easy buttons" around him with Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers.
The Raiders brought in Tyler Linderbaum to be an anchor for their offensive line, but this team is an unfinished product. They still have a bit of a rough receiver position, and the offensive line is not complete.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
This is meant to be a generous ranking for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were one of the league's 10 worst offenses last year despite having Aaron Rodgers in the fold. Now, Mike McCarthy has taken over as the new head coach, and the Steelers now finally know that Rodgers will be playing for them in 2026.
And even with Rodgers back in the fold, how much better did the Steelers' offense get in 2026? They ranked 26th in the NFL with 301 1st downs last season, they were 25th in total offensive yards, and somehow 15th in the league in points scored.
Pittsburgh replaced one of the best pass-catching backs in the league last year (Kenneth Gainwell) with a very underrated Rico Dowdle. Adding both Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard to the mix should help shore up their receiver depth, but it just feels like there's going to be a limit on how excited about this offense you can really get based on what we saw from Rodgers last year.
12. New York Jets
I'm not going to sit here and say I'm extremely confident in Geno Smith heading into the 2026 season, but he should raise the proverbial floor for the Jets' offense at least a little bit from what we saw last season.
And if he can prove to be a substantial upgrade at the quarterback position, the Jets might actually be cooking with a little something. How many quarterbacks have the level of talent Smith has around him with guys like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Mason Taylor, and now incoming 1st-round picks like Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr.?
The cupboard is not bare in New York, by any means, and if Smith can cut down on the interceptions, he might be able to have a really nice bounce-back year as the Jets are still in search of the quarterback of the future.
11. Tennessee Titans
Unlike most of the teams at the bottom of this list (with the exception of the Raiders), the Titans are the one team near the bottom of the AFC offense rankings that actually has some clarity at the quarterback position for the future.
Cam Ward is a stud, and all rookies struggle the way we saw him struggle last season. But he showed great mental fortitude and resilience with the way that he played, and the Titans went out and got him some serious help in the 2026 offseason. Most notably, they hired Brian Daboll as their offensive coordinator, and we've seen what Daboll can do in a number of cases.
He helped Josh Allen's development in Buffalo, he oversaw one of Daniel Jones's best NFL seasons in New York, and Jaxson Dart was playing really well when he was actually healthy last season. Not only should Daboll help Ward's development, but how about the additions of 1st-round pick Carnell Tate and free agent Wan'Dale Robinson at receiver? The Titans have some nice weapons around Ward, and are ready to make a jump.
10. Houston Texans
Yes, the Houston Texans have a borderline top-10 offense in their own conference. And despite that fact, they are still one of the best all-around teams in the NFL, but that defense carries them significantly.
Let's talk about the offense...
We saw in the postseason as well, but the Texans had absolutely no running game to speak of. CJ Stroud has not been the same player that we all saw back in his rookie year, and although he's still got star power, we need to see him bounce back in 2026.
The Texans were 18th in the NFL last season in total yards, 20th in 1st downs, 30th in red zone efficiency, and 23rd in 3rd-down efficiency. It's not out of the question that this team has a lot to prove this upcoming season, and there are simply a lot of good offenses in the AFC right now. The addition of David Montgomery needs to hit like the Texans think it's going to.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
Even when Patrick Mahomes has been healthy over the past couple of seasons, the Chiefs have struggled offensively. Especially compared to some of the best years this team has had, there's been a significant and noticeable drop-off in the level this team has been able to play at on offense.
And now, entering the 2026 season, Mahomes is coming off of a major knee injury with multiple damaged ligaments. Even if he's making great time in his return to the field, that is a serious concern heading into the year. And on top of that, the Chiefs are -- by far -- an unfinished product on the offensive line. That area has been a weakness for them for some time now, and I'm not sure they had enough assets available this offseason to figure it out.
The most optimistic view for this group is that Mahomes is back early, playing with a chip on his shoulder, and that new running back Kenneth Walker (the reigning Super Bowl MVP) is going to pick up where he left off with Seattle.
8. Baltimore Ravens
The crazy thing about the offenses in the AFC is that a team like the Ravens could be #1 on this list. There are obviously a lot of things to weigh when you're considering rankings like this, and this is not meant as a sign of disrespect to Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the Ravens at all.
Baltimore has a first-year play-caller in Declan Doyle taking over this year for Todd Monken. Obviously, the weapons are there, but are the Ravens going to be able to get back to the type of balance we've seen from them when their offense has been arguably the most dominant in the league?
Last season, they had the 2nd-ranked rushing attack in the NFL, which is to be expected, but injuries really derailed their overall numbers. If Lamar Jackson is healthy, this unit should absolutely skyrocket up this list. The biggest question marks, and they are fair to bring up, are the new play-caller and the changes on the interior offensive line, especially replacing center Tyler Linderbaum.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
Few teams made as good of an addition in the 2026 offseason as the Los Angeles Chargers did by bringing in Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator. That could turn out to be one of the most impactful moves this year, especially with McDaniel's expertise in the running game.
The Chargers desperately need the balance McDaniel can bring to the offensive side of the ball, and if his run schemes are as effective in Los Angeles as they have been in San Francisco and Miami, we could see Justin Herbert finally unlocked to his fullest potential in 2026.
The Chargers' biggest question marks entering this season will be on the offensive line, yet again, and the recovery of their two stars: Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. If those guys are both back to form, this team could be one of the most dangerous in the NFL with McDaniel calling the shots.
6. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos somehow had one of the better offenses in the AFC last season, but they were maddeningly inconsistent. Some injuries throughout the season played a role in that inconsistency, but overall, this team is going to be expected to be a better sum of its parts with fewer hiccups in 2026.
Not only is Bo Nix entering year three, but the Broncos went out and made a blockbuster trade to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins. The one thing this team has struggled badly with in the first two years of Nix's career is the inability of the receivers to consistently create separation, along with being among the league leaders in drops over the past two seasons.
The best way to describe the Broncos' offense last season would be "maddeningly above average" because there is clearly more this team is capable of. If they're able to stay healthy, they can make some dramatic strides in every major category.
5. Indianapolis Colts
Even though they lost Daniel Jones to a major injury last season, the Colts wound up ranking top 10 in the NFL in points, yards, 1st downs, and they had more drives end in a score than any other team in the NFL.
Shane Steichen knows what he's doing on the offensive side of the ball, but can the Colts stay healthy? Maybe more specifically, can Daniel Jones stay healthy?
The Colts traded away Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason and also said goodbye to starting right tackle Braden Smith, who joined the rival Houston Texans. Still, you have to figure that the Colts have the foundation in place to be a top-10 offense yet again if Jones can stay on the field, and Alec Pierce can take that next step in his game without Pittman to eat up targets.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are 4th on this list as a sign of respect for what they were able to do last season, but let's make something very clear: last season is last season.
The Jaguars lost starting running back Travis Etienne in free agency to the Saints, and it was odd that they showed very little resistance in letting him walk right out the door. Jacksonville's offense ranked 6th in the NFL in points scored last season, and they benefitted tremendously from a defense that forced the 2nd-most turnovers in the NFL and gave the offense the best average starting field position in the league.
Still, Jacksonville's passing game was dynamic last season, and that was without Travis Hunter for a lot of the season. How much will the loss of Etienne hurt this team in 2026? How will defenses adjust now that there is a full season of tape with Liam Coen in Jacksonville?
I'm betting on this offense being good until we see that it's not, but I wouldn't be shocked to see them slide early in the season.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
I'm going to fall for the Bengals' offense being elite every single year as long as Joe Burrow is playing. The Bengals were still 12th in the NFL in points scored last season, 5th in 3rd-down efficiency, and 2nd in red zone efficiency. That was with Burrow playing just eight games.
The Bengals need Burrow to stay healthy to function properly as a team, even if we've seen that someone like Joe Flacco can come in and put up a bunch of points with the outstanding weapons this team has in the passing game. And that's really where the Bengals are head and shoulders above most in the AFC. They have weapons on top of weapons.
If they can find some semblance of a running game in 2026 (29th in the league last season), they're simply going to be difficult to deal with every single week.
2. Buffalo Bills
In all honesty, it's difficult to beat the combination the Bills have on the offensive side of the ball. It starts off with a cheat code at the quarterback position in Josh Allen, the former MVP who is going to keep this team in every game, single-handedly if he has to.
Then you have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, led by one of the most dynamic backs in the league: James Cook.
The Bills now have added DJ Moore to the mix, and Moore gives them a desperately-needed veteran go-to option in the passing game, something they've sorely lacked since Stefon Diggs left.
Even with the loss of David Andrews at left guard, you have to imagine this Bills offense is simply going to keep humming along in 2026. They are one of the most well-oiled machines in the NFL.
1. New England Patriots
This is going to be a little bit controversial after the way the Patriots' offense -- and especially Drake Maye -- performed in the playoffs. But you can't completely discredit what this team did last season offensively, either.
The Patriots ranked 2nd in the NFL in points scored, 3rd in yards, and 6th in 3rd-down efficiency. They ranked 4th in passing yards, 6th in rushing yards, and they were simply able to coast through most of the regular season. At least, that's how it seemed.
Now, the Patriots have added Romeo Doubs at the wide receiver position, and it feels inevitable they will soon be adding AJ Brown to the mix. They shored up the offensive line with the additions of Alijah Vera-Tucker and 1st-round pick Caleb Lomu.
As good as New England's offense was last year, they might be even better in 2026.