10. Philadelphia Eagles
Cracking the top-10 here, the Philadelphia Eagles are, like the Steelers and Chargers, one of those 'good not great' teams that, if nothing else, have a high floor. Philly brought in Sean Mannion as the offensive coordinator and will again look different on that side of the ball. With the limitations at quarterback, Saquon Barkley being a year older, and a potential AJ Brown trade still possible, Philly's ceiling might be limited in 2026.
No one would really be all that shocked if the Eagles went 11-6 and made the playoffs. They haven't made any sort of move to indicate they can return to juggernaut status.
9. Houston Texans
Houston overhauled the offensive line a bit with additions of Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller. The defense saw a new face in Reed Blankenship, and the team swung a trade for David Montgomery. Houston is a better team now than they were one month ago, and General Manager Nick Caserio has really done a nice job at building this roster.
However, the elephant in the room as of now is CJ Stroud, who hasn't played all that well the past two seasons after an electric rookie campaign. Stroud is and still could be the one thing holding this team back.
8. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco has added some solid talent this offseason with Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, Dre Greenlaw, and Osa Odighizuwa. All in all, the other players returning from injuries, coupled with the offseason additions the front office has made, should make for one of the league's best rosters, but health has always been a concern, and there is just no guarantee that this team stays healthy.
7. Chicago Bears
Chicago has had to tweak the defense a bit this offseason, and they also had a surprising hole at center after the Drew Dalman retirement. The Bears won 11 games last year and have gotten better on defense, so there is reason for hope.
But trading DJ Moore was a tough move that simply had to happen, so all in all, the roster is in the same spot talent-wise as it was when the season ended. The Bears figure to bolster the defense in the NFL Draft and could add another weapon on offense.
Given the offseason moves, Chicago has positioned themselves well to build from the breakout 2025 season.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville lost Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd in free agency, but the Jags really caught on down the stretch in 2025. It's clear that Liam Coen is cut out to be a head coach, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence ended the year on a hot streak and was an MVP candidate. Given that Coen and Lawrence are both excellent at what they do, the Jags have a strong foundation for success in 2026 and beyond.