To say that Wild Card weekend delivered for the NFL in terms of the drama and theatrics would be the understatement of the season. It was truly a treat to experience and a Wild Card round for the ages.
Now, there are another handful of teams moving on to the offseason. We officially said goodbye to the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles and a handful of others, with the stage nearly set for the Divisional round.
As we reflect on the season that was while also looking ahead, where do each of these teams rank? After a crazy weekend of football during the Wild Card round of the playoffs, as well as the NFL head coach carousel spinning out of control, we're going to do our best to rank all 32 teams once again.
NFL Power Rankings: Biggest risers and fallers after Wild Card Round madness
32. New York Jets
The New York Jets have to be excited about the amount of capital they have at their disposal in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the roster took an obvious hit at the trade deadline with the losses of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. General manager Darren Mougey doesn’t have a quarterback, and we’ll see what other fallout there might be with a long-term rebuild ahead.
But there are at least assets to build.
31. Arizona Cardinals
Nobody should be under any illusion that the Arizona Cardinals are in great shape heading into the offseason, nor are they a really exciting destination for prospective head coaches. Kyler Murray’s health is a question mark, and so is his future with the team after everyone signed off on him effectively being benched for Jacoby Brissett.
This roster has some pieces, but especially in that division, they’re going to need to hit a lot of doubles and homers with offseason acquisitions to get back into contention anytime soon.
30. Cleveland Browns
The Browns are once again looking for a head coach. They are once again facing an offseason with major question marks at the quarterback position. And this time around, the offensive line is also a major work in progress. At this point, Myles Garrett feels ageless, but he’s also not getting any younger.
This team doesn’t just need a culture-changer; They need a curse-breaker.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Like a number of teams near the bottom of this set of NFL Power Rankings, the Las Vegas Raiders need a new head coach. The Pete Carroll experiment was a total failure. On top of that, the acquisition of Geno Smith cost them solid draft capital and a bunch of money. It was all a waste.
If the Raiders are forced to trade Maxx Crosby this offseason, it will derail anything else that happens for this team. Even if they are poised to add Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza with the #1 overall pick.
28. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are the first team this offseason to hire a replacement GM after moving on from Chris Grier during the 2025 season. We’ll see what Jon-Eric Sullivan brings to the table after all he’s learned under Brian Gutekunst with the Packers. Regardless, the team moved on from Mike McDaniel in a bombshell move, and they have their sights set on the biggest fish in head coach free agency: John Harbaugh.
And the team appears poised to move on from both Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill this offseason. Wild times ahead for the Dolphins.
27. Tennessee Titans
I probably have the Titans a little higher on this list than you expected, but I don’t hate the situation they’re in right now. They’re one of the few teams near the bottom of this list with clarity at the quarterback position, and I could see this being an extremely attractive head coaching vacancy.
The Titans desperately need pieces for the defensive side of the ball, and a featured weapon in the passing game for Cam Ward this offseason.
26. New Orleans Saints
It was a fascinating year for the New Orleans Saints in 2025. The Saints started off the year as the overwhelming favorite to be the worst team in the NFL, and they ended up finishing the year very strong while discovering their quarterback of the future.
Tyler Shough bought himself another year of runway, which is ideal for the Saints given the incoming quarterback class in 2026.
25. Atlanta Falcons
Does anyone out there know what to make of the future of the Atlanta Falcons? I think we can all say that Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons, will do whatever it takes to win. But the failure that was the Terry Fontenot era at GM along with the firing of Raheem Morris is not a positive start to the offseason.
The new regime will have no ties to Michael Penix Jr., whose injury status is an obvious concern. The Falcons also don’t have a 1st-round pick. But they do have Bijan Robinson.
24. New York Giants
I’ve been very hard on the New York Giants in the past, but I’m approaching the 2025 offseason with some cautious optimism for this team going forward. I think the Giants have one of the most intriguing head coach vacancies in the NFL. They have a strong defensive front, a possible franchise QB to build around, and an extremely fun group of skill players.
Who is the right coach to be the straw that stirs the drink?
23. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s been a long, long time since there was any “doom and gloom” for the Kansas City Chiefs. But this offseason is exactly that. The Chiefs have one of the most difficult situations to navigate this offseason with Patrick Mahomes coming off of a major knee injury, Travis Kelce’s future up in the air, Rashee Rice getting into even more off-field trouble, and salary cap issues on top of it all.
The Chiefs will have to quickly reload and hope the “being counted out” storyline can be a chip on their shoulders.
22. Dallas Cowboys
You would like to think the Dallas Cowboys are entering the 2026 offseason with just one big “if”, but there are actually quite a few. If the Cowboys can re-sign George Pickens…If the Cowboys can restructure Dak Prescott’s contract…If the Cowboys can bring back Javonte Williams…If the Cowboys can fix their atrocious defense.
There are just too many situations up in the air this offseason, but the last one is probably the most important. If Dallas can improve its defense, it can compete for an NFC East title in 2026.
21. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game a season ago, so it’s not out of the question to think that this could be one of the most obvious bounce-back teams in the NFL in 2026.
The health of Jayden Daniels will obviously be an area of concern going forward, but so will the status of the Commanders’ new-look staff. David Blough will be calling plays for the first time, and given the number of other candidates available, he’ll be under a ton of pressure.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 2025 season ended in such disappointment for the Buccaneers that I think I speak for nearly everyone when I say the decision to retain Todd Bowles was a shocker. The injuries the Bucs dealt with perhaps justified Bowles returning for another shot, but they’ve been a .500 team for four straight seasons.
And if they were in any other division, they’d have missed the playoffs most years. This is a team that needs to figure out the missing ingredient for why they can’t finish well.
19. Indianapolis Colts
The injury to Daniel Jones has me extremely skeptical of the future of the Colts, but then again, this team was not out of it despite calling Philip Rivers out of retirement. When a guy comes in and hasn’t played in five years, and you are competitive in games, you’ve got to tip your cap to the coach.
GM Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen are under a lot of pressure to get it right in 2026, or they’re going to lose their jobs.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals need a couple of things to happen. Number one, they need Joe Burrow to stay healthy. Number two, they need to fix the defense. There will be plenty of change for the Bengals in the 2026 offseason, but I’m not going to sit here and say the Bengals are for sure going to be bad next season.
The pieces are there for this team to contend, but they won’t go anywhere if that defense isn’t fixed. Can that happen in one offseason?
17. Carolina Panthers
As much flak as the Panthers received for the way they got into the playoffs, I don’t think you can really be too hard on this team. They made some significant progression throughout the 2025 season, especially on defense, and they’ve set themselves up for a fascinating offseason.
Bryce Young was way too much of a wild card week after week to bank on for the long-term future, so I think the Panthers did the right thing just picking up his 5th-year option. We’ll see if they can take another step forward in 2026.
16. Baltimore Ravens
I didn’t think we’d see the day where we were talking about the Ravens firing head coach John Harbaugh, but here we are. The Ravens have fired Harbaugh, and are on the hunt for a new coach to lead the franchise for the first time since 2008.
Those are big shoes to fill, even with some of Harbaugh’s failures in recent years. That’s a Super Bowl-winning coach and one of the winningest in modern NFL history. The Ravens will obviously be expecting nothing less than title contention from the next guy to take the job.
15. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings need to figure out a way to retain Brian Flores, bring the band back together, and try to run it back next year. The one thing everyone is uncertain about with this Vikings team right now is the quarterback position.
Are we going to see “Nine” in the future, or will JJ McCarthy take that next step? The Vikings have to find a way to protect themselves with a better backup option. This team is simply too talented and Kevin O’Connell is too good of a coach to waste this window.
14. Detroit Lions
I hate to say, “I told you so,” regarding the Detroit Lions this past offseason, but…Here we are.
The loss of Ben Johnson was a crushing blow for this Detroit Lions team. Even though the offense was still explosive and dynamic all throughout the 2025 season, there was a lot more inconsistency than we saw with Johnson calling the shots.
Dan Quinn knows he has to get that next hire at OC right, and we’ll see how GM Brad Holmes addresses the defensive personnel in free agency and the draft.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers' trip out to New England in the Wild Card round was a complete debacle. Nobody was getting open, nobody was blocking, and the Chargers' best defensive effort still wasn't good enough. At this point in the season, it's really the war of attrition that gets even the most promising of teams.
The Chargers just took too many losses over the course of the season, and now have a difficult offseason ahead of them with major question marks all over the offensive line, as well as the status of offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Can they possibly bring him back after what we saw this season?
12. Green Bay Packers
The injury to Micah Parsons was a devastating blow to the Packers’ season. They lost five straight games from that point, and just blew a substantial lead in the second half against the Chicago Bears on the road in the playoffs.
Injuries were obviously brutal for the Packers this season, including the loss of Parsons and the team missing Jordan Love due to a concussion late in the year. But this is a team that expected to be at the top of the NFC, and they’ve been bounced in the Wild Card round. We’ll see how GM Brian Gutekunst responds.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers play Monday vs. Texans
Based on everything I’ve been consuming from other outlets, it feels like there is no opinion more unanimously held going into Wild Card weekend than this: The Steelers are lucky to be here, and nobody thinks they’re beating the Texans.
It’s the opinions you’re most certain of that you should question every now and again. Maybe the Steelers’ matchup against the Texans is one we shouldn’t overthink, but as inconsistent as they were in the regular season, this might have been their best possible Wild Card draw.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
What an ugly end to the year for the Philadelphia Eagles, but really not unexpected at all. Everything we saw from the Eagles this season was amplified in the playoffs, especially the offense's inability to get anything going consistently. There will be a lot of major changes happening for this team in the 2026 offseason, with an AJ Brown trade all but a certainty at this point.
Beyond that, what kind of coaching changes might we see from Nick Sirianni? How will the Eagles address the elephant in the room that is Jalen Hurts this past year, if at all?
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars should be considered one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL moving beyond this season. A healthy Travis Hunter will be a massive offseason addition for this team, and I expect GM James Gladstone to be extremely aggressive in pursuing whatever upgrades are needed to get this team over the hump.
Especially since they don’t have a 1st-round pick. The Jaguars have proven they are more than just ahead of schedule: They’re in a championship window. It was an outstanding first year in Duval County for Gladstone and Liam Coen.
8. Houston Texans
Texans play Monday vs. Steelers
Does anyone out there know why the NFL does a Monday night game during the playoffs? We need someone to start a petition to get that changed. No, I get it – anything in the name of more viewers and money. The Houston Texans have had a long time to think about this matchup against the Steelers, and that defense is expected to go out and dominate in the postseason.
The Houston offense, however, is another story. Going into a hostile environment like Pittsburgh, it will be fascinating to see how this team responds. Can they take care of business?
7. San Francisco 49ers
It doesn't feel like the 49ers have gotten their due credit this year, and it's time for that to end. The 49ers are for real. We all know the Eagles have struggled this season, especially offensively, but it was the 49ers who forced the issue and went on the road to dethrone the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Will this finally be the year for Kyle Shanahan and company? The 49ers have to go on the road to face off against the Seattle Seahawks once again, in what will end up being a rubber match of a three-game season series. The Niners won in Week 1, the Seahawks won in Week 18, and now we're going to see which of these two will head to the NFC Championship Game.
6. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills pulled out a stunner in Jacksonville, notching the first road win in the Josh Allen era. And without all of the other superstar quarterbacks he usually has to get past in the playoffs, this is going to be “the year” Allen really has to get it done.
Right now, nobody wants to face this Buffalo team. Allen is capable of putting on the Superman cape at any point in time, and the Bills are one of the most battle-tested teams in the playoffs.
5. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams managed to avoid complete disaster on Saturday against the Carolina Panthers, and that game was proof of just how hard this Rams team is to beat. They made just about every mistake you simply cannot make in a playoff game, and they won anyway.
Even though Carolina had a losing record and backed into the playoffs, they gave the Rams another really tough battle after beating them earlier this season. But the ingredients are all there for this team to win it all.
4. Chicago Bears
There’s no doubt about the Chicago Bears’ resolve at this point. You can’t “go to bed” when this team still has time on the clock. Ben Johnson has this team in the Divisional round in his first year on the job as head coach, with the rest of the NFC North watching from their couches.
It’s been such a phenomenal year for this Bears team, and Caleb Williams played exceptionally well in the second half against Green Bay. That fan base had the stadium absolutely rocking and they look poised for a deep playoff run.
3. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots played the type of game that would have seemingly favored the Chargers, but in a low-scoring battle, it was New England's pass rush that dominated nearly the entire game against a beaten-up Chargers offensive line.
Even with just 19 points scored in that Wild Card matchup, that type of defensive effort proved just how complete this Patriots team is. They can win so many different types of ways. Especially for the Steelers or Texans coming to New England, this team is going to be a tough out playing at home.
2. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos enter the playoffs as the team that seems to be most unanimously thought of as a “fraud”. And that’s something they’ve got to find a way to embrace. The Broncos have been the comeback warriors of the AFC this season. They’ve been stellar situationally. But it’s also fair to say that we probably haven’t seen them playing their best football yet this season.
Can they come out of the bye week looking healthy, rejuvenated, and locked in? Or will they be sloppy and disjointed?
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks had to enjoy kicking back and watching everybody else in the loaded NFC beat each other up during Wild Card weekend. But they are now going to be under tremendous pressure in the Divisional round. As awesome as this team was at playing complementary football in 2025, the Seahawks also struggled in the giveaway department.
If that continues in their playoff opener, it’s going to be a quick exit. We’ve got to see Sam Darnold playing efficient football.