10. New Orleans Saints
We talked about it during the 2025 offseason, but I never thought the Saints were going to be a true contender for the #1 overall pick in 2026. And they had us going there for a bit, but the way Tyler Shough sparked this team cannot be overstated.
The Saints have given themselves such a huge jolt entering the offseason with the way they finished the 2025 season, especially the play of Shough. Now, this team can truly build around a young quarterback instead of search for another one. And the way they even got to Shough is hilarious in the first place after Derek Carr's surprise retirement.
The Saints will be a fun team to watch this offseason, and Kellen Moore deserves a ton of credit for doing a great job in year one.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
This is going to seem extremely low for the Chiefs heading into the offseason, but I think it's justified. The Chiefs were not a great team when Patrick Mahomes was healthy this past season, and now his major knee injury complicates things even further. On top of that, the Chiefs' biggest stars on both sides of the ball aren't getting any younger (Travis Kelce, Chris Jones), and the offensive line issues this team has been dealing with are a major concern.
Now, you've got a serious situation with Rashee Rice off the field on top of it all, and the Chiefs don't have good skill players. They need a full-scale rebuild in a lot of ways, and major injury concerns for Mahomes going forward. How much is that knee injury going to affect what he does best?
This team is trending down in a big way heading into 2026.