8. Cincinnati Bengals
Believe it or not, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't played a postseason game since the 2022 season.
Given the talent on the offensive side of the ball this roster has in place, it's a wonder that Zac Taylor was the only coach in the division this year to retain his job. But the Bengals are holding on to the success they had back in 2021-22, believing that a healthy Joe Burrow (and an improved defense) can really get this team back to the top of the AFC.
And they might not be wrong.
Joe Burrow's health is the determining factor for Cincinnati, but they've clearly raised the proverbial floor overall by adding pieces like Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and Boye Mafe to the defensive front. If that unit can be even league average in the 2026 season, the Bengals should be a factor, certainly for their division, but possibly the conference overall.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
Just like there are almost every offseason, there are seemingly plenty of reasons to be excited about the Los Angeles Chargers this year.
The Chargers are never lacking any offseason hype, but it has been a battle for them to stay relevant deep into the season. The biggest move they made to try and figure that problem out was hiring Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator. The one thing Mike McDaniel does better than most in the NFL today is create run schemes, which is what got him promoted in San Francisco.
The idea is that if the Chargers can have a truly elite running game around Justin Herbert, then Herbert might finally have the type of support he needs to take a little pressure off, not having to carry the entire offense himself.
It's going to be fascinating to see if that situation presents itself, and Herbert still has to come through in a big situation, because he's crumbled in the playoffs all three of the opportunities he's gotten.
The underrated loss for the Chargers this offseason was defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who took the head coaching gig with the Ravens. Thankfully for the Chargers, their defense is loaded with veteran players, so hopefully, they can make life easy on first-year DC Chris O'Leary.
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