22. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are going to make some major changes this offseason. This team will have a new head coach and a new GM pairing to hopefully get this franchise back on track for the long-term. The first major decision this team is going to have to make is figuring out what the heck to do with Tua Tagovailoa.
You don’t get the sense that Tagovailoa is going to return, but with a new regime, there may not be some hard feelings. Heck, I have no idea. The Dolphins’ roster outside of the QB is just OK, so like some other teams lower in our power rankings, it’s going to take some time to rebuild the necessary positions.
And with the Patriots breaking out in 2025, the AFC East is now a two-headed monster of a couple of juggernaut teams.
21. Indianapolis Colts
Just outside the top-20 in our updated power rankings is the Indianapolis Colts, who were once 7-1 on the season and had the no. 1 seed in the AFC well within range. The Colts began to stack some losses, and they lost starting QB Daniel Jones for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles.
It’s another major injury for Jones, but the obvious bright side here is that Jones and the Colts had something good brewing, so he should return as the QB1 in 2026. The Colts also swung a major trade for Sauce Gardner, so if the health is solid in 2026, Indy could be a winning team. You could clearly see the offensive vision that Shane Steichen had in 2025. Indy isn’t too far away.
But the quarterback situation is still a bit of a mess until the Colts actually re-sign Daniel Jones, and until we get more clarity on how long he could be out.