Everything we expected from the AFC in the 2025 season turned out to be almost the complete opposite.
After a year full of teams taking massive leaps forward and some of the perennial powerhouses in the conference taking major steps back, what surprises will the 2026 season hold?
This season could be the year of the "bounce back" in the AFC. What could happen if the new teams that emerged last year stay in contention, but those powerhouse teams return to form as well? We could be in line for one of the most competitive years we've had in recent memory in the AFC.
With optimism still overflowing heading into Week 1, we're going to take one last look at how each team in the AFC stacks up with our latest (and final) NFL Power Rankings before the start of the regular season.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 1: Final AFC team rankings before the season starts
16. Cleveland Browns
Even though the Cleveland Browns aren't a team without talent on their roster, it still feels like the best-case scenario for them in 2026 is that Todd Monken teaches them to crawl so someone else can help them walk in the future.
It's hard to even view the Browns as a potential surprise team, if for no other reason than it feels like their current situations at head coach and quarterback are very much in the "placeholder" category.
The Browns are opening the 2026 season already with the 2027 NFL Draft at the front of their minds. This is an evaluation year, and in an ideal world, a foundation-building year. But with Deshaun Watson starting at QB to open the season, even that is in question.
15. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins aren't trying to fool anybody that this is a rebuilding year for them.
It's the first year of the Jon-Eric Sullivan/Jeff Hafley era for the Dolphins, and they have a massive rookie class they're investing in this season, but the most interesting thing about this team is the Malik Willis dart throw at the quarterback position.
Willis was really solid as the backup to Jordan Love over the past couple of seasons, and earned an opportunity like this. He's going to have to elevate the talent around him and minimize mistakes to hold onto the job beyond this year, but the Dolphins are going to be fun no matter what their record is.
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