As deep as the NFC was during the 2025 NFL season, it doesn't feel like there are going to be a ton of playoff spots up for grabs in 2026. That just means teams are going to have to come and take those spots for themselves.
We've spent a lot of time this offseason dissecting every team around the league, talking about all of the moves that have been made, and trying our best to predict what's going to happen this season. All of the studying and analysis can't give us all the answers, but that's not going to stop us from trying to call our shot anyway.
There are three NFC teams that seem primed to steal playoff spots from some of the seven teams that made it last season. The Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bears, Eagles, Packers, and Panthers all need to be watching their backs because these teams are coming for them.
3 NFC teams that will steal playoff spots during the 2026 season
1. Detroit Lions
There is probably not a more obvious bounce-back team in the NFC right now than the Detroit Lions.
Yes, the Lions still have some question marks, especially in the defensive backfield, but everyone needs to remember that this is a squad that won 15 regular season games just two seasons ago. The Lions had a regression year in 2025, but they still have a lot of that roster core around, and most sportsbooks have the Lions at an over/under of 10.5 wins this upcoming season.
There is simply too much talent offensively for the Lions to get left out of the playoffs again this year. The issue this team is facing is the division they play in. Nobody in the entire division had a losing record last season, and the competition isn't getting any worse.
The biggest change for this team might end up being at offensive coordinator (again). After trying -- and failing -- to replace Ben Johnson with John Morton last year, the Lions brought in Drew Petzing, who has been with the Cardinals the past few seasons. One of the biggest tasks for Petzing is going to be getting the Lions's 3rd down offense back to an elite level. They ranked 4th in the NFL in 3rd down conversion rate during the 2024 season, and dropped all the way to 20th in 2025.
2. Dallas Cowboys
If the Dallas Cowboys can find a way to have even an average defense this season, they will most likely be good enough to win 10 or 11 games. And that's almost always going to be good enough to get you into the playoffs, even as deep as the NFC looks this season.
We have seen the Cowboys make so many changes to the defensive side of the ball in the last year that it's almost overwhelming. But on paper, the pieces at least appear good enough to be better than "worst defense in the NFL". And if they end up being halfway decent, this team is going to be good enough to get back into the playoffs.
Dallas has one of the top offenses in the league already, and Dak Prescott is playing as well as we've ever seen from him. He's got an elite duo of receivers, and Javonte Williams brought balance back to that offense last year with the best season of his NFL career.
The Cowboys ranked 32nd in the league in points allowed last season, and six of their nine losses as a team came by 10 or more points. If the defense can close the gap, the offense is good enough to not just be playoff worthy, but maybe division title worthy.
3. New Orleans Saints
The NFC South is the most wide-open division in football entering the 2026 season, and the team I'm the most bullish on from that division right now is the New Orleans Saints.
And to be fair, a lot of people are liking the Saints right now.
Most sportsbooks still have the Saints at an over/under of 7.5 wins this season, so there's still a healthy amount of skepticism there, but the ingredients are all there for this team to have a breakout season. The one big variable is going to be second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. We know progression and development in the NFL are not always linear, but Shough showed a lot of nice things last season.
And by pretty much all accounts, he's having a good camp so far this year.
The Saints had one of the most underrated defenses in the NFL last season, and the offense got a lot better with the additions of RB Travis Etienne, LG David Edwards, and WR Jordyn Tyson. The Saints could be one of my favorite "worst to first" candidates in the league.
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