The NFC is a loaded conference, and it's almost certain that some good, winning teams will miss the playoffs in the 2026 NFL Season. Teams like the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, two 9-8 teams, were out of the playoff picture last year.
This could spill into the 2026 season, as many of the teams in the NFC all took strides forward. You could make the argument for nearly every team in this conference to make the playoffs this year, but as we know, there are only seven spots for 16 teams.
Let's get into our updated record predictions for each team in the NFC for the 2026 regular season.
Ceiling and floor record predictions for each NFC team in the 2026 NFL Season
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Ceiling: 13-4
Floor: 8-9
The Chicago Bears exploded onto the scene in the 2025 NFL Season, winning the NFC North with a good, not great 11-6 record. The Bears did make some strides on offense, and if there is another leap on that side of the ball, Chicago could emerge as one of the best teams in the NFC.
This would also afford the defensive some more efficient opportunities, so if the offense is better, the defense will also benefit, and the Bears could add a couple more wins on their 2025 total.
Green Bay Packers
Ceiling: 12-5
Floor: 9-8
The Green Bay Packers have a lot of 'good' on the roster, and if the group stays healthy throughout the year, there is a path for a strong 12-win season, but this team has struggled to get out of that 'good' tier these past few seasons, so another ho-hum 9-win season could be on the table if the team again deals with injuries or can't figure out what the missing pieces are.
Minnesota Vikings
Ceiling: 11-6
Floor: 5-12
If Kyler Murray is a hit, stays on the field for all 17 games, and plays the type of football he knows how to play, this could be a very good football team. However, the flip side is simply if Murray and the Minnesota Vikings aren't a match schematically. Sure, the Vikings went 9-8 last year with horrific QB play, but that isn't something that can sustain itself year over year.
Detroit Lions
Ceiling: 13-4
Floor: 9-8
Detroit's roster is excellent, but those defensive injuries would need to go away early on in 2026 if the team hopes to reach their ceiling. They did win 27 regular season games across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, so it's possible.
The floor would look similar to 2025, as the defense would continue to fail to get healthy and play good football, but with how electric the offense is, this team's floor is still high.
Add us as a preferred source on Google