With the 2026 NFL Schedule coming out very soon, it's not a bad idea to predict records for every single team. The AFC, specifically, was one of the more fun things to witness during 2025. Many teams ended up being a lot better or a lot worse than the overarching predictions, and the playoffs were just flat-out amazing.
Given how much young talent at the quarterback position is present in the AFC, the 2026 season could feature more of the same awesomeness. There are also a ton of high-end rosters in the AFC as well, so it's really impossible to predict, but that won't stop us here.
Let's predict records for every single AFC team in the 2026 NFL Season ahead of the NFL schedule release.
Predicting records for every single AFC team ahead of the 2026 NFL Schedule Release
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: 11-6
If the Baltimore Ravens simply stay healthier in 2026, which isn't unlikely, this team should be just fine. The Ravens have plenty of roster talent and also boast one of the best quarterbacks of this generation. Hiring Jesse Minter, a defensive mastermind, should also help that side of the ball at least get to an average spot in year one.
Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
On paper, the Cincinnati Bengals have more talent than a 10-win team, but in recent years, we have seen this team get in their own way and lose way more than they should. With a remade defense, and kudos to the front office for that, the Bengals finally get things figured out a bit but aren't quite able to break into that top tier.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-10
With no quarterback solution in sight, and no more 'non losing seasons' from former head coach Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers may actually be in a position to not win a ton of games in 2026. Mike McCarthy is a high-floor coach if nothing else, but even with Aaron Rodgers back in the picture, if that does indeed happen, Pittsburgh doesn't do anything particularly well or well enough to warrant a strong prediction.
Cleveland Browns: 4-13
The Cleveland Browns do boast a solid defense, and that unit should be good enough for this team to stack a few wins here and there, and perhaps even play spoiler, but the Browns just aren't yet close to being a competitive team. While there is always a chance that Deshaun Watson could win the starting job and look competent, he's been unplayable his entire Browns tenure and is coming off major injuries.
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