2026 season

As we settle into the dog days of the NFL offseason, the time between the draft and the opening of training camps. With the dust of free agency, the draft, and the schedule release finally settling, we can begin to take a preliminary look at how NFL teams are shaping up for next season. Let’s take a closer look at 5 NFL teams facing a very dark future and 5 teams with a bright outlook on the 2026 season. Which NFL teams will have a good or bad 2026 season? Dark – Miami DolphinsA general view of a Miami Dolphins helmet on the field (Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images) The Miami Dolphins might have one of the darkest futures in all of the NFL. The franchise is in complete disarray, and in reality, it has been that way for over 25 years since Dan Marino retired. After “Tanking for Tua” and selecting the quarterback 5th overall in the 2020 Draft, this offseason, the Fins finally parted ways with Tua Tagovailoa. In fact, the team is enduring a record-breaking $99.2 million salary-cap hit to get Tua off the team.  As if the salary cap situation wasn’t bad enough, this NFL team has a myriad of other issues as well. Miami enters 2026 with a new General Manager, a new Head Coach, a new starting QB, a complete lack of skill at the receiving corps, a porous offensive line, a defense that also lacks skill, poor roster depth, and will have one of the toughest schedules next season.  In fact, it seems like the Dolphins are built around star running back De’Von Achane and nothing else. Yep, things look bleak in Miami. As a long-suffering Dolphins fan, I’d like to be optimistic with regard to the new regime, but the team’s history suggests that the dark days will overshadow Miami for quite a while. Bright – Denver BroncosOct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Denver Broncos helmet against the Kansas City Chiefs prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports Things are looking up in the Mile High City. After finishing the 2024 season with a 10-7 record and a loss in the Wild Card round, the Broncos officially arrived among the AFC elite in the 2025 season. Finishing the year with a record of 14-3 wasn’t enough; the Broncos then added an almost magical run in the playoffs that might just foreshadow the upside of this team.  Rookie quarterback led the Broncos to the number 1 seed in the AFC last year, but brought his game to another level when he led Denver to a victory over the heavily favored Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. Unfortunately, Nix broke his ankle in the win over Buffalo and missed the Conference Finals against New England. However, with their backup quarterback starting against the Patriots for the right to go to the Super Bowl, the Broncos almost pulled off the improbable win.  As we look to 2026 and beyond, the Broncos seem to be sitting in a good spot. With Head Coach Sean Payton firmly in place, a rising star quarterback in Bo Nix, and a new Wide Receiver in Jaylen Waddle, the Broncos have a bright future. Dark – Buffalo BillsJan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; A detailed view of the Buffalo Bills helmet before the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images The Bills have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last 10 years. In fact, they have made the playoffs in 8 out of the last 9 years, including the last 7 years, and have also won the AFC East crown in 5 of the last 6 seasons. So, how does a team that has been at the top of the league for the last decade end up staring at a dark future?  Despite all of that regular-season success, the Bills have failed to make it to the Super Bowl. For many years, it seemed that the Bills always fell short in the playoffs because they couldn’t get past the Chiefs. But 2025 was different. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was lost for the season with a torn ACL and LCL. The path to the Super Bowl had been cleared for the Bills. This was their year, until it wasn’t.  On January 17th, in the Divisional Round against the Denver Broncos, the Bills lost 33-30, and another season ended in disappointment. The 2026 season would seem to be a turning point for the Buffalo Bills. Another season that ends in postseason failure, and it might be time to start asking some very difficult questions in Western New York. It would seem that 2026 could be the beginning of some very dark days in Buffalo. Bright – Seattle SeahawksDec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Seattle Seahawks helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, not only look poised to defend their title but also have the ability to go on a multi-year Super Bowl winning streak. The weather forecast for Seattle might be overcast, but this NFL team’s future is very bright. The Seahawks have one of the most well-built rosters in the entire NFL. Led by quarterback Sam Darnold seemed to elevate his game to another level once he made his way to the Pacific Northwest and partnered up with Head Coach Mike Macdonald. It also helps matters that Darnold has the privilege of throwing the ball to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Ngigba, who has emerged as one of the best pass catchers in the league. On the negative side, they did lose star running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency, but with such a deep roster, the Seahawks should be able to overcome Walker’s loss. Their defense, which was elite in 2025, returns the same core group of players, so there is no reason to expect that unit to become a weakness for the organization. A deep roster with star players at key positions has put the Seahawks in a very good place. Dark – Arizona CardinalsJan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona Cardinals helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images It would seem that the Arizona Cardinals are perennial entrants on these “worst of” lists. Things have been, and continue to look, bleak in the desert. One of the biggest issues facing Arizona in 2026 is that, based on 2026 win-loss projections, the Cardinals have one of, if not the, hardest schedules for the upcoming season. Another issue is the $54.7 million in dead cap money by releasing former “franchise quarterback” Kyler Murray. After 8 years, the organization decided they’d be better off paying their quarterback to play someplace else. With the ejection of Murray, the Cards are left with Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis in the quarterback room (doesn’t exactly remind one of Montana and Young, does it?). With WR Marvin Harrison Jr., TE Trey McBride, and 1st round pick Jeremiyah Love, there is some talent on the Arizona roster, just not enough for fans to truly expect much for the foreseeable future. The dark clouds hanging over the desert don’t seem to be dissipating anytime soon. Bright – Chicago BearsNov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a Chicago Bears helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images After finishing the 2024 season with a won-loss record of 5-12, not much was expected of the Bears heading into 2025. Boy, were people wrong. The Bears surprised a lot of people and so-called experts by finishing the 2025 season with a record of 11-6 and advanced to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and the rebuilding Bears, to the surprise of many, seemed to “arrive” a year earlier than expected.  In fact, in the Divisional Round last season, this team took the eventual NFL champions, the Seahawks, to overtime before losing 20-17. While things are looking brighter in the Windy City, not everything is roses there. The Bears’ offseason was more about treading water than adding missing pieces.  It seems that the Chicago front office spent the offseason simply replacing the pieces that were lost in free agency. Here’s hoping the Bears can, at the very least, maintain the status quo for 2026 and build for 2027. While I think things are looking up in Chicago, they probably have the most tenuous hold on the “Bright” listing than the other teams on our list. Dark – Tennessee TitansAug 25, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Tennessee Titans helmet against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports The Tennessee Titans have been on a losing slide over the past 4 seasons, bottoming out with identical 3-14 records in 2024 and 2025. As the Titans look towards the 2026 season and beyond, things do not appear to be getting any better. Second-year quarterback Cam Ward will look to improve on a rookie season that saw him throw for 3,169 yards with 15 touchdowns.  While no one will confuse Ward with the second coming of Peyton Manning, the quarterback position is not one of the biggest problems with the Titans. Tennessee did spend $191 million dollars in free agency to shore up its defense, but other holes still exist. The front office has failed, so far, in providing their second-year signal caller with the pieces he needs to be successful.  Sorry, but signing wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson as your big offensive upgrade doesn’t really move the needle and warrant a feeling of optimism in Nashville. If the biggest upgrade made by the Titans is their new uniforms, things will remain bleak there for a long time. Bright – San Francisco 49ers A San Francisco 49ers helmet sits on the field (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images) The San Francisco 49ers are the Jekyll and Hyde team on our list. Like the box of chocolates in “Forrest Gump,” one never truly knows what they’ll get with the 49ers. They followed up a Super Bowl loss in 2019 with a 6-10 2020 season. From 2021 to 2023, the Niners lost in 2 Conference Championships and 1 Super Bowl. They followed that 3-year run of success with a 6-11 2024 season. In 2025, the 49ers finished at 12-5 before losing in the Divisional Round to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. If recent history is to be followed, one could expect San Francisco to take a step back in 2026 and finish at 6-11 or 7-10. However, I am not one of them. I believe that the future of the 49ers is a bright one. On offense, the Niners return star quarterback Brock Purdy, who has won ⅔ of the games he has started, WR Ricky Pearsall, TE George Kittle, and superstar RB Christian McCaffrey. As if that wasn’t enough offensive firepower, during the offseason, SF added WRs Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. This is an NFL team that should be able to outgun any opponent. If defensive stars Nick Sosa and Fred Warner can return from their injuries, the Niners will be in a good spot. Dark – Kansas City ChiefsFeb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Detailed view of a Kansas City Chiefs helmet in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Let’s end our entries of franchises facing a dark future with a selection that will certainly generate some controversy – the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, the Chiefs have been the best team in the AFC, if not the NFL, over the past dozen years. Between 2013 and 2024, the Chiefs made the playoffs in 11 seasons, including 10 straight years from 2015 to 2024. During that period, they made 5 Super Bowls, winning 3, including back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. Yep, for over a decade, the Chiefs have been the belle of the ball. But then the 2025 season happened. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was lost for the season with a torn ACL and LCL. While Mahomes is scheduled to return to the field in 2026, there’s no telling how effective he’ll be coming off a major injury, and we all saw how ineffective the Chiefs’ offense was without him last year. In addition, this team’s tight end, Travis Kelce, one of the best in the game, is finally starting to show his age and the wear and tear of 13 years in the NFL. Kansas City did add running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency to unburden Mahomes, but unless the Chiefs really start looking at the post-Mahomes/Kelce future and address those underlying problems, dark times will come to KC.   Bright – New England PatriotsPatriots Helmet (Photo By Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports) From 2001 – 2019, the Patriots appeared in 9 Super Bowls, winning 6 of them. The 20-year Tom Brady Era in New England was a dynasty the likes of which the NFL will never see again. It was only natural to think that the Pats would crash back to Earth once the Brady/Belichick partnership expired, but that didn’t happen. Belichick still kept the team competitive for the first three years of the post-Brady era, first with Cam Newton and then Mac Jones under center. After falling to 4-13 in 2023, New England parted ways with Belichick, and the rebuild truly began. Fortunately for the Pats, the rebuild did not take long. With Mike Vrabel as the Head Coach and Drake Maye in only his second season, the Patriots returned to the Super Bowl in February 2026. While they fell to the Seattle Seahawks by the score of 29-13, things are looking up in New England. Despite leading the Pats to a 14-3 record in 2025, Drake Maye should only get better as he grows more comfortable with the league. With expectations that they will add the right pieces around their burgeoning star quarterback, the Patriots have a very bright future.