The Los Angeles Rams are heavily favored to win the Super Bowl in February and came out nicely in these NFL standings predictions for the 2026 season. However, that’s not all when looking ahead to the season, which starts with a Seahawks-Patriots title rematch on Wednesday.
Plenty of other surprises are in store in these projections, including where the Cowboys and Bengals finish after defensive overalls, who the actual worst team in the NFL is and potential upheaval in the NFC North.
It’s time to
dive into some NFL regular season standings predictions to see what the Rams will be up against. Turf Show Ramily, I’d also love to see any predictions you have — or to tell me how full of it I am — in the comments. Let’s do this!
AFC East
Bills (12-5)
Patriots (11-6)
Dolphins (4-13)
Jets (4-13)
The Bills whiffed on their last best chance to make a Super Bowl run in 2025, with the Chiefs and Ravens missing the playoffs. Not much should change in Buffalo, even with a new coach in the fold. Josh Allen is still incredible and should compete for MVP honors. He’s the glue keeping that team together. Overall, the Bills are a well-rounded team that will be good enough to lose to KC for the umpteenth time. New England, coming off an AFC title, is a good team that benefited from a painfully easy schedule and a lucky string of playoff opponents to get to the Super Bowl. The Patriots will be a major player in the conference again. A.J. Brown will be a downgrade in the offense after letting Stefon Diggs walk, though. He wasn’t great towards the end of his time in Philly. Guess we’ll see what chemistry he really has with Drake Maye.
The Dolphins and Jets are lumped into one since they’ll both be awful. I anticipate the Jets will actually be the worst team in the division, with Miami coming out just ahead. Congrats? Now, the Dolphins have the worst roster, while New York has the worst coaching staff, and that will make the difference. Aaron Glenn is a terrible head coach and might be the first coach fired when his team’s season inevitably goes south. Either way, both directionless franchises are trapped in a top-heavy division. Not ideal.
AFC North
Ravens (12-5)
Bengals (10-7)
Steelers (8-9)
Browns (4-13)
The Ravens had a lot of bad luck in 2025, yet things should be better under new coach Jesse Minter. Lamar Jackson is one of the league’s best quarterbacks and will return to his MVP ways under the new leadership. Baltimore has a painfully easy start to the year, which could help boost their chances at the AFC’s top seed later in the season. The Bengals have the most experienced coach in the division, something not brag-worthy in the slightest, but could help them in the long run. Much of Cincy’s success will hinge on two things: Joe Burrow’s health and the defense. An average defense will get them back to the playoffs. Let their powerful offense do the rest.
Pittsburgh should’ve pulled the trigger on a full rebuild the second Mike Tomlin stepped down. The Steelers are too old and don’t resemble a playoff team. Though, with all their big names, this team would’ve kicked ass five years ago. Mike McCarthy was such an uninspired hire for them. They had a chance to hop on the trend of young offensive minds and instead chose a dinosaur. McCarthy is a good coach, just not what the Steelers needed. Also, Aaron Rodgers and McCarthy didn’t work towards the end of their time in Green Bay, so no one should expect the sequel to go any differently.
Even without Myles Garrett, the Browns should be set on defense. They have to be good since their quarterback situation is so putrid. No matter who starts under center won’t matter. This is a poverty franchise whose owners made a stupid call in naming Deshaun Watson the starter. Oh, you thought the coaching staff made that call? Man, it must be nice to be that naive.
AFC South
Texans (11-6)
Jaguars (10-7)
Colts (7-10)
Titans (5-12)
Houston might have a problem at the quarterback spot if CJ Stroud continues his decline. However, that defense will keep them in every game this season. Everyone wants to give the Rams and Seahawks the nod for the best defense, but the Texans are most deserving of that title. Their red-hot finish last season after a sluggish start will carry over as they reclaim the NFC South.
Jacksonville should again be a playoff fixture under second-year coach Liam Coen. Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been anything special in the NFL despite flashes, yet he came into his own under Coen throughout the second half of the season.
His progression will be something to monitor as the Jaguars look to make a deep playoff run. The Colts are all aboard the hot mess express. Indianapolis will do enough to remain in the playoff hunt until the final month of the season. I’m not expecting Daniel Jones to build on what he began there, so expect the Colts to be in the QB market again next offseason.
Don’t be surprised if Tennessee fields a top 10 defense this season. Robert Saleh is an excellent defensive-minded coach, which the Titans will need since Cam Ward apparently can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Saleh will need the best coaching job of his career if his new team hopes to go anywhere, or else it’ll be his Jets tenure all over again.
AFC West
Broncos (12-5)
Chiefs (10-7)
Chargers (10-7)
Raiders (6-11)
The Broncos surprised many people last year en route to earning the AFC’s top seed. Denver won’t have that luxury in 2026, yet they have a top five roster in the sport. Bo Nix will certainly enjoy throwing to new target Jaylen Waddle, and Sean Payton handing off playcalling duties might be the jumpstart the offense needed. The defense will also be chasing an NFL single-season sack record after finishing with 68 last season. They’ll remain the class of a weak conference, even if their win total dips slightly.
With Patrick Mahomes back, the Chiefs should return to playoff contention after an off year. Kansas City lost many pieces via trade and free agency, including a couple to the Rams in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Even though they’re not a player in the Super Bowl picture, count out Mahomes and Andy Reid at your own risk.
The Chargers are a middling AFC team that’s only relevant because they play in a weak conference. Los Angeles has been outclassed in back-to-back playoff appearances under Jim Harbaugh, and not much should change this season. They’ll be good enough to make the playoffs, but nothing more, which is the story of their team under Harbaugh. Las Vegas should be much improved after moving on quickly from the disastrous Pete Carroll era, even if that’s not well reflected in the win column. First-year coach Klint Kubiak has several young playmakers to work with, like Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders will be a handful for opposing defenses.
NFC East
Cowboys (10-7)
Eagles (10-7)
Giants (7-10)
Commanders (6-11)
America’s Team (barf) will win the NFC East in 2026. How’s that for spicy? The Cowboys have had a solid offseason and have done enough to overtake the Eagles, at least this season. They’ve added plenty of nice pieces to improve their horrid defense from a year ago. Dallas can move the ball with ease, and like the Bengals, an average D will get them back into the playoffs.
Philadelphia is in a strange spot. They have one of the league’s best rosters and should be a title threat, yet they keep getting in their own way. Vic Fangio is still there, so the defense will remain elite. Sean Mannion was an interesting choice at offensive coordinator. Former Packers coaches haven’t typically fared well in new locations: see Luke Getsy and Nathaniel Hackett.
New York has plenty of young talent who should come together quite nicely for new coach John Harbaugh. The Giants are likely a year away from competing for the playoffs. Jaxson Dart has plenty to prove in his second season, namely that he can make good decisions both on and off the field, and not follow the playing style of his dunderhead teammate, Cam Skattebo. Washington should be better this season, but only if a lot of things go right. Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels will be under the microscope a lot as the Commanders seek a return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.
NFC North
Lions (11-6)
Bears (10-7)
Packers (8-9)
Vikings (6-11)
The NFC North is back to being the black-and-blue division after every team finished above .500 for the second time ever in the 17-game era. Detroit finished fourth in the division a year ago and is one of the most popular worst-to-first candidates in the NFL this season. The Lions are playing a last place schedule and have retained much of the core talent that has brought them back to relevance under head coach Dan Campbell. It’s unlikely the division will have everyone finish with a winning record for a second year in a row, and even less likely that the North will have multiple playoff teams in a loaded NFC. Detroit is my pick to win it.
As for the rest of the division, the Bears are the biggest regression candidate in the league after winning several nail-biters in 2025. They’ll have a tougher time winning those types of games this season, but they should still be a quality team. It all rides on Caleb Williams, who has been the toast of Chicago, but will he keep it up? Da Bears should have a top 10 offense, which they’ll need because their defense will likely stink again.
I was going to slot the Packers in last place until I remembered the Vikings exist — more on them in a moment. Green Bay has collapsed late in the year the last two seasons, which is a sign of who they are, rather than a trend. They haven’t had the best offseason and don’t have anyone to step up with Micah Parsons set to miss a chunk of time. Plus, questions remain about whether Jordan Love is the guy. We already know Matt LaFleur isn’t. Have some cheese curds ready, as Packers fans will need them to drown their sorrows this season.
The Vikings should be a Super Bowl contender if they could ever figure out the quarterback spot. Kyler Murray isn’t the answer. He clearly wasn’t for the Cardinals, so why would Minnesota expect anything to change now? Wow, J.J. McCarthy must really stink that bad, huh? Defensively, they’re in a good spot, but things will get ugly real quick if the Vikings cannot figure things out. Kevin O’Connell will be the scapegoat should that happen.
NFC South
Panthers (8-9)
Saints (8-9)
Buccaneers (7-10)
Falcons (7-10)
The NFC South is a disgrace of a division, so I’m not about to waste much time discussing it. Carolina won it last year with a losing record and will do the same in 2026. They’re the best of the trash and will be rewarded with a home playoff game, because why the hell not? It’s only fair, isn’t it? New Orleans could be a fun team if Kellen Moore can get things figured out in his second season. They’ll be a player for the division crown since the South is that weak. Tampa Bay lost seven of eight following a 6-2 start, and won’t be much better this time around. How Todd Bowles has a job is beyond me, so Baker Mayfield might be left to carry this team the best he can again. And the Falcons? Two words: Tua Tagovailoa. LOL.
Since 2022, the division has been won by a team that finished with single-digit win totals, including twice with a losing record. Yeah, no one should overlook anyone in the NFL, but I’ll make an exception here. This division isn’t worth being taken seriously. Now, on to the REAL football teams.
NFC West
Rams (14-3)
Seahawks (12-5)
49ers (9-8)
Cardinals (3-14)
The Rams are the easy division and Super Bowl pick, simply because they are the best team … on paper. That’s not simply me being a biased Rams writer either. LA has far and away the best roster, and not much should realistically get in their way, besides things like the injury bug and their own lofty expectations. They are built like a dream Madden team, yet sometimes, all it takes is one bad game to derail everything. The front offense has done all it possibly could, and it might not be done come trade deadline time.
Don’t sleep on Seattle. Don’t you dare do it, you dumb dumbs. It sometimes feels like too many around the league have, as the Rams have been getting the bulk of the headlines. I’m sorry, but did LA dominate on their way to winning the Super Bowl last season? Yeah, didn’t think so. The Seahawks are a title contender, despite losing several pieces this offseason. They’re the true team to beat until proven otherwise.
San Francisco has had a hectic offseason, and that noise will likely carry over into the regular season. Injuries are always a concern in the Bay Area and should be again. The 49ers were fortunate to get as far as they did in ‘25 given all the injuries they had. They won’t be as fortunate this time around, but will remain a wild card threat. And hey, if the injuries get too out of hand, they can give that Daejon Love a call.
Poor Arizona. They’re in a division with three playoff contenders and are so far away from competing with each of them. The Cardinals will be a bad, bad team, but might be able to move the ball under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. Still, they’ll be the NFL’s worst team, and who knows when they’ll get out of this cycle of suck.
