NFL Power Rankings

These 2026 NFL power rankings sort all 32 teams into five tiers, from the true Super Bowl contenders down to the teams just hoping to win a game. Rather than a straight 1-to-32 list, we group teams by realistic expectations for the season, backed by Vegas win totals, 2025 records, and offensive and defensive rankings. For the full team-by-team breakdown, read our complete 2026 NFL power rankings analysis.

No. 1 this week Los Angeles Rams

This edition 32 ranked · 5 tiers

NO NOTES

8 teams

The real contender list is probably closer to four, but if you told me any of these eight hoisted the Lombardi, I'd buy it without blinking. The Rams are my #1 even over the champs: they added Myles Garrett, might get Aaron Donald back, and returned basically everyone. It's genuinely open though. Cowboys, Ravens, whoever, nobody here would shock me.

Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks

Kansas City Chiefs

Denver Broncos

Buffalo Bills

Houston Texans

Baltimore Ravens

Dallas Cowboys

THE HOT SEAT

9 teams

Reach the Super Bowl or somebody's getting fired, or a quarterback's getting replaced. The Patriots are the exception; short of a real backslide, this is a free roll for them. Everyone else is on the clock. How many more years do Herbert and the Chargers get to come up short? The Eagles spent all last year in drama and supposedly cleaned it up, so a bad year is a real problem. Then the Bears with Caleb, and the Bengals, who've slipped and need to actually go somewhere.

Philadelphia Eagles

#10

Los Angeles Chargers

#11

Chicago Bears

#12

New England Patriots

#13

Detroit Lions

#14

Cincinnati Bengals

#15

Green Bay Packers

#16

Minnesota Vikings

#17

San Francisco 49ers

ON THE CLOCK

6 teams

Not quite Super Bowl-or-bust, but everyone here needs a good season for their own reasons. Tampa's had noise all offseason, and a bad year validates all of it, probably costing Baker money in a lame-duck season for him and Todd Bowles. The Jags should feel more heat than they do, but nobody really cares. And the Colts and Panthers are just desperate for a quarterback who can finally deliver on the talent around him.

#18

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

#19

Jacksonville Jaguars

#20

Pittsburgh Steelers

#21

Washington Commanders

#22

Indianapolis Colts

#23

Carolina Panthers

MEASURING STICK

4 teams

Nobody here is expected to do much, so a playoff berth would blow you away and count as a full success. Tennessee brought in a lot: Robert Saleh, a defensive-minded success story, and Brian Daboll as OC, which I didn't love at first but came around on, plus a real weapon in Carnell Tate to grow with Cam Ward. Let's see it. Same question for the Giants and Saints: last year was a nice little pop, but was that the ceiling, or is something actually cooking with Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough?

#24

Tennessee Titans

#25

New York Giants

#26

New Orleans Saints

#27

Atlanta Falcons

THE COPE

5 teams

Outside of Carson Beck in Arizona, there's not much to get excited about. Playoffs aren't the conversation; winning a game is. Is it Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland, and does it matter when the camp news is bad either way? Will Malik Willis physically survive the year? And how long until we see Mendoza, or do the Raiders shock everyone, ride Kirk Cousins to a real season, and barely play him at all? Unlikely, but it'd be outstanding for Vegas.

#28