NFL NationFeb 8, 2026, 10:25 PM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.Multiple Authors
play2:32Are the Buffalo Bills entering their ‘villain era’?The “Get Up” crew discusses Bills GM Brandon Beane’s response to criticism surrounding the promotion of Joe Brady to head coach.
play1:43Tony Khan: Liam Coen has ‘completely transformed the culture’ of JagsTony Khan joins “The Rich Eisen Show” and says he credits Liam Coen for transforming the culture of the Jaguars.
play1:03CeeDee Lamb: ‘I was pretty upset when Micah left’Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb joins Rich Eisen and reflects on Micah Parson’s departure from Dallas.
play1:06Are the Giants a good landing spot for Matt Nagy?The “Get Up” crew reacts to the Giants’ decision to hire Matt Nagy as their offensive coordinator.
play1:13Peter Schrager: No sure thing Kyler Murray is out in ArizonaPeter Schrager and Mina Kimes weigh in on Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona after the Cardinals’ hiring of Mike LaFleur.
Stephen A.: Vikings not re-signing Sam Darnold is ‘unforgivable’ (0:51)Stephen A. Smith looks back at Minnesota’s decision to not re-sign Sam Darnold, who joined Seattle and led it to Super Bowl LX. (0:51)
Are the Buffalo Bills entering their ‘villain era’?The “Get Up” crew discusses Bills GM Brandon Beane’s response to criticism surrounding the promotion of Joe Brady to head coach.
The “Get Up” crew discusses Bills GM Brandon Beane’s response to criticism surrounding the promotion of Joe Brady to head coach.
Tony Khan: Liam Coen has ‘completely transformed the culture’ of JagsTony Khan joins “The Rich Eisen Show” and says he credits Liam Coen for transforming the culture of the Jaguars.
Tony Khan joins “The Rich Eisen Show” and says he credits Liam Coen for transforming the culture of the Jaguars.
CeeDee Lamb: ‘I was pretty upset when Micah left’Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb joins Rich Eisen and reflects on Micah Parson’s departure from Dallas.
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb joins Rich Eisen and reflects on Micah Parson’s departure from Dallas.
Are the Giants a good landing spot for Matt Nagy?The “Get Up” crew reacts to the Giants’ decision to hire Matt Nagy as their offensive coordinator.
Peter Schrager: No sure thing Kyler Murray is out in ArizonaPeter Schrager and Mina Kimes weigh in on Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona after the Cardinals’ hiring of Mike LaFleur.
Peter Schrager and Mina Kimes weigh in on Kyler Murray’s future in Arizona after the Cardinals’ hiring of Mike LaFleur.
With Super Bowl LX in the books, it’s time to look ahead to the 2026 NFL season with our new NFL Power Rankings.
Sure, free agency doesn’t start for another month and the NFL draft is in April. But right now, we can provide early outlooks for all 32 teams and preview what the offseason has in store. So in addition to our way-too-early rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to describe each team’s offseason in three words. Some teams need to find a starting quarterback, 10 teams have new head coaches and every team has to make key decisions in free agency.
Let’s take a look at which teams are primed to dominate the 2026 season. Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
Are the Buffalo Bills entering their ‘villain era’?
The Jaguars did a good job of getting close to the quarterback in 2025 (222 pressures, ranked third), but not so much in getting the quarterback on the ground (32 sacks, ranked 27th). Fixing that will likely come either via trade or free agency because they don’t have a first-round pick after trading up for wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter in 2025. Their interior pass rush especially needs a boost (7.5 sacks, including 5.5 by defensive tackle Arik Armstead). — Mike DiRocco
Tony Khan: Liam Coen has ‘completely transformed the culture’ of Jags
The “Get Up” crew reacts to the Giants’ decision to hire Matt Nagy as their offensive coordinator.
Peter Schrager: No sure thing Kyler Murray is out in Arizona
The Dolphins hired a new general manager and head coach this offseason, as team owner Stephen Ross avoided the half-measures he has taken in years past. Under Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, Miami wants to establish a new culture — an act that often requires a shuffling of both players and personnel. With a difficult schedule, thin roster and limited starting quarterback options, the Dolphins are likely facing at least a yearlong rebuild in 2026. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Two of the Seahawks’ best players, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon, will be eligible for extensions that could each top $30 million per year in new money. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, another Pro Bowl selection, is scheduled to become a free agent, along with running back Kenneth Walker III and Coby Bryant. If general manager John Schneider is going to keep his Super Bowl team together, he’s going to spend a lot of Jody Allen’s money. Speaking of Allen, she’s expected to put the Seahawks up for sale, and an executive from another team estimated that they could be worth $7 billion to $8 billion. — Brady Henderson
As a result of their surprising run to the Super Bowl, the Patriots won’t be in a similar spot as they were last year by picking high in each round. So it will be harder to duplicate their 2025 draft class in which all 11 selections (plus four undrafted rookies) made the roster. One of the Patriots’ goals has been to replenish the roster with younger talent after some lean years prior to coach Mike Vrabel’s arrival. Despite the overall success at that in 2025, the goal remains the same going forward. — Mike Reiss
The Rams’ special teams unit played a major part in four losses. In their playoff loss to Seattle, wide receiver Xavier Smith muffed two punts, including one the Seahawks recovered before scoring a touchdown on the next play. Coach Sean McVay tried to fix the issues at midseason when he moved on from kicker Joshua Karty and long-snapper Alex Ward. He later fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn after Los Angeles’ Week 16 loss to the Seahawks. The first item will be deciding on a special teams coordinator, whether that means keeping Ben Kotwica or starting fresh at the position. — Sarah Barshop
When the Broncos debrief the 2025 season, it will be difficult for them to escape the conclusion that a Super Bowl trip was hindered by their lack of impact on offense. The Broncos were 14th in scoring even with quarterback Bo Nix in the lineup, so it’s well beyond the question of whether Nix playing in the AFC Championship Game would have changed anything. They were 29th in percentage of drives that ended in a three-and-out. They were 15th in plays of 20 yards or more (the other three conference championship teams were Nos. 1, 2 and 4), and running back J.K. Dobbins led the team in explosive runs despite not playing after Nov. 6. — Jeff Legwold
The 49ers exceeded expectations by finishing 12-5 and winning a road playoff game after a massive roster overhaul and a series of devastating injuries. Given how 2025 went, it’s time for them to go hunting for more star power. Only quarterback Brock Purdy and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir have established themselves as part of the next foundation, which means it’s on the Niners to find more — whether by draft, trade or signing — to sustain success. The pass rush and receiver groups, in particular, need significant attention. — Nick Wagoner
After failing to reach the postseason, the Lions need to focus on improving their offensive line — particularly in the interior. Dan Skipper announced his retirement in January, and it goes without saying that the unit wasn’t up to par this season. The Lions were 31st in pass block win rate at 55.5% and could benefit from taking a guard in the early rounds of the 2026 draft. Even All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell admitted after the season that the unit wasn’t completely in sync and will look to get its “swagger back” under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. — Eric Woodyard
The most expensive offensive roster in the NFL fell flat last season, ranking 21st in points per game (21.1) and 19th in offensive efficiency (48.55). They also had more three-and-outs than any other team. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was replaced by 33-year-old Sean Mannion, the former Packers QB coach with only two years of coaching experience. Mannion played for Sean McVay and is expected to bring a more modern approach to a system that has grown stale. There are major questions facing the group, though, including whether A.J. Brown will continue on in Philly or if the front office will feel compelled to trade him. — Tim McManus
President Ed Policy’s first major decision since taking over was to retain coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst. While Policy said bowing out in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season was disappointing, he felt the team had the right leadership in place. Now, it’s on LaFleur and Gutekunst to reward Policy for his decision to run it back. It’s Year 7 for LaFleur and Year 8 for Gutekunst, and they’re still looking for their first Super Bowl. — Rob Demovsky
This is one of the quieter offseasons for the Bears in recent history. Sure, they’ll have to find a new assistant general manager, offensive coordinator and running backs coach, but they don’t have to make franchise-altering moves ahead of next season. The Bears have the right coach-quarterback pairing with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. They established a winning culture that they can build off next season. There’s work to be done on the roster, notably with the pass rush, in free agency and the draft, but this is setting up to be a drama-free offseason. — Courtney Cronin
The anchor of the Chargers’ defense has been their edge group. But Odafe Oweh and Khalil Mack are unrestricted free agents, and Tuli Tuipulotu is eligible for a contract extension ahead of the final year in his rookie deal. The Chargers’ rush defense struggled significantly when Mack was sidelined with an elbow injury this season. And the 27-year-old Oweh, fresh off a single-game postseason-record three sacks against New England, will demand interest in free agency. Tuipulotu’s 13.5 sacks were the sixth most in the league. General manager Joe Hortiz will have his hands full trying to keep this group intact. — Kris Rhim