Seven Teams Emerge as Realistic Super Bowl Favorites for 2026
Heading into the 2026 NFL season, seven teams stand out as legitimate Super Bowl contenders: the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. The list follows a 2025 campaign in which the New England Patriots rose from the bottom of the AFC East to reach the Super Bowl, a reminder that the league's parity can upend preseason expectations. Even so, history suggests such turnarounds remain rare, occurring roughly once or twice per decade, which allows for reasonably confident projections before kickoff.
The Rams enter the year as the clearest favorites after an offseason overhaul that included trading for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, signing cornerback Trent McDuffie, adding Jaylen Watson to the secondary, and convincing Aaron Donald to return from retirement. Los Angeles fell one two-point conversion short of home-field advantage in the playoffs last season under head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford, last year's MVP, who turns 38 this season. Concerns remain about offensive line depth and the team's reliance on receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua staying healthy. germany kreisliga a women
Seattle, the defending Super Bowl champion, returns most of its roster under head coach Mike MacDonald despite losing running back Kenneth Walker and several depth pieces on defense. The Seahawks' title defense will hinge on new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, promoted from the 49ers' staff, and on quarterback Sam Darnold reducing turnovers while sustaining the explosive-play rate that carried the offense a year ago. Baltimore, meanwhile, is banking on new head coach Jesse Minter and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle to correct the penalties and coverage breakdowns that plagued the Ravens the past two seasons, with the return of Nnamdi Madubuike and the addition of pass rusher Trey Hendrickson bolstering the defensive front. Quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP who battled injuries in 2025, says he intends to run more often after limiting his mobility last season.
Buffalo retains most of an offensive line that powered a top-tier run game, adding wide receiver D.J. Moore via trade, while new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard takes over a unit that struggled against sharp quarterbacks under predecessor Sean McDermott. Denver's hopes rest on quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a fractured ankle last season, working under first-time play-caller Davis Webb after head coach Sean Payton ceded offensive duties; the Broncos added receiver Jaylen Waddle after losing defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers and safety P.J. Locke. Philadelphia's top-three defense from the past two seasons gets reinforcement from cornerback Riq Woolen, acquired to address a third-down coverage weakness, while Houston's inclusion rests almost entirely on Demeco Ryans' defense and the hope that quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw four interceptions in last season's playoff loss to New England, rebounds to his more typical form under coordinator Nick Caley.
Several other teams were considered but fell short of the cut, including the Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs - the latter limited by quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovering from a late-season ACL tear and a roster that saw little meaningful turnover beyond the addition of running back Kenneth Walker. The 2026 season kicks off with all seven contenders expected to open as postseason favorites in their respective divisions.
