Matt Johnson
What is the best division in the NFL? It should come as no surprise that the NFC sits atop our list of the best NFL divisions in 2026. There’s a good chance the Super Bowl winner comes from the NFC side, but don’t sleep on the AFC exceeding expectations this fall.
Let’s dive into our 2026 NFL division rankings, working from the best to worst.
1. NFC North
There’s a case to be made that any of the four NFC North teams could win the Super Bowl this season. That can’t be said anywhere else, so that makes this the best division in the NFL. Pundits are mixed on which of the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings or Detroit Lions will win the North in 2026. One thing that feels certain, the victor will have 11-plus victories and one of the best point differentials in football. The NFC North is simply in its own tier among the best NFL divisions.
2. NFC West
The NFC West is an expanded version of the three-headed dragon meme. You have the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, an all-in Los Angeles Rams franchise and a San Francisco 49ers squad that has four seasons with double-digit wins and two playoff victories in each of the last five years. Then there’s the Arizona Cardinals, the rejected stepchild of the NFC West. Needless to say, the three teams atop the division will enjoy beating up on the rebuilding Cardinals this year.
3. AFC West
There’s so much talent on the West Coast in the NFL. While the AFC West comes in just below its NFC counterpart in our 2026 NFL division rankings, it’s somewhat close. The Denver Broncos are a bona fide Super Bowl contender with one of the league’s best rosters. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs will have Patrick Mahomes back and they now have Kenneth Walker III in the backfield. We’re also not going to sleep on the Los Angeles Chargers, especially now that they’ve paired Justin Herbert with play-caller Mike McDaniel. Three playoff teams could come out of the AFC West. As for the Las Vegas Raiders, at least they have a higher ceiling than Arizona and their skill players are exciting.
4. AFC North
We’ll work our way from the bottom up with the AFC North. There’s no question the rebuilding Cleveland Browns will be one of the worst teams in football this season, so let’s just move on from them. As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as much as we like their offensive weapons and the defense, Mike McCarthy’s playbook feels two decades old and Aaron Rodgers is entering his age-42 season. The floor is fine here, but Pittsburgh’s ceiling is much lower compared to the AFC North’s top teams. It’s a coin-flip to us on whether it will be the Baltimore Ravens or Cincinnati Bengals who win the North this fall. If everything breaks right and injuries aren’t an issue, one of them could even reach the AFC Championship Game.
5. NFC East
There might be a wider range of outcomes that people anticipate from the NFC East in 2026. We have a relatively high level of confidence that the Philadelphia Eagles will take the division crown for the second consecutive year and, if everything clicks, they could hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February. We also aren’t ruling out the Dallas Cowboys reclaiming control of the NFC East, especially after the offseason moves made to improve defensively. Below those two tiers, it’s the Washington Commanders coming off a 5-12 season after going 12-5 the season prior. We tend to believe they are closer to the former than the latter. As for the New York Giants, the best-case scenario feels like 8 wins.
6. NFC South
Putting he NFC South this high in our NFL divisional rankings for 2026 might come as a bit of a surprise. After all, there’s not a single club in the South who could reasonably be expected to even reach the NFC Championship Game. Now, with that said, any of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons or New Orleans Saints could take the division crown with a winning record. It’s a well-balanced division and that has to carry some weight.
7. AFC East
It’s the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots and then everyone else in the AFC East. Even if you believe regression is coming for the Patriots this year, which we do, they still have a very good chance of making the playoffs. As for Buffalo, there’s a bit of volatility given changes to the coaching staff, but a Super Bowl parade in the city is certainly on the table. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are both rebuilding, so everyone outside of their fanbases can just ignore them in 2026.
8. AFC South
Is there a world where the Houston Texans win the Super Bowl? Yes, if everything goes perfectly. At the very least, we feel pretty good about DeMeco Ryans and this defense winning the AFC South. Below Houston would be the Jacksonville Jaguars, who we would feel a lot better about if not for some of the offseason losses. Jacksonville does still have a shot at making the playoffs. Regarding the Indianapolis Colts, we’re not trusting a team led by Daniel Jones coming off an Achilles tear and the Tennessee Titans‘ ceiling is probably six wins.
