The NFL loves a hard reset, and the AFC has a few teams that could be living proof in 2026. A losing record in one season does not lock a team into that reality for long, and there are three clubs that could be staring down a very different picture a year from now.
At the top of that list is Baltimore. The Ravens went 8-9 in 2025, but the case for a rebound is obvious if Lamar Jackson is fully healthy.
There are real concerns around the team, too: a rookie head coach, a first-time offensive play-caller, an overhauled interior offensive line, and several injury questions lingering from last season. Even with all that, the ceiling remains obvious.
In the right version of events, Baltimore’s offense gets back to being one of the league’s most dynamic and balanced units, and Jesse Minter gives the defense an immediate lift that changes the look of the whole team.
Cincinnati comes next, and the frustration there is impossible to ignore. The Bengals have not reached the playoffs since the 2022 season, and Joe Burrow has not played in a playoff game since then.
That reality is jarring, but it’s also where the conversation starts. After a 6-11 season and another year disrupted by Burrow injuries, the Bengals still have the ingredients to bounce back in 2026.
The additions of Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen to the defensive front give the roster a chance to look different in a hurry, and if the offensive core stays healthy, this team should have one of the most explosive attacks in football. If the defense can simply be respectable, the Bengals belong in the Super Bowl contender conversation.
Indianapolis rounds out the group, and the Colts are coming off one of the strangest seasons on this list. They were 8-2 at the bye, then didn’t win again the rest of the way and finished 8-9.
After Daniel Jones got hurt, the season seemed to slip away, yet the Colts still showed some fight even with Philip Rivers coming out of retirement to run Shane Steichen’s offense. That collapse leaves a bitter taste, but there’s also reason for optimism heading into 2026.
Jones appears to be healthy again, Jonathan Taylor remains maybe the best non-quarterback in the AFC, and Tyler Warren’s role should keep growing. Even without Michael Pittman Jr., the offense has room to take another step, and the defense already made a strong case last year that it could be among the best in the AFC - maybe even the NFL - before the bye.
In Other News...
Colts Camp Has An Undrafted Lineman Forcing A Real Roster Battle
A strong training camp has put Nolan Rucci into the conversation for one of the Colts final roster spots, an outcome that looked far less likely when the undrafted Penn State offensive lineman arrived in Indianapolis. The Colts already have a sturdy line in place, which is part of what makes Ruccis push noteworthy: he is not trying to win a job on a rebuilding unit, but rather to force his way into a group that does not have many obvious openings.
Ruccis appeal starts with the kind of college rsum teams notice even when a player goes unselected. At Penn State, he showed enough consistency in pass protection and kept the mistakes down, then carried that into camp with the sort of steady showing that can make coaches pause before trimming the roster. If he keeps flashing, the Colts may have a real decision to make on whether to stash him as a developmental piece or risk letting a promising lineman slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Jones Just Gave Colts Fans A Reason To Look Again
The Colts second day of training camp at Grand Park was a quieter, unpadded hour-long session, but Daniel Jones gave the offense a little more life than he did a day earlier. The quarterback was sharper with his passing, finishing 7 of 9 and showing better rhythm as Indianapolis worked through a practice that also featured several absences because of injury or roster status.
Jones still had his rough moments, but the broader picture was encouraging for a team trying to sort out its passing game early in camp. The defense had its own bright spots, with the cornerback group drawing attention again, and second-year defensive back Justin Walley continued to make his case as one of the more active players on the field while the Colts kept evaluating who is ready to separate from the pack. [Read more 🡒]
Lou Anarumo Has A Tough Colts Safety Decision Coming
Training camp has a way of turning depth into a daily test, and the Colts are feeling that at safety as Lou Anarumo sorts through a group built on versatility. The defensive coordinator has made it clear he wants interchangeable pieces back there, which is why the competition has stretched beyond the obvious names and into the kind of roster math that can define the final weeks of August.
Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas are right in the middle of it, and their battle sits on top of a deeper logjam that also includes rookies and veterans trying to carve out roles. With the Colts already sorting through crowded cornerback and safety rooms, every rep matters, and the decision on how many safeties to carry could make this one of the more consequential calls on the defensive side of camp. [Read more 🡒]