The Patriots Are Back on Top - And the Rest of the AFC East Is Scrambling to Catch Up
The New England Patriots just pulled off one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent NFL memory. After back-to-back 4-13 seasons and a full-scale rebuild, they hired Mike Vrabel and flipped the script - finishing 14-3 and punching their ticket to the AFC Championship Game.
That kind of leap doesn’t just make headlines - it sends shockwaves through a division. And right now, the AFC East is feeling the aftershocks.
From Basement to Blueprint
Vrabel’s arrival didn’t just bring a new voice to the locker room - it brought a new identity. The Patriots didn’t ease into their rebuild; they kicked the door down and re-established themselves as a powerhouse in the conference. And while the rest of the league is watching closely, the teams in their own backyard are feeling the pressure the most.
The Patriots’ resurgence has already triggered a coaching carousel across the division. Ten teams have head coaching vacancies this offseason - two of them are in the AFC East: the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo’s Window Slammed Shut
For the past five years, the Bills were the team to beat in the AFC East. With Josh Allen under center and Sean McDermott on the sidelines, Buffalo looked like it had the makings of a perennial contender.
They won the division multiple times and made two trips to the AFC Championship Game. But they never quite cashed in on that Super Bowl potential.
Now, the window they once controlled has been slammed shut - and it was New England that did the slamming.
Buffalo’s decision to move on from McDermott after nine seasons signals a franchise at a crossroads. The search for a new head coach is underway, but there’s no clear frontrunner.
One of the more surprising names to interview? Former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, who’s only coaching experience came at the high school level.
That’s not exactly the resume you expect from a team trying to maximize the prime years of a franchise quarterback.
Speaking of Allen - he’ll reportedly have a say in who the next head coach is. That’s a big responsibility for a player who’s carried the weight of the franchise on his shoulders. The Bills aren’t just looking for a coach - they’re looking for someone who can help Allen finally get over the hump.
Dolphins Hit Reset - Again
Miami’s decision to part ways with Mike McDaniel after four seasons raised some eyebrows. He led the Dolphins to second-place finishes in the division three times and made two playoff appearances, but both ended in Wild Card exits. The Dolphins clearly expected more - and with the Patriots rising fast, Miami wasn’t content to stay in neutral.
They’ve already made their move, hiring Jeff Hafley as the next head coach. Hafley, the former Boston College head coach and most recently the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, becomes the Dolphins’ fourth head coach in the last decade. That kind of turnover suggests a franchise still searching for stability - and in a division that just saw New England find it overnight, the urgency is real.
Jets Stay the Course - For Now
In a twist, it’s the New York Jets - long the division’s punching bag - who might have the most stability heading into 2026. Aaron Glenn just wrapped up his first year as head coach after signing a five-year deal last offseason. A former Jets player himself, Glenn brought a defensive edge to the team after serving as the Lions’ defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2024.
There’s a bit of symmetry here - both Vrabel and Glenn are now coaching the teams they once played for. But while Vrabel inherited a roster ready to compete, Glenn has a much steeper climb. The Jets haven’t finished higher than third in the division since 2015, and they’ve landed in the basement seven times in the last 10 years.
The issue in New York isn’t coaching - it’s talent. Unlike the other three teams in the AFC East, the Jets are still trying to build a foundation. Glenn may be the right guy for the job, but he’ll need more help on the field if the Jets want to be more than just a footnote in the division race.
The Patriots Set the Bar - Again
For two decades, the AFC East ran through Foxborough. Then came a brief window where the rest of the division had a chance to breathe. That window is now closed - and the Patriots are once again the standard.
Vrabel’s instant success has raised the bar across the board. Teams that were once comfortable with playoff appearances are now feeling the pressure to do more - to win more.
Coaching changes that may have been bubbling under the surface were suddenly fast-tracked. Because when one team goes from worst to first in a single season, the rest of the division can’t afford to stand still.
The AFC East just got a lot more interesting - and a lot more competitive. And with New England leading the charge once again, the race to keep up is officially on.