A few teams are sitting right on the edge of something bigger in 2026. They may not be the obvious picks, but the ingredients are there for a jump if the right pieces click into place.
Start with Cincinnati, where the conversation always begins with Joe Burrow. The Bengals have been a respectable team when he’s on the field, going 9-8 in both 2023 and 2024.
In 2025, they slipped to 6-11, though Burrow still went 5-3 in the games he played while dealing with a turf toe injury. What’s kept Cincinnati from being treated like a true Super Bowl threat since 2022 has been the defense, which has been a mess for three straight seasons.
That’s why the offseason trade for Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants matters so much. At 350 pounds, he could change the entire feel of that defensive line.
If the Bengals can get even to average on that side of the ball, they’re going to be a nightmare with Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown driving the offense.
Minnesota is another team that could look a lot different. The Vikings finished with a winning record in 2025, but the season never felt stable.
They dropped to 4-8 before finishing with five wins after they were already out of the playoff race. Quarterback play was the biggest problem, and 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J.
McCarthy started 10 of those games with a 72.6 passer rating. The fix came in the form of Kyler Murray, a former No. 1 overall pick from the 2019 NFL Draft.
Murray’s early years in Arizona hinted at a franchise quarterback, though his play slipped over the last few seasons and the Cardinals moved on. The Vikings are betting he can rediscover that dual-threat spark, and even if he doesn’t hit that level, he should be a major upgrade over McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer.
Kevin O’Connell has already shown he can squeeze more out of a quarterback, as he did with Sam Darnold in 2024.
New Orleans has a simpler case, but a strong one: the Saints look like they may have found a quarterback, and they’re in the NFC South. The Saints went 6-11 in 2025, but they were 5-4 in Tyler Shough’s starts and put together a four-game winning streak along the way.
The rookie completed 67.6 percent of his passes and posted a 91.3 passer rating. That’s enough to make people pay attention, especially in a division that never seems to separate itself.
Last season, the NFC South winner had only eight victories, and this year doesn’t look much different on paper. DraftKings has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers favored to win the division, with an over/under of 8.5 wins and the under favored.
That opens the door for New Orleans to push right into the mix.
The Giants are in a different spot, but they also have real upside. They already had the look of a team on the rise before they added John Harbaugh as head coach.
During 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh never won fewer than eight games. New York doesn’t have Lamar Jackson and that whole operation, but it does have momentum and now a coach with a long record of winning.
If Jaxson Dart stays healthy and takes a step in his second season, and if Malik Nabers is healthy at wide receiver, the Giants could find themselves hanging around the playoff picture.
Then there’s Tennessee, where everything circles back to the quarterback. Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, brings massive upside.
His rookie year had real flashes - the kind of plays that jump off the screen - but it also came with plenty of rough edges, and he was tied for the NFL lead with 55 sacks taken. That’s the risk and the appeal all in one.
If Ward makes the kind of leap he’s capable of, the Titans can absolutely play their way into the postseason. If he doesn’t, they could end up near the bottom of the league.
Either way, Tennessee figures to be one of the most fascinating teams to watch in 2026.
In Other News...
Titans Secondary Just Got A Late Addition Worth Watching Closely
The Titans added a familiar face to their secondary just before the season opener, signing cornerback Jaylon Jones as they continue fine-tuning the roster ahead of a visit from the New York Jets. Jones arrives with real AFC South experience after spending two years as a starter with the Indianapolis Colts, and his path back to Tennessee includes a reunion with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, under whom he had his best NFL season.
Jones takes the spot of Melvin Smith Jr., who was released, and the move gives Tennessee another veteran option at corner as the opener approaches. For now, the expectation is straightforward: help with depth, contribute on special teams, and give Bradley another piece he knows well in a secondary that still looks to be taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Face An Early Week 1 Linebacker Test Nobody Wanted
Cedric Grays status has quickly become one of the more uncomfortable early-week storylines for the Titans, with the linebacker in concussion protocol after a UTV accident and listed as questionable for the upcoming game. For a defense trying to settle in around a new coaching staff, losing a player viewed as one of its leading linebackers would be a reminder that Week 1 can turn on depth just as much as it does on game plans.
Robert Saleh and the Titans may have to lean on James Williams and Anthony Hill if Gray cannot go, and both young linebackers would be stepping into a meaningful early opportunity. How Tennessee handles that spot will say plenty about where the defense stands right now, because the answer is not just about replacing one player but about how quickly the next man up can absorb the job without losing the middle of the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Ward Faces The First Real Test Of The Titans Rebuild
Cam Ward enters his second season with the kind of attention that comes with being the face of a rebuild, and the Titans are asking for more than flashes. After a rookie year that gave Tennessee a baseline to measure from, the next step is about consistency, command and whether the offense can start looking like something more stable under Robert Salehs watch. The preseason only sharpened the curiosity around Ward, because now the real games begin and the expectations rise with them.
Sundays home opener against the Jets should tell Tennessee a lot about where Ward is in that process. It is one thing to show growth in camp and preseason settings, but a regular-season test at home will reveal how he handles pressure, how far the supporting cast has come and whether the Titans offense is ready to give the rebuild some traction. For a team trying to find its footing, the early returns on Ward could shape the whole conversation. [Read more 🡒]