The NFL’s worst-to-first club almost always gets a new member, and 2026 could be next in line for a pair of teams that spent 2025 at the bottom of their divisions.
That kind of leap has become a familiar part of the league’s rhythm. Over the last 20 years, only 2014, 2019, and 2024 went by without at least one division winner rising from last place the season before. Last year produced two of them: the Chicago Bears, who climbed from 3-13-1 and last in the NFC North in 2024 to 11-6 and first in 2025, and the New England Patriots, who moved from 4-13 in 2024 to the AFC East crown and then the top spot in the AFC with a 14-3 mark in 2025.
If you’re trying to find the best bets to do it again, the NFC answer is hard to ignore. The Detroit Lions finished last in the NFC North last season, but the record only tells part of the story.
They were 9-8, which was actually a game better than the Carolina Panthers, the NFC South winner. Now the Lions are the betting favorite to win the division, and the case is strong.
Their 2025 profile suggests they were much better than the standings showed. Detroit ranked third in the NFL in DVOA and sixth in Net Yards per Play, which was the best figure among teams that missed the postseason.
And because they finished fourth in the division, they get the benefit of a fourth-place schedule. Based on opponents’ projected win totals, they have the easiest schedule in the league.
That opens the door not just for a division title, but for a run at the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
In the AFC, the swing-for-the-fences pick is the Tennessee Titans. The AFC South has real competition - the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars are both in the mix - but Tennessee has a few ingredients that make a leap feel possible.
The coaching change is the big one. Teams that go from worst to first often have a new head coach at the center of it, and that was true for both the Patriots and Bears last season. Robert Saleh is now in charge in Tennessee, and he arrives just a couple of years after guiding the Jets defense to become one of the best units in the NFL.
If Saleh delivers and Cam Ward makes a meaningful jump in his development at quarterback, the Titans could turn into a team nobody wants to deal with this season.
In Other News...
Titans Roster Could Claim A Few More Surprising Victims Soon
The Titans first 53-man roster already carried a few surprises, and it may not be the last version fans see. Tennessee trimmed down to its opening roster with some notable decisions, including veteran guard Cordell Volson and wide receiver Bryce Oliver, but the work is far from finished as the team continues to sort through the final shape of the group.
With the Titans holding the fourth waiver priority, there is still room for more movement as other clubs make their own cuts and the market opens up. Inside that churn, a few names already look vulnerable based on performance and roster needs, including Austin Deculus, Garrett Dellinger and Jerrick Reed II, which means the next wave of decisions could reshape the depth chart again before the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Finally Addressed The Backup Tackle Problem Fans Hated
The Titans spent part of their roster shuffle giving the offensive line a different look, releasing tackle Austin Deculus and signing veteran James Hudson to the 53-man roster. It was one of several moves the team made in the same sweep, alongside additions of Owen Pappoe, Terrell Burgess, Nazir Stackhouse and Melvin Smith, with Xavier Restrepo, Erick Hallett II, Mo Diabate and Jerrick Reed II waived in corresponding moves.
Hudson gives Tennessee a more familiar option at a spot fans had been unhappy about, especially given his history with offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. The veteran has played in 60 NFL games with 19 starts, and the Titans are clearly leaning on that experience as they keep sorting out the depth behind the top tackles. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Defense-First Waiver Push Came With One Unexpected Cut
The Titans wasted little time shaping their roster after cutdown day, making a series of moves that underscored how heavily they want to lean on defense. Tennessee cut linebacker Mohamoud Diabate while claiming four players off waivers, including linebackers Owen Pappoe and Smith Jr., defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse and veteran safety Burgess, a clear sign the front office was hunting for more depth on that side of the ball.
What made the transaction list stand out was not just the volume of defensive additions, but the unexpected departure that came with it. Diabates exit opened the door for the new wave of claims, and the Titans now have a reshaped group to sort through as they continue refining the back end of the roster and trying to stockpile options before the season gets moving. [Read more 🡒]