The long, hot summer is finally over, and it hasn’t gone well for everyone. Some teams were hit by injuries, others by looming suspensions, and a few got to see just how bad they really were. Meanwhile, Aaron Donald officially returned to the Los Angeles Rams — as if they needed any more help.
Anyway, the prelude is over, and the NFL Kickoff Game is almost here. Here are my Power Rankings as the 2026 season begins. *Super Bowl odds courtesy of DraftKings Super Bowl odds: +35000 It’s a good thing there are other things to do in South Florida during the fall, because watching the Dolphins is going to be painful. One practice a few weeks ago was more than enough to convince me they’re the worst team in the league.
Super Bowl odds: +50000 They have so many young, exciting skill players, but still no QB to make it all work. And now RB Jeremiyah Love has an ankle injury that could keep him out of the opener, too. Super Bowl odds: +20000 So, Deshaun Watson "won" the QB battle over Shedeur Sanders and everyone in Cleveland seems unhappy about it.
Wait until they see him play in the regular season. Super Bowl odds: +15000 The ankle injury to RB Ashton Jeanty is bad news for a team that didn’t have many weapons to begin with. Starting veteran QB Kirk Cousins will bring early stability.
But this season is all about letting rookie Fernando Mendoza eventually play and grow. Super Bowl odds: +20000 There are a lot of things to like about the Jets, including a veteran defense, a strong offensive line, and a handful of talented skill players. If only they had a QB to go with them.
Geno Smith is the anchor on this promising ship. Super Bowl odds: +13000 QB Cam Ward has had a very uneven summer, which isn’t a good sign. If OC Brian Daboll can get him pointed in the right direction, there’s enough around him for the Titans to be a hard team to beat.
But right now, that’s a big "if." Super Bowl odds: +6000 They are putting absolutely everything on QB Jayden Daniels and the hope that he’ll recapture his rookie magic. The problem, though, is the offensive line may not be able to properly protect him. Super Bowl odds: +9000 I was starting to believe in the Saints as a surprise playoff contender and was ready to move them atop the other pretenders in the NFC South.
But the hamstring injury that will keep promising rookie WR Jordyn Tyson out until mid-October has shaken my faith. Super Bowl odds: +13000 Yikes, what a quarterback mess in Atlanta. Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t been very good and Michael Penix Jr. isn’t fully healthy yet.
Tua got the Week 1 nod, but neither seems like a viable option right now. Super Bowl odds: +7000 Odell Beckham is back, but a fourth WR doesn’t move the needle much. I’m still waiting to see how back WR Malik Nabers and RB Cam Skattebo really are.
They could make the Giants a surprise team, especially with a defense that could end up in the top 10. Super Bowl odds: +5500 Health and Baker Mayfield’s contract distraction were my biggest concern in the previous rankings, and nothing much has changed. Mayfield is still without an extension, and WRs Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan have been battling summer injuries.
Super Bowl odds: +9000 This whole division is ranked low, because … well, let’s face it, the division is lousy. Someone will eventually emerge, but it’s really a big toss-up. The Panthers are a top candidate as the defending "champs." But it all depends on the lagging growth of QB Bryce Young.
Super Bowl odds: +5000 The second of my underrated teams, I liked what I saw out of them in my visit to Latrobe, Pa. Aaron Rodgers still looks old, but he also looks sharp, and the front office has put a nice array of weapons around him. The Steelers' ceiling is a little lower, though, because the division has improved.
Super Bowl odds: +6000 There are two teams I fear I have vastly underrated in my preseason Power Rankings, and the Colts are one of them. I still have my doubts about Daniel Jones’ ability to bounce back from a major injury again. But so far, so good for him.
Super Bowl odds: +5000 QB Kyler Murray was fine this summer, but it’ll take a lot more than that to make me believe he can lead this decent Vikings team in a brutally tough division. It’s possible, though. Kevin O’Connell only has to turn back the clock to 2024.
Super Bowl odds: +2500 A lot of people around the NFL like what the Cowboys have done to fix their shoddy defense this offseason. It definitely should be improved, but enough to make them a contender? Their elite offense still may have to do most of the work.
Super Bowl odds: +2000 I think the whole state of Wisconsin is mad at me for this, but I’m leaving the Packers here for two main reasons: Micah Parsons' continuing recovery (torn ACL) and RB Josh Jacobs' placement on the Commissioner Exempt List. Super Bowl odds: +1600 Patrick Mahomes may be on track to start the season opener, but will he be the same old superstar? The Chiefs have the chance to rise or fall quickly in these rankings based on the early answer to that.
Super Bowl odds: +1700 New OC Mike McDaniel seems to have injected a bolt of energy (no pun intended) into a team that desperately needed it. If that mixes with his offensive brilliance, this might be the rare Chargers team that exceeds its potential. Super Bowl odds: +1900 I was all ready to move the Lions up even further, but the back injury to No.
2 RB Isaiah Pachecho has made me hesitate. Looks like Jahmyr Gibbs will have to earn his three-year, $67.5 million extension from the start. Super Bowl odds: +3000 The entire receiving corps was banged up in the preseason, and the RB room was questionable to begin with.
Really, the only reason to have faith in this team at all is the wizardry of head coach Liam Coen. Super Bowl odds: +1800 They had hope that WR Jayden Higgins would emerge as a much-needed No. 2 WR, but a torn ACL ruined that.
Their league-best defense is going to have to do a lot of the heavy lifting again. Super Bowl odds: +1900 Outside the season-ending injury to WR Ricky Pearsall, it looks like all their pieces will be in place for Week 1. So consider the Niners a provisional entry in the top 10, but keep the duct tape handy just in case.
Super Bowl odds: +1700 Summer hamstring injuries to DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon were a reminder of just how big a gamble it was to trade A.J. Brown. Lane Johnson’s extended absence was a reminder of the offensive line’s age.
But the injury to edge rusher Jonathan Greenard is the real concern. Super Bowl odds: +1800 I waffle on the Bengals because they really could go either way. With Joe Burrow back, surrounded by an elite set of skill players and an improved defense, they could be a Super Bowl contender.
Or they could start slow again, and Zac Taylor could be gone by mid-October. It’s a coin flip. Super Bowl odds: +1000 Summer injuries to WRs Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir were a dangerous reminder that receiver is still a problem for this team.
Man, if they can properly address that position, look out. Super Bowl odds: +2400 Maybe I’ve got too much faith in Ben Johnson and QB Caleb Williams. Maybe I’m just ignoring the concerning knee injury suffered by RB Kyle Monangai.
Or maybe the Bears really are ready to pop. Super Bowl odds: +1800 A much-harder schedule still looms large over their heads. But QB Drake Maye was nearly the MVP last season without an elite receiver.
Now he’s got a new No. 1 in still-elite A.J. Brown.
Super Bowl odds: +1200 If the reports out of Seattle are right, they are prepared to prove me wrong. Rookie RB Jadarian Price has gotten rave reviews for his elusiveness this summer. Maybe he can replace Kenneth Walker III and step in for the injured Zach Charbonnet.
Maybe. Super Bowl odds: +1000 New coach Jesse Minter has a lot to prove, but at least he has the Big 3 of Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers to help him prove it. And don’t rule out help from rookie WR Ja’Kobi Lane, a third-round pick who had a big summer.
Super Bowl odds: +2000 Sean Payton knows there’s unfinished business after QB Bo Nix’s injury was probably all that stood between the Broncos and the Super Bowl last year. And now Nix is healthy and has a new shiny toy in WR Jaylen Waddle. Super Bowl odds: +500 Hey, Aaron Donald’s back!
So the rich get richer. Summer injuries to DE Myles Garrett (knee) and WR Puka Nacua (groin) were a reminder that things can change. But Donald’s return strengthens their grip on the top.
