We have already picked out our division winners for this upcoming season, but who will actually make the playoffs?

Every year the NFL gives us teams that live up to expectations, teams that completely disappoint and at least a few surprises nobody saw coming. With seven playoff spots available in each conference, winning your division is only one way to get into the postseason.

Here are the 14 teams I believe will make the 2026 NFL Playoffs.

AFC

Denver Broncos — AFC West Champions

The Broncos won the AFC West last season, and I think they will do it again.

Denver has developed into one of the AFC’s legitimate contenders, and after proving they could take the division away from Kansas City, I don’t believe last season was a one-year fluke. They have enough talent on both sides of the ball to compete with anybody and should only be more confident after what they accomplished last year.

The AFC West will once again be brutal, especially with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looking to bounce back, but I’m sticking with Denver to defend its division crown and return to the playoffs.

Buffalo Bills — AFC East Champions

Buffalo enters this season looking a little different, with a new head coach and the addition of DJ Moore giving Josh Allen another major weapon in the passing game.

Changing coaches always brings some uncertainty, but the Bills still have one of the best quarterbacks in football, and adding a receiver of Moore’s caliber should make this offense even more dangerous. New England has made some serious improvements of its own, so I don’t expect the AFC East to be easy, but I’m still giving Buffalo the edge.

As long as Allen continues playing at an elite level, the Bills should remain one of the AFC’s best teams. I have Buffalo winning the AFC East and returning to the playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars — AFC South Champions

Jacksonville is one of the teams I’m highest on entering this season.

The Jaguars have enough talent to build on what they accomplished last year, and I believe they will once again come out of the AFC South. Houston will make this division competitive, but Jacksonville has shown me enough to believe they can take another step forward.

I’m buying the Jaguars again.

Baltimore Ravens — AFC North Champions

The AFC North is never easy, but Baltimore remains my pick.

The Ravens have too much talent to ignore, and when healthy, they have the type of roster that can compete with anyone in football. This division could become one of the tightest races in the league, but I trust Baltimore enough to have them finishing on top and returning to the postseason.

Kansas City Chiefs — Wild Card

Yes, I have the Chiefs losing the AFC West.

No, I am absolutely not leaving Patrick Mahomes out of the playoffs.

Kansas City may no longer have the automatic division title that we became accustomed to seeing for years, but counting out a team led by Mahomes would be ridiculous. I expect him and the Chiefs to respond in a major way this season, even if Denver ultimately finishes ahead of them in the division.

The Chiefs get back into the postseason as a Wild Card.

Houston Texans — Wild Card

Houston’s defense is STOUT, and I believe that unit alone is good enough to carry this team into the playoffs.

The Texans have the type of defense that can keep them in games even when the offense isn’t clicking. They can create pressure, make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and give Houston a chance to win without needing the offense to put up huge numbers every week.

The real question is whether the offense can catch up. If it does, my expectations for Houston go way beyond simply earning a Wild Card spot.

If the Texans can pair a consistently productive offense with this defense, I believe they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. For now, I have Jacksonville winning the AFC South and Houston getting into the postseason as a Wild Card, but their ceiling could be much higher.

New England Patriots — Wild Card

The Patriots aren’t standing still after their Super Bowl run.

New England added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, giving its offense two more weapons and making the receiving corps significantly more dangerous heading into 2026. After already proving they could make a deep postseason run last season, improving the offense makes this team even harder for me to leave out of the playoff picture.

I still have Buffalo narrowly taking the AFC East, but New England should be right there with them throughout the season. The Patriots grab one of the AFC Wild Card spots and get another opportunity to make noise in January.

NFC

Seattle Seahawks — NFC West Champions

The defending Super Bowl champions enter 2026 with a target on their backs.

Seattle proved last season that its success was real by finishing the job and winning the Super Bowl. Now comes the difficult part: doing it again.

The NFC West could be the toughest division in football, especially with the Rams looking loaded, but until someone knocks Seattle off the top, I’m sticking with the champs to win the division.

Detroit Lions — NFC North Champions

I have Detroit taking back control of the NFC North.

This division has several teams capable of making noise, but I still believe the Lions have the best combination of talent and experience. When Detroit is healthy and playing its best football, there aren’t many teams in the NFC that I would confidently put ahead of them.

The Lions win the North and return to the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys — NFC East Champions

I’m taking the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East, and a big reason is just how explosive I believe this offense can be.

Dallas has the weapons to put points on the board with anybody, and if the offense plays to its potential, opposing teams are going to have a difficult time keeping up. The bigger difference for me is the defense. I believe that side of the ball is much improved, giving Dallas a far more complete team than just an explosive offense.

Philadelphia will be right there in the division race, but I’m buying the Cowboys this season. If the improved defense complements what should be one of the league’s most dangerous offenses, Dallas can do much more than simply make the playoffs.

New Orleans Saints — NFC South Champions

The Saints are probably my boldest division winner, but I really like the direction this team was heading at the end of 2025.

New Orleans finished last season on a great trend, and I believe that momentum will carry into 2026. This is a team that showed signs of legitimate growth as the year went along, and with another offseason to develop and build on what was working, I think we’re going to see an improved Saints team this season.

The NFC South is there for somebody to take control of, and I’m betting on New Orleans continuing to grow rather than taking a step backward.

It might surprise some people, but I have the Saints winning the NFC South and making the playoffs.

Los Angeles Rams — Wild Card

The Rams might be the most dangerous Wild Card team on this entire list, because they went into the offseason and seriously upgraded an already talented roster.

Los Angeles added essentially an entirely new secondary, immediately giving the defense a different look. Then they went out and traded for Myles Garrett, adding one of the most dominant defensive players in football to the front.

And oh yeah…

The GOAT DT is back.

Aaron Donald returning changes the ceiling of this defense completely. Putting Donald and Garrett on the same defensive front is ridiculous to even think about, and when you combine that pass rush with a rebuilt secondary, the Rams suddenly have the pieces to field an elite defense.

The only reason I have Los Angeles as a Wild Card is because they share the NFC West with the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. But make no mistake: if everything comes together, the Rams aren’t simply a team that can make the playoffs.

They’re a team nobody is going to want to face once they get there.

Minnesota Vikings — Wild Card

Minnesota is my sleeper Wild Card team in the NFC, and the addition of Kyler Murray is a huge reason why.

Bringing in Murray gives this offense a new dimension at quarterback. His ability to create outside the pocket and push the ball downfield should help turn this offense around, but the player I think benefits the most is Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson is still one of the most talented receivers in football, and I believe Murray can help him return to looking like the best wide receiver in the league. If that connection develops quickly, we could start seeing some resemblance of the dangerous Vikings offense we saw back in 2024.

I still have Detroit winning the NFC North, but Minnesota doesn’t need to win the division to have a successful season. If Murray can rejuvenate this offense and Jefferson gets back to dominating defenses every week, I believe the Vikings are good enough to grab one of the NFC’s three Wild Card spots.

Philadelphia Eagles — Wild Card

Losing A.J. Brown might look like a major blow to Philadelphia’s offense, but I actually believe it could become a case of addition by subtraction.

The Eagles still have plenty of talent at receiver, and they added another exciting weapon by drafting Makai Lemon. But the player I’m really watching is DeVonta Smith.

Smith has spent much of his NFL career sharing targets with Brown, but now he gets the opportunity to become the clear number one option in Philadelphia. We saw at Alabama just how dominant Smith could be when an offense ran through him, and he entered the NFL with expectations of eventually becoming a true WR1.

Now he finally gets that opportunity.

I believe Smith will emerge as the number one receiver many expected him to become, while Lemon gives Philadelphia another young weapon alongside him. Losing Brown changes the offense, but it doesn’t necessarily have to make it worse.

I have Dallas winning the NFC East, but Philadelphia still has enough talent to secure a Wild Card spot and remain a dangerous team once the playoffs begin.

My Final 2026 NFL Playoff Field

AFC

Denver Broncos — AFC West
Buffalo Bills — AFC East
Jacksonville Jaguars — AFC South
Baltimore Ravens — AFC North
Kansas City Chiefs — Wild Card
Houston Texans — Wild Card
New England Patriots — Wild Card

NFC

Seattle Seahawks — NFC West
Detroit Lions — NFC North
Dallas Cowboys — NFC East
New Orleans Saints — NFC South
Los Angeles Rams — Wild Card
Minnesota Vikings — Wild Card
Philadelphia Eagles — Wild Card

Fourteen teams. Eight division champions. Six Wild Cards.

There are some obvious contenders on this list, but there are also a few predictions that could look either brilliant or completely ridiculous by January. That’s what makes predicting an NFL season so much fun.

Now we get to watch it play out.

Who did I leave out, and which team on my list do you think has no chance of making the playoffs?

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