5 NFL Teams That Could Be Surprise Playoff Contenders in 2026

Parity is alive and well in the NFL.

Every season, it seems at least one team that finished near the bottom of the previous year's standings goes on to make a playoff run. That isn't likely to change in 2026, with several squads sticking out for having worst-to-first potential.

These teams will be looking to follow in the footsteps of the 2020 San Francisco 49ers, 2021 Cincinnati Bengals and last year's New England Patriots by making a Super Bowl appearance on the heels of a dreadful finish the prior campaign—potentially even becoming the first to break through and win one after the aforementioned squads all came up just short.

With that in mind, let's highlight five teams who have a real chance to become surprise playoff contenders in 2026.

Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Michael Penix Jr., left, and Tua Tagovailoa

After years of being mired in mediocrity, the Atlanta Falcons are poised to break out in 2026.

They have had plenty of stars on their roster in recent seasons but lacked the coaching staff and systems needed to turn these individual standouts into a cohesive unit. Thanks to the shrewd decision to hire head coach Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta should turn a corner and snap the league's second-longest postseason drought.

Stefanski has a history of hitting the ground running. In his first season with the Cleveland Browns, he guided a side that had made just one playoff appearance in two-plus decades to its first postseason victory since 1994.

One of the new regime's best offseason moves was snapping up Tua Tagovailoa following his release by the Miami Dolphins. He is coming off a pair of middling seasons, but oversaw the league's No. 1 offense in 2023 and clearly has the talent needed to unlock Atlanta's offensive potential.

Tagovailoa will need to beat out Michael Penix Jr. for the QB1 job in training camp, but Penix is running out of chances after a dismal sophomore season ended early due to yet another injury. When Tagovailoa inevitably takes the reins, the ceiling on Atlanta's offense will be raised significantly.

Atlanta made several other needle-moving free-agent acquisitions. A Drake London-led receiving corps has been bolstered by Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson, while the offensive line secured a major piece in veteran tackle Jawaan Taylor.

The defense has improved with pickups of Maason Smith and Christian Harris, while early-round draft picks such as Avieon Terrell and Kendal Daniels figure to play key roles.

Although it remains to be seen how this team will gel following a major roster overhaul under a new coaching staff, it wouldn't be wise to bet against Stefanski rapidly transforming this underperforming program into a powerhouse.

Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/John Locher

Fernando Mendoza

The Las Vegas Raiders have lacked an identity in recent years, but a transformative offseason has led to renewed hope for a contender to arise in Sin City.

Las Vegas' tried to shortcut its way into the playoffs last season by hiring a 73-year-old head coach in Pete Carroll and trading for a 34-year-old quarterback in Geno Smith, but the moves backfired in spectacular fashion. The team finished with the worst record in the NFL, a painful campaign that at least had the silver lining of securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.

Raiders ownership wasted little time clearing house after that brutal 3-14 season. Carroll was replaced by Klint Kubiak, fresh off winning a Super Bowl as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive quarterback, while Smith was shipped to the New York Jets to make way for the highly anticipated arrival of Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza has the chance to play the role of franchise savior after having a similar effect on an Indiana program that was considered one of the worst in college football for decades.

The signal-caller won just about everything there was to win during a legendary 2025 season, including the Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff championship. Mendoza was a shoo-in to be taken with the top overall pick by a squad that has lacked a franchise quarterback for years, filling Vegas' most glaring hole and giving the squad a puncher's chance at an instant turnaround once he takes the reins from stopgap Kirk Cousins.

There have been several recent instances of rookie quarterbacks coming in and immediately leading their new team to a playoff berth. Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix were the most recent to do so during their respective postseason runs in 2024, while C.J. Stroud, Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott round out the full list of signal-callers to accomplish the impressive feat over the past decade.

Mendoza won't be surrounded with too many Pro Bowl-caliber weapons during his first season, but tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty headline a supporting cast that has the potential to make some noise in 2026.

If the offense outperforms expectations and the defense—which added a number of proven veterans off the open market—can hold up, the Raiders will become one of this season's true surprise playoff teams.

Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Stacy Bengs

Justin Jefferson

The Minnesota Vikings went from winning 14 games in 2024 to missing the playoffs entirely last season. While much of the blame for this regression was placed on the downgrade under center from Sam Darnold to J.J. McCarthy, other roster flaws were also exposed in 2025—issues that Minnesota has worked relentlessly to fix this offseason.

The quarterback situation has improved with the addition of Kyler Murray. While the former Arizona Cardinals signal-caller has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since his last Pro Bowl campaign in 2021, he has the potential for a strong second act under renowned quarterback whispering head coach Kevin O'Connell.

Murray won't be handed the starting job and will have to earn it in training camp, but the offense stands to benefit regardless of whether McCarthy makes strides in a pivotal third season or Murray usurps him as the QB1.

With the addition of Jauan Jennings in free agency, Minnesota boasts perhaps the best receiving corps in the entire league. Whoever lines up under center will have a wealth of options at their disposal in Jennings, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and perennial All-Pro Justin Jefferson.

It remains to be seen if the team's poor O-line can make some much-needed improvements, but the decision to draft Caleb Tiernan on Day 2 and sign veteran Ryan Van Demark in free agency at least gives the coaching staff more options to shuffle the deck with if necessary.

There shouldn't be any concerns surrounding Minnesota's defense. Brian Flores is one of the best coordinators in football, with his unit keeping the Vikings competitive despite a woeful offensive effort in 2025.

The Vikings already ranked No. 7 in scoring and No. 3 in total defense last year and should only improve with five prospects selected across the first five rounds of the 2026 draft—headlined by first-round edge rusher Caleb Banks—joining the fray.  

While the 2026 Vikings will still sink or swim based on the performance of the quarterback position, the rest of the pieces are in firmly place for the team to secure a third playoff berth in six seasons under O'Connell.

New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Tyler Shough

The New Orleans Saints were trending towards a league-worst finish last year before finding some life down the stretch. The impressive play of the team's defense and Tyler Shough—the squad's rookie second-round quarterback—sparked a 4-1 finish, one that the Saints will try to build on in 2026.

While New Orleans' late-season push wasn't enough to join what ended as a three-team tie for the NFC South title, it at least showed the potential this group has under head coach Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.

Staley maximized the talents of a mix of veteran cast-offs and unproven young talent, engineering a defensive system that finished top-10 in passing and total defense. The pass-rushing unit got some impressive double-digit sack contributions from both franchise fixture Cameron Jordan and Chase Young, the oft-injured veteran who had the best season of his career year despite missing five games.

Marked improvements to an offense that has struggled since the retirement of Drew Brees made the Saints a force at the end of 2025 and will keep them relevant this coming season. New Orleans' brass clearly liked what it saw from Shough and loaded up on weapons for the young passer, adding a trio of rookie wideouts—including first-rounder Jordyn Tyson—to a receiver's room led by Chris Olave.  

With Tyson and Pro Bowl running back Travis Etienne Jr. now in the mix and Shough having a full offseason to prepare as the starting quarterback, the Saints should take a noticeable leap in 2026. As long as the defense remains above league-average, New Orleans will be a strong candidate to claim its first divisional crown and postseason berth since 2020.

Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Carnell Tate

The Tennessee Titans have mustered six total victories over the last two seasons and haven't even had a winning campaign since 2021. However, they appear to be nearly finished with a lengthy rebuilding effort and may be ready to reemerge as a force in the playoffs as early as this coming season.

The Titans have done a stellar job putting puzzle pieces into place around centerpiece Cam Ward, the team's selection at No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

His rookie numbers may look modest—he went 3-14 while completing 59.8 percent of his throws for 3,169 yards and 15 touchdowns—but they belie the promise he showed working within the constraints of a dreadfully thin roster last year.

After giving up a league-worst 55 sacks in 2025, the Titans prioritized offensive line help this offseason.  The team inked a trio of free-agent veterans—including two likely starters in center Austin Schlottman and guard Cordell Volson—and drafted a pair of prospects to bolster the offensive trenches.

Ward's weaponry has greatly improved as well. A thin receiving corps received a major injection of talent in the form of Carnell Tate—a game-changer taken with the No. 4 overall pick—and veteran possession receiver Wan'Dale Robinson.

The presence of those two will turn Tennessee's receivers room, which also contains incumbents Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, into one of the NFL's deepest.

Although the offensive renovations were notable, Tennessee took its biggest strides of the offseason on defense.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Titans wanted to establish an identity on that side of the football following the decision to hire renowned defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as head coach, but a flurry of veteran additions such as John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson II and Alontae Taylor has significantly expedited the process.

If Ward can take a leap in Year 2 while Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll do their best to maximize the potential of the talented roster Tennessee's front office has cultivated, the Titans will be a legitimate wild-card contender with an outside chance of winning a tough AFC South race.