NFL Execs Sound Off on NFC's Top Teams in Poll Ahead of 2026 Season, Where Do Rams, Seahawks Rank?

The Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions, but they're not the top dog in the NFC in the eyes of some NFL executives.

The Athletic's Mike Sando polled six execs, four of whom placed the Los Angeles Rams atop the conference. The Seahawks were second on the list, with one respondent putting them all the way in sixth.

One executive said a "clear gap" exists between the Rams and everyone else after three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald ended his retirement.

A former general manager labeled L.A. "the best team in the NFC by far."

"Beyond all the defensive additions, Matthew Stafford is just surgical. So impressive," he said.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, had to replace offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III left to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"It is hard for me to think you're not going to have some kind of dropoff going from Kubiak to (Brian) Fleury, even if it is in the same schematic realm," one voter told Sando. "You lost Kubiak, you lost the Super Bowl MVP. I know you're excited about Jadarian Price, but …"

The Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears rounded out the top five in the NFC.

The Bears are one of the conference's biggest wild cards. They went 11-6 and won the NFC North but finished with a plus-26 point differential. By comparison, the Detroit Lions were last in the division at 9-8 and had a plus-68 point differential.

Chicago won a lot of close games — Caleb Williams' six fourth-quarter comebacks were the most of any quarterback — and had the best turnover differential in the league. That's a difficult formula to replicate from one season to the next.

Williams may have another level to his game. If that's the case, then the Bears should not be playing from behind as much as they were in 2025.

One exec went so far as to rank Chicago first in the NFC. That kind of finish is within the realm of possibility. And so is the Bears missing the playoffs altogether.