2026 NFL Preview: Ranking The 18 Non-Playoff Teams On Who Most Likely Gets Back In

Everything can change in one offseason in the NFL. Just take a look at what happened last year. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots went head-to-head in Super Bowl LX after missing the playoffs in 2024. In fact, they were two of six teams (Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers) to make the postseason in 2025 after failing to make the playoffs the year prior. That was just the latest sign of the year-to-year parity we see in the NFL, which the league takes great pride in. While two non-playoff teams from the prior meeting in the Super Bowl isn’t the norm, seeing a handful of new teams make the postseason each year certainly is. The NFL has an unbelievable streak of 36 seasons in which at least four teams that missed the playoffs the year prior make the postseason the next year. So, who could make up that group in 2026? Let’s rank the 18 teams that missed the playoffs in 2025 who have the best chances to make the postseason in 2026, with odds courtesy of BetMGM. Odds to make playoffs: +1500 It’s not just that the Arizona Cardinals went 3-14 last year and are moving forward with Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback, but they also play in the toughest division in the NFL. The other three teams in the NFC West made the postseason in 2025, and all three appear to be in strong shape to make it to the playoffs again in 2026. The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are all in the top eight or so in most power rankings. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is exciting and new coach Mike LaFleur can start to move Arizona in the right direction, but if that amounts to more than six or seven wins this year, they’ll be one of the better turnaround stories in the league as they aren’t favored in the early point spreads in any of their 17 games. Odds to make playoffs: +1100 The Miami Dolphins went 7-10 last season, but much of the past year has been shedding big contracts — wide receiver Tyreek Hill, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb — to where there’s clear expectations of a major step back as they rebrand with a new quarterback (Malik Willis), new head coach (Jeff Hafley) and new general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan). No team has more 2027 salary cap space than the Dolphins do, and they’ll look like it in 2026 as they set themselves up for a high draft pick and rebounding from there. On top of that, the Dolphins have the second-toughest strength of schedule this season. Odds to make playoffs: +550 There’s excitement around rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but he’ll go from a 16-0 perfect season at Indiana to maybe winning a third of his games this first year with the Las Vegas Raiders. New coach Klint Kubiak also has Kirk Cousins, so he doesn’t have to go to Mendoza immediately, but a No. 1 overall pick is a huge investment that you want to see on the field fairly quickly. They’ll improve from a league-worst 14.2 points per game in 2025, but even if you add a touchdown to every score from last season, that doesn’t get you to .500. Odds to make playoffs: +800 After a 3-14 season in 2025, the Jets underwent significant roster changes this offseason. They’ve got eight new starters on defense for Aaron Glenn’s second season as head coach, seeking to improve a unit that finished 31st in points allowed last season. Moving into the middle third of the league in that stat would be a vast improvement. But with Geno Smith as the starting quarterback, it’s hard to see a significant improvement from last season’s record. Getting wide receiver Garrett Wilson healthy for a full season and seeing what rookie pass catchers Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper add to the offense are all good things, though. Odds to make playoffs: +450 The offensive line is completely revamped, but realistically, who’s the quarterback, and can he throw more than the 16 touchdowns the Cleveland Browns managed in 2025? Can new head coach Todd Monken get more out of the offense to match what could be a top-10 defense? Even with uncertainty in the division, they’ll do well to finish third, which would require either the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a big step back with their first-year head coach, or another quarterback injury in Cincinnati or Baltimore. Odds to make playoffs: +325 Last season wasn’t a good one for the Tennessee Titans. They finished in the bottom five in scoring offense and defense en route to a 3-14 record. On top of that, new head coach Robert Saleh will have at least six new starters on defense, with rookie receiver Carnell Tate potentially helping quarterback Cam Ward make a jump in his second season. The Titans had nine double-digit losses last season, matching the most in the NFL, so there’s much ground to make up to get the franchise back to .500, let alone playoff contention. Odds to make playoffs: +240 The Atlanta Falcons tied for the best record in the NFC South last year, going 8-9 in as close a division as you’ll find from top to bottom. Yet, the oddsmakers have them on the outside looking in for what would be a ninth straight year of missing the playoffs. Can head coach Kevin Stefanski take the offense to another level with Tagovailoa or Michael Penix at quarterback? Can the defense continue its progress under coordinator Jeff Ulbrich? The division is wide-open, but that’s probably the easiest sell for why the Falcons could end their postseason drought. Odds to make playoffs: +260 How much better can John Harbaugh make the New York Giants in 2026? Add in a healthy Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers on offense, rookie edge rusher Arvell Reese on defense, and the NFC East has four teams all in flux. How much will they miss star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence up front? Who knows, but they got a top-10 pick to beef their offensive line when they traded Lawrence, using the selection on Miami (Fla.)’s Francis Mauigoa. The final three-week stretch is a tough one. They travel to face the Detroit Lions on the Monday after Christmas and hit the road again to take on the Dallas Cowboys the following week. They’ll leave those matchups with the hopes of having something to play for when they finish the regular season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Odds to make playoffs: +175 Last season didn’t start well for the New Orleans Saints, but they closed strong. They were 2-10 before winning four of their last five, although two of those wins came against the Jets and Titans. Still, was that late surge a sign of how the Saints can rally around quarterback Tyler Shough? Head coach Kellen Moore got valuable additions to his offense in running back Travis Etienne and rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, suggesting that they’re buying into Shough entering Year 2. But can their defense improve without linebacker Demario Davis in the middle? A last-place schedule hooks them up with games against the Raiders and Cardinals, as the Saints have the second-easiest strength of schedule in 2026. Facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice in the final four weeks could be very pivotal. Odds to make playoffs: +170 If the Minnesota Vikings had found ways to put up more points last season, they would’ve made the postseason for a second straight year. They had a top-10 defense with coordinator Brian Flores, going 7-2 in games where they scored 20 points or more. That suggests if the offense can get back to 2024 levels, they could be a surprise team in the NFC North. However, big questions loom. Will Kyler Murray prove to be a bargain on a league minimum prove-it deal? Can rookie defensive tackle Caleb Banks show he wasn’t a first-round reach and offset the loss of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard? Can wide receiver Jauan Jennings find himself again as a potent 1-2-3 with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison? Odds to make playoffs: +140 Just like the Vikings, a few big questions linger for the Indianapolis Colts entering 2026. The first that must be answered is when Daniel Jones will be healthy and back, and whether he comes close to the 8-2 start he had with the Indianapolis Colts last year? Without many notable additions, can head coach Shane Steichen keep up with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, who both look like solid bets to return to the playoffs? The Colts lost their final seven games last season, but five were one-score games as 44-year-old Philip Rivers came out of retirement to quarterback them down the stretch. So their hopes are built around Jones staying healthy and the defense being much better, especially with cornerback Sauce Gardner getting healthy, too. Odds to make playoffs: +225 The optimism of a bounce-back year starts with a healthy Jayden Daniels, but the bigger deal might be a defense with seven new starters, including first-round pick Sonny Styles. They won five games in 2025, with two coming against the Giants and one against Eagles backups. Can the defensive overhaul get them back to the excitement of 2024, when they went 12-5 and won two playoff games? Dan Quinn needs two first-time coordinators — David Blough on offense, Daronte Jones on defense — to figure things out quickly. Odds to make playoffs: +100 Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys’ offense had another productive season in 2025. However, the defense was so bad last year, giving up a league-high 30 points a game. So, Christian Parker takes over on that side of the ball, becoming Dallas’ defensive coordinator with what looks to be six new starters, including promising rookie safety Caleb Downs. Even with their sluggish defense a year ago, the Cowboys were 6-5-1 after beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving, but then lost four of five to finish the season. Their success may hinge on a new secondary with Downs and safety Jalen Thompson leading the way. December looks daunting with trips to Seattle and Los Angeles before hosting the Jaguars, so the Cowboys might need to have a strong record through the first three months of the season. Odds to make playoffs: -155 The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has been enough of a liability to negate a prolific passing game with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, keeping them out of the playoffs three years in a row. Zac Taylor likely won’t survive as the head coach with a fourth year like that. So, can big swings for Lawrence and edge rusher Boye Mafe get the Bengals to at least an average defense? Over the last two years, the Bengals have had four games in which they scored 38-plus points and lost — the rest of the NFL combined has had five such games. They’re favored to win 15 of their games, which is the second-most in the NFL, and have the third-easiest schedule based on their opponents’ combined winning percentage from last season. Odds to make playoffs: +125 It took a collapse in the second half of the season for the Buccaneers to even appear on this list. The Bucs were 6-2 last year before going on a nosedive, losing seven of eight games and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The offense was scuttled by injuries along the offensive line and at receiver down the stretch. While they should enter the year healthier (running back Bucky Irving is expected to be ready for training camp), this is a team that lost two franchise icons in receiver Mike Evans (signed with 49ers) and linebacker Lavonte David (retired), so finding new leadership will be a must. There’s excitement surrounding rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain, who wasn’t expected to fall to them at No. 15 and highlights a tougher, new-look defensive front. Odds to make playoffs: -235 Patrick Mahomes as an underdog? That’s what we have as the Kansas City Chiefs look to rebound from a 6-11 season, with Mahomes working to return from a torn ACL. He’s not the only Super Bowl MVP in the backfield now, either, as the team signed running back Kenneth Walker from Seattle. They lost Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the secondary, so first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane becomes a crucial piece. Eric Bieniemy is back as offensive coordinator. Can the Chiefs get back to the juggernaut they were just two years ago? Odds to make playoffs: -220 The Detroit Lions lost both coordinators from 2024 last year and took a step back, losing four of six to finish the year and missing the playoffs. There are big changes on the offensive line, with Penei Sewell flipping from right to left tackle. They also have newcomers in center Cade Mays and rookie right tackle Blake Miller. The schedule closes with a nasty stretch, with three division games on the road in the final four weeks of the season. If they don’t stockpile wins early, they’ll need a very strong finish in cold conditions to stay in contention. Luckily for the Lions, they have a last-place schedule this year, though, giving them the sixth-easiest schedule in 2026. Odds to make playoffs: -340 Those odds have an implied probability of 77% that the Baltimore Ravens make the playoffs, with a first-time head coach in Jesse Minter and a 30-year-old first-time play-caller in offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Last year’s Ravens opened 1-5 amid a ton of injuries and couldn’t dig themselves out of that hole, costing Harbaugh his job. Getting defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike back is huge for the defense, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson doesn’t hurt either. They close with four straight division games, including both Steelers games, so the AFC North will be decided in that stretch, as the Ravens have the ninth-easiest schedule this year.