Every offseason brings optimism. Free-agent additions generate excitement, draft picks create hope, and nearly every fan base believes its team improved. For every surprise contender, there’s usually a talented roster that fails to meet the hype.

Whether it’s a difficult schedule, bigger expectations, injuries, or just falling short of projections, these five teams have the talent to make the playoffs. But they also have a ton of questions going into 2026 that could end in disappointment if things don’t break their way.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Coming out of the draft, myself included, a lot of people thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the draft with the value they were able to get with their selections. How could you not think that? A class with Rueben Bain Jr., Josiah Trotter, Ted Hurst, Keionte Scott, DeMonte Capehart, and Billy Schrauth answers needs and brings immediate impact to a team that needs it.

Tampa Bay was on its way to another playoff berth in 2025, being 6-2 heading into its bye week. It then lost seven of its next eight, missing the playoffs with an 8-9 record, causing frustration in the locker room. Franchise legend Mike Evans could’ve returned to the team in free agency. But the front office decided to retain head coach Todd Bowles, which Evans didn’t like.

The wide receiver then left the team for the San Francisco 49ers.

The team now heads into 2026 hoping the draft class can make an immediate impact and get the team back into the playoffs. Baker Mayfield will have to adjust to life without Mike Evans, and the defense will have plenty of new faces, specifically on the second level.

This is a team and a fan base that is tired of winning just the NFC South; the expectations are to make a run in the playoffs.

While there should be faith in a long-tenured head coach like Bowles and a quarterback like Mayfield, without cornerstones such as Evans and Lavonte David, it may be hard to live up to those expectations. Add the NFC South getting better with teams like the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints looking to make a run for the title.

The Buccaneers might be in for another mediocre season in 2026.

Denver Broncos

The biggest concern for the Denver Broncos isn’t the harder schedule or the fact Bo Nix is coming off an injury. Those are real concerns, and should worry fans to some degree. But the more pressing situation is that head coach Sean Payton has given up playcalling duties to Davis Webb this upcoming season. There’s no need to sell the type of playcaller Payton is; he’s one of the game’s best.

Webb was in line to potentially get a head coaching job this offseason, and it’s speculation, but Payton may have given up those playcalling duties to keep Webb in the building for another season. There could be growing pains for Webb in that role, causing the Broncos to struggle in certain areas during games or the offense getting off to a slow start in 2026.

It’s unclear how much influence Payton will have during games, but he should impact the game plan significantly.

Next is the AFC West in general. The Kansas City Chiefs reloaded and are looking to show the NFL they aren’t done yet, and the Los Angeles Chargers hope injuries don’t decimate their offensive line again.

Denver went from “playoff hopeful” to a legitimate AFC contender over the past few years. The additions they made this offseason are nice and should help the offense become even more explosive. But if Nix or Webb have a slow start to the season again, it could limit their ceiling.

New England Patriots

It’s typical for a team in the Super Bowl to get the ‘Super Bowl hangover.’ Naturally, many expect the New England Patriots to take a step back in 2026.

The main obstacle to the hangover is the schedule. The Patriots had one of the easiest schedules in 2025 and now, in 2026, face a much tougher road throughout the season.

New England has road games in Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City and Jacksonville, which aren’t exactly easy games to win. The addition the team has made, specifically trading for A.J. Brown, should boost the offense and give Drake Maye the weapon he’s been looking for throughout his career, but can the team handle the schedule and win the AFC East?

It’ll be interesting to see, and the roster is primed to make it happen; it’s just up to the execution.

Baltimore Ravens

The scapegoat for the 2025 season for the Baltimore Ravens was John Harbaugh. The team hired Jesse Minter to replace him and solidify the defense, to turn it into a championship-level defense. Lamar Jackson is still playing at an MVP level, and Derrick Henry hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. Having those two players instantly raises expectations, which is why many believe the Ravens can push to win the AFC North and make a run in the playoffs.

Baltimore’s floor is high, but the standard is a championship — not a division title.

Looking at the roster, the interior offensive line is still a concern, and the tackle depth isn’t exactly great either. If the injury bug starts to hit the Ravens’ offensive line, it could hamper their 2026 campaign.

On top of that, the Ravens’ pass-rush hasn’t exactly been elite over the past couple of seasons. The addition of Trey Hendrickson and Zion Young is the solution, so we’ll have to see how that plays out this season.

The depth is lacking. But looking at the starters, this is a team that should make a run and is primed to make it happen. It’s all about execution for Minter’s Ravens, but injuries could derail it all.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have been a consistent and efficient team under Matt LaFleur. But every time the playoffs or December strikes, the team falls off a cliff.

In 2025, they were 9-3-1, then lost the last four regular-season games. In the Wildcard round, they were up 21-3 at halftime, but lost the game 27-31. The series of postseason disappointments fueled rumors the team was letting go of LaFleur this offseason. But the Packers decided to keep him around for 2026. With that added pressure, or it essentially being a ‘make-or-break’ season for LaFleur, the expectation is for the Packers to make a run at the postseason.

Looking at how the offseason unfolded for the Packers, there are some serious red flags about their ceiling. The depth at the edge rusher position still lacks, and the team’s secondary barely got an upgrade from last season. Not to mention, Micah Parsons is set to miss the beginning of the season due to a torn ACL.

Jordan Love can still be that superhuman quarterback the team needs, but will it be enough to lead them into a deep run in the NFC playoffs? On top of that, the NFC North is loaded with talent, and no game is a free win in the division. Don’t be surprised if the Packers struggle to find success in 2026.