There are a lot of different stages of rebuilding in the NFL. Some teams are just a couple of years removed from a playoff berth and are trying to reload to make another run. Some haven’t made it in the last five or so years, but are on the verge of breaking through again. And then there are some teams that have been rebuilding since the turn of the century and just haven’t been able to figure it out.

Right now, there are 11 teams I would classify as in rebuilding mode. The other 21 teams have a core in place that can challenge for the playoffs, but they may need help at one or two more positions. Today, I’ll be going over each of those 11 teams and predicting when they’ll finally break through and make the postseason again.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are in a weird spot. They probably shouldn’t be a rebuilding team because they have such a talented roster, but when you have big needs at almost every position on defense and you had seven wins each of the last two seasons, I’m going to call you a rebuilding team.

This offense doesn’t need any work. If they can bring George Pickens and Javonte Williams back, they’ll be just fine. It’s all about rebuilding their defense. Luckily, they have two first-round picks, and even though they’re $30 million over the cap, they can create more cap space than any other team in the league by reworking Dak Prescott and other’s contracts.

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If they can hit on both of their first round picks, preferably with guys like Mansoor Delane, Caleb Downs, Akheem Mesidor or maybe even a sliding Rueben Bain, they could fill two immediate holes at cornerback and defensive end. And then all they’d need to do is grab another corner and safety in free agency, and a lot of their problems are gone.

Dallas is in a great spot to succeed as soon as 2026. I don’t know if they’ll beat out Philly for the NFC East crown, but they should definitely be in the hunt for a Wild Card.

Projection: 2026

New York Giants

I love what the New York Giants are building. They brought in a proven leader in John Harbaugh, have one of the most talented defensive lines in the league and have their franchise quarterback, running back and wide receiver in place. They were much better than their win total suggested, and now, with a top-five pick and a decent bit of cap space to work with, they could be in the hunt sooner than later.

I don’t think it will happen this year, though. There are too many teams in the NFC, and more specifically the NFC East, that should be better than them. They have holes in their defensive backfield, they need another wideout and some help on their offensive line, but I think by 2027, they could be in the mix.

Projection: 2027

New York Jets

I don’t see the New York Jets getting back to the playoffs any time soon. There just isn’t a whole lot to love about this team. They don’t have a quarterback, their star running back is likely going to walk out the door, their defense is filled with holes and their head coach isn’t all that inspiring. And they’re just the Jets. They’re cursed.

If the Jets can keep Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall happy, they could have a decent offense in a couple of years. They have two above-average tackles, so all they’d really need is a quarterback. Unfortunately, nobody wants to go to the Jets, as was evident by Dante Moore returning to Oregon this year. Without a quarterback, you can’t win in this league. And even if they get a talented one, can they develop him?

I just don’t see a clear path forward for the Jets as long as Woody Johnson owns the team. I don’t know what he did, but he’s driven this team into the ground, and no matter what they do, they just can’t recover.

Projection: 2032

Las Vegas Raiders

I like how the Las Vegas Raiders have started their rebuild. Klint Kubiak was a great hire, and now they have the No. 1 overall pick and can land their quarterback of the future in Fernando Mendoza. They already have a couple of key offensive pieces in place with Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, and with $91 million to spend in free agency, they should be able to get a receiver or two.

However, this team still has a lot of holes. I don’t love any of their offensive linemen, and their defense was horrible last year. This is going to be at least a two-year rebuild, if not longer. I could see them potentially sneaking into the mix by 2028, but the AFC is absolutely loaded with a mixture of young and veteran teams, so I tacked on an extra year to account for that. If they were in the NFC, I’d feel a bit better about a 2028 prediction.

Projection: 2029

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are tricky. I love the Kevin Stefanski hire, I like some of their weapons on offense and their defense is a few players away from being competitive, but I don’t love the quarterback situation. We don’t know if Michael Penix will be ready for Week 1, and even if he is, will he be any good? It also appears they’re going to get rid of Kirk Cousins, so what will their backup plan be if Penix sucks or is still hurt?

However, the Falcons play in the NFC South, which is the worst division in football. Carolina is going to take a step back with a first place schedule, Tampa Bay has some key players potentially walking out the door and New Orleans is rebuilding, but they’re probably still a year or two away.

If the Falcons didn’t play in the NFC South, I’d probably say 2027 or maybe even 2028. But I think they have a really good shot at winning the division next year if they can figure out the quarterback position, and that’s coming from a New Orleans Saints fan.

I did an exercise last week explaining how I’d fix the Falcons in just one offseason if you’re looking for more in-depth analysis.

Projection: 2026

New Orleans Saints

As a Saints fan, I truly do believe they’ll be competitive next year with Tyler Shough and could win the South, but I’m not putting money on it. This team has a few holes to fill, and even though they’re not in cap hell anymore, they will still be relatively limited on how much they can spend in free agency.

Offensively, they need a running back and at least one guard, if not two. They also need to get some help at receiver opposite of Chris Olave. Defensively, they need another edge rusher and interior defensive lineman, and depending on if Alontae Taylor and Demario Davis leave, they may need a corner and linebacker as well. They can fill a lot of those needs this offseason, but it feels like they may need one more to get to the point where they can really compete.

The Saints sped up their timeline by two years by landing their quarterback and left tackle in the same draft class, but I just feel like there’s a bit too much work left to be done for me to say they’ll make it in 2026.

I also did an article explaining how I’d fix the Saints in one offseason. Click here for a more in-depth look at how they can make the postseason in 2026.

Projection: 2027

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are another team that’s hard to figure out. They made the NFC Championship in 2024, but after a terrible offseason where they shelled out a bunch of money to aging veterans and some injuries to key players, they were one of the worst teams in the league in 2025.

The Commanders have 32 players who are set to hit the free agent market this offseason. That’s over half of their roster. They do have $74 million in cap space, which is top-five in the NFL, but there are so many holes on this roster.

Offensively, the Commanders need a new running back, at least one receiver and a tight end. Defensively, they need help all over their secondary, they need an elite edge rusher and an interior defensive lineman. That’s a lot of holes to fill, no matter how much cap space you have.

I believe in Jayden Daniels, but they’re a team that just has too many holes. If they absolutely nail their draft picks, maybe they could be back by 2027, but they feel 2+ years away to me.

Projection: 2028

Tennessee Titans

Much like the Raiders, I really like what the Tennessee Titans are building. I’m a big fan of Cam Ward, I love the Robert Saleh hire and getting Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator was massive for them. Unfortunately, those three things can’t mask what might be the worst roster in the sport.

First, they need help across pretty much their entire offensive line. Peter Skoronski is a future All-Pro and JC Latham is alright, but they need a new left tackle, right guard and center. They also need to add multiple receivers. Elic Ayomanor is solid, but he’s not a WR1. I also like Chimere Dike, but he’s never going to be an every-down player. Running back will also be a major need in the near future. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are alright, but when this team is ready to be competitive, they need a game-changer.

Defensively, it’s basically Jeffery Simmons and a bunch of nobodies. They’re going to have to replace pretty much their entire secondary and defensive end room if they want to be anything better than average, and that’s going to take at least a couple of years.

I love what Tennessee is doing, but that roster is not built to win now or in the near future. 2027 is a possibility if they hit on everything, but 2028 is my pick.

Projection: 2028

Miami Dolphins

I don’t like the direction of the Miami Dolphins right now. I don’t believe Jeff Hafley is a great hire – he just had friends in the building – I also don’t love the fact that they have just $3 million in cap space, which ranks 21st in the league, despite not having a quarterback or most of their roster intact.

Let’s take a look at Miami’s needs right now. They certainly need a quarterback, but are in no position to get one this year. They have some holes to fill up front on both sides of the ball. Jaylen Waddle is great, but could really use another receiver next to him. Tight end is a big question mark. Linebacker is an issue, and so is basically their entire secondary. That’s a lot to fix with next to no cap space.

I think Hafley will be fired before the Dolphins even reach the playoffs, so that’s why I don’t have them returning to the playoffs for so long. There are just too many holes, and I don’t think they have the facilities to fix it within two years, and Stephen Ross will be too impatient.

Projection: 2031

Cleveland Browns

Let’s start with the fact that the Cleveland Browns are just a terribly run organization. First, they fired the only coach who has taken them to the playoffs since 2002, who instantly became one of the top names available. Second, they couldn’t secure interviews with any of the top coaching prospects, so they narrowed their search to some exciting, but less high-profile names. Then, they turned down most of those guys because they wouldn’t keep Jim Schwartz on board, so they brought in Todd Monken. Then, Schwartz left anyway because he was mad he didn’t get the head coaching job.

Now let’s talk about the roster. They don’t have any semblance of an offense. The only playmakers they have are rookies Harold Fannin and Quinshon Judkins. Outside of that, basically everyone else needs to be replaced, especially the quarterbacks. They do have two first-round picks this year, but there aren’t any good quarterbacks outside of Fernando Mendoza, and nobody is going to want to sign with Cleveland.

Defensively, they have their stuff put together more. Myles Garrett is obviously the headliner, but they have guys like Carson Schwesinger, Mason Graham and Devin Bush (if he sticks around) are promising talents. They still need another edge rusher and some secondary help, but it’s not quite as bleak on defense.

The Browns are just the Browns, and betting on them to make the playoffs any time in the next decade is just foolish.

Projection: 2036

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are another team without much hope in the immediate future. I don’t hate the Mike LaFleur hire, but I don’t love it either. I also think they’re in a weird spot in the draft where they may end up reaching on an offensive lineman because they have such a big need up front that they’ll miss out on a great defensive player. On top of that, they have no immediate answer at quarterback, and their defense is a whole mess.

Outside of Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, what’s there to really like about this team? Will Johnson’s looked promising, but he’s got an injury history. Budda Baker is still good, but he doesn’t play a premium position and he’d getting older. I just don’t see a world where they’re competitive any time soon, especially in the NFC West.

Projection: 2030