NFL 2026: The Three Divisions That Will Shape the 2026 Season ...Middle East

With the NFL set to kick off its 2026 season, we’re going deep on the NFC West, AFC West and NFC North – the three divisions that could steer the many twists and turns ahead.

In an NFL that can be a league of parity and quick turnarounds, so many teams are filled with high, even Super Bowl expectations.

Before the 2026 season kicks off Wednesday night with a Super Bowl rematch between the champion Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, all 32 fanbases can talk themselves into a state of optimism. 

But the highest expectations and most pressure is concentrated in the NFC West, AFC West and NFC North, where nine teams have their sights set on a Super Bowl appearance and perhaps all 12 teams look to be playing in the postseason.

Whether it’s a team like the Seahawks looking to stay atop the league or one like the Kansas City Chiefs looking to reclaim their throne, these three divisions could tell the story of the new season. 

With that in mind, we follow with what you may have forgotten about these teams during the long offseason and how Opta’s projection model sees these divisions playing out in 2026. The model runs thousands of season simulations to determine each team’s projected record and chances to make the playoffs, win its division and reach the Super Bowl – and it continues to update all season long.

NFC West

It’s impossible to preview the upcoming NFL season without starting with the NFC West. While the Seahawks will be the ones receiving rings to start the season, some of the league’s biggest headlines have involved the other teams in this division – both on and off the field – from player acquisitions to arrests and conspiracy theories. 

The NFC West’s depth appears unmatched this season, and the Opta projection model has forecast this group to win a combined 38 games – the most of any division. 

This division features a trio of teams that won 12 or more games last season, and the model is even a little more bullish on the Arizona Cardinals than consensus. But any 2026 season preview must start with the preseason favorites and undisputed winners of the offseason. 

Los Angeles Rams (Projected Wins: 11.7)

No team enters this season with higher expectations than the Rams after the blockbuster trade that landed two-time and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. 

Garrett’s 23 sacks last season speak for themselves, but he also pressured the quarterback on 97 of his 315 pass-rush snaps. Even if Garrett’s sack totals take a step back, he will continue to harass quarterbacks on nearly a third of his rushes as he faces fewer double teams. 

Opposing offensive coaches will have nightmares about what to do with Garrett, especially now that Aaron Donald has officially announced his return. 

No one knows quite what to expect from Donald, who spent the last two seasons in retirement, but he appears fresh and in fantastic shape. If he’s able to play like even a shadow of his 10-time Pro Bowl form, the Rams could have the best defense in the NFL, as projected by TRACR (Team Roster Adjusted for Competition and Roster). 

LA’s defensive overhaul has almost let some people forget that Matthew Stafford is the league’s reigning MVP, throwing to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Add in Sean McVay’s playcalling and an offensive line and rushing attack that ranked first in the NFL with a 49.7% success rate last year, and it’s easy to see why the Rams are heavy favorites this season. 

Seattle Seahawks (Projected Wins: 9.5)

Few Super Bowl champions have entered the following season with so little fanfare, with the Seahawks opening in the shadow of the Rams. 

The offseason departure of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs is certainly an obstacle on offense, but Seattle drafted Jadarian Price with the final pick of the first round and brought in Emanuel Wilson to address their running back depth. 

The Seahawks also signed wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed to new contracts to keep Sam Darnold in a quarterback-friendly situation. 

Seattle’s fearsome defense, which posted the league’s seventh-best D-TRACR since 1991, could take a step back after losing Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant from the secondary, but the team invested second- and a third-round picks to fill those holes. 

The defense is seventh in TRACR to enter the season, but a top-five offense helps place the Seahawks second in the overall rankings. 

San Francisco 49ers (Projected Wins: 9.1)

The 49ers have had perhaps the most tumultuous offseason of any team in the league: Principal owner Jed York was arrested for soliciting prostitution in a trailer park in Ohio, although that likely won’t affect wins and losses. Coach Kyle Shanahan’s car accident, however, leaves some questions that need to be answered. 

Shanahan is known as one of the league’s premier offensive architects and play-callers, but he suffered a concussion and several bone fractures in a severe automobile collision on July 14. 

The public was only notified of the accident weeks later, when Shanahan shared that he was still experiencing symptoms from his concussion. He has since given much more optimistic updates on his health, but play-calling in the NFL requires sharp and quick thinking, with the rhythm of a typical offense only allowing five to seven seconds to make a play call. 

Shanahan did not call plays during preseason games, but he says he’s delegating that duty to focus more on both sides of the ball. He has, however, resumed calling plays during simulated games in practice. 

Shanahan’s health is a true wild card for the 49ers, and they may never be truly transparent about his condition. Of course, he could be fully healed by their season opener against the Rams Thursday in Melbourne, Australia. 

Perhaps the strangest story of the offseason has been the spreading of a conspiracy theory that the proximity of the 49ers’ practice facility to an electric power substation could be responsible for the team’s injury history, despite there being no scientific evidence to support the claim. 

What’s evident is the 49ers are heading toward a healthier start to the season after being decimated by injuries last season, especially on defense. Defensive end Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle are both trending toward playing in the first game. 

Distractions aside, the 49ers roster is among the most balanced and talented in the NFL, ranking eighth in offensive TRACR and 11th in defensive TRACR. 

They won 12 games in last year’s injury-riddled regular season and claimed a playoff victory, so it’s not unreasonable for the 49ers to have Super Bowl expectations with better health. 

Arizona Cardinals (Projected Wins: 7.5)

The Cardinals are entering a transitional season after moving on from Kyler Murray at quarterback, opting instead for veteran Jacoby Brissett. 

While Brissett isn’t a household name under center, he finished last season with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 12 starts. 

Arizona’s offense could be surprisingly productive after ranking 13th in our projections, especially with stability all season at quarterback. 

Trey McBride took over as a full-time starting tight end in Week 8 of the 2023 season, and his 303 receptions since then are the most ever at the position over a 43-game span. In addition, Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. provide a serviceable receiver duo. 

TRACR still projects Arizona to finish last in the division, mainly due to a bottom-five defense, but the Cardinals could surprise a few non-divisional foes this season. 

AFC West

The projection model ranks the AFC West as about as competitive as possible, with the three top teams forecasted to be within one win of each other. 

Of course, those projections are an average of thousands of simulations, and this division allows for a broad range of outcomes this season, with many wild cards and new pieces in place. 

Los Angeles Chargers (Projected Wins: 8.6)

The Chargers lead the division in overall TRACR while also ranking 14 in O-TRACR and fifth in D-TRACR. 

Their defense allowed an NFL-low 75.0 passer rating to opposing offenses and was the only one in the league to have more interceptions (19) than touchdown passes allowed (16). 

This season, their offense could be in line for a major upgrade under new coordinator Mike McDaniel, who was regarded as one of the NFL’s best play-designers and play-callers while he was the Miami Dolphins’ head coach. 

Analysts are salivating at the thought of McDaniel drawing up plays for Justin Herbert – one of the more physically gifted quarterbacks in the league – throwing to Ladd McConkey and speedster Quentin Johnston. 

McDaniel also is tasked with stimulating a running game that’s centered around Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal. 

The key on offense, however, could be the healthy return of starting tackles Joe Alt, who played just six games last season, and Rashawn Slater, who missed the entire season. When healthy, they’re the best tackle duo in football.

Denver Broncos (Projected Wins: 8.4)

The Broncos have been a trendy pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this season, but they fall just below the Chargers in overall TRACR, slotting 16th in O-TRACR and 14th in D-TRACR. 

After the Broncos ranked third in scoring defense last season, it’s surprising to see them projected for a regression, but their schedule is expected to be harder this season, and they lost one of the more underrated players in the league from their front seven. 

John Franklin-Myers, who left Denver in free agency to sign with the Tennessee Titans, was an under-the-radar stud for the Broncos last season on the interior defensive line. His 23.3% pressure rate was the seventh highest among interior defenders, and he graded out as an above-average run defender as well. 

While Denver’s defense will need to find another playmaker up front, the Broncos signed tackling machine Alex Singleton to a new two-year deal, and Pat Surtain II remains the league’s best cornerback in an elite secondary.  

On offense, quarterback Bo Nix will look to take another step forward in his third season, and the addition of former Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle should help in that endeavor. All signs point toward Nix being fully healthy after suffering a broken ankle in the playoffs, and he should feel comfortable behind one of the best offensive lines in football. 

The Broncos went 14-3 last season and played in the AFC championship game, so this feels like quite the regression, but 11 of those wins were by eight points or fewer, and their playoff victory was by a field goal in overtime.

Kansas City Chiefs (Projected Wins: 8.0)

The Chiefs are one of the more difficult teams to predict in the league. Their streak of seven straight conference championship appearances came crashing to a halt with last year’s 6-11 campaign, punctuated by Patrick Mahomes’ torn ACL in December. 

Was last season the end of a dynasty or simply an intermission before the second act?

Mahomes appears ready to go for Week 1, but Kansas City had a losing record last year even with their Superman quarterback in the lineup. 

The Chiefs defense underwent a massive overhaul this offseason, including trading cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams and using three top-40 picks on defensive players. 

The biggest change on the offensive side of the ball is the acquisition of running back Kenneth Walker III, Seattle’s Super Bowl 60 MVP who should fit in great with a team that used zone blocking concepts on 76.5% of its designed runs last season. 

With so many variables in play, the Chiefs are hard to predict but are projected to have the 28th-ranked offense and 19th-ranked defense. Obviously, a little Mahomes Magic could turn things around in a hurry. 

Las Vegas Raiders (Projected Wins: 7.5)

The Raiders are still in the process of rebuilding after last year’s 3-14 season landed them the No. 1 pick and, they believe, a franchise quarterback in Fernando Mendoza. 

The Mendoza era will have to wait, however, as Las Vegas will start veteran Kirk Cousins under center in Week 1. 

The Raiders also underwent a coaching change, ending the brief and disastrous Pete Carroll tenure and turning to Klint Kubiak, who was the offensive coordinator and play-caller for Seahawks last season. 

While the Raiders are obviously building toward the future, they could be a little more competitive this season after being big spenders in free agency. Center Tyler Linderbaum signed a three-year deal to secure the interior offensive line, and linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker should help to stabilize the defense a bit. 

But the AFC West could be even more competitive than last year, leaving the Raiders at No. 24 in O-TRACR and 29 in D-TRACR to enter the season.

One major wild card is the status of edge defender Maxx Crosby, whom the Baltimore Ravens agreed to trade for during the offseason before later nixing the proposed deal due to medical concerns. He had 10 sacks last season and is an elite run defender on the edge, but he could still be on the trading block for the future-minded Raiders. 

NFC North

This could be the best top-to-bottom division in the NFL this season, with all four teams having legitimate expectations of finishing first. 

Every divisional game in the NFC North will be a virtual coin flip, making them absolutely crucial, and all four teams can boast high-powered offenses to go with stable and proven coaching competency. 

Detroit Lions (Projected Wins: 10.0)

Detroit is TRACR’s pick to go from worst to first in the division after injuries derailed its 2025 campaign. 

Despite the injuries, the Lions finished 9-8 last season, and now have the advantage of playing a fourth-place schedule in 2026, including games against the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and the Cardinals. 

With Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, quarterback Jared Goff may be surrounded by the most talented group of skill position players in the league. The unit is No. 3 in O-TRACR.

One player to watch is Penei Sewell, who is moving to left tackle after being selected to the All-Pro first team at right tackle in each of the last three seasons. It’s likely that a generational talent like Sewell can play anywhere, but some players simply feel more comfortable on one side or the other. 

A healthier defense – projected 17th in our model – is anchored by edge Aiden Hutchinson, who led the NFL with 116 quarterback pressures last season.

Green Bay Packers (Projected Wins: 9.4)

The Packers are a classic “eye of the beholder” team, with both supporters and detractors able to find evidence to support their claim. 

Preseason darlings last season after acquiring Micah Parsons, the Pack got off to a promising start before delivering some dud performances that included losses to the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers as well as two blown games (including in the playoffs) against the rival Chicago Bears. 

The Packers defense struggled after Parsons suffered an ACL tear, and they will be without him for at least four games to start the 2026 season. 

The offense will also rely on a player recovering from a torn ACL as tight end Tucker Kraft appears good to go for Week 1. He could be an even bigger part of the game plan in 2026 after the team lost wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks in the offseason. 

The Packers were maddeningly inconsistent last season but showed flashes of potential to be a true contender. They’re No. 9 in O-TRACR as quarterback Jordan Love hopes for development from a very young supporting cast, while the defense is sixth entering the season. 

One major question hanging over Green Bay is the long-term status of running back Josh Jacobs, who begins the season on the commissioner’s exempt list while he is being investigated for domestic violence charges. Is MarShawn Lloyd ready to step up into a bigger role at running back? 

Minnesota Vikings (Projected Wins: 8.3)

Minnesota is a truly controversial team heading into the new season, and it almost all comes down to quarterback play. 

The last time the Vikings got competent QB play, they went 14-3 with Sam Darnold under center. Yet despite J.J. McCarthy’s disastrous play last year, the team still managed to go 9-8. 

Enter Kyler Murray. 

Murray is almost certainly an upgrade over the McCarthy-Carson Wentz-Max Brosmer combination that totaled 17 touchdown passes and 24 turnovers, but the Cardinals were more than fine watching their former No. 1 overall pick walk out the door. 

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has shown an ability to get the best out of his quarterbacks in the past, and throwing to Justin Jefferson always seems to help. The new campaign could depend on finding the right balance between O’Connell’s under-center, play-action style with Murray’s preference for shotgun alignments. 

The Vikings enter the season ranked 11th in O-TRACR and 27th in D-TRACR. 

Chicago Bears (Projected Wins: 7.6)

We’ve saved perhaps the model’s juiciest prediction for last, as the Bears are forecast to finish fourth in the division. 

There’s a huge gap in Chicago’s perception between the analytics-based community and more traditional evaluators after the Bears made a leap to 11-6 and a division title last season. With a hungry Chicago market expecting to replicate or exceed last year’s success, the pressure is on. 

TRACR projects the Bears will regress because two of the toughest statistics to replicate year-over-year are turnovers generated and comeback wins, both of which fueled Chicago’s rise last season. 

The Bears defense ranked 26th last season in success rate allowed but were buoyed by generating a league-high 33 turnovers. Obviously, turnover creation is great for a defense, but it has been shown to be statistically unreliable. For example, the Packers were top-five in creating turnovers in 2024 with 31, but they were bottom-five with just 14 last season. Also, the Jacksonville Jaguars were dead last in 2024 with just nine takeaways, but they finished second with 31 last season. 

Even if the Bears regress to a league-average 20 takeaways, that would still leave 13 more possessions to their opponents. 

Chicago also won seven one-score games, tied for the third most in the league, and won four games after trailing to start the fourth quarter. In a league with so much parity, it’s dangerous to consistently play from behind. 

The final Rorschach test is Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Proponents point to Williams’ improvisational skills, late-game heroics and low interception total last season and declare him the next Patrick Mahomes, poised for playoff greatness. 

Williams’ detractors, however, lean on the fact that he fumbled nine times – tied for the fourth most in the league – but the Bears only lost one of them. Williams also had great luck with defenders dropping or missing interception opportunities after he threw 30 pickable passes, tied for the most in the NFL. 

Even in a magical season that showed great improvement, Williams completed just 58.1% of his passes (32nd among 33 qualified QBs). The advanced numbers reflect this as well, with his 76.4% well-thrown rate being well below average. 

For these reasons, Bears are 21st in O-TRACR and 20th in D-TRACR. 

Let the Fun Begin

Football, of course, is a strange game. The analytical approach is almost always correct over a large sample size, but the NFL season is just 17 games. A few lucky bounces can easily turn a 6-11 slog of a season into an 11-6 triumph. 

A comeback win is viewed as a great accomplishment as it happens, but on the spreadsheet, it becomes a “regression candidate.” The beauty of the NFL is that it can’t play out entirely on the spreadsheet. Every game, every drive and every play matters, because the season is relatively short.  

Whether you’re an analytics zealot or an old-school traditionalist, all 32 fanbases can approach the 2026 NFL season with a sense of hope, and we get to see it all play out on the field.  

For more coverage, follow along on social media on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and X.

NFL 2026: The Three Divisions That Will Shape the 2026 Season Opta Analyst.

Hence then, the article about nfl 2026 the three divisions that will shape the 2026 season was published today ( Saturday 05/09/2026 - 07:21 PM ) and is available on The Analyst ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( NFL 2026: The Three Divisions That Will Shape the 2026 Season )

Also on site :

• Drone hysteria, Kiev gunfights, and aviation threats: RT stories that shaped the week
• Inter Miami vs Atlanta United: When and Where to Watch the MLS Match
• Nordstrom Rack’s Striped Ribbed Polo Sweater Is a Stylish Summer-to-Fall Wardrobe Staple, Now 55% Off