NFL Tiers: Which Teams Are Title Contenders Entering 2026?

The NFL's agelong summertime of speculation ends connected Thursday night. As preseason enactment kicks off, grooming campy promises to springiness mode to existent evaluation, wherever hidden breakouts look and fragile contenders look their archetypal existent accent test.

First Things First co-host Nick Wright believes helium has the publication for however the league volition play out. On Wednesday afternoon, helium revealed his squad tiers entering Week 1 of the preseason, implicit with plentifulness of surprises.

Here’s however Wright breaks down the league entering Week 1 of the preseason:

History Says…

Wright made definite to item six teams that are 100-to-1 to marque the postseason, arsenic caller past shows idiosyncratic will. However, successful this context, helium doesn’t judge immoderate of the Dolphins, Browns, Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, oregon Titans person a accidental this season.

"Almost each year, a squad that has these likelihood and these are the six teams successful the league," Wright said. "History says 1 of them is making the playoffs. Do you person the courageousness to prime it? I don’t."

Lots of precocious expectations for apical prime Fernando Mendoza. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

Could Be OK!

Wright’s tier present is his slightest enthusiastic connected the list. He has precise small to accidental arsenic the Giants, Colts, Steelers and Vikings are deed oregon miss and could find themselves close successful the mediate with 8 oregon adjacent 9 wins.

"Seems similar they could beryllium okay," Wright said. "I don’t truly person overmuch to accidental astir them. They could triumph 8 oregon 9 games. They could. I don’t cognize that I judge they will. They could beryllium okay."

Jaxson volition look to physique connected his 2nd play nether halfway with the Giants. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)

The NFC South

The NFC South sits successful a tier of its ain arsenic the astir unpredictable part successful the league. Still, Wright is all-in connected the Buccaneers, mostly due to the fact that of backmost Baker Mayfield and however blistery helium tin get erstwhile playing with thing to prove.

"I similar the Bucs," Wright said. "It’s the NFC South…someone’s gonna spell 8-8 and 1 volition triumph it and I anticipation it’s Baker [Mayfield]. I anticipation helium gets blistery successful the playoffs."

Concerning Camps

Not lone are the Commanders and 49ers disconnected to a unsmooth commencement successful camp, but Wright is present actively acrophobic astir some organizations. It’s a concerning trend, particularly considering they are already 2 of the oldest teams successful the league.

"Laremy Tunsil’s wounded is simply a immense deal," Wright said. "We don’t person clip to bash the 49ers concerning injuries. I don’t. These are older teams we talked astir that we don’t love. The information that they person 1 of them already has 1 cardinal feline done for months and the different has a clump of guys retired intermittently. It’s conscionable a atrocious portion of grooming camp."

Can It All Come Together?

Among the galore teams facing uncertainty this season, nary acceptable the "boom oregon bust" statement rather similar the Houston Texans. Their destiny won't conscionable beryllium connected wide roster depth, but the spotlight and unit reside squarely connected C.J. Stroud.

"What is the woody and who is the existent C.J. Stroud and who are we going to spot if they get conscionable bully accumulation from the offense," Wright said. "That could beryllium a Super Bowl team. The defence and DeMeco Ryans are truthful good."

Feels Like Something Is Missing

The Lions and Packers some person a missing portion heading into the year, but Wright is peculiarly disquieted astir Green Bay's defense. The deficiency of a wide instrumentality timeline for Micah Parsons was a large driving origin down wherever helium tiered the Packers.

"For the Packers, I cognize what I deliberation is missing," Wright said. "Micah Parsons for maybe, it mightiness beryllium the archetypal fractional of the season. Seems similar it and that to maine is concerning. I bash deliberation these 2 teams [Lions] could beryllium excellent, but it feels to maine close present successful the middle."

High Ceiling, Low Floor

The Eagles are the eventual chaotic paper successful the league this play arsenic they could triumph the Super Bowl oregon wholly miss the playoffs. Wright remains divided connected the Eagles and questions whether Nick Sirianni tin clasp it together.

"The Eagles mightiness beryllium the highest ceiling, lowest level and the champion illustration of immoderate squad I tin retrieve successful caller memory," Wright said. "I perfectly deliberation they could beryllium the 1 effect again successful the NFC. I besides deliberation they could beryllium beneath .500 aft Thanksgiving and we’re talking astir the adjacent caput manager of the Philadelphia Eagles."

Jalen Hurts successful enactment for the Eagles. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Prove It To Us

The Broncos and Jaguars were large overachievers past year, and Wright made definite to item that. With Bo Nix and Trevor Lawrence nether center, some teams beryllium successful a tier dedicated wholly to proving that past play wasn't a fluke.

"14 wins, 13 wins," Wright said. "Two teams with polarizing quarterbacks. Two teams that their fans consciousness similar don’t get adjacent capable respect they merit coming disconnected the twelvemonth they had. Broncos evidently bushed the Bills successful a playoff game. Jags had a pb against the Bills successful the playoffs."

"They got to beryllium it to america this year," Wright said.

Measuring Sticks

Over the adjacent 2 decades, Drake Maye and Caleb Williams could some enactment unneurotic Hall of Fame careers and specify the league. Wright believes their careers volition beryllium everlastingly linked, which is precisely wherefore helium placed them successful the "Measuring Stick" tier to show their parallel trajectories.

"I accidental measuring sticks due to the fact that I judge these 2 quarterbacks [Drake Maye and Caleb Williams] are going to beryllium measured against each different their full career," Wright said. "They some person antithetic and fantabulous caput coaches. I deliberation they’re some successful unchangeable organizations."

Doubt Them At Your Own Peril

When successful doubt, Wright volition ever person the Chiefs successful a tier of their own.

"Kansas City Chiefs," Wright said. "I understand, you’re a homer, Nick. Here’s the different happening I know. There are each different squad successful the league is allowed to person a atrocious twelvemonth and determination it..like the Lions they should bounce back. The Ravens, evidently they’ll bounce back."

For Wright, everything hinges connected Patrick Mahomes' health. Provided Mahomes remains healthy, helium views 11 wins arsenic the implicit baseline for Kansas City, with 13 wins good wrong scope if everything goes right.

"I deliberation that each unsocial Patrick Mahomes needs is his health, which helium has close present and the unchangeable violative line," Wright said. "Their level successful that concern is 11 wins. You adhd immoderate different elements that I deliberation implicit the people of the twelvemonth and it becomes a 12 oregon 13 triumph team."

 Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs volition purpose to bounce backmost aft a comparatively disappointing season. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Is The Grass Greener?

Wright expressed skepticism implicit the coaching changes successful Baltimore and Buffalo. Even though John Harbaugh and Sean McDermott had reached the extremity of the line, handing the reins to first-time caput coaches Jesse Minter and Joe Brady created a monolithic furniture of uncertainty.

"Two teams that said we got to determination connected from the coach," Wright said. "Maybe. I get it, but each coach-quarterback combo that has ever won a Super Bowl unneurotic won their archetypal 1 wrong 5 years. For Harbaugh-Lamar and for Allen-McDermott it was twelvemonth eight, truthful they were similar it’s not going to happen."

The Committee Can’t Decide

There’s nary determination to beryllium made regarding the Rams and Seahawks for the apical spot connected his tier list.

It’s not that Wright is indecisive, but helium sees some NFC West powerhouses arsenic equal. With rumors swirling astir Aaron Donald’s instrumentality making the Rams a Super Bowl favorite, and the Seahawks coming disconnected a ascendant Super Bowl victory, Wright has them deadlocked astatine the top.

Los Angeles Rams backmost Matthew Stafford fell abbreviated of reaching the Super Bowl past season. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

"Apologies for not being definitive here, but the committee trademark can’t decide," Wright said. "We’ve gone backmost and distant betwixt who the champion squad successful the league is to the defending Super Bowl champions of past season. As we beryllium present today, I can't determine that successful preseason Week 1 tiers."