A Reason to Hope and Mope for All 32 NFL Teams

The NFL is the only major North American sport where a team can legitimately hope to go from being one of the league’s worst to one of its best in a year.

Just ask the Patriots, who went from a four-win team to the Super Bowl in the span of 12 months. The Seahawks also had a wild ride to Santa Clara, Calif., spending last offseason trading away their starting quarterback and star receiver, only to then win 14 games and romp to the sport’s ultimate prize.

Looking ahead to the upcoming offseason and subsequent season, some franchises are obviously positioned better than others. Teams like the Rams and Bills may only be a move or two away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, while others, such as the Jets and Raiders, need to make significant strides to challenge for a playoff spot and beyond.

Below, we look at all 32 teams and give one reason to believe 2026 could be special, and another for why things could go south.

Arizona Cardinals

Hope: Arizona has offensive weaponry in Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and James Conner, a top-10 pick and a new coaching staff.

Mope: It’s clear the Cardinals don’t want Kyler Murray any longer, prompting the question: Who will be under center come Week 1?

Atlanta Falcons

Hope: Kevin Stefanski is a terrific hire, having won Coach of the Year twice in Cleveland. He’s got major offensive talent to work with as well, while doing a great job of retaining defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

Mope: Michael Penix Jr. is coming off his third torn ACL, and the Falcons are in a tough financial spot with Kirk Cousins’s contract regardless of whether he’s retained or released.

Baltimore Ravens

Hope: Coach Jesse Minter and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle should give Baltimore a nice infusion of new ideas, while the Ravens have a top-20 pick after a disappointing 2025.

Mope: Derrick Henry is 32 years old, Lamar Jackson is 29 and has endured three notable lower-body injuries over the past five years, and All-Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike’s status is unclear after injuring his neck last September.

Buffalo Bills

Hope: Buffalo has a superstar quarterback in Josh Allen and the game’s leading rusher in James Cook to pair with an excellent offensive line.

Mope: The Bills fired Sean McDermott and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady, essentially taking the position that McDermott is completely at fault for the team’s recent failures.

Carolina Panthers

Hope: The Panthers have the right coach in Dave Canales, a superstar receiver in Tetairoa McMillan and a much-improved defense under coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Mope: Carolina has to figure out what it’s doing with Bryce Young, who has been underwhelming through three seasons.

Chicago Bears

Hope: Ben Johnson looks like a legitimate, long-term answer at coach. The same can be said for Caleb Williams at quarterback. The offense is also teeming with young talent around Williams, while the defense can be improved in the draft.

Mope: Chicago lost some key offensive assistant coaches this offseason, and there’s a reasonable chance the Bears regress after winning seven one-score games in 2025.

Cincinnati Bengals

Hope: Few teams have an offensive trio that can match up with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to build a contender around.

Mope: The entire defensive roster.

Cleveland Browns

Hope: Cleveland has two first-round picks and found multiple rookie stars in 2025, including Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr. and Carson Schwesinger.

Mope: Everything that has happened since the franchise was reinstated in 1999.

Dak Prescott & Co. will look to improve on their 7-9-1 season. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Dallas Cowboys

Hope: Dallas has major offensive firepower, and the Cowboys have a clear way to improve their 30th-ranked defense with a pair of first-round picks at their disposal.

Mope: After trading Micah Parsons last summer, Dallas has to fill more defensive holes than it likely can in a single offseason, especially being more than $30 million over the cap.

Denver Broncos

Hope: The Broncos won 14 games and reached the AFC title game thanks to a No. 2-ranked defense, which shouldn’t lose many key pieces in free agency.

Mope: Denver’s offense needs more from Bo Nix, who threw for 6.4 yards per attempt to rank 28th of 33 qualifying quarterbacks. To help Nix, general manager George Paton must invest in the tight end and receiver rooms.

Detroit Lions

Hope: The roster is one of the more talented units in the league, with weaponry galore around Jared Goff, including All-Pro back Jahmyr Gibbs and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Mope: Detroit’s offensive line lost its strong interior going into 2025, and it showed, while the departures of coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn took their toll on both sides of the ball.

Green Bay Packers

Hope: The Packers are getting Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft back from ACL injuries, while also having a top-10 quarterback-coach combo in Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur.

Mope: Green Bay has limited ways to improve. The Packers are without their next two first-round choices and are over the projected cap.

Houston Texans

Hope: The defense ranked first in yards and second in points allowed, and doesn’t stand to lose any meaningful contributors from the unit in free agency.

Mope: Houston needs far better play from C.J. Stroud, who, despite an improved offensive line, turned the ball over 15 times in 16 games, including the playoffs.

Indianapolis Colts

Hope: Indianapolis has talent on offense and defense, and a coaching staff that includes Shane Steichen and Lou Anarumo.

Mope: The Colts don’t have their first-round pick in each of the next two years while Daniel Jones is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars garnered momentum at the end of the 2025 season. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Jacksonville Jaguars

Hope: Liam Coen is a terrific young coach, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is a stud. The Jaguars have offensive weaponry to pair with Trevor Lawrence and a defense with quality front seven pieces.

Mope: Jacksonville has key free agents to re-sign, including Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd, while also having to hope Lawrence can be a constant positive and not as inconsistent as he’s been over the past two years.

Kansas City Chiefs

Hope: Patrick Mahomes is the game’s top quarterback, and the roster is populated with stars on both sides of the ball while holding the No. 9 pick in the draft.

Mope: No team has less cap space than Kansas City, and the Chiefs have needs at running back, receiver, defensive line, linebacker and safety.

Las Vegas Raiders

Hope: The Raiders have the No. 1 pick and the second-most cap space in the league.

Mope: Las Vegas is on its fourth coach in as many years and has only two star players in Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers.

Los Angeles Chargers

Hope: The addition of coordinator Mike McDaniel should open up the passing game while creating a more diverse run game, as we saw for years in Miami, helping Justin Herbert get over his playoff hump.

Mope: Los Angeles is in a tough division with the 14-win Broncos and a Chiefs team likely to rebound. The Chargers could be better in 2026 and still finish third in the AFC West.

Los Angeles Rams

Hope: The Rams are loaded. Sean McVay is a Hall of Fame-level coach (we think), the offense has All-Pro talent across the board, and the defensive line is stacked with Byron Young, Jared Verse and others.

Mope: Matthew Stafford is entering his age-38 season, making it fair to wonder if he can replicate his MVP campaign. The defense is also weak in the secondary and could lose star safety Kam Curl in free agency.

Miami Dolphins

Hope: Miami has a new front office and coaching staff led by general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley, giving it a much-needed facelift.

Mope: The Dolphins need a new quarterback after benching Tua Tagovailoa, and also must fix multiple areas on the roster despite being well over the salary cap threshold.

Minnesota Vikings

Hope: Kevin O’Connell is an elite offensive mind, and the Vikings were able to retain Brian Flores on the defensive side, giving Minnesota one of the best staffs in the league.

Mope: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasn’t fired because the roster is in great shape. And if J.J. McCarthy doesn’t make seismic strides in 2026, little else matters.

New England Patriots

Hope: Everything we just witnessed in 2025, from Drake Maye’s emergence to the top-notch coaching staff. This offseason, New England also has almost $40 million in projected cap space.

Mope: The schedule is undoubtedly going to be much tougher after a first-place finish, presenting the Patriots with a significant challenge next autumn.

New Orleans Saints

Hope: Tyler Shough played like an intriguing starter as a rookie, throwing for 2,384 yards and 10 touchdowns against six interceptions.

Mope: New Orleans has negative cap space due to general manager Mickey Loomis relentlessly extending and restructuring contracts for aging players.

John Harbaugh will look to lead the Giants into a new era in his first year as head coach in New York. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Giants

Hope: The Giants hired John Harbaugh and have quality pieces at quarterback, running back, receiver, left tackle and the defensive line.

Mope: New York is in a division with three established quarterbacks and has less than $10 million in cap space entering the offseason, although it can create more with some veteran cuts.

New York Jets

Hope: The Jets hold the No. 2 pick in the draft and have the fifth-most cap space to use in free agency.

Mope: No team in any of the four major sports has a longer playoff drought than the Jets, which haven’t seen the postseason since 2010.

Philadelphia Eagles

Hope: General manager Howie Roseman is renowned for his eye for talent, and the Eagles have extra picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds to bolster an already excellent roster.

Mope: If Vic Fangio retires, the defense is primed to take significant steps back, while the offense has its fifth coordinator in as many seasons.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Hope: Mike McCarthy brings a fresh perspective and a Super Bowl-winning coach to Pittsburgh, potentially shaking up a stale situation.

Mope: The roster is in need of a complete overhaul, and should have traded off veterans such as T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and others years ago.

San Francisco 49ers

Hope: The 49ers have one of the most talented rosters in football, especially on offense, led by George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy and Trent Williams.

Mope: Age and injuries have been problems in recent years for San Francisco, as almost all its stars have missed significant time over the last two seasons.

Seattle Seahawks

Hope: The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl title for the second time in franchise history with a loaded roster.

Mope: Seattle is going to lose some key free agents, a group which includes Kenneth Walker III, Boye Mafe, Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant and others.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hope: Tampa Bay has one of the league’s most talented offenses, helmed by Baker Mayfield and populated by Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and Bucky Irving as his weapons.

Mope: The Buccaneers’ defense ranked 19th in yards and 20th in points permitted, and the front seven doesn’t have any substantial young talent to build around.

Tennessee Titans

Hope: A new coach in Robert Saleh, an experienced, successful offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll, the league’s most cap space and a top-five pick in the draft.

Mope: Tennessee has one of the most barren rosters in the NFL, as general manager Mike Borgonzi has to add in almost every positional room.

Washington Commanders

Hope: Jayden Daniels will hopefully be healthier in 2026 after missing 10 games this past season, instantly elevating the offense.

Mope: The roster has holes all over, including at every level of the defense, while the offense is now without coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.