Lions, Eagles among NFC rebound candidates in 2026

Philadelphia Eagles

It’s unfair to put Philly on this list considering they’ve won the NFC East in back-to-back years. It wasn’t a banner year for the team, as they lost four of their last seven games, but *STILL* earned the NFC’s No. 3 seed. Things will change for the better because they’ll have the NFL’s easiest schedule … for a first place team. Since the NFL added the 17th game in 2021, teams with the easiest first place schedule have averaged 10.6 wins per season, according to CBS Sports. There’s still plenty of drama involving the Eagles because when is there not? Between Jalen Hurts’ leadership abilities being questioned and the ongoing A.J. Brown saga, there’s no shortage of it in the City of Brotherly Love. But don’t fret, as Howie Roseman addressed one of those problems, selecting Brown’s replacement in USC wideout Makai Lemon during the NFL draft. The rich keep on getting richer, so Philly will again be one of the Rams’ top conference rivals in ‘26. How nice to know that some things never change … dammit.

Dallas Cowboys

It pains me to put America’s Team on this list, but here we are. Dallas has had a solid offseason to date. Ugh, I just threw up in my mouth typing that. The Cowboys have prioritized fixing their godawful defense from a year ago by acquiring Rashan Gary from the Packers and signing players like Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick (c’mon guys!). Additionally, they added high-end talent in the first round of this year’s draft with Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. Those additions truly can’t make the unit any worse. Don’t expect the Cowboys to be a Super Bowl contender or even appear in the NFC Championship for the first time in ages, but a playoff spot is well within their reach after a two-year hiatus.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints were expected to be one of the NFL’s worst teams last season. They proved analysts right at first with a 2-10 start, yet managed to win four of their last five to end the year, and were even in NFC South contention for the home stretch as well. New Orleans will have the second-easiest schedule in the league in 2026. Plus, the front office gave second-year quarterback Tyler Shough a weapon in wide receiver Jordyn Tyson in the draft to pair with star pass catcher Chris Olave. If Shough can build on a solid rookie campaign, then the team might have their long-awaited answer under center since Drew Brees retired. New Orleans will be one of the hottest worst-to-first picks leading up to the season. In most divisions, that wouldn’t happen, but they have the luxury of playing in the South, a division that was won by a team with a losing record for the second time in four seasons. Believe me, expectations are *CRAZY* low in NOLA, so it can happen.