Poll: Who will be the new NFC playoff teams in 2026?
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: A Dallas Cowboys fan points to the camera during the regular season game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys on October 22, 2017 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA (Photo by Samuel Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesA little while ago, we asked you which 2025 playoff teams you thought would not make it back to the playoffs in 2026, and the voting showed four strong candidates. The Panthers (36.6% of the votes) are seen as the team most likely to not make it back to the playoffs. The Eagles came in second (17.8%), but were followed closely by the Packers (16.1%) and Bears (15.1%).
Although the poll was about which teams would not repeat their playoff appearance, reversing the vote count gives us an early peek at how the NFC playoff seeding could play out, at least in the minds of our loyal BTB readers. Sorting by the least amount of votes received, the following playoff seeding appears:
#1 seed: LA Rams
#2 seed: Chicago
#3 seed: Unidentified NFC East team
#4 seed: Unidentified team from the NFC South
The wildcards would go to the Seahawks and 49ers - in a rather unlikely scenario in which the NFC West again gets two wildcard berths - and an as-yet unidentified team.
But we also know that about three new teams make the playoffs in each conference every year, and that brings us to our question of the day: Which newteams do you expect to make the playoffs for the NFC this season?
The following nine teams are candidates to make the playoffs in 2026 after failing to make the playoffs in 2025; I've ranked the teams by their DraftKings 2026 win projection, and added each teams' record in 2025.
body .sbnu-legacy-content-table td,body .sbnu-legacy-content-table th,body .sbnu-legacy-content-table { border: 1px solid #000 !important; border-collapse: collapse !important;}body .sbnu-legacy-content-table td,body .sbnu-legacy-content-table th { padding: 4px 6px !important;}| Team | DraftKings Proj. Wins (NFC Rank) | 2025 Record |
| Detroit Lions | 10.5 (3rd) | 9-8 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9.5 (8th) | 7-9-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8.5 (9th) | 8-9 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8.5 (10th) | 9-8 |
| New York Giants | 7.5 (11th) | 4-13 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7.5 (12th) | 6-11 |
| Washington Commanders | 7.5 (14th) | 5-12 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6.5 (15th) | 8-9 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4.5 (16th) | 3-14 |
We'll put all nine teams up for a vote below, even if the chances of some teams appear to be pretty slim. In previous years, 10 wins have usually meant a playoff berth, but with the expanded playoff field, nine wins may be enough (Green Bay squeezed in with nine wins last year) and the Panthers needed just eight wins. But for many of the teams above, improving to nine wins will be a tall order, let alone making it all the way to the Super Bowl.
Who's your pick to make it back to the playoffs this season after not making it last year?
Place your vote in the attached poll. You can vote for up to three teams.
If you can't see the poll on your device, feel free to leave your take in the comments section below.