The first wave of free agency is over. The small one-year deals are still going to trickle in over the coming weeks and months, but which players will make the biggest impacts in 2026? Signed, sealed and delivered.
Now, the draft looms. A draft that is low on quarterback talent but stacked with edge rushers, receivers and corners who will enter the league and change the calculus of the contenders and pretenders. But we aren’t quite there yet. We’re in the space that occupies the time between free agency and the draft, giving us an ideal spot to step back and reassess where every team stands.
It’s time to hope. It’s time to mope. It’s time to hope and mope.
Arizona Cardinals
Hope: Mike LaFleur might turn out to be a great hire, and the Cardinals have terrific weapons led by Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and James Conner.
Mope: The quarterback situation is the football version of choosing between a week-old ham sandwich and a sleeve of crackers.
Atlanta Falcons
Hope: Kevin Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the Year, and he’s leading an offense with Kyle Pitts Sr., Drake London and Bijan Robinson. Atlanta is also in the league’s worst division.
Mope: See above for the Cardinals, but make it about 20% less dire for the Falcons.
Baltimore Ravens
Hope: Another team with a new coach, and the Ravens’ top eight players are as good as anybody’s in the NFL. If Lamar Jackson is healthy, this is a dangerous team.
Mope: The roster behind those eight players is severely lacking in multiple areas, Jesse Minter is stepping into an aging team and Jackson has been hurt three of the past five years.
Buffalo Bills
Hope: Somehow, another team with another new coach (sort of). Josh Allen is arguably the NFL’s best player, and the offense should improve with DJ Moore on the perimeter.
Mope: Brandon Beane made two very questionable moves, trading a second-rounder for Moore and signing soon-to-be 30-year-old Bradley Chubb to a three-year deal. If those moves don’t work out, this team will have gotten worse over the past 100 days.
Carolina Panthers
Hope: Coming off a playoff appearance, the Panthers added Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to the defense and are sitting on a top-20 pick in the draft to potentially add some offensive support for Bryce Young.
Mope: It’s likely Young doesn’t see his fifth-year option picked up this spring, and for good reason. If Young doesn’t significantly improve in his fourth year, it’s tough to see Carolina truly raising its ceiling.
Chicago Bears
Hope: Caleb Williams can make any throw on a football field, the skill-position talent is awesome and Ben Johnson is a mad scientist. Factor in a defense that should improve with Coby Bryant in the secondary, and this is a loaded team with three picks in the first two rounds.
Mope: Drew Dalman’s retirement is a huge deal. After finally firming up the offensive line last year, the Pro Bowl center stunningly retired in March. Without him, Garrett Bradbury takes over, and that’s a major downgrade.
Cincinnati Bengals
Hope: Joe Burrow is healthy and surrounded by the best tandem of receivers in the league, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. With Zac Taylor scheming up the attack, Cincinnati should have a top-tier offense in 2026.
Mope: Football still requires playing defense.
Cleveland Browns
Hope: A new coach, a new year and another season of Myles Garrett. The game plan has to be for Todd Monken to unlock Shedeur Sanders and for the offense to do enough while the defense dominates.
Mope: Despite having two Pro Bowl quarterbacks in 2025, the Browns remain rudderless at the position for what feels like the 50th consecutive season. Without that spot solved, nothing else matters.
Dallas Cowboys
Hope: Dallas has one of the more talented offenses in the game. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are an elite combination, and Dak Prescott is always a top-10 quarterback. If the Cowboys can improve behind new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, they’re in business.
Mope: That aforementioned defense is a rough group, and trading Osa Odighizuwa won’t help matters. While newcomers Rashan Gary and Jalen Thompson are nice pieces, Parker will need to work some magic.
Denver Broncos
Hope: The Broncos are coming off an AFC title game appearance and are bringing back almost an identical team in 2026. If Bo Nix can elevate one more notch, Denver could be Super Bowl–bound.
Mope: Denver won 11 one-score games a year ago, often a signal of a team needing to improve to stay the same record-wise. If that’s the case, the Broncos could be a prime regression candidate.
Detroit Lions
Hope: Despite missing the playoffs last year, the Lions have a bevy of top talent. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta headline an offense capable of scoring 30 points per game.
Mope: Beyond Aidan Hutchinson, there are questions all over the defense. Last season, the unit was below average in yards and points allowed. Why will that be different with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph coming off a torn Achilles and a left knee injury, respectively?
Green Bay Packers
Hope: Matt LaFleur is embattled, but he’s a good coach. The Packers have a good roster with true stars, including quarterback Jordan Love. It wouldn’t surprise me if they win the NFC North for the first time since Aaron Rodgers was in town.
Mope: If Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons aren’t the full versions of themselves in 2026 after torn ACLs, combined with the free agent losses and no first-round pick, Green Bay could slide out of the postseason race.
Houston Texans
Hope: The defense is phenomenal, with the best edge tandem in football, showcasing Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. If C.J. Stroud can regain his rookie form behind an ever-changing offensive line, Houston could be a title contender.
Mope: Where’s the offensive punch? David Montgomery was a solid addition, but he’s aging. The receivers are Nico Collins and friends. Houston needed to make a big move to shore up the unit, but didn’t.
Indianapolis Colts
Hope: Last year, the Colts looked like the best team in football for half the season before injuries took hold. If Daniel Jones can return healthy from his torn Achilles and Sauce Gardner makes the impact he was expected to when acquired, Indianapolis has the pieces for a deep run.
Mope: Jones is now coming off a second major lower-body injury and has a track record of middling play. The Colts are also relying heavily on Alec Pierce, who is going to see more attention with Michael Pittman Jr. being shipped out. There are more questions than answers.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Hope: Liam Coen is a terrific coach and should create a stronger bond with Trevor Lawrence this year. If Travis Hunter can stay on the field in his sophomore season, the Jaguars have a mix capable of another AFC South title and more.
Mope: The Jaguars did little to improve in free agency while losing key players in Travis Etienne Jr. and Devin Lloyd. Factor in playing a first-place schedule, and life won’t be easy in 2026.
Kansas City Chiefs
Hope: Kansas City should finally have a running game with Kenneth Walker III. With Patrick Mahomes potentially back from his torn ACL in Week 1, the offense might be more potent than any season since 2022.
Mope: Mahomes is indeed coming off a serious knee injury, and the defense is without three key starters from last season: Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Bryan Cook. Going 6–11 again is unlikely, but there are major questions.
Las Vegas Raiders
Hope: Nobody was more active in free agency than the Raiders, who added impact players all over their roster. Factor in the likely selection of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the addition of coach Klint Kubiak, and Las Vegas has reason to be excited.
Mope: It’s not every day a team goes from the No. 1 pick to contention in one year. Rebuilds take time, and the Raiders are going to need a lot of it, considering how bad the roster has been for years.
Los Angeles Chargers
Hope: After making the playoffs each of the past two years, the Chargers have the right quarterback and coach in Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh. They’re also getting star tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater back after season-ending injuries.
Mope: Despite being loaded with cap space, the Chargers didn’t add meaningfully in free agency. Los Angeles had an opportunity to close the gap with the league’s top teams and failed to do so.
Los Angeles Rams
Hope: The Rams have the best roster in football. They’re loaded offensively, have arguably the best defensive line in the sport and added both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the secondary.
Mope: There’s always going to be concern when your quarterback is 38 years old. Matthew Stafford missed all of last summer with an aggravated disc in his back. If his body begins breaking down, it’s all over for this Rams edition.
Miami Dolphins
Hope: Malik Willis is an intriguing young talent under center, and the Dolphins are hoping the future is in place between Willis, coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Mope: This is the worst roster in the league. Miami is playing for the rest of the decade rather than winning anything of consequence in 2026.
Minnesota Vikings
Hope: Kyler Murray is an upgrade over J.J. McCarthy, and the Vikings got younger up front, releasing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Despite all their issues, this was a 9–8 team a season ago with major upside.
Mope: Murray is better than McCarthy, but can he finally win a playoff game in his eighth pro season? Additionally, is the offensive line going to hold up for him? These aren’t small questions for Minnesota.
New England Patriots
Hope: The Patriots didn’t go to the Super Bowl by accident last year. They have an elite coach, an elite quarterback and added Romeo Doubs, Dre’Mont Jones, Alijah Vera-Tucker and others in free agency. A good team got better.
Mope: New England reached the Super Bowl in part because of a path paved in gold. That’s not the case in 2026, as the Patriots will play a first-place schedule against the AFC West and the NFC North.
New Orleans Saints
Hope: The Saints quietly finished last season strong behind rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and first-year coach Kellen Moore, winning four of their last five. With each having more experience and New Orleans adding a top-10 pick, there’s room for growth.
Mope: There’s a climb ahead for the Saints, who are trying to get younger while also rising up the standings. If New Orleans is going to make a playoff push in the wide-open NFC South, it’ll be because Shough shines and the rookie class excels.
New York Giants
Hope: John Harbaugh is in town (along with about a half-dozen former Ravens), and he’s taking over a team with a legitimate quarterback, a star receiver, a terrific left tackle and an ascending defense. The parts are there for an immediate turnaround.
Mope: Jaxson Dart struggled to stay healthy as a rookie, and Harbaugh’s time in Baltimore grew stale. Can Dart play a full campaign, and will Harbaugh show a new home was all he needed? Time will tell.
New York Jets
Hope: New York holds the second pick in the draft, along with the 16th. Additionally, the combination of coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey is in their second year together. There should be more synergy throughout the building.
Mope: Gestures aggressively at everything that’s happened since the moon landing.
Philadelphia Eagles
Hope: Philadelphia is one of the most well-run teams in football and has a roster teeming with All-Pros and future Hall of Famers. If Jalen Hurts can mesh with new coordinator Sean Mannion, expect the Eagles to make a deep playoff push.
Mope: The noise around A.J. Brown is only getting louder, and the constant upheaval on the coaching staff isn’t ideal. Additionally, is this the year right tackle Lane Johnson falls off and the offense struggles as a result of all these factors?
Pittsburgh Steelers
Hope: Pittsburgh did a really nice job of adding talent in recent weeks, including Michael Pittman Jr., Jaquan Brisker, Rico Dowdle and others. This is the Steelers’ strongest roster in years.
Mope: Aaron Rodgers was middling in 2025 and is now 42. Is he good enough to truly threaten the AFC’s elite teams and quarterbacks once the calendar turns to January?
San Francisco 49ers
Hope: There’s an argument that the Niners had the best offseason in football by adding Mike Evans, Osa Odighizuwa and Dre Greenlaw. If San Francisco can stay healthy this year, it’s in the small circle of top contenders.
Mope: Staying healthy is an annual problem for guys like Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and George Kittle at this point, to say nothing of Greenlaw.
Seattle Seahawks
Hope: The defending champs still have elite defensive talent, an excellent tackle combo, the league’s leader in receiving yards and a proven quarterback. The Seahawks also have a wizard in Mike Macdonald.
Mope: It’s very hard to repeat as only two teams this century (2004 Patriots and 2023 Chiefs) have done it. Additionally, there were some real losses in free agency, headlined by Kenneth Walker III and Coby Bryant.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hope: Calijah Kancey is back healthy, the offense is loaded even without Mike Evans and the division is sub-par. Should Baker Mayfield rebound from his hideous eight-game stretch to end the year (10 touchdowns, eight interceptions), Tampa Bay could be frisky.
Mope: The front seven is a major concern. Yes, general manager Jason Licht signed Alex Anzalone and Al-Quadin Muhammad away from the Lions, but the group also lost corner Jamel Dean and is still without a star pass rusher.
Tennessee Titans
Hope: The Titans added a host of talent in free agency, including Wan’Dale Robinson, John Franklin-Myers, Alontae Taylor and others. With a new coaching staff and Cam Ward entering his second year, Tennessee could make a power move in the AFC South.
Mope: Going from having the fourth pick to a postseason berth isn’t easy. The Titans need plenty to break right and tons of improvement, not the least of which must be Ward and his league-worst -143.2 EPA.
Washington Commanders
Hope: Washington did a terrific job in free agency, adding Odafe Oweh, Leo Chenal and others to buttress its defense. With Jayden Daniels hopefully healthy this season, the Commanders should bounce back.
More NFL from Sports Illustrated
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- Jaxon Smith-Njigba Signs Record-Setting Contract to Stay With Seahawks
- The MMQB Debates Its Favorite Moves of NFL Free Agency
This article was originally published on www.si.com as A Reason to Hope and Mope for Every NFL Team After Free Agency.
