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1. Carolina Panthers (2025 Record: 8-9)
Talk about coming out of left field—that’s exactly what they did. They’ve had some down years and hadn’t won a playoff game since the 2015-16 season when Cam Newton was still an active player. However, I will say that the future is bright in Charlotte for this football team. Dave Canales is a coach the players have bought into, and Bryce Young continues to improve year after year. I still remember when he came into the league and struggled early on. Many people wrote him off, but you have to let these young quarterbacks develop. The Panthers won the NFC South for the first time since that 2015 season I mentioned. This offseason, Carolina signed both Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to help bolster the defense. Those additions should help take pressure off Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown. The future is bright, and if they continue building the roster around their young talent, they should continue to improve.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2025 Record: 8-9)
At one point last season, the Buccaneers appeared to be running away with the division. They were being labeled the best team in the NFC, and Baker Mayfield was off to the best start of his career, looking like the frontrunner to win his first MVP award. One thing you can’t overcome is injuries, and that’s exactly what happened. The injury bug hampered this team, especially on offense. Baker Mayfield was playing through injuries of his own, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were in and out of the lineup, and the offensive line struggled to stay healthy. Outside of that, the Buccaneers’ pass defense was among the worst in the league because the pass rush struggled to generate pressure, giving opposing quarterbacks too much time to throw. This year, Mike Evans is gone, and Lavonte David has announced his retirement.
3. Atlanta Falcons (2025 Record: 8-9)
I’d say the Falcons’ 2025 season was defined by quarterback uncertainty and flashes of offensive brilliance. They tied for first place in the NFC South but ultimately missed out on the playoffs due to tiebreakers. One positive was the emergence of Bijan Robinson, who became the centerpiece of the offense. Kyle Pitts also bounced back and led the team in receiving. Once again, however, the revolving door at quarterback hurt them, and they never managed to establish stability at the position. Raheem Morris was fired, and the Falcons have turned to former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to take over and try to get this team back on track. Outside of Bijan Robinson, there’s still a lot of uncertainty. During the offseason, the Falcons also signed Tua Tagovailoa. If they can find an answer at quarterback, they’ll be in much better shape. Until then, they’re still a major question mark to me.
4. New Orleans Saints (2025 Record: 6-11)
Since Drew Brees retired, they have failed to qualify for the playoffs. There was once a time when New Orleans had one of the best offenses in the league, but that was far from the case last season. The Saints struggled to move the ball consistently and averaged only 18 points per game, which won’t cut it in today’s NFL, even with Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave on the roster. Their quarterback situation wasn’t ideal entering last season, but when Tyler Shough took over as the starter, I saw more life from the offense. In the nine games he started, the Saints won five. If they continue to build around him and add more pieces, this franchise may have its next franchise quarterback right in front of it. However, they’re still a few years away from returning to contender status.
2026 Predictions
- Panthers (10-7)
- Buccaneers (9-8)
- Saints (6-11)
- Falcons (4-13)
I feel this is the most wide-open division in the NFL, and I can legitimately make a case for all four teams to win it. However, only one can come out on top, and I’m picking the Panthers to win the NFC South for the second consecutive season. Bryce Young and Tet McMillan should only continue to improve as a quarterback-wide receiver tandem. The defense should improve as well, and I believe the Panthers had the best offseason of any team in the division. I’m not entirely sure which direction the Buccaneers will head in. The Falcons still have the uncertainty I mentioned earlier, and the Saints could surprise some people if Tyler Shough performs well over a full season as the starter. Bryce Young has the highest upside of any quarterback in this division, and if he continues to climb that ladder, Carolina will be in an excellent position moving forward.
