The gap between success and failure in the NFL is often much smaller than it appears. A few key additions, better injury luck or a breakout performance from a young quarterback can turn a division cellar-dweller into a legitimate contender overnight.
Going from worst to first is never easy, but it happens more often than many fans realize. In fact, two teams accomplished the feat just last season. Chicago improved from 5-12 to 11-6 and claimed the NFC North crown, while New England surged from 4-13 to 14-3 to win the AFC East before advancing all the way to the Super Bowl.
Not every team that finished last in its division is able to flip the script the following year, but a select few enter this season with a legitimate opportunity to climb to the top of the standings. Here are the NFL teams with the best chance to go from worst to first in 2026.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are a good reminder that a football team does not necessarily need to finish with a losing record to qualify as a worst-to-first candidate. After winning 15 games in 2024, Detroit slipped to 9-8 in 2025, finished last in the NFC North and missed the playoffs despite entering the season with Super Bowl aspirations.
The good news is that much of the team’s core remains intact, with QB Jared Goff, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and DE Aidan Hutchinson continuing to give Detroit high-end talent on both sides of the ball. While the Lions lost important contributors like RB David Montgomery and LB Alex Anzalone, the front office offset those losses through free agency and the draft. They also made adjustments to the coaching staff, including the hiring of Drew Petzing as offensive coordinator.
Perhaps most importantly, Detroit appears to have a favorable path back to the top of the division. Many analysts expect the Lions to bounce back in 2026, and their schedule ranks among the easier ones in the league. If they stay healthy, a return to first place is well within reach.
New Orleans Saints
After a disappointing 6-11 season and a last-place finish in the NFC South, there are finally reasons for optimism in New Orleans. The Saints ended 2025 on a high note, winning four of their final five games and showing noticeable progress under first-year head coach Kellen Moore.
A big reason for that improvement was the emergence of rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. After Derek Carr’s retirement, Shough stepped into a larger role and provided the Saints with stability at the position, helping the team post a 5-4 record in games he started.
The front office also spent the offseason adding talent around its young quarterback. New Orleans brought in players such as RB Travis Etienne, TE Noah Fant and LB Kaden Elliss, while adding several promising prospects through the draft. Another year in Moore’s system should also help the offence continue to develop.
The NFC South remains one of the NFL’s most unpredictable divisions, and there is no clear favourite entering the season. If Shough takes another step forward and the Saints build on their late-season momentum, they have a realistic chance to go from last place to division champions in 2026.
New York Giants
Coming off their second-straight last-place finish in the NFC East, expectations remain relatively low for the Giants heading into 2026. But this is a team that may be closer to contention than last season’s 4-13 record suggests. Seven of New York’s losses were decided by a single possession, and several others slipped away after the team surrendered double-digit leads.
The future of the franchise appears to rest with quarterback Jaxson Dart. The former first-round pick took over the starting job early in his rookie season and showed plenty of promise, throwing 15 touchdown passes while adding nine more scores on the ground. Another year of development could give the Giants the franchise quarterback they have been searching for.
New York made some significant changes this offseason, highlighted by the hiring of John Harbaugh as head coach. The Giants also added veterans such as WR Odell Beckham Jr., TE Isaiah Likely and LB Tremaine Edmunds.
This team still faces a difficult road in a division that includes the defending NFC East champion Eagles, a rising Commanders team and a talented Cowboys roster. Still, if Dart can build on his rookie numbers and their top playmakers like WR Malik Nabers and RB Cam Skattebo stay healthy, the Giants have enough young talent to surprise a lot of people next season.
Will Another Team Go Worst to First in 2026?
If NFL fans have learned anything over the years, it’s that fortunes can change quickly in this league. Teams can improve dramatically over a single offseason, especially when they find the right quarterback or make a few key personnel moves.
Despite finishing at the bottom of their respective divisions last season, each of the teams on this list has the ingredients needed to make a serious climb in 2026. Some may fall short, while others could find themselves battling for a division title much sooner than expected.
History suggests at least one of them will make a run. The fun part is finding out which one.