NFL Reacts: Predicting the NFC and AFC East winners

The 2026 NFL season kicks off in just four weeks when the race will begin again to see who can hold up the Lombardi Trophy. Before any team can get there, they need to navigate the regular season. For now, all 32 teams can at least make the argument that they will win their division and earn a spot in the postseason.

Between now and kickoff between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks to officially start the season we will be asking for your 2026 predictions. We begin this week on the East coast with the NFC and AFC East. Both divisions are expected to be among the most competitive in the league with multiple teams that have Super Bowl aspirations.

The Patriots will start their season right where last year finished, with a rematch of Super Bowl LX. Despite the turbulent offseason, New England should once again be competitive in the East. The favorite to start the year is the same team that has basically been the favorite for most of this decade, the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen’s Bills look as good as ever, but haven’t proven they can get over the hump in the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins hope to expedite their rebuild and surprise the division. But there might be no bigger surprise than a New York Jets run to a conference championship.

The NFC East is famously filled with teams that enter every season full of confidence and bravado. This season is no different. Just two years removed from their own Super Bowl win, the Philadelphia Eagles look to rebound from a 2025 season that felt disappointing even with winning the division. The Dallas Cowboys have impressed analysts and experts and can safely say they have almost as much talent as anyone in the league. Jayden Daniels struggled with injuries and a sophomore slump last season, but both the quarterback and his Washington Commanders team have every expectation to return to and surpass their 2024 success. Somehow the trendiest pick might be the new-look New York Giants, who bring a young team with a new head coach to the 2026 season.

Be on the lookout for results to this and all Reacts surveys later this week.