The best time of the year has returned. NFL football is officially back.
And with that comes my yearly NFC East predictions.
To answer the title, yes, I think 2026 is the year another squad snatches the crown from the Philadelphia Eagles’ grasp.
But before I jump into my predictions and thoughts on each of the four teams, let’s take a look at what I predicted last year:
Let’s say I was pretty spot-on with how I thought the 2025 season would go in the East. The Eagles went 11-6, winning back-to-back division titles for the first time in over 20 years. The Cowboys placed second in the division. However, I thought their defense would be serviceable at minimum. Boy, was I dead wrong there.
I had the Washington Commanders taking a step back, but even I underestimated how big of a step that would actually be, as they went 5-12. Then there were the Giants, who finished last with just four wins. I had them at five. Overall, they were a disappointment, continuing the franchise’s trend over the course of the past 15 years.
With the 2026 season on the horizon, and less than a week until a Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, let’s dive into my NFC East predictions:
NFC East Champions: Dallas Cowboys (11-6)
America’s Team returns to the top and secures its first playoff berth since 2023.
This team has grown leaps and bounds over the course of a calendar year, not only on the field, but in the sense of continuity, buy-in and overall vibes that many saw in Oxnard during training camp. That is not something fans have seen in recent years.
I have to give Brian Schottenheimer his credit. I was wary of the hiring, as most were, but he seems like the perfect players’ coach to guide this team toward successful seasons year after year.
The coaching hire of DC Christian Parker was huge, and like Schotty, players love him.
An up-and-coming bright mind and a future head coach in this league, Parker has high expectations to turn the worst defense in the league into, at minimum, an average unit.
Young talent such as Caleb Downs, Shavon Revel and Donovan Ezeiruaku, mixed with the veteran presence of Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Von Miller, should be a recipe for success.
I am not expecting a top-10 defense, but I am expecting one that doesn’t lose games single-handedly.
Offensively, there is not much to say outside of one word: elite.
Dak Prescott led the unit to 392 yards per game and 27 points per game, as the entire unit returns for another year.
The biggest question that could slow them down is at right tackle with Terence Steele, who has regressed mightily over the past two seasons. However, bringing in former first-rounder Broderick Jones from Pittsburgh should create some healthy competition, which is needed.
I expect another electric year from Prescott, who will be in the MVP conversation, while defensively, Downs shows why teams will regret passing on him in the draft.
Overall, the Cowboys won seven games with the worst defense in the entire league. If the production is average, it’s hard to imagine Dallas not earning a playoff bid, and walking away with the NFC East title.
Philadelphia Eagles (9-8)
The City of Brotherly Love may get destroyed this football season.
I have gone back and forth on whether this team could sneak into the playoffs as the seventh seed, but as of September 3, I think the Eagles will have a disappointing season as change looms this offseason.
I can hear the uproar now.
Simply put: Offensively, the Eagles did not get better from a talent or age aspect, while OC Sean Mannion enters his first year calling plays. That’s a recipe for disaster, at least early on.
I could spend hours discussing the topic of where Philadelphia football is currently, and I’d only hear pushback, and that’s because I’m using logic.
Position to position, the offensive line is another year older. Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson have already contemplated retirement, with one foot already out the door. Health issues are a concern, not to mention the unit is learning an entirely new scheme under Chris Kuper.
Saquon Barkley was hit behind the line of scrimmage on 47.1% of his carries, resulting in an average of just 0.7 yards per carry in 2025, showing some regression after his historic 2,000-yard season.
The wide receiver corps is a shell of its former self without A.J. Brown. And yes, many will say it’s addition by subtraction, but the talent in the room is underwhelming.
DeVonta Smith will prove he’s a No. 1 guy, but outside of him, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown aren’t enough to keep defenses on their toes.
The tight end room does not look great. No team bid for Dallas Goedert on the open market this spring, so he is back.
That leads to first- and second-round picks Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers. Lemon, out of USC, has been sidelined for most of camp dealing with a hamstring injury. Many expect big things from him in replacing Brown, but if Manion cannot scheme him open, he will underperform, as he does not have any true traits that jump out at you.
As for Stowers, the reports out of training camp are that he is unplayable. Not much to add there.
Then we come to the most interesting conversation in the NFL: Jalen Hurts. How will he perform in a new offense?
Last season, Hurts posted a 27.26 passing EPA (Expected Points Added), ranking 18th among NFL quarterbacks. Even on the ground, for a player known for using his legs to create big plays, Hurts rushed for just 421 yards in 2025, his lowest total since becoming the Eagles’ full-time starter.
In 2026, Hurts will be expected to do things he is not comfortable with, including going under center, turning his back to the defense in play-action, quickly processing the defensive coverage thrown at him and attempting to fit the ball into tight zone coverage windows.
My opinion on Hurts is well documented, from articles to radio. I think he is an average quarterback, in the top-15 range and he will struggle in 2026.
As for the elite defense we’ve become well accustomed to under Vic Fangio, the unit will remain in the top quarter of the league.
But losing Nakobe Dean, Reed Blankenship and Jaelan Phillips will show quicker than people will realize.
Fans are expecting no drop-off, which is odd because they did lose some of their top defenders.
After Phillips’ arrival midway through last season, the Eagles allowed a league-best 14.5 points per game, while their defensive EPA improved from 0.01 per play to 0.34.
Jihaad Campbell, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Marcus Epps and Jonathan Greenard are the replacements. It’ll be interesting to see how they step up into important roles.
I expect the cornerback room to be elite, best in the NFL, and the defensive interior, as well as Zack Baun, will remain giving offensive coordinators headaches.
All in all, the Eagles take a major step back in 2026, missing the playoffs. A lot of questions will have to be answered about what direction this organization wants to head moving forward.
New York Giants (7-10)
In their first year under John Harbaugh, I expect the New York football team to take a step forward.
They’re still a couple of years away from competing in the playoffs, but flashes of a competent football team will be displayed.
Much of this season will depend on the health of Jaxon Dart, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers. If they can stay on the field, this team will be exciting, at the bare minimum.
Dart will have to grow in Year 2. Making sound, smart decisions with the football and his body will determine the year he has.
He won’t throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns anytime soon, but if he could have 3,000 yards, add 600 on the ground and 30 total scores? That’d be a huge success.
And add not taking unnecessary hits to that list of goals in 2026.
Unfortunately, I do not see Skattebo staying healthy. The way he runs, along with his mileage already, I can’t see him having a long career.
I mean, the guy tore up his entire right leg but was doing backflips on stage at events this offseason. The situational awareness and maturity just aren’t there.
As for Nabers, he should fully bounce back from his ACL injury. It might take some time, hell, maybe the entire year, to get back to himself, but he’ll have the rest of the East fearing him in two games a year.
The addition of Isaiah Likely at tight end is very intriguing. Officially being TE1, he should make his way into top-10 conversations, making an immediate impact in the passing game. He is my favorite to lead the Giants in receptions and touchdowns this year.
Drafting RG Francis Mauigoa over Caleb Downs was shocking, but beefing up a shaky offensive line was smart.
The trio of Brian Burns, Tremaine Edmunds and rookie Arvell Reese will be a sight to see. Opposing offenses will struggle to keep all three from wrecking a game.
Then, in the secondary, Greg Newsome II was a solid addition at corner.
The Giants are building something special. If players can remain healthy, they may win some games that they have no business winning.
Washington Commanders (5-12)
Less than two seasons removed from an NFC Championship appearance, the Commanders will suffer their second straight 5-12 season, finishing last in the division.
Heading into 2025, they faced a stronger schedule and had the oldest roster in the NFL, two traits that are NOT a recipe for success.
The fall-off was as obvious as it gets, yet all the big-time analysts thought they’d be on a Super Bowl trajectory for years to come. Dead wrong.
One of my takes that honestly got the most pushback prior to last season was the regression of Jayden Daniels and the Commanders as a whole. Daniels had his sophomore slump, and the Commanders had the sixth-worst point differential across the league at -95.
Now, heading into 2026, they did little to change their fortune.
Losing LT Laremy Tunsil due to a triceps injury is a devastating blow, especially because reports out of camp are that the offensive line is horrid. That means Daniels will be running for his life, further risking injury by taking unnecessary hits.
OC Kliff Kingsbury left to join the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff, as new OC David Blough will get his first opportunity calling plays.
Stefon Diggs should be a viable WR2 next to “Scary Terry,” but outside of them, there is much to be desired at the skill positions.
Defensively, a revamped defense with the additions of pass rushers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson should be an upgrade from last year.
Former Ohio State standout Sonny Styles will play a big part in whether the Commanders want to have a successful season.
Out of training camp, it did look as if Styles had trouble processing developing plays in front of him, but as one of my favorite players coming out of the draft, the talent is there for him to be an elite backer in this league.
I expect him to be in the Defensive Rookie of the Year talks.
In the secondary, they added Rasul Douglas and Amik Robertson to produce some takeaways.
So overall, the defense does look improved, but it doesn’t give me enough hope that they’ll be a playoff team.
Looking at their six games before their bye week, there is a high chance they’ll be 1-5. That’s hard to come back from. Dan Quinn will be on the hot seat by November.
For more NFL content, follow me on Twitter @MontaltoJared, on TikTok @JarSportsTakes, and on YouTube @PickSwapMedia.
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