Following the high-stakes roster reductions completed on Sunday night, ESPN has officially released its 2026 Preseason NFL Power Rankings. Compiled by a panel of more than a dozen league analysts, the rankings evaluate all 32 franchises just days before the kickoff of the regular season. This year’s assessment highlights a major shift at the summit, with the Los Angeles Rams claiming the No. 1 spot, overtaking the Seattle Seahawks, who enter the season at No. 2. Beyond the immediate pursuit of Super Bowl LXI, the 2026 campaign is poised to be a historic year for individual and coaching milestones across the league.
NFC West Duel at the Summit: Rams and Seahawks
The battle for regional and league supremacy begins in the NFC West, where the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks occupy the top two spots in ESPN’s rankings. The Rams climbed from No. 2 in the post-draft rankings to claim the lead. A key narrative driving their season is quarterback Matthew Stafford’s pursuit of Philip Rivers for the sixth-most regular-season touchdown passes in NFL history. Stafford, who became the 10th quarterback to reach 60,000 passing yards in Week 1 of 2025, needs just three more touchdown passes to surpass Rivers’ career mark of 425. Given Stafford’s 2025 average of 2.7 touchdown passes per game, this milestone could be secured as early as Week 1 or Week 2.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks slip to No. 2 after holding the top spot post-draft. Their focus shifts to rising star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is aiming to become only the fourth player in NFL history to record at least 100 receptions in three of his first four seasons. Following a franchise-record 119-catch season in 2025 that earned him AP Offensive Player of the Year honors, Smith-Njigba is on track to join Brandon Marshall, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Michael Thomas in this elite statistical category.
Chasing Greatness: Historical Milestones in the Top Five
Rounding out the top five are the Buffalo Bills (No. 3), Denver Broncos (No. 4), and Philadelphia Eagles (No. 5), each carrying players and coaches on the verge of rewriting the record books:
- Buffalo Bills: Quarterback Josh Allen is within striking distance of surpassing Patrick Mahomes for the most combined passing and rushing yards by a quarterback in his first nine NFL seasons. Allen is 3,782 yards away from Mahomes’ record of 38,604 yards. Backed by newly acquired No. 1 receiver DJ Moore and an active streak of consecutive starts since his rookie year, Allen is highly favored to reach this mark before the end of the regular season.
- Denver Broncos: Head coach Sean Payton enters his fourth season in Denver looking to secure a spot in the top 10 for career coaching wins. Standing at 184 wins, Payton needs at least nine victories this season to tie Hall of Famer Chuck Noll and current Steelers coach Mike Tomlin at No. 9 (193 wins).
- Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts is targeting 75 career rushing touchdowns, which would make him only the third quarterback in NFL history to hit that mark, joining Josh Allen and Cam Newton. Currently sitting at 63 rushing touchdowns, Hurts is expected to bounce back from a career-low eight rushing touchdowns in 2025 after showing increased speed and mobility during summer training camp.
Coaching Legacies and Franchise Records
Further down the rankings, several storied franchises are monitoring significant transitions and legacy achievements. At No. 9, the San Francisco 49ers are watching head coach Kyle Shanahan approach franchise records held by legendary figures. Shanahan has coached 141 regular-season games with 82 wins. By Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings, he is set to surpass Bill Walsh’s franchise record of 152 games coached. Shanahan also needs 11 wins to surpass Walsh’s 92 victories for second-most in franchise history, trailing only George Seifert’s 98 wins.
At No. 8, the Baltimore Ravens are preparing to integrate veteran running back Derrick Henry into their ground game. Henry, currently 10th on the NFL’s career rushing list, needs 995 yards to surpass four Hall of Fame running backs—Eric Dickerson, Jerome Bettis, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Curtis Martin—to claim the No. 6 spot. At his career average of 85.1 rushing yards per game, Henry is projected to reach this milestone by late November.
The Next Generation of Offensive Leadership
The rankings also highlight the rapid rise of young offensive talents poised to break franchise and league records. The Chicago Bears (No. 12) are looking to Caleb Williams to become the first quarterback in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season. Under the guidance of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Williams fell just 58 yards short of the mark during his rookie year, finishing with a franchise-record 3,942 yards. Offseason adjustments focusing on his 58.1% completion rate are expected to push him over the threshold.
In Houston, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (No. 10) is rapidly ascending the team’s historical leaderboards. With 3,663 passing yards this season, Stroud will surpass Deshaun Watson (14,539) for second place in franchise history. Additionally, if Stroud throws for 43 touchdowns, he will also overtake Watson for second in franchise passing touchdowns.
As the 2026 NFL season prepares to kick off, these power rankings establish a clear hierarchy, but the looming statistical achievements suggest that individual excellence will share the spotlight with the race for the Lombardi Trophy.