The NFC West is officially ranked the number one division in the entire NFL as we get ready for the 2026 regular season, and yeah, that includes your Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks! We're talking about the top spot in the league, and the Emerald City's squad is a massive reason why. With the regular season just about a month and a half away, the hype is already through the roof for what's coming, and it all starts with the toughest division in football right here.
The Emerald City's Super Bowl Stamped Division
Your Seattle Seahawks are fresh off a Super Bowl win, and the team is bringing back a ton of top talent from that championship run. That alone puts us in elite territory. But it's not just us. The source makes it clear: the Rams and the 49ers are also returning their top players and both have the kind of talent that can absolutely make a Super Bowl run. Sure, there are plenty of questions swirling around the Cardinals, but when you have three teams as good as Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco all in one division, you know it's going to be an absolute gauntlet. This isn't just about making the postseason; it's about a division packed with championship-caliber rosters.The Contenders Chasing Our Heels
Looking outside our loaded division, some teams are definitely making noise. The NFC North comes in at number two, touted as the most well-rounded division in the league. However, they don't quite hit that "top-heavy" status like our NFC West. The Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings are all capable of making the postseason and putting together a decent run. Then there's the AFC West at number three. The Broncos were one of the top teams last year, and they might have been just one quarterback injury away from their own Super Bowl run. Even after a down year, the Chiefs still have Super Bowl-caliber talent and coaching. The Chargers are definitely still playoff contenders, and the Raiders apparently made all the right moves to improve this offseason. Rounding out the top four is the AFC South, where the Texans and Jaguars have really developed into legitimate playoff contenders. The Colts could join them too if they can manage to avoid the wild lows that plagued them last season. Only the Titans seem like less of a threat, but the rest of that division is shaping up to be pretty competitive.The League's Long Shots and Head Scratchers
As we look at the rest of the league, things start to get a little more dicey. The AFC East, at number five, looks like a repeat of last year, with the Patriots and Bills as top AFC contenders. But the Jets and Dolphins will likely drag down the overall ranking with their low expectations. The AFC North, coming in at six, has a ton of question marks: can Mike McCarthy still prove he has it? Does Aaron Rodgers have an elite season left? Is Zac Taylor truly the guy for the Bengals? And there's no guarantee the Ravens or Browns will find immediate success with their new coaches. It's a real mixed bag. The NFC East, ranked seventh, is pretty top-heavy with the Eagles as the "cream of the crop" and the Cowboys as a potential postseason contender. Outside of Philly, though, it's hard to see much noise. And finally, the NFC South sits at the bottom. The Buccaneers or Panthers *might* take a step forward, but that still doesn't put them among the top NFC contenders. The Saints and Falcons, meanwhile, just have some serious work to do. We're just a month and a half from kickoff, 12s, and the entire NFL is about to learn what a Super Bowl-winning NFC West looks like when it's firing on all cylinders. Get ready to watch our champs defend that crown!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.