The stage is set for Super Bowl LX. Obviously, it was a successful season for both Super Bowl participants, but is that the case for the other 12 playoff teams that didn't make it to the Big Game? Let's take a look back at the 2025-26 campaign for each one of those squads and determine if this season was a success or a failure.
Buffalo Bills - Failure
As explained in our previous evaluation of the 2025-26 season for non-playoff teams, the firing of a head coach is a pretty good indication that this year was a failure. The Bills might not have won their division, but that isn't the reason this season was a letdown. The 2025-26 campaign was a disappointment because Buffalo had arguably its easiest path to a Super Bowl during the Josh Allen era. All they had to do was beat the Jaguars, Broncos, and Patriots, and they would've made it to the Big Game. Considering the Bills had the quarterback advantage in all three of those matchups, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Buffalo would have won the AFC. However, Josh Allen had one of his worst games ever against the Broncos in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, with two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Still, the Bills had a chance to win the game in overtime after forcing a punt on the opening possession of OT. However, a questionable ruling on a contested catch resulted in an interception, and the Broncos scored a field goal on the ensuing drive, eliminating the Bills from the playoffs. This might have been Buffalo's best shot to win a Lombardi Trophy, and they blew it.
Season-defining moment: The controversial simultaneous catch in overtime between Brandin Cooks and Ja'Quan McMillian is ruled an interception. NFL Divisional Round.
Carolina Panthers - Success
The Panthers started the season 1-3 and looked destined to be a bottom-feeder once again. This was especially true after an embarrassing 42-13 loss to the New England Patriots in Week Four. Then Carolina started to turn things around, winning four of its next five games to improve to 5-4 on the season. From there, the Panthers alternated between wins and losses over the next five weeks, setting up a crucial matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which they won, putting them in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. While they lost their next two games, they still managed to sneak into the playoffs with a little help from the Atlanta Falcons. The season ended with a loss at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason, but Carolina still reached the playoffs for the first time in eight years, which is something that Panthers fans can hang their hat on. Quarterback Bryce Young showed improvement, and rookie wide receiver Tet McMillan looks like a star in the making. In a wide-open NFC South, the Panthers could be a force next year and already have a lot of momentum going into the 2026-27 season.
Season-defining moment: Derrick Brown's strip-sack fumble of Matthew Stafford is recovered by the Panthers, ending a potential comeback attempt by the Los Angeles Rams. Week 13.
Chicago Bears - Success
Understandably, the Patriots are being talked about as the best one-year turnaround in the NFL. But if New England didn't exist, that title would undoubtedly belong to the Chicago Bears this season. By adding several key contributors on the offensive side of the ball and hiring head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago went from last place in the NFC North to first place with an 11-6 record. On top of that, they beat their bitter rivals in the playoffs in an amazing come-from-behind victory. Obviously, the Bears lost in overtime to the Rams, but after Caleb Williams completed that remarkable touchdown pass to Cole Kmet with 18 seconds left in the game to tie things up, everybody believed that Chicago was going to pull off the comeback and move on to the NFC Championship. Ask any Bears fan, and they'll tell you that this season felt magical. The fast turnaround by Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, coupled with the talented roster assembled by general manager Ryan Poles, has set up the Chicago Bears to be a perennial playoff contender for years to come.
Season-defining moment: Caleb Williams connects with DJ Moore on a 46-yard touchdown pass to beat the Green Bay Packers in overtime. Week 16.
Denver Broncos - Success
The decision-making by head coach Sean Payton in the AFC Championship Game was some of the most assanine and arrogant we have seen all season. Despite his stupidity, this was an excellent year for the Denver Broncos. Any time you improve from one season to the next, it has to be seen as a successful campaign. And the Broncos didn't just improve; they took a massive leap forward. Denver went from 10-7 and a first-round exit in the NFL Playoffs to the number-one seed in the AFC. On top of that, the Broncos beat the team that manhandled them in the postseason last year, so that was a sweet little dish of revenge for members of the organization and their fans. When it was announced that Bo Nix would miss the remainder of the season, it felt like that was the end of Denver's Super Bowl LX hopes. The loss in the AFC Championship Game was a huge stain on the 2025-26 campaign, but fans honestly shouldn't be that mad about the result. First, the Broncos would've beaten the Patriots if Bo Nix had played in that game; I am convinced of that. Second, even if Denver had defeated the Pats, they would've been demolished by the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. The way the season ended was incredibly frustrating, but this was clearly a successful year for the Broncos.
Season-defining moment: Bo Nix suffers a season-ending injury against the Buffalo Bills. NFL Divisional Round.
Green Bay Packers - Failure
Of all the season-defining moments on this list, none impacted their team more than when Micah Parsons tore his ACL against the Denver Broncos in Week 15. Up to that point, the Packers were 9-3-1 and had the top-seeded Denver Broncos on the ropes in their building. But after Parsons’ injury, the Packers went on to lose that contest and every other game they played during the 2025-26 season. They lost two out of three games to the Chicago Bears by blowing huge leads (16-6 in Week 16 and 21-3 in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs). Every time a member of the Green Bay Packers went down with an injury, it felt like a huge blow to the team's Super Bowl chances. First, Tucker Kraft tore his ACL in Week Nine. Then, Devonte Wyatt fractured his ankle in Week 13. Despite these losses, the Packers remained competitive. But when Micah Parsons went down, it took all the wind out of Green Bay's sails. It felt like that was the one injury that Green Bay wouldn't be able to recover from, and that was obviously the case because they didn't win another game after that moment. Had they beaten the Bears in the playoffs, this would've been a successful season. But losing that game while leading 21-3 at halftime makes this year a failure for the Green and Gold.
Season-defining moment: Micah Parsons suffers a season-ending torn ACL against the Denver Broncos. Week 15.
Houston Texans - Failure
This might be the most controversial assessment on our list. On the one hand, the Texans stormed back from a 0-3 start to the season and made the playoffs by going 12-2 in their final 14 games. Hell, they even won a playoff game in dominating fashion! On the other hand, the season ended the same way it always has for a Houston Texans playoff team: with a Divisional Round loss. Had the Texans been competitive in their game against the New England Patriots, our evaluation might look different. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. They were outscored by the Pats 21-6 after going up 10-7 in the second quarter of that matchup. Perhaps the most concerning part of the loss was the abhorrent play of third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was a walking disaster against New England. He was so bad that fans and media members were calling for backup Davis Mills to start the second half of that game! Stroud was sacked three times and threw four interceptions, including a pick-six. It's troubling that we haven't seen much improvement from him over the last two years. He was undeniably good in his first playoff game, throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. But since then, he hasn’t come close to playing at that level consistently. After it seemed like the Texans had found their franchise quarterback, there are questions about whether that's actually the case two years later, which is very worrisome with a contract decision coming up soon.
Season-defining moment: C.J. Stroud's pass attempt is intercepted and returned for a touchdown against the New England Patriots, putting Houston down 14-10. NFL Divisional Round.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Success
The Bears and the Patriots obviously had amazing single-season turnarounds. Since those teams play in bigger markets, they're going to get most of the attention from fans and members of the media. But that shouldn't take away from what head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone have done with the Jaguars in one year. They did a full 180, going from 4-13 last season to 13-4 and a division winner this year. Much like the Bears, the Jaguars are well ahead of schedule in their rebuild. The only difference is that nobody expected them to be this good this soon. For the first time in his NFL career, Trevor Lawrence showed a noticeable improvement in his on-field performance. He set career highs in touchdowns (38) and QBR (58.4). Members of the media even noticed Lawrence's improved play, since he was named a finalist for the NFL MVP award. The foundation has been laid for the Jags to be a competitor in the AFC for years to come. They have the quarterback, the coach, the GM, and a good defense. That's what you need to be a perennial playoff team in the National Football League.
Season-defining moment: Parker Washington's 69-yard catch-and-run sets up a ten-yard touchdown to put the Jaguars ahead of the Denver Broncos 31-17. Week 16.
Los Angeles Chargers - Failure
This is another controversial assessment. Considering the decimation LA faced along the offensive line by losing two Pro Bowlers, it's a miracle that the Chargers were not just competitive, but one of the better teams in the AFC. After all, they beat the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos when tackle Joe Alt was in the lineup. Hell, they even clinched a playoff berth before Week 18, giving them a chance to rest Justin Herbert, who spent several weeks dealing with a bone fracture in his left hand. The problem is how their season ended. The Chargers were incredibly unimpressive in their lone playoff game against the Patriots. The defense was really good, but the rest of the team was appalling. Some of the blame for their offensive deficiencies lies with the banged-up offensive line. However, we need to have a conversation about Justin Herbert. The guy is moving closer and closer to being labeled a playoff choker. He's 0-3 in three playoff games with a 54.7% completion rate, 13 sacks, a 64.7 passer rating, and two passing touchdowns compared to five turnovers. This is becoming a trend and something we need to remember the next time the Chargers reach the playoffs.
Season-defining moment: Standout offensive tackle Joe Alt suffers a season-ending ankle injury against the Tennessee Titans. Week Nine.
Los Angeles Rams - Failure
When a team goes 12-5 and makes it to the NFC Championship Game, you'll be hard-pressed to find anybody who deems that a failure of a season. Unfortunately, the goal was not to make it to the NFC Championship Game. The goal was to win the Super Bowl. It felt like that was going to happen during the regular season. The Rams had the MVP favorite playing the best football of his career. Plus, they had a top-ten scoring offense and scoring defense! However, their special teams unit wound up costing them. A muffed punt in the third quarter of the NFCCG allowed the Seahawks to take a two-score lead over the Rams, and they never looked back. Now, it feels like LA squandered the best season of Matthew Stafford's career. He's turning 38 on February 7th. It's not guaranteed that he'll ever again be able to replicate that level of production. Just like the Bills, this might have been the Rams' best shot at winning a Super Bowl with this core of players. The only difference is that we don't know how many chances Matthew Stafford will have left to win another Lombardi Trophy.
Season-defining moment: Matthew Stafford's pass attempt falls incomplete, resulting in a pivotal turnover on downs at the Seattle Seahawks' six yard line in the fourth quarter. NFC Championship Game.
Philadelphia Eagles - Failure
Philly had all of the tools and players in place to not just be competitive but win another Super Bowl this season. There was an expectation that the defense would take a step back after losing multiple valuable contributors, including two defensive linemen and three rotational cornerbacks. Though their pass rush was not nearly as effective as last year, Philly still ranked in the top five in defensive scoring (19.1 points per game). Most of the Eagles' issues came on the offensive side of the ball, which is shocking because they had virtually the same offense this year as they did last season. In fact, only one offensive starter from the Super Bowl-winning team is no longer on the roster (guard Mekhi Becton). However, Philadelphia averaged almost five fewer points per game this season (27.2 vs. 22.3). The offensive issues reared their ugly head in the playoffs, when the Eagles were held to 19 points at home by a team that was blown out 41-6 the following week. A lot of the blame was placed on head coach Nick Sirianni and former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, but some of the finger-pointing should be directed at Jalen Hurts, who saw his QBR fall from 62.5 to 55.3.
Season-defining moment: Jalen Hurts takes a sack and then throws three straight incompletions in the red zone, ending the Eagles' comeback attempt against the San Francisco 49ers. NFL Wild Card Round.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Failure
You want to know why the Steelers' season was a failure even though they beat their bitter rival in Week 18 to win the division? Because it ended the same way every recent Steelers season does: with a first-round playoff loss. Here are the results for every Pittsburgh Steelers season since the start of 2020:
2020: 12-4. Wild Card loss.
2021: 9-7-1. Wild Card loss.
2022: 9-8. Missed the Playoffs.
2023: 10-7. Wild Card loss.
2024: 10-7. Wild Card loss.
2025: 10-7. Wild Card loss.
This year was a failure for the Steelers, as was the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that. I would argue that the Steelers have not had a successful season since going 12-4, and even then, that year ended in disappointment because that Pittsburgh team went 11-0 before ending the campaign with losses in five of its last six games. Maybe their new head coach will spark a change for the Steelers.
Season-defining moment: Aaron Rodgers' strip-sack fumble is picked up and returned 33 yards for a touchdown to give the Houston Texans a 16-6 fourth-quarter lead. NFL Wild Card Round.
San Francisco 49ers - Success
A case can be made that no team suffered more devastating injuries than the 49ers, yet they still managed to go 12-5 and win a playoff game. And, they did that without their two best defenders and their rookie first-round draft pick. They even went 5-3 with Mac Jones starting in place of Brock Purdy. Hell, they were a win away from being the number-one seed in the NFC! The Seahawks demolished the Niners in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, and though Seattle was clearly the better team, it really felt like San Francisco just ran out of gas. At that point, their injuries were too much to overcome. George Kittle, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Tatum Bethune, and Mykel Williams all missed that game due to injury. They probably still would've lost even if those guys had played, but we'll never know. Just like the Denver Broncos, 49ers fans get to play the "if" card for the rest of their lives while looking back at the 2025-26 season. Regardless, they were one of the final eight teams remaining in the NFL despite having the most injury-riddled roster in the league. That's a win in my book.
Season-defining moment: The Niners immediately go into a 7-0 hole after giving up a 95-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff of their playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. NFL Divisional Round.
