Last season marked the first time since 2003 that the NFC East saw a repeat champion, with the Philadelphia Eagles winning back-to-back divisional crowns in 2024 and 2025. However, that could change after so much turnover in the NFC East. The Giants made a ton of organizational changes top to bottom, the Eagles got rid of their number-one wide receiver, and both the Commanders and Cowboys should have better defenses. Let's take a look at how the divisional standings will shake out this coming season.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
The Birds might have suffered some major off-season losses, with the departures of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Nakobe Dean, safety Reed Blankenship, and - most importantly - wide receiver A.J. Brown. However, Philadelphia is still the team to beat in the NFC East. They had a down year last season due to injuries in the trenches and a lame-duck offensive coordinator. Now that the offensive line is healthy and former Green Bay Packers quarterback coach Sean Mannion is the OC, the Birds should have better playcalling and much more imaginative play designs. We also can't forget the additions of former Pro Bowlers like edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and cornerback Tariq Woolen. The Philadelphia Eagles of the 2020s do not rebuild; they retool. They have reloaded the offense with young pass catchers like Dontayvion Wicks, Eli Stowers, and Makai Lemon. Meanwhile, the front seven is still a force to be reckoned with, and the backend of the secondary should be improved this coming season. Lastly, Philadelphia's long-standing consistency between head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts gives them a leg up over other teams in the division. Philly is the cream of the crop in the NFC East.
2. Dallas Cowboys
If you watched the Dallas Cowboys last season, then you knew that there were not many issues offensively. Their biggest problems came on defense, so the 'Boys invested heavily on that side of the ball this off-season. The most important move they made was firing former defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hiring former Eagles coach Christian Parker to that position. He was one of the most promising young defensive coaches in the NFL, and he chose to go to Dallas of all places. That should tell you what he thinks of that unit. Parker probably chose to coach the Cowboys because of the players they added on that side of the ball. Not only did they make a mid-season trade for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, but they just signed him to a three-year, $105.9 million extension, shoring up the middle of the defense for years to come. The Cowboys also added former Pro Bowler Rashan Gary and the best safety in the 2026 NFL Draft, Caleb Downs, setting the team up for success at all three levels on defense. If the offense can replicate the success it had last year, then the 'Boys will be a threat to take down the Eagles for the NFC East title.
3. Washington Commanders
The Commanders will be better this season. They might not reach the NFC Championship Game as they did two years ago, but they also won't go 5-12. Injuries to quarterback Jayden Daniels completely derailed the 2025-26 campaign. Before he hurt his elbow, the Commanders were 3-2. After suffering that injury against the Cowboys, though, Washington went 2-10 the rest of the way. As long as Daniels stays on the field, then the Commanders’ record will improve. Washington also invested a lot of capital into its defense. First, they fired former defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Then, they replaced him with Daronte Jones, an incredibly bright, young defensive coach from the Vikings. From there, the Commanders signed multiple defensive starters, including edge rusher Odafe Oweh, nose tackle Tim Settle, linebacker Leo Chanel, safety Nick Cross, and cornerback Amik Robertson. Quite possibly, the most noteworthy addition was linebacker Sonny Styles, who will bring a new level of speed and intensity to the Commanders' defense. We also have to mention that signing Stefon Diggs to a one-year deal gives Washington another wide receiver to draw attention away from Terry McLaurin. The Commanders will finish higher in the standings than the Giants because they didn’t have as much coaching and roster turnover as the G-Men.
4. New York Giants
The Giants should take a massive leap forward from last season, when they won only four games. Many fans expect the Giants to be a playoff team, but that seems unlikely. The NFC is stacked with playoff-caliber teams, meaning Big Blue will probably have to win at least 10 games to qualify for the postseason, and that just doesn’t seem like a realistic turnaround. John Harbaugh is an exceptional head coach, but there are glaring holes throughout the roster, like at wide receiver, cornerback, defensive tackle, and kicker. Plus, everybody is assuming that second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart will take a huge step forward in his progression, but that’s never a guarantee in the NFL. Much of the Giants' hopes will fall on his shoulders, and that's a lot of pressure for a 23-year-old. I'm not saying Dart won't be better than he was last year, but we can't expect the kid to record 35+ touchdowns and 4,000+ passing yards when New York has one of the toughest schedules in the league this season. Realistically, Big Blue will probably win between six and eight games, which would be a noticeable improvement, but not enough for them to leapfrog any other team in the NFC East divisional standings. Either way, that would still be a good season for New York.
