The NFC East is far from the strongest division, but it isn’t anywhere close to the weakest the NFL has to offer. It’s a balanced, mid-tier division with four teams that could all state a realistic argument regarding their potential to go on a deep postseason run.
The Philadelphia Eagles are likely to remain the class of the NFC East, even after their bid to repeat as Super Bowl champs fell flat in 2025. After losing Kellen Moore to the New Orleans Saints, the team couldn’t find the same success with Kevin Patullo and limped into the playoffs following an underwhelming 11-6 regular season. After flaming out in the Wild Card round, the embattled offensive coordinator was mercifully relieved of his post, opening the door for a resurgence under replacement Sean Mannion in 2026.
The Dallas Cowboys had yet another underwhelming season in 2025, notching just seven wins and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. While Dallas stayed the course this offseason and didn’t make any major changes in wake of that disappointing showing, the club needs to make a Super Bowl push—or come extremely close to that goal—to avoid owner Jerry Jones pushing the reset button.
The New York Giants have the highest ceiling of any NFC East team under new head coach John Harbaugh. The former Baltimore Ravens coach inherited an extremely promising roster, with pieces such as Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers providing an offensive nucleus ready to hit the ground running in 2026. If the offense reaches its potential and Harbaugh molds the defense into an elite unit, the G-Men will be a legitimate title threat.
The Washington Commanders could also be in the mix despite finishing near the bottom of the division in 2025. They’re only a year removed from a 12-5 campaign and NFC Championship Game run, having backslid to 5-12 this past season largely due to critical injuries and defensive woes. A healthy Jayden Daniels and improved defense will make Washington a tough squad to contend with in 2026.
