Windy City Gridiron
Of all the professional sports leagues in the country, the NFL boasts one of the highest rates of turnover among playoff teams each year. Each year, we see teams go from worst to first. While many would make the argument that the Los Angeles Rams are the league’s most improved team (on paper), we’ll focus on teams that missed the playoffs in 2025 and fit the mold for that cinderella story in 2026, much like the Chicago Bears experienced just a season ago. Now that the Bears aren’t headlining the offseason winners bracket, it’s time for fans to enjoy taking a look at other teams around the league that have a chance to follow in the same mold.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the NFL’s five most improved teams this offseason, non-playoff edition.
Las Vegas Raiders
Similar to most teams with the No. 1 overall pick, the Raiders did themselves well to finally take a real swing at solving the quarterback issue that has plagued them since Derek Carr’s prime. Simply put, the Geno Smith-Pete Carroll pairing was a disaster. The first step to fixing that issue was hiring yet another coach, this time going with a much younger candidate, Klint Kubiak. Not only did Vegas pair their No. 1 overall pick with an offense-minded head coach, but they also insulated him with a “good guy” veteran in Kirk Cousins, who is still more than capable of starting in this league.
In addition to completely remaking their quarterback room, the team spent north of $308 million in free-agent dollars on 15 players, most of whom were higher-profile names. Of their prized signings, center Tyler Linderbaum headlines the most impactful names that should play a big role in 2026. In addition to spending big in free agency and picking at the top of April’s draft, the team also decided to retain star pass rusher Maxx Crosby (for now), after a trade with the Baltimore Ravens fell through on the eve of the new league year.
While they are ranked No. 1 on this list for overall improvement among the eight teams to go from worst to first, I’d rank them towards the bottom in terms of probability, simply because of how stacked the AFC West is. That said, the Raiders weren’t just looking at the near-term with these moves, especially with the development of Fernando Mendoza. Improvements should be expected, but general expectations for the upcoming season should still be tempered.
New Orleans Saints
Speaking of teams going from worst-to-first, the Saints should be at the top of everyone’s list to accomplish that feat in 2026. Last year marked the fifth-straight season that New Orleans had missed the playoffs, but even so, they came out of it with plenty of high hopes. Quarterback Tyler Shough looked like the real deal, and despite some lingering questions about his readiness, head coach Kellen Moore impressed, especially down the stretch.
In typical fashion for a team with an offensive-minded head coach, the Saints...
