Bears, Patriots latest to provide hope of quick turnarounds for NFL's 18 non-playoff teams

The New England Patriots and Chicago Bears both went from worst to first in their divisions in 2025, proving anew to NFL fans already looking ahead to next season that a quick fix to that fixer-upper is possible.

A new coach just might be needed.

Ben Johnson went 11-6 in his first season in Chicago, leading the Bears' turnaround from a 5-12 season to an NFC North title and a wild-card win over archrival Green Bay on Saturday.

Mike Vrabel turned a 4-13 Patriots team into a 14-3 powerhouse that reclaimed the AFC East title after a five-year run by the Buffalo Bills, and second-year QB Drake Maye won his playoff debut against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

In 20 of the last 23 seasons, at least one team has won its division a year after finishing in last place. So, fans of this year's cellar dwellers — the Jets, Browns, Titans, Raiders, Giants, Lions, Saints and Cardinals — take heart.

In all, six teams reached the playoffs this season after sitting out in 2024. In addition to the Patriots, the Jacksonville Jaguars joined this year's field in the AFC. They were upset in the wild-card round by the Bills, who won their first road playoff game since the 1992 AFC championship.

Joining the Bears in returning to the NFC playoffs this year were the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers, who lost a heartbreaker to the Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers, who upset defending champion Philadelphia.

Here are the 18 non-playoff teams by draft order:

Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)

The Raiders extended their playoff drought to four years. They’ve reached the postseason just twice in the last decade. COACHING CHANGE? Yes, the Raiders fired Pete Carroll after one bad season. QB QUANDARY? Yes, Indiana QB and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza could be donning the silver and black in 2026 instead of Geno Smith or Aidan O’Connell after yet another miserable season in the desert.

New York Jets (3-14)

The Jets own the NFL's longest playoff drought, dating to the 2010 season, but there's hope on the horizon. GM Darren Mougey made significant moves, trading stars Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to stockpile draft picks. COACHING CHANGE? No, Aaron Glenn gets another chance after an awful debut. QB QUANDARY? Yes, Justin Fields was a bust and benched in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor before an injury opened the door for rookie Brady Cook.

Arizona Cardinals (3-14)

The Cardinals' playoff drought reached four years. They seemed headed in the right direction heading into 2025, going 8-9 in ‘24. But they posted the first 14-loss season in franchise history. COACHING CHANGE? Yes, Jonathan Gannon (15-36 over three seasons) was fired. QB QUANDARY? Yes, oft-injured Kyler Murray was 2-3 in '25 and backup Jacoby Brissett went 1-11. Murray was drafted first overall in ’19 but has just one winning record in the NFL.

Tennessee Titans (3-14)

The Titans have struggled since firing Vrabel in 2024, posting two three-win seasons. COACHING CHANGE? Yes. Mike Callahan won four of 23 games before his midseason firing. Mike McCoy went 2-9 in his place and the Titans are on the head coach carousel once again. QB QUANDARY? No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward had a trying rookie season but did set a franchise rookie record with 3,169 passing yards to go with 15 TDs and 7 INTs.

New York Giants (4-13)

The Giants went 20-40-1 under Brian Daboll, who was fired at midseason and replaced by Mike Kafka, who went 2-5. COACHING CHANGE? Yes, the Giants have eight known candidates for the job. QB QUANDARY? Yes, like Cam Skattebo pre-injury, Jaxson Dart infused some enthusiasm into the franchise. He went 4-8 as the starter after replacing Russell Wilson but he often found himself getting checked for a concussion.

Cleveland Browns (5-12)

The drama began in the draft and continued throughout the season for the Browns, who have made the playoffs just three times since their rebirth in 1999. COACHING CHANGE? Yes, Kevin Stefanski was fired after going 45-56 in six seasons. QB QUANDARY? Yes, Shedeur Sanders finished up and was a fan favorite. He won three of seven starts but he had 10 INTs to go with 7 TD throws.

Washington Commanders (5-12)

The Commanders went from NFL darlings to duds in Jayden Daniels' second season. COACHING CHANGE? No, but Dan Quinn moved on from his top assistants. OC Kliff Kingsburgy's departure was by mutual agreement and DC Joe Whitt Jr. was fired. QB QUANDARY? No, so long as Daniels bounces back from an injury-filled season that included a dislocated elbow, sprained knee and strained hamstring.

New Orleans Saints (6-11)

The Saints put together a four-game winning streak in December that gives them hope for 2026. COACHING CHANGE? No, first-year head coach Kellen Moore showed the Saints were smart to hire him away from Philadelphia, where he served as the Eagles' offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl-winning season last year. QB QUANDARY? No, second-round pick Tyler Shough was impressive down the stretch, winning five of his nine starts.

Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)

The Chiefs' decade of dominance came crashing down with the franchise's first losing season since 2012. Their nine-year reign atop the AFC West is over and their seven-year run to the AFC title game is history. COACHING CHANGE? Nope, Andy Reid is ready to restock and rebound. QB QUANDARY: Yes. Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL and the big question is how many games he'll miss in 2026.

Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)

Joe Burrow (toe) had a third serious injury in 2025 that waylaid the Bengals. He missed nine games and the Bengals missed the playoffs for the third straight year. COACHING CHANGE? No, Zac Taylor gets to lead the rebound. QB QUANDARY: Yes. The Bengals have built their roster around their $275 million QB but Burrow said last month he wants to have fun if he's going to keep playing football, leading to speculation about retirement or a trade.

Miami Dolphins (7-10)

A four-game winning streak late in the season gave Dolphins fans hope, but they missed the playoffs for the second straight season and posted their first season with double-digit losses since 2019. COACHING CHANGE? Yes, Mike McDaniel was fired with a 35-35 record in four seasons, including two wild-card playoff losses. QB QUANDARY? Yes, starter Tua Tagovailoa was benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers, who went 1-2.

Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)

The season began with the stunning departure of defensive star Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers and ended with the Cowboys' second straight losing season. COACHING CHANGE? No, Brian Schottenheimer is safe, but for the fourth time in four years the Cowboys will have a new defensive coordinator as they fired Matt Eberflus. QB QUANDARY? No, Dak Prescott threw for 30 TDs with 10 INTs in his return from an injury-marred 2024.

Atlanta Falcons (8-9) (pick traded to Los Angeles Rams)

The Falcons' season began with promise but ended with the franchise's eighth straight losing campaign. COACHING CHANGE? Yes, Raheen Morris is out after going 16-18. QB QUANDARY? Yes, Michael Penix Jr. (left ACL) is on the mend after getting hurt in Week 11. He suffered the same injury to his right knee in college. Kirk Cousins' contract was restructured, paving the way for his possible departure in March.

Baltimore Ravens (8-9)

A trendy preseason Super Bowl pick, the Ravens got off to a bad start when Lamar Jackson got hurt. They rallied behind backup Tyler Huntley and were about to go to the playoffs when rookie K Tyler Loop missed a game-winner as time expired in Week 18. COACHING CHANGE? Yes, John Harbaugh was fired after 18 seasons and 193 wins, including a Super Bowl. QB QUANDARY? Jackson's health and availability are always pertinent topics.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

The Bucs' five-year playoff run was halted with a losing season when they lost the tiebreaker to Carolina. COACHING CHANGE? No. Todd Bowles won three NFC South titles in his first three seasons and would've had a fourth with a Saints win over the Falcons in Week 18. QB QUANDRY? No, Baker Mayfield didn't have his best season but he still threw for 26 TDs with 11 INTs. That gives him 95 TD throws in his three seasons in Tampa.

Indianapolis Colts (8-9) (pick traded to New York Jets)

Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor played like MVPs before injuries to Jones (Achilles) and Sauce Gardner (calf) gutted Indy, which lost its last seven games after an 8-2 start. COACHING CHANGE? No, Shane Steichen (25-26) stays. QB QUANDARY? Yes, Jones enters free agency again facing questions about his health. Anthony Richardson lost the starting job in camp and suffered an eye injury in October.

Detroit Lions (9-8)

The Lions tumbled from a 15-win season that earned them the franchise's first No. 1 overall seed in the NFC bracket a year ago to out of the playoffs entirely in 2025. Despite a ton of talent, they didn't win consecutive games after Week 6. COACHING CHANGE? No, Dan Campbell is 48-36-1. QB QUANDRY? No, Jared Goff threw 38 TD passes and just eight INTs, his best ratio since his trade from the Rams in 2021.

Minnesota Vikings (9-8)

Like the Lions, the Vikings plummeted in 2025 after going 14-3 behind QB Sam Darnold a year earlier. Darnold signed with Seattle in free agency and led the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and the top seed in the NFC playoffs. COACHING CHANGE? No. Kevin O’Connell is 42-25 with the Vikings. QB QUANDRY? Oh yes. The Vikings still don't know what they have in 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who has started 10 games and finished just eight.

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