Our 2026 NFL Preview marches on to the NFC East, which figures to be a much-improved quartet heading into the Fall. Will the Eagles retain their status as division champs after parting ways with some of the noisier aspects of their roster? Is the Cowboys’ defense really improved enough for Big D to contend for a Lombardi Trophy? How quickly can John Harbaugh get the young Giants competing for the playoffs? After an injury-ravaged campaign that brought on a wealth of change in the nation’s capital, are the Commanders ready to bounce back? We’ve got the answers, folks…
Dallas Cowboys: Jerry’s Twilight…
30 years. That is how long it has been since the Cowboys last hoisted the coveted Lombardi Trophy, and make no mistake about it, ladies and gentlemen, Jerry Jones is absolutely MAD about that. Indeed, since purchasing the franchise back in 1989, the longtime owner has been one of the most successful in the sport, transforming Dallas into a brand unto itself, winning 3 Super Bowls between 1992-1995. However, in the three decades that have passed, they have managed to win just 5 playoff games with nary an appearance in the NFC Title Game to show for it. Now 83-years-old, Jones’ patience appears to be all but gone, as he hopes that this will be the season in which his troops finally add that elusive sixth Lombardi to the trophy showcase, bringing them into a deadlock with the Patriots and Steelers for most in NFL history. So, what case can be made for the Cowboys being legitimate contenders in 2026, you ask? Well, the offense remains one of the most prolific in the league, as Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens spearhead an attack that ranked 2nd in both total yards (404.1) and passing yards (278.5). However, where Big D fell short was on the opposite side of the ball, for the defense left A LOT to be desired, even after Jones pulled a series of midseason trades to stop the bleeding. Dallas conceded the most points in the NFL a year ago (30.1), ranked 30th in total defense (377.0), and managed to force just 12 takeaways in totality, which was the 3rd-fewest overall. This was the biggest reason that they went from sitting only a single game out of the final wild card spot to going 1-4 over their final 5 games missing the postseason for a second consecutive campaign. During this late swoon, the Cowboys shipped 33.8 points on 379.0 total yards, all the while operating with a miserable turnover differential of -7. In an effort to finally get it right, Jones and (HC) Brian Schottenheimer completely renovated that part of the coaching staff, poaching Christian Parker from the Eagles to be the new DC, while spending significant draft capital and cap space on defensive reinforcements. 5 of their first 6 draft picks were defenders, headlined by Ohio State product, Caleb Downs, while veterans such as Rashan Gary, Dee Winters, Otito Ogbonnia, and Jonathan Bullard will help the unit transition to a more versatile base 3/4 alignment.
Our Take: Jones may be getting more impatient than usual, but the situation remains the same for the Cowboys, who will be relying upon their high-powered offense to win games. One look at the roster’s wage bill and where the majority of the money is invested tells us everything we need to know about this team, which is a fact that was only made more concrete during last Summer’s contract standoff with Micah Parsons. Dallas lacked playmakers on all 3 levels of the defense last season and paid dearly for it. Unless Downs is ahead of schedule and emerges as the next Ed Reed, we have a difficult time seeing this unit transforming into an above-average group. This could very well be a playoff team, but expecting them to contend in the NFC is a bit much to ask for. However, they should be fun to watch…
New York Giants: In Harbaugh We Trust…
Of the 4 teams residing within the NFC East, the one that has gone the longest without a division crown is the Giants, who last did so in 2011, which was coincidentally when they last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Since then, it has been hard times for Big Blue, who have gone 83-145-1 (.362) with just 2 playoff appearances to show for it, their last coming in 2022. Indeed, (former HC) Brian Daboll failed to build upon the success of his first season, with last year’s 4-13 finish serving as the final nail in his proverbial coffin. However, ownership nonetheless proved ambitious is courting his successor, eventually hiring John Harbaugh to lead the franchise moving forward. Of course, the 63-year-old was a bastion of consistency during his 18 years with the Ravens, owning a 180-113 ledger (.614), including a dozen playoff appearances and a Lombardi in 2012. The hope here is that his credibility, grit, and attention to detail raises a young roster (that is far from being void of talent) up from the bowels of the division and back into contention. This could very well be a relaunching pad for the franchise, as a number of promising talents look to take the next step in their development. Jaxson Dart showed a lot of potential as a rookie QB, tossing 15 touchdowns and rushing for 9 more, while the 2nd overall pick in that same draft, (Edge-Rusher) Abdul Carter looks ready to step into a much more impactful role on defense. Harbaugh and (GM) Joe Schoen, the architect of many fruitful draft classes, also splashed plenty of cash in free agency, adding the likes of Tremaine Edmunds, Darnell Mooney, D.J. Reader, and Isaiah Likely. Furthermore, the latest draft class also provides reinforcements, as (RT) Francis Mauigoa and (LB) Arvell Reese are primed to bring physicality and nastiness to their respective sides of the ball. However, the biggest question mark remaining is the return of Malik Nabers, who was lost for the season after just 4 games due to a torn ACL. Nabers racked up 109 catches for 1,204 yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie in 2024, earning All-Pro honors along the way, which makes him a MAJOR ingredient in the development of his young QB. According to reports from Training Camp, the 23-year-old has thus far been a full participant in practices and running drills, with the expectation being that he will return to the lineup by opening weekend.
Our Take: It is odd to see a team that has been so poor for so long have such optimism swirling around them, but then again, the cupboard is far from barren in New York, with the promise of growth from their young stars being key to any successful campaign. This of course, brings us to Harbaugh, who won’t be under the same kind of pressure that he was in Baltimore to deliver a Lombardi, but instead will find himself under a different kind of heat. It’s not going to be about closing and finishing this season, rather it will be one for teaching, growing and elevation, which are all things that he excels at. If Dart continues to evolve and rule out some of the more reckless aspects of his game and Nabers returns to the playmaking form that captivated us all 2 years ago, then this could very well be a team competing for a wild card spot. However, anything more than that is likely a bridge too far at this stage of their development.
Philadelphia Eagles: Addition by Subtraction?
On the surface, the Eagles have been the most successful team in the NFC over the past 4 seasons, posting a stellar 50-18 ledger (735.), including 3 division titles, a pair of trips to the Super Bowl and a Lombardi Trophy in 2024. During this stretch, they have been littered with talent, with 24 Pro-Bowlers and 5 1st-Team All-Pros named among their number. However, as great as this group has been under the leadership of (GM) Howie Roseman and (HC) Nick Sirianni, it has rarely been without some form of controversy, which came to a head during the 2025 campaign. (Pro-Bowl WR) A.J. Brown conducted a tiresome cold war with his QB, Jalen Hurts, and OC, Kevin Patullo, as the offense as a whole regressed mightily from their ruthless Super Bowl triumph, finishing 19th overall in points (22.3) and 24th in total yards (322.7). Indeed, it was impossible not to notice the sudden lack of rhythm and consistency on this side of the ball, as Philadelphia struggled to put all the pieces together, which eventually cost Patullo his job. Brown would eventually follow him out the door in a long-rumored trade to the Patriots, leaving the birds in a position to reorient themselves within (what they hope) will become a much quieter locker room. Roseman continued to do what he does best in replacing aging veterans with cheaper blue-chip talent, adding promising pass-catchers such as Machai Lemon and Eli Stowers in last Spring’s Draft, while getting ahead of the curve and tying down (Pro-Bowl DT) Jalen Carter to a mammoth extension making him the highest-paid player in NFL history at his position. But at the end of the day, the question remains centered upon Hurts and his role within the offense. During these 4 years of success, Philly has employed a different OC every season. When they’ve been great, the likes of Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore have reaped the rewards and earned HC jobs, but in the other 2 seasons, Patullo and Brian Johnson before him were practically ran out of the City of Brotherly Love. There has been much made of Hurts and his reticence to being coached a particular way, with the 27-year-old preferring to keep the scheme as simplistic as possible, which kept many of the more heralded playcallers from coming to Eastern Pennsylvania. Sirianni had a difficult time attracting anyone to be the new OC, eventually landing upon Sean Mannion, who has just 2 years of coaching experience in the NFL, spent with the Packers directing QBs. History tells us that his working relationship with Hurts will likely dictate just how high these Eagles can fly in 2026, which is a rather sizable variable for a team with Super Bowl or bust expectations.
Our Take: If you look at the past 4 years of success for the Eagles under Sirianni, the barometer has spiked every other season as the HC has looked outside of the building for an offensive playcaller. However, Mannion doesn’t arrive with anywhere near the credentials of Steichen or Moore, so it really is anyone’s guess as to how this marriage with Hurts will play out. With that being said, Roseman has seen to it that the roster remains stockpiled with talent, particularly in the trenches where Philadelphia is both intimidating and overwhelming on both sides of the football. The defense should continue to be one of the very best in the NFL under the direction of the venerable Vic Fangio, while the passing game should see less toxicity with Brown’s departure. You’ll notice that we haven’t mentioned Saquon Barkley yet, who fell off along with the rest of the ground game following his 2,000-yard juggernaut in 2024. Mannion has plenty of work to do with Hurts, but it is more imperative that he gets this unit running the ball more effectively than his predecessor did a year ago; the birds ranked 18th in rushing yards (116.9) and 23rd in yards per carry (4.2) last season, leading to a dismal 37.1% success rate on third down (24th Overall). If the 34-year-old improves upon those figures, then the rest of the attack will likely fall into place, making Philly a Super Bowl contender once more.
Washington Commanders: History, Don’t Repeat Yourself…
Every season there is a small handful of teams who unfortunately see their campaign torpedoed due to a bevy of injuries, which was certainly the case for the Commanders. In 2024, their first under the new regime led by (HC) Dan Quinn, (GM) Adam Peters, and (QB) Jayden Daniels, they were easily the most improved team in the league, finishing 12-5 and advancing all the way to the NFC Title Game, their first since 1991. Daniels, the 2nd overall pick in that Draft, was nothing short of a revelation, claiming Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and almost singlehandedly raising this starving franchise back into contention. Needless to say, much was expected of him and his teammates in 2025, though the train was thrown off the proverbial tracks early as Daniels suffered a sprained knee in Week Two, only to return in Week 5, lasting just 3 more games before falling victim to a dislocated left elbow late in a primetime blowout loss to the Seahawks, causing him to miss all but 2 of the final 8 contests. Without the playmaker in the lineup, the rest of the team collapsed, particularly a porous defense that ranked dead-last in total yards allowed (384.3), next-to-last in takeaways (10), and 30th overall versus the run (141.8). Quinn was so taken aback by how everything played out that he opted to upend his coaching staff, dismissing BOTH coordinators in an effort to bring together a group that aligns more with his vision moving forward. (OC) David Blough and (DC) Daronte Jones are now calling plays in the nation’s capital, with the former elevated after spending the past 2 seasons coaching Daniels and the rest of the QB room, while the latter comes from Minnesota where he spent the past 4 years coaching DBs under Brian Flores. Quinn and Peters also made a concerted effort to get younger and more athletic on defense, signing the likes of (Edges) Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson, along with (LB) Leo Chenal, (NB) Amik Robertson, and (DT) Tim Settle in free agency, while selecting Ohio State product, Sonny Styles, the most athletic and rangy LB in the draft with the seventh overall pick. With all that being said, the only way Washington reaches its ceiling is if Daniels returns to the level he played at as a rookie, which is far from a given after watching how many hits he took last season.
Our Take: You can’t help but feel a nauseating sense of deja vu after watching how last season played out for the Commanders and particularly Daniels, with those hits and injuries drawing parallels to the fate of (former QB) Robert Griffin III. Back in 2012, Washington was reborn with the 2nd overall pick shocking the league en route to claiming Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, though a serious knee injury suffered in the playoffs completely derailed his career and the franchise, who struggled for years to pick themselves back up. Hopefully, history won’t repeat itself with Daniels, who for all intents and purposes looks ready to get to work in Training Camp. With the offense better tailored to his skill set and a more athletic defense, Washington should be a much better team in 2026, especially when you consider that they face a more inviting schedule than they did a year ago. However, this division is no walk in the park, folks, so returning to the playoffs is far from a given.