Los Angeles Rams fans already saw the writing on the wall in The Athletic’s 2026 NFL Hope-O-Meter.
Many Rams fans responded to our poll before Aaron Donald’s return was announced Aug. 30, but they spoke as if the eight-time first-team All-Pro had already been through OTAs and training camp. Even if Donald had remained retired, however, the Rams’ 98.7 percent optimism score might have been just as high. The Myles Garrett acquisition and a reigning MVP at quarterback have expectations soaring in La-La Land.
At the other end of our poll is misery — otherwise known as being a Cleveland Browns fan. The Browns finished last with a 2.7 percent optimism score.
Why?
“This is where optimism goes to die,” one Browns fan responded.
Check out the results and fan responses below to see where every other team landed between the Rams and Browns.
1. Los Angeles Rams: 98.7 percent optimism
Optimist: I will seriously cry if we don’t win the Super Bowl.
Optimist: We are so all in for this year, it is almost mad. And that is hugely exciting. We won’t die wondering, that’s for sure. Although we might lose half of our team next year because we can’t afford to pay them.
Optimist: The roster is littered with gold jacket guys, and we just re-added the GOAT.
Pessimist: Games are played on the field, not on paper. Too much hype around the Rams.
Aaron Donald comes out of retirement to rejoin an ‘all-in’ Rams
Nate Atkins
2. Cincinnati Bengals: 96.3 percent optimism
Optimist: Sexy Dexy, baby! Acquiring a big-time defensive player was an uncharacteristic move for Cincy, signaling a focus and emphasis on winning now. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Pessimist: The Bengals luck into a good team every 10 years.
Optimist: Some version of “as long as Joe Burrow is healthy …”
Optimist: Deepest team Burrow has had. Just needs to stay healthy and this team should have Super Bowl aspirations.
Optimist: At some point, the defense has to accidentally be league average, right? They don’t have to be good. Just average. I think they can do it this year.
3. Denver Broncos: 96.1 percent optimism
Optimist: All the pieces are in place, and the old guard teams (Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore) are starting to get old.
Optimist: A Bo Nix ankle away from the Super Bowl last year. Davis Webb calling plays is exciting. Jaylen Waddle opening up the field. The schedule is brutal, but I think the playoffs are very doable. It’s Super Bowl or bust.
Optimist: Run it back on unfinished business.
Pessimist: The Broncos somehow never felt like a great team all season. As much as I love them, they were one of the most hollow No. 1 seeds I’d ever seen. There’s no way that success is repeatable, so it’s hard to be optimistic at all.
4. Seattle Seahawks: 94.6 percent optimism
Optimist: Don’t expect to win another Super Bowl this year, but I think we’ll be competitive and fun to watch.
Optimist: Super Bowl champs, best front office in the business, defensive savant as HC. I feel good about this season and even better about the next five to seven.
Pessimist: We won it all last year. Absolutely going to regress this year.
Optimist: Rams carry the hype. We quietly get on with winning.
Pessimist: The Rams.
5. New England Patriots: 94.1 percent optimism
Optimist: Drake gave Stafford a run for his money with one of the worst wide receiver rooms in football. He’s going to shine with a better supporting cast, schedule be dammed.
Optimist: AJB + Drake Maye + improved offensive line + all the media selling the team short of what it accomplished in its 10(!)-win turnaround.
Optimist: Pats should’ve kept Kayshon Boutte, but if Brown and Doubs stay healthy, they should provide Maye with plenty of firepower at WR.
Pessimist: Easy schedule last year. Not true this year.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars: 92.4 percent optimism
Optimist: The culture changed last year. One year under Coen’s leadership will continue to build a more consistent team able to win the close games.
Pessimist: Because the Jags can never be good two years in a row or perform when they’re the hunted instead of the hunter.
Optimist: We won the division and 13 games, and we didn’t even hit our potential until November. Trevor Lawrence is playing at an MVP level now, and our entire coaching staff is elite.
Pessimist: Hit the best possible outcomes in a lot of situations last season, lost key pieces and had a rough draft.
Optimist: DUUUUVALLL!
7. Baltimore Ravens: 90.8 percent optimism
Optimist: A change of leadership brings new ideas, LJ8 always gets an MVP with a new OC, and I can see them bringing fresh impetus to a championship-caliber squad that has needed it. My confidence is high.
Optimist: Last year was such a disaster — and we still were a field goal away from winning the division.
Optimist: New wünderkind HC and OC, buy-in from the QB and the AFC and NFC South as non-division opponents? All is well in Charm City, baby!
Pessimist: Feels like we had our window with this core and missed it.
Pessimist: There is always a lot of hype, and they rarely deliver.
8. Houston Texans: 90.5 percent optimism
Optimist: The best defense in the NFL somehow got better. The offense only has to be average. If we somehow don’t win a divisional game again, I’ll eat my hat.
Optimist: The Texans finally have all the ingredients of a Super Bowl team. Stroud and the O-line are question marks, but if they hit, why can’t this team be this year’s Seahawks?
Pessimist: Don’t have faith in C.J. Stroud. He is not our QB for the future, in my opinion.
Optimist: Best defense in the league. A better offensive line. David Montgomery. C.J. just has to be average, but I think he looks more like his rookie year this year.
Pessimist: Don’t trust the offensive coordinator. Defense will again be dominant, but can’t always carry the scoreboard.
With A.J. Brown gone, the Eagles offense is likely to rely even more on star running back Saquon Barkley this season. (Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
9. Philadelphia Eagles: 89.9 percent optimism
Optimist: Without the A.J. distraction, I think the offense really bounces back.
Pessimist: Questions regarding what was a pathetic offense last year.
Optimist: The Birds go to the Super Bowl every other year, on even-numbered years. Duh.
Optimist: With LeBron coming to Philly, all of our sports teams’ morale will be boosted.
Optimist: Losing A.J. Brown certainly doesn’t help, but I think the offense is going to be way better than last year. I’m hoping Mannion can get it done. Go Birds!
10. Chicago Bears: 89.1 percent optimism
Optimist: Iceman.
Optimist: The Bears have the best head coach/QB combo in the NFL for the next decade.
Optimist: Exciting team. I can’t blame them for wanting to leave the city for financial reasons. I did the same thing.
Pessimist: Lousy defense that’s already injured, led by the most overrated DC in NFL history. Hopefully they’ll score a lot, because, gosh, they’ll need to. Caleb still has to prove it, and once again it’s behind an O-line with big question marks at LT and C.
Pessimist: Caleb is the most overrated player that has ever existed.
11. Buffalo Bills: 87.1 percent optimism
Optimist: Josh Allen + dad strength = Lombardi.
Optimist: Josh Allen. But I am sure the season will end with some controversial call.
Pessimist: I’ve had my soul crushed by this for the last 40 years. I fully expect to knock on the precipice of glory, just to have it ripped away in heartbreaking fashion in the final 13 seconds.
Optimist: Because I hate myself.
Optimist: Wide receiver corps is better. The rest of the offense is good to great. I don’t know if the defensive changes will work, but they’re finally trying to address issues in ways other than just acquiring new personnel. They’re changing the scheme.
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12. Detroit Lions: 84 percent optimism
Optimist: Call me cautiously optimistic. I think the Lions will fly a bit under the radar and be motivated by the fact that they didn’t make the playoffs last year. I don’t think they have enough defensively to get to the NFC Championship Game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they got there.
Optimist: Despite a tough NFC North, our core is still strong, our offensive coaching can only be better than last year, and “Same Old Lions” are dead and gone.
Pessimist: I know they’re playing an easy schedule, but Cade Mays’ injury will be felt on the O-line, and their defensive backfield is horrible.
Optimist: It’s make-or-break time for Dan Campbell.
Optimist: It’s more fun than being pessimistic.
13. Kansas City Chiefs: 82.1 percent optimism
Optimist: Nobody in the NFL performs at his highest level like Patrick Mahomes does when he’s being publicly doubted.
Pessimist: I’m not sold they learned and changed enough from their 6-11 campaign, thinking that was just a fluke and that they’ll be able to flip the championship switch. The WR room is a joke, and I’m not confident Reid will put Mahomes under center enough to take full advantage of Kenneth Walker. On D, they basically have to hope Delane is every bit as good as Trent McDuffie right out of the gate. A tall ask.
Optimist: We have something to prove.
Optimist: Healthy Mahomes with a legit RB in K9 is going to change this stagnant offense!
Pessimist: They’re aging. Lots of injuries last season.
14. New York Giants: 81.3 percent optimism
Optimist: Harbaugh!!!
Optimist: At this point I’m optimistic solely about the prospect of the Giants fielding a competent football team. The last few seasons have felt like we’ve been a MAC school competing in the SEC. I’m hoping to see an actual professional football team and ideally be competitive enough to be around .500. There are no expectations of making the playoffs. Just not being an embarrassment will go a long way for Giants fans.
Pessimist: Need to see the team stay out of the blue tent. Think our starters are good enough to make the playoffs, but they might all be made of glass.
Pessimist: There’s been so much fluff about Harbaugh this summer that it seems like the media and fan base have forgotten how thin the roster is. They’ll be lucky to win five games.
Optimist: Young blood on both sides of the ball and a coach who demands accountability.
15. Dallas Cowboys: 81.2 percent optimism
Optimist: An offseason that saw organized, thoughtful change. Not drama-filled nonsense.
Optimist: Rightly focused on improving defense. Not confident they are back until they win a playoff game, but they made substantial progress.
Pessimist: Because every year they are hyped up and disappoint. Until Jerry is gone, I can’t get excited.
Optimist: Drinking the Jerry Kool-Aid heavily this year. Maybe the delusion has finally gotten to me, but after watching this team for 20 years, all I have left is delusion.
Pessimist: QB1 doesn’t win the big games.
16. Los Angeles Chargers: 77 percent optimism
Optimist: It’s hard not to be overly excited about the new McDaniel-Herbert duo. I am really concerned about the shoes Chris O’Leary has to fill. At the end of the day, though, we have Jim Harbaugh at the helm, and that’s enough to give me hope.
Pessimist: Yet again, we lose a key offensive lineman before he plays a snap in the regular season. We are doomed to repeat our past like it’s a sick and twisted Groundhog Day.
Optimist: I have the memory of a goldfish. I’m ready to get hurt again.
Pessimist: Feeling the Sword of Damocles above your head when things appear to be fine is a constant state of being a Chargers fan.
Jordan Love and the Packers are riding into the 2026 season with high expectations. (John Fisher / Getty Images)
17. Green Bay Packers: 76.9 percent optimism
Optimist: One of the top QBs in the league. Micah coming back in October should enable the Packers to be a top-10-to-12 defense once he returns.
Optimist: Positions look good going into this season. Parsons will be back, as well as Kraft. Good receivers. Rookie kicker looks good, and I’m hopeful he’s strong in the cold.
Optimist: Name a year when you’re not optimistic about the Packers.
Pessimist: We’ve built a perpetual 9-11 win team. Not enough potential to win a Super Bowl, but enough gaps for the bottom to fall out if things go wrong.
18. San Francisco 49ers: 76.8 percent optimism
Optimist: The season is either ending in a Super Bowl win or seven wins because the substation swallowed everyone whole.
Pessimist: NFC West is too deep.
Optimist: I’m optimistic because I trust in Kyle and Purdy. What gives me pause are injuries and the lack of good offensive linemen.
Pessimist: Our window is shut.
Optimist: If the team is even close to healthy, they are a deep playoff team.
Can the Seahawks fend off the Rams in the NFC West?
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19. New Orleans Saints: 75 percent optimism
Optimist: A QB!!!
Pessimist: I think the Saints have another six- or seven-win season ahead of them before they take a big leap forward in 2027.
Optimist: Finally moved out of cap hell and starting to add weapons on offense (if they stay healthy).
Optimist: Hoping the green shoots seen at the end of last season grow into division-winning plants in the football desert known as the NFC South.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 68.2 percent optimism
Optimist: Because Baker has a chip on his shoulder. We have one of the best O-lines in the league, and our receivers are looking great. Also, our defense is young and coming together beautifully. Now that we have Vita, I’m confident we can do well.
Pessimist: Definition of mushy middle.
Optimist: Think we can regain the NFC South, the only real metric for success in our division.
Pessimist: Losing Mike Evans hurt. I am hopeful but not optimistic.
21. Las Vegas Raiders: 66.2 percent optimism
Optimist: Brady. Kubiak. Mendoza.
Optimist: The future is bright. Mendoza, Jeanty, Bowers and hopefully Jeremiah Smith for the next decade. Play the long game and endure one more really bad season.
Optimist: It appears the adults are running things. The optimism is based on the build to the future more than the immediate.
Pessimist: We got our future QB, but the rest of the team still sucks.
Pessimist: New everything. Very little time together. Very tough division. Defense is always my concern.
22. Carolina Panthers: 62.3 percent optimism
Optimist: Bryce will put the critics to rest this year. On defense, Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd were both great acquisitions.
Optimist: Bryce Young really turned a corner last year and finally looked like the QB we thought we were drafting. Some big regular-season wins last year showed we can keep up with the best of them on our day.
Pessimist: I’ve learned not to be too optimistic about this team. We have an unproven roster with some holes and injuries, particularly along the offensive line. I could see this team as a division winner and a dangerous playoff team, but could also see us picking in the top 10.
Pessimist: I think Bryce is poised to have his best year yet, and I think he can be a good NFL QB. But too many O-line injuries and a tough schedule have me worried.
23. Minnesota Vikings: 54.6 percent optimism
Pessimist: Although the KOC offense run through Kyler Murray has a chance to be exciting combined with the Flores defense, I have a suspicion this will leave us at the seven- to nine-win mark and continued purgatory.
Pessimist: We are once again going to be just good enough for a winning record and not good enough to win the whole thing.
Optimist: They won nine games last year with the worst QB situation outside Cleveland. If Kyler is healthy and at least average, with Flores’ defense, they should make the playoffs.
Optimist: The Vikings always seem to overachieve when they are projected to finish at the bottom of the NFC North. Brian Flores is going into Year 4, and his defensive personnel is mostly his selections. Our offensive weapons give Kyler a perfect runway to land the plane, finally settling into an environment that can nurture his skill set and get a payday in a prove-it year. Also, Justin Jefferson.
24. New York Jets: 46.2 percent optimism
Optimist: There is nothing to lose. If the Jets are good, they still have three first-round picks to trade up and get a much-needed QB. If the Jets are bad, they can likely keep their picks and are an attractive team for a new head coach. I can just sit back and enjoy the games, win or lose. That’s optimism.
Optimist: Grading on a curve, being optimistic about the Jets means thinking they’ll be a fun team hovering around .500, which I think is completely reasonable given the level of talent. Geno may not be the future, but if he even plays average this season, he’d be in contention for the Jets’ best QB season this decade.
Pessimist: We are the New York Jets, and Geno Smith is our quarterback.
Pessimist: Planning for 2027.
Optimist: The bar is on the floor.
Can Daniel Jones and the Colts recapture the magic of the first half of last season? (Michael Hickey / Getty Images)
25. Indianapolis Colts: 41.9 percent optimism
Pessimist: Chris Ballard is the Jeff Fisher of GMs. His inability to find an edge rusher continues to haunt this team.
Pessimist: I feel that Daniel Jones was a flash in the pan last year. The secondary promises to be bad. The GM is surely on his way out. This is a bad combination. Five wins.
Optimist: A 17-game rerun of the first half of last season.
Optimist: A Colts haiku: Gallop time is now. Through the wide-open meadow. AFC South champs.
Optimist: I have season tickets. I’m always optimistic.
26. Pittsburgh Steelers: 36.2 percent optimism
Pessimist: A 42-year-old quarterback and an old defense in key positions. A re-re-recycled head coach.
Pessimist: Watching the Steelers the last few years is like watching modern TV: just reboot after reboot at QB instead of a new original idea. And sorry fans of nostalgia, but the Aaron Rodgers reboot should’ve been canceled after one season. Adding Mike McCarthy as a guest star isn’t getting that elusive playoff win.
Pessimist: What has changed won’t be enough to be meaningful. On to 10-7 and a wild-card loss again.
Optimist: I hope Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers click, and with a hopefully improved offense and defense that plays up to its pay grade, that will be enough for that elusive playoff win.
27. Tennessee Titans: 36 percent optimism
Pessimist: I do not believe in Cam Ward, like some of the pundits who are more optimistic about the Titans. I hope I am wrong.
Pessimist: This franchise cares more about its new stadium and not letting the city of Houston use the “Luv Ya Blue” colorway than winning. The new GM reached on Cam Ward when they were a bottom-five roster instead of trading back and then doubled down on the reaching with Carnell Tate. They are a reactive franchise, not proactive. No vision, and the roster is still hot garbage.
Pessimist: I can’t trust Cam Ward and Daboll together until I see it with my own eyes.
Optimist: We have gotten Cam Ward some weapons. We will probably have a good defense with Saleh, and I think we can get close to making the playoffs.
28. Washington Commanders: 35.1 percent optimism
Pessimist: The offensive line lost Tunsil, and we don’t have depth. If we are leaky again (looks likely), Daniels will be running for his life!
Pessimist: Outside of Jayden Daniels, the roster just isn’t very talented.
Optimist: Getting younger and faster on defense, upgrading the receiver room and changing the offensive scheme. This team rises and falls with the health of Daniels. If he’s healthy: playoff bound. If he isn’t: Peters and Quinn are both on the hot seat.
Pessimist: If a blade of grass grows over five inches, our quarterback trips and is injured.
Optimist: Jayden Daniels deserves a resurgence.
29. Arizona Cardinals: 14.4 percent optimism
Pessimist: We’re the Cardinals. There’s rarely hope for optimism.
Pessimist: Jacoby Brissett at QB. The team appears on track to make a deep run in Arch Madness.
Pessimist: Dude. Come on.
Optimist: I know the Cardinals aren’t winning the Super Bowl, but with a new coach, new (starting?) quarterback and more developed players, I’m optimistic they’ll be better than the last few years.
30. Atlanta Falcons: 12.9 percent optimism
Pessimist: We don’t have a QB!
Pessimist: Bijan can’t also throw the ball every down.
Pessimist: We haven’t had a fun season in a decade. And we all know how that one ended.
Optimist: I’m always optimistic until Week 2. Then, I realize how much I’ll miss baseball.
Pessimist: It just feels like this franchise has had very little direction or cohesion for several seasons: Watson, Cousins/Penix, Belichick and now Matt Ryan — who we’re all thrilled to have around, but it’s hard to believe it’s going to change the culture of mediocrity.
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31. Miami Dolphins: 11.1 percent optimism
Pessimist: If anyone is optimistic about this team, I need some of whatever they’re taking.
Pessimist: It’s a rebuilding year. (Which they won’t do right.) (At least we aren’t the Jets!)
Pessimist: Miami wouldn’t be ranked in the top 20 in the FBS.
Optimist: Expectations are so low that there’s finally no way in which they can underperform. Any glimmer of positivity — whether it’s competent QB play, a halfway decent O-line or some promising rookies — will be something to build on.
32. Cleveland Browns: 2.7 percent optimism
Pessimist: (Gestures toward the obvious …)
Pessimist: Trading Myles Garrett was the organization finally acknowledging that it actually had to commit to a rebuild. We’ll see how long the decision-makers can remember that and avoid quick fixes.
Pessimist: It is the Cleveland Browns. We invent ways to be terrible. Watson needs to go, and we need to take our cap hits for his release.
Pessimist: For the past quarter century, they have been unable to find their own rear end with two hands and a flashlight.
Optimist: All of our young talent.