The current NFL divisional alignment has been in place since 2002. With an even amount of teams at 32, there may never be a change in the NFL’s divisions. But hypothetically speaking, WHAT IF the league decided to try something new?
For this exercise, we are going to try a twist. We aren’t doing a divisional realignment proposal based on geography or team rivalries. What do we mean exactly? You’ll have to continue watching to find out.
So bear with us as we propose a weird, wacky and wild realignment for all eight NFL divisions — along with which conference we’d assign them to.
Find out where your favorite NFL team landed in this division realignment.
1. The Superteam Division (AFC)
This division is clear-cut and straightforward. Let’s group four of the league’s best star-studded teams — ones set up for long-term success — into one division and let chaos ensue.
So, who makes up the superteam division:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Philadelphia Eagles
- San Francisco 49ers
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Baltimore Ravens
Ravens fans are still waiting for Lamar Jackson to deliver the franchise’s third Lombardi Trophy. But Jackson’s ridiculous 58-19-0 regular season record and two MVP awards are all you need to know. These Ravens are in contention every year, and perhaps it’s only a matter of time until they break through.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are the class of the NFL, having won four AFC Championships and three Super Bowls since Patrick Mahomes became their starter in 2018. The team has reached the AFC title game in each of the last six years.
The Chiefs cemented themselves as a dynasty after defeating the 49ers in Super Bowl 58 to complete a Super Bowl repeat. And as long as they have Mahomes and Andy Reid, KC will always be in the mix.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles won it all in the 2017 season and just-barely lost a heartbreaker to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57. They’re an annual contender under GM Howie Roseman — who’s assembled a star-studded core led by Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, AJ Brown, Saquon Barkley, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Josh Sweat and Darius Slay.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have played in four of the last five NFC Championship Games under Kyle Shanahan, losing two Super Bowls to Mahomes’ Chiefs. Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Brock Purdy, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Enough said.
All four of these teams are capable of winning now and over the next five years. Who wouldn’t want to the see them duke it out in the same NFL division?!
2. The “We’re So Close To Winning Our First Super Bowl” Division (NFC)
This division features four Super Bowl contenders whose windows are wide open…but also ones who have yet to lay their hands on the Lombardi Trophy.
Your participants in the “We’re So Close To Winning Our First Super Bowl” are…
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
- Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals lost two Super Bowls to the 49ers in the ‘90s and endured over thirty years of mediocrity. But in Joe Burrow’s two healthy seasons, they’ve played in one Super Bowl and two AFC Championship Games.
Burrow is a top-five QB in football. He has the league’s second-best wide receiver in Ja’Marr Chase and a championship-caliber defense to lead the way. It just feels like a matter of time until the Bengals break through with their first title.
Of course, the three other “we’re so close” NFL teams in the division would have something to say about it.
Detroit Lions
Dan Campbell’s Lions were a couple of non-costly miscues away from beating the 49ers and advancing to their first Super Bowl. Loaded with elite young talents like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, and Terrion Arnold to complement star QB Jared Goff, Detroit has the pieces in place to win multiple Super Bowls this decade.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans came out of nowhere to win the AFC South last season, thanks to the help of young superstars CJ Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr., Nico Collins and Tank Dell. With Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter now coming to town, the Texans look like a team that’s finally set to break through and win their first Super Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are on the right path with Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson steering the ship. They are loaded with a mix of young talents like Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Travis Etienne, Brian Thomas Jr and standout veterans like Brandon Scherff, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram.
If Lawrence can find consistency and hit his full ceiling after three up-and-down seasons, the Jaguars may soon celebrate their first Super Bowl as well. Hey, they were in the elite eight two years ago…
3. The Chokers Division (NFC)
To be eligible for this division, these four NFL teams must have zero Super Bowl banners hanging in their stadiums. These teams have long histories of churning out super-talented teams loaded with Hall of Fame-like talents, only to choke when the lights turn bright.
This division is made up of the following:
- Atlanta Falcons
- Buffalo Bills
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons, well, what can we say? 28-3 will always loom over the franchise. But how about when they blew a 17-point lead to the 49ers in the 2012 NFC Championship Game? Getting crushed by the sixth-seeded Green Bay Packers as the No. 1 seed in the 2010 Divisional Round?
Until/unless Atlanta breaks through with a Super Bowl championship, the franchise will always carry the “chokers” label.
Buffalo Bills
Ditto for the Bills. Four straight Super Bowl losses in the ‘90s. The Music City Miracle Game. And since Josh Allen’s rise to stardom? The 13-second game. Wide Right Part II, just to name a few. This generation of Bills fans goes through similar heartbreak to those who watched the ‘90s squad choke when it mattered most every year.
Los Angeles Chargers
A “Chokers” NFL division is not complete without the Chargers. Google “Classic Chargers” and you’ll find the amazing history of them blowing leads. The Marlon McCree Fumble. The loss to Mark Sanchez’s New York Jets in the ‘09 Wild Card Round. The blown 27-point lead to the Jaguars in the 2022 Wild Card Round. Woof, we’re getting hurt just talking about this.
Minnesota Vikings
And then you have the Vikings. Oh, where to start? Losing four Super Bowls with the legendary Bud Grant as head coach? Gary Anderson’s miss in the ‘98 NFC title game? Brett Favre’s interception in the ‘09 NFC Championship? Blair Walsh’s miss in the 2015 playoffs?
This is why we need a chokers division. Who would out-choke the other chokers? Something would have to give every time these four teams play!
4. The Living On Past Glory Division (AFC)
The four teams in this list don’t have much to celebrate these days, but they sure love to talk about the past as if it was yesterday. Good thing these teams were relevant at some point in their history.
Please welcome your “Living on the Past Glory” teams:
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- New England Patriots
- Washington Commanders
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys may have five Super Bowls to brag about, but their last one was almost 30 years ago. Talk to a diehard Dallas fan, however, and they’ll talk as if the dynasty is still going while conveniently ignoring that it was three decades ago.
Denver Broncos
Good thing the Broncos won two Super Bowls with John Elway and another with Peyton Manning. Three Super Bowls is no joke, but the team has been mired in mediocrity for most of the 21st century, having failed to qualify for the postseason since they won Super Bowl 50 in 2015.
New England Patriots
The Patriots? Well, congrats on being the team of the century with six Super Bowls over an 18-year span. But with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick gone, all Patriots fans can do now is pull up the old vault and relive the past, because this team faces a long road to returning to relevance.
Washington Commanders
Dan Snyder destroyed this once-proud franchise during his horrible and controversy-filled 24-year run as Washington owner that mercilessly ended in 2023. On the bright side, this historic organization won three Super Bowls with the legendary Joe Gibbs.
Sucking for 30 years, well, sucks. But as they say: ”Flags fly forever”, and the long-suffering Commanders fans will always have those three Super Bowl flags to celebrate.
With the directions of these current franchises, a division title might be all there is to celebrate — so of course it makes sense for the four teams to be grouped in one NFL division.
5. The Mushy Middle Division (AFC)
This division is for teams that are good enough to contend for a playoff spot, but not good enough to compete for a Super Bowl. They’re also not bad enough to continuously tank for franchise-changing draft picks, so that means they’re always stuck in that seven-to-10-win range.
Without further ado, your “mushy middle” teams!
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have won seven-plus games seven times since 2015, but they have just one playoff win to show for it.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are almost identical to the Colts: Six seasons of seven or more wins since 2015. Two playoff appearances, but zero postseason victories.
Seattle Seahawks
Since 2016, the Seahawks have finished with seven to ten wins six times. Since 2017, they have just one playoff victory—against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2019 Wild Card Round.
Tennessee Titans
And the Titans are sure something else. They had four straight 9-win seasons from 2016 to 2019. That was followed by back-to-back AFC South division titles with one-and-done playoff exits in 2020 and 2021, a 7-10 finish in 2022, and a 6-11 record in 2023.
So there you go. Four teams that can compete for wild card appearances but not much more. Also never bad enough to tank.
Hey, someone would have to win the “mushy middle” NFL division. And someone would have to finish last place and put themselves in a position to tank!
6. The “Can Never Have Nice Things” Division (AFC)
This division is reserved for teams whose fanbases endure torture every year. They have never won a Super Bowl. They’re mostly lousy and almost never in title contention. And when they are a playoff team, they just break their fans hearts by stinking up the big games:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Carolina Panthers
- Cleveland Browns
- New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals franchise hasn’t won a league championship since 1947, when they were based in Chicago. That is the longest active title drought among all North American sports teams.
Arizona has also played in just one Super Bowl, which they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 season. Since 2010, they’ve made the postseason twice and have one playoff win — way-back-when against the Packers in the 2015 Divisional Round.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers played in two Super Bowls and lost both. Since 2018, they have been tied for football’s worst record with the Jets at 31-68-0. Under owner David Tepper, the team keeps recycling through new coaches, GMs, and quarterbacks. We feel for you, Carolina fans.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are…well…the Browns. They’ve never played in a Super Bowl and have one playoff victory since 1995. They sucked for most of the 21st century before finding a little more stability over Myles Garrett, Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry. Still, one playoff victory in this century isn’t much to celebrate.
New York Jets
The Jets have been a media circus since the Rex Ryan-Mark Sanchez days. Just when Aaron Rodgers’ arrival was supposed to change everything in 2023, he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear minutes into his debut.
Unless Rodgers can bring the Jets back to relevance at the tail end of his career, they won’t escape their place in this NFL division.
7. The “Historically Significant” Division (NFC)
This division consists of four of the NFL’s oldest and most storied franchises:
- Chicago Bears
- Green Bay Packers
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- New York Giants
Chicago Bears
You have to keep the Bears and Packers in the same division. They’re the most storied NFL rivalry of all time, and nobody benefits from them splitting up. The Bears only have one Super Bowl, but those eight NFL championships before the NFL-AFL merger speak for themselves.
Green Bay Packers
The Bears and Packers are over 100 years old. They are both one of the oldest teams in league history and their rivalry should continue throughout the next century.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have six Super Bowls. Four apiece for the Giants and Packers. The Steelers was established in 1933.
New York Giants
The Giants have won four Super Bowls as a team. The team was established in 1925.
To maintain historic rivalries, there has to be one division with teams who have historic significance. These four perfectly round it out.
8. The “We’ve Had Our Time In The Sun But Are Mostly Irrelevant” Division (NFC)
In other words, you probably don’t know many — if anyone – who owns a jersey of these teams. Each of these clubs has at least one Lombardi Trophy, but there isn’t any historic consistency or long-term relevance to speak of:
- Los Angeles Rams
- Miami Dolphins
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have four NFC Championship banners and two Super Bowls dating back to 1999. But they’ve struggled to develop much of a fanbase — both in St. Louis and outside of Los Angeles. Remember, they also didn’t make the playoffs once from 2005 to 2016 either.
Miami Dolphins
Don Shula led Miami to consecutive Super Bowl championships in 1972 and ‘73 — including the only perfect season in the former year. They made two more Super Bowls in the ‘80s and lost both of them.
But since Dan Marino’s retirement, Miami has been completely irrelevant. One playoff victory in the 21st century, and four playoff berths since 2002.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints won their lone Super Bowl in 2009, had some more fun runs with Drew Brees but never got to another title. They’re a seven-to-nine-win team at best these days. Good thing they had their moment in the sun more than a decade ago.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have two Super Bowl victories this century. But with Tom Brady long gone, they’ve lost their swagger and magic. Nobody outside of Tampa really follows the Bucs anymore now that the GOAT is gone.
