10 NFL Teams Headed Toward DISASTER That Nobody Sees Yet
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
In the NFL, disaster is always lurking. It’s a physical and violent game. One play, one injury, can alter the course of a franchise. Too dramatic? Maybe, but the point remains, disaster is always lurking for an NFL team.
Whether due to injury, roster construction, mismanagement, salary cap issues, or another reason, when disaster strikes, it can impact an organization for years. Let’s take a look at 10 NFL teams that are at different stages of a downfall, but are all still heading towards disaster.
Which NFL teams are going on a slow demise?
Kansas City Chiefs
Let’s start off our list by getting people made right away, shall we? The Chiefs have been the best team in the AFC, if not the NFL, over the past dozen years. Between 2013 and 2024, the Chiefs made the playoffs in 11 seasons, including 10 straight years. They made 5 Super Bowls, winning 3, including back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, but then, in 2025, we got a glimpse of the future.
Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL. Mahomes is scheduled to return to the field in 2026, but there’s no telling how effective he’ll be coming off a major injury, and we all saw how ineffective the Chiefs’ offense was without him last year. In addition, tight end Travis Kelce, who has been one of the best in the game, is finally starting to show his age, the wear and tear of playing in the NFL for 13 years, and possibly enjoying the famous musician life a little too much.
(C’mon, let’s blame Taylor for the Chiefs’ downfall) Kansas City did add running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency to unburden Mahomes, so that should help matters in the short term; however, unless the Chiefs really start looking at their post-Mahomes/Kelce future and address those underlying problems, hard times are coming to KC.
Miami Dolphins
It might be sunny in South Florida, but there’s a very dark cloud hanging over the Miami Dolphins. Sadly, that cloud has been there for over 25 years, ever since Dan Marino hung up his jersey. The Dolphins spent an entire season “Tanking for Tua” and then selecting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa 5th overall in the 2020 Draft. Tua was viewed as the savior of the franchise.
He was not. In fact, Miami released Tua this offseason, enduring a record breaking $99.2 million hit against the salary cap just to part ways with the quarterback. The salary cap issue is not the Fins’ only problem. The team also cleaned house in the front office, entering the 2026 NFL season with a new General Manager and new Head Coach.
The Dolphins also have a myriad of issues on the field, such as a complete lack of skill in the receiving corps, a porous offensive line, a defense that also lacks skill, and poor roster depth. They are built around star running back De’Von Achane and nothing else. Sadly, this poorly assembled roster will have one of the toughest schedules next season.
Things are dark in South Beach. It remains to be seen whether or not this regime can turn things around, but the organization’s history suggests more of the same in Miami.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans are a team that is in need of an overhaul. The only problem is that they are the only ones who don’t seem to know it. They have had 3 losing seasons in the last 5 years. Considering that they haven’t had a long-term coach since Sean Payton left in 2021 and they have had a coaching carousel, it’s fair to ask if current coach Kellen Moore will be around for much longer.
The bigger issue lies in the locker room. The Saints have some talented players, but the long-term cohesiveness has some serious questions. For the last 8 seasons, running back Alvin Kamara has been the team’s leading rusher; he was its leading receiver in 2020 as well, but he has begun to show the signs of wear and tear. This offseason, New Orleans brought in Travis Etienne Jr. to lighten Kamara’s load.
Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson provide young threats at wide receiver, but will 26-year-old, second-year quarterback Tyler Shough be able to get them the ball? The Saints think Shough is the long-term answer at quarterback, but based on 2025, that remains to be seen. Defensively, their secondary is solid, but their run defense is shoddy. The overriding issue for the Saints is age.
The running backs are leaving their prime, the receivers are young or entering their prime, and the QB is 26 and a question. That’s too much to expect to come together at once.
Indianapolis Colts
With the exception of a 2020 season in which they finished at 4-12-1, the Colts have hovered around .500 for the last 5 years. That might be the high mark for the next several years, as things are not looking up in Indianapolis.
Daniel Jones was lost in the 2025 season to a torn Achilles, and while he might return in 2026, it’s fair to question how effective he’ll be. This NFL team fell apart after his injury, so if he’s not 100%, who will be the quarterback? The Colts have seemed to lose complete faith in Anthony Richardson, the former 1st-round draft pick, and last season were forced to bring in the retired 44-year-old Philip Rivers.
That says all you need to know about the Colts quarterback situation. Running back Jonathan Taylor is a stud in the backfield, but he’s had an injury history himself. Defensively, Indy is not good either. In 2025, they were ranked 21st in the NFL, and while they imported some talent in the offseason, there are still plenty of questions there. If things shake out right, Indianapolis might make the playoffs in 2026, but this list is about teams heading for disasters. And there’s one coming to the Colts.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals returned to Arizona for the 1988 season and have been a disaster since. Since their return to the desert, the Cards have made the playoffs in only 6 out of 38 years. That run of ineptitude will continue for a while longer as they embark on yet another rebuild. The Cards decided to part ways with former 1st round pick, quarterback Kyler Murray.
Much like another NFL team on our list, Arizona decided it was better to release its quarterback and incur a $54.7 million salary cap hit. Not only does that leave salary-cap issues, but it also leaves only Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis, and Brissett is threatening a holdout. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., TE Trey McBride, and Jeremiyah Love have talent, but considering that no one might be able to get them the ball, it just won’t be enough.
The defense lacks depth and is questionable in the pass rush. The Arizona Cardinals always seem to be on lists regarding teams that won’t make the playoffs, or, like this article, teams that have bleak outlooks. That designation is fair. This organization is a complete disaster.
Buffalo Bills
I think we’ve come to the point in this article where it’s time for me to anger another fan base. Hello Buffalo!! The Bills have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last decade. They have dominated the AFC East, winning the division 5 of the last 6 years, but they have not made it to a Super Bowl, and their time is running out.
For the better part of the last 10 years, it seemed like the Bills never tasted postseason glory because the Chiefs stood in their way. Yet the 2025 season felt different, especially after Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL and was lost for the season. This felt like the year, until it wasn’t.
The season ended with an OT loss to the Broncos in the Divisional Round (more on that later). With Mahomes set to return in 2026, the Bills’ nemesis will return to full strength, ready to take their place back atop the AFC, but the 2025 season showed us the future as well. As we saw, there are younger teams who are ready to play with the Big Boys now.
After last season, it’s fair to say that the Broncos and Patriots have arrived. Which makes the Bills a win-now team. Sorry, Western New York, but if the Bills don’t win within the next two years, things will get very rough in Buffalo.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have been rebuilding for the past few years. It looks like the rebuild will last for many more years. They have finished the last two seasons with identical 3-14 records. It remains to be seen whether or not second-year quarterback Cam Ward is the answer under center, but he did show promise in 2025, with 3,169 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Fortunately for the Titans, the team has so many other issues that quarterback isn’t one… for now. Tennessee was in need of a complete roster overhaul. They spent $191 million in free agency to rebuild the defense. Apparently, they are hoping to stop NFL teams from scoring and win with defense, because their offense might not do much. One would think that a team would want to surround its young signal caller with all of the things that he needs to be successful, but the Titans haven’t done that. Running backs Troy Pollard and Tyjae Spears are solid backfield options, but neither is truly dominant.
They have Calvin Ridley at wide receiver, but which Ridley shows up? The 1,000-yard receiver, one, the injured one, or the suspended one? New wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson provides a nice steady option, but the combination of him and Ridley will remind no one of Rice/Owens or Carter/Moss. At least there are lots of other things to do in Nashville until the Titans are relevant again.
Philadelphia Eagles
Since 2017, the Eagles have made the playoffs in all but one year, with 3 Super Bowl appearances and 2 championships in that span. One remarkable accomplishment over that time period is their ability to retool while still being competitive. After missing the playoffs in 2020, Philadelphia decided to part ways with Head Coach Doug Pederson and move on from quarterback Carson Wentz.
The decision to turn to Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts, respectively, turned out to be a great move for the organization. As Philly begins to turn over their roster again, will they have the same success? Hurts will turn 28 before the season, and while he’s still one of the best in the league, he’s had a lot of wear and tear over the years, and he’s expensive. His deal runs through 2028 with an average salary of about $51 million. When he hits free agency, with his resume, he’ll be able to ask for the moon.
The Eagles have injury histories and roster depth issues up and down the lineup, with the offensive line a major concern. This offseason, A.J. Brown’s situation hovers over the organization. He’s expected to be traded in June, but things could change. That’s a lot for a team to try to navigate as it attempts to be competitive and retool at the same time. The Eagles got lucky once; it won’t happen twice.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have traded playoff appearances for disappointing seasons over the last 4 years, so they first need to determine which version best represents the team. Depending on who’s under center in 2026, the Vikings will either be on their 3rd or 4th different starting quarterback in the last 4 years.
Right now, it’s a battle between the incumbent J.J. McCarthy and newly acquired Kyler Murray, the QB the Cardinals released and decided to absorb a $54.7 million cap hit to play elsewhere. The Vikings better hope one of them is the long-term answer, and I don’t believe either is, because if not, the teardown will begin. Age is another factor for this team, especially if neither quarterback works out.
Their starting running back, tight end, and top three wide receivers are all at, beyond, or reaching their prime years. In the 2026 season, RB Aaron Jones will turn 32, TE T.J. Hockenson will be 29, and WRs Justin Jefferson (27) and Jauan Jennings (29) are all heading towards the second half of their careers.
Only Jordan Addison, at 24, provides any long-term security. The Vikings will be competitive for the next couple of years, but will probably be tearing it all down and rebuilding rather than celebrating a championship.
Dallas Cowboys
We started the last angering a fanbase, so let’s end the list the same way. The Cowboys are another franchise in need of a rebuild, but due to a major financial commitment at quarterback, they are unable to truly undertake one. Let’s start there. As he begins his 11th NFL season, quarterback Dak Prescott will be 33 and has dealt with injury issues throughout his career.
He’s signed through 2028 and is also one of the highest-paid players in the league. Like the Eagles earlier, Dallas will have to decide on a legendary, aging, expensive free-agent quarterback. They have also given a large extension to WR CeeDee Lamb. Bottom line, the Cowboys, who are already facing salary cap limitations, are heading towards a salary cap that will severely limit their ability to make transactions.
Instability in other parts of the roster will impact the franchise both in 2026 and beyond. Dallas has numerous questions on the defensive side of the ball, and they suffer from porous offensive line play that has put heavy pressure on the quarterback and the running game.
Not only will the pounding they take on the field limit their effectiveness, but how long before Prescott and RB Javonte Williams wind up injured? Like others on our list, the Cowboys will be competitive in 2027 and 2027, but after that, things will be bleak. (Sorry, Danny).
