The Top Offseason Goal for Every NFL Team That Missed the Playoffs

The NFL playoffs are nearly here, but for 18 other teams, their offseason has already arrived. 

In fact, a good number of those teams have already gotten to work in the first week of their offseason. Nearly half of the teams that missed the playoffs have moved on from their head coach, with eight teams already on the search for a new head coach. 

Will a head coach change be enough for some of those teams? Do the teams that didn't fire their head coach just need to make some small tweaks or major upgrades to their rosters? Here's one offseason goal for every team that missed the NFL playoffs. 

Arizona Cardinals: An experienced head coach needed in the desert 

Eric D. Williams: The Cardinals moved on from head coach Jonathan Gannon after three seasons, including a final year in which Arizona lost 14 of its last 15 games. General manager Monti Ossenfort will get a chance to hire his second head coach.

Arizona also must figure out what to do at quarterback, with Kyler Murray set to earn nearly $40 million in guaranteed money next season. The Oklahoma product did not play the final 12 games of the season, as the Cardinals placed him on the injured reserve with a foot injury.

The Cardinals have an uphill climb playing in the toughest division in the league and they must hire an experienced head coach who can punch their weight against the best coaches in football. Arizona has a talented offense but still needs more pieces defensively in a continuation of an unfinished rebuilding project to legitimately compete in the NFC West. 

Atlanta Falcons: New leadership everywhere, and find a bridge QB

Greg Auman: A strong finish meant Atlanta tied for the best record in the NFC South, but an eighth straight year of missing the playoffs was too much, so coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot are out, and Rich McKay is no longer the team CEO. You could see Matt Ryan come on board in a new leadership position, and there’s talent on both sides of the ball.

With eight NFL openings, can the Falcons show they’re one of the better jobs available and get a top-tier candidate? Once that’s figured out, they have to move on from Kirk Cousins and won’t have Michael Penix healthy at the start of the year, so finding a bridge quarterback to give them a chance to win until Penix is back healthy is an important first step. Bijan Robinson might be the best all-around back in the league, and they’ll have a decision soon on whether to pay tight end Kyle Pitts or let him go in free agency, with a similar decision on receiver Drake London a year from now. Upgrading the depth at receiver is a must – it arguably was the worst in the NFL in 2025, so upgrading WR2 and WR3 will make it harder for defenses to focus on London.

The defense took a huge step forward, with James Pearce leading all rookies with 10.5 sacks, Jalon Walker not far behind and safety Xavier Watts leading all rookies with five interceptions.

Baltimore Ravens: Begin the post-Harbaugh era by nailing head coach hire

Greg Auman: Baltimore has a near-Steelers-like longevity to their coaches, so a change like this offseason, moving on from John Harbaugh after 18 years, is practically generational. It should be seen as one of the best openings in the NFL, a chance to work with an MVP in Lamar Jackson and close out the championship window with a Hall of Fame running back in Derrick Henry.

The defense took a step back in 2025, and injuries played a role in that, like losing defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, one of nine (nine!) Pro Bowlers in 2024. This was less a defense and more a collection of talent, uneven in its play from week to week. This is still a loaded roster in a division in flux — the Browns are also getting a new coach and don’t have an answer at quarterback. The Steelers will be looking (again) for a quarterback if Aaron Rodgers retires.

Individual needs? If they’re going to be an elite rushing offense, they have to upgrade their guards, as Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees both graded outside of Pro Football Focus’ top 50 at the position. And adding a linebacker would help them keep Kyle Hamilton at his natural position, where he’s one of the best in the game.

Cincinnati Bengals: Invest in defense, defense, defense

Henry McKenna: Last year, the Bengals rightfully invested in retaining their two star receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But Cincy’s 2026 offseason should start with extending edge Trey Hendrickson, who is due a massive contract (which is already overdue). That’s just step one. 

Their next step could be to extend and retain cornerbacks DJ Turner II and Dax Hill before they get too expensive. They were bright spots on an otherwise putrid defense. But that’s simply a matter of investing in what they have. That’s just how they hold off additional regression.

Once free agency opens, they’ll have to overhaul every other position on the defense, starting with linebacker and safety. They’ll have a tough evaluation, too, of edge Shemar Stewart, a 2025 first-rounder who had just one sack in his rookie season. Can they really count on him in 2026? Probably not. If there’s an above-average defensive starter that’s available (at any position), the Bengals should kick the tires. 

Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders has earned the right to be part of the QB competition, but still should search for their franchise QB 

Eric D. Williams: The search for a new head coach will be at the forefront of Cleveland’s offseason work. But finding a franchise quarterback remains a close second. Shedeur Sanders played well enough that he should be part of that conversation, along with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Armed with two first-round picks, though, Cleveland should be exploring all options to secure a franchise quarterback for the next decade. Who the team selects as the head coach will go a long way in determining where they land on the quarterback question.

The defense remains the strength of this team, led by new NFL single-season sack leader Myles Garrett. However, the Browns could use a head coach who commands the locker room and provides a stronger presence as the face of the franchise. A former head coach like John Harbaugh or Mike McCarthy would make sense in Cleveland.

Dallas Cowboys: Fix the defense, especially on the edge

Ralph Vacchiano: The whole idea that they’d somehow be a better defense without Micah Parsons was never a reality. You don’t subtract a player like that and replace his lost production. But the Cowboys' defense wasn’t just worse after the trade. It was atrocious.

And for a team with one of the NFL’s most dynamic, productive offenses, that’s a waste.

They need to fix that. Quarterback Dak Prescott and all the surrounding weapons really do give the Cowboys a legitimate chance for a Super Bowl run if they can build even a capable defense.

But it will also involve adding a dangerous edge rusher — a true disrupter capable of at least bothering opposing quarterbacks. In recent years, they’ve jettisoned Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong. That’s a lot of sacks and pressure lost that they simply haven’t replaced.

They could use an upgrade in talent in the secondary, too, but the edge rusher has to be the priority. Because if they can’t put some pressure on opposing quarterbacks and offenses, nothing else is going to matter. And all that offensive production is going to go to waste again.

Detroit Lions: Develop the coaching staff; Find an offensive playcaller they trust

Henry McKenna: The Lions were short-staffed this year. You could see that in the playcalling, which was the most dramatic storyline for Detroit. But you could also see it in the ways that the Lions struggled to cope with major injuries. Sure, it’s unlucky to lose major contributors. But every team does. It’s the coach's job to adapt, and the Lions will likely review their season and see ways in which they could have and should have evolved. Campbell’s staff needs to get better at finding solutions, which means he needs to invest time in improving that staff.

The question is whether Campbell will spend the offseason honing a skill of his own: play-calling. Campbell took over play-calling for offensive coordinator John Morton in the middle of 2025, but the Lions did not see the offense drastically improve. They were up in explosive plays and overall efficiency (with a worse offensive line) but down in points per game. And, to make it more complicated, there were times where Campbell’s attention seemed split at the end of games, where he might have wanted help from a game-management coordinator (which he didn’t have). It’s fine if Campbell gives it another spin. It’s fine if Morton — or a newcomer does. But there needs to be a better infrastructure around that voice.

Indianapolis Colts: Re-sign Daniel Jones; maintain aggressive roster-building approach

Ben Arthur: There’s plenty of risk in bringing back Jones, who’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. Not only the injury concern and timeline of return — he tore his Achilles in Week 14 — but also the possibility that his red-hot start to 2025 was more of a blip than true growth from his Giants days. But with Jones at quarterback, head coach Shane Steichen’s offense showed — in the beginning of the year — more effectiveness than at any other point of his three-year tenure. So it’s a re-signing that must be made by Steichen and Chris Ballard, who has no division titles and just two playoff appearances in nine-plus seasons as general managers.

To his credit, Ballard did pivot off his typically conservative roster-building approach with aggressiveness this past season and found some success (e.g. signing Jones to a one-year deal, signing safety Cam Bynum), though it looked bad in the end amid Indianapolis’ collapse (e.g. giving up two first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner, who played just 37 snaps over the final six weeks of the season; fellow corner Charvarius Ward, who signed a deal with the Colts worth a maximum $60 million, suffered multiple concussions and is now contemplating retirement). But some form of aggressiveness in player acquisition must carry into the new season for Ballard — and Steichen — to stick around beyond 2026. 

Kansas City Chiefs: Get the salary cap out of the red

Henry McKenna: This is not a sexy prospect for the team that, at this time last year, was trying to three-peat in the Super Bowl. But that push for history cost them dearly this offseason when they’ll be $52 million over the cap. That’s why their goal should be to get healthy physically (Mahomes’ ACL), emotionally (did anyone else feel a lack of fire in 2025?) and financially (again: $52 million in the red). Now, Chiefs fans will probably say: Just restructure Mahomes! It’ll be fine!

Sure, it will get the Chiefs out of the red. But it will also kick those financial strains down the road when they hope to kickstart the second era of their dynasty. That second era won’t work with many of the pieces in place. This should be an offseason of turnover, perhaps including Travis Kelce’s retirement. General manager Brett Veach will have to tread carefully as he brings a new world order to Kansas City over the next two years. Because, yes, that’s how long it could take to fix this financial issue.

Las Vegas Raiders: Patience needed in rebuilding team into a playoff-caliber roster

Eric D. Williams: Another year, another head coach in the desert as the Raiders fired Pete Carroll after a nightmarish, 3-14 campaign, just a year after they did the same thing with Antonio Pierce. However, the struggles for the Raiders did lead to one positive result — securing the No. 1 overall pick and a chance to select a potential franchise quarterback in Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

 Whoever the team selects as head coach has heavy lifting to do to turn things around in one of the toughest divisions in the league, playing in the AFC West. The Raiders must also smooth things over with talented edge rusher Maxx Crosby and add more playmakers to one of the worst rosters in the league.

It should be all about patience for owner Mark Davis and general manager John Spytek – something the Raiders have shown little of since the last time this franchise won a postseason game over two decades ago.

Miami Dolphins: Nail budget QB market in hopes of ending playoff win drought 

Greg Auman: It’s been 25 years since the Dolphins won a playoff game. That’s the year after Dan Marino, now 64 years old, retired. So the new general manager and head coach have to focus singularly on getting Miami back in the postseason.

Four straight wins in the middle of 2025 can give you hope, but Miami is about $23 million over the cap right now, which means it'll need cuts and restructures and cap wizardry to have any flexibility to add talent and fill the glaring holes on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins have two extra third-round picks, which helps, but their first-rounder is No. 11, not as high as you’d like when you open the year 1-6 and fire your general manager.

As much as anything, they need to start fresh at quarterback, having given ridiculous money to Tua Tagovailoa. That will create a cap hell all its own, but they have to nail the budget QB market, whether it’s trading for Mac Jones from the 49ers or finding the right number to get a Malik Willis or the other limited options in free agency.

Minnesota Vikings: Bring in veteran competition for QB J.J. McCarthy

Ben Arthur: After missing his rookie season due to injury, McCarthy in 2025 didn’t show the Vikings enough flashes to warrant optimism as a long-term franchise quarterback. He struggled, completing just 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards and 15 touchdowns (11 passing, four rushing) with 14 turnovers (12 interceptions, two lost fumbles) in a season where health continued to be an issue. The 2024 first-round pick missed seven games. 

It’s why the Vikings must bring in legitimate competition for him. Of 34 possible games,  he’s played in just eight full ones. Minnesota needs a veteran passer that will simultaneously challenge McCarthy for QB1 (think what the Colts did last offseason, when they signed Daniel Jones to challenge Anthony Richardson) and maximize a playoff-caliber roster should McCarthy not be the answer, either by his play and/or continued health issues. 

The Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell is a well-respected, offensive-minded coach who has found high-level success with multiple quarterbacks (won 13 games with Kirk Cousins in 2022, won 14 games with Sam Darnold in 14). But he can only continue to be so patient with his young quarterback. A veteran challenger can expedite McCarthy’s evaluation, helping a roster build to win now in the process. 

New Orleans Saints: Hey, is that positive momentum? Keep it going, and invest around Tyler Shough

Greg Auman: Going from 5-12 to 6-11 is the most microscopic step forward, but going from 2-10 to 6-11 feels much better – four straight wins after they shifted to rookie Tyler Shough at quarterback was a jolt of positivity the franchise has needed.

The defense showed promise under coordinator Brandon Staley — ideally, he’s not quite ready to be a head coach again and returns for a second season. New Orleans is finally getting out of the incredible cap debt that paralyzed them for years after Drew Brees’ retirement. They’re still over the cap right now, but not $100 million over the cap as they’ve been, so there’s a chance at flexibility, active help in free agency, all the nice things you want in an offseason.

They need a playmaker at receiver to put opposite Chris Olave, and they need to lock Olave up on a longterm contract that will probably cost more than $30 million a year. They’ve invested high picks into their offensive line and that will pay off, but they need to get young at running back and replenish that side of the offense as well.  

The NFC South will be seen as wide-open in 2026, which means a small step forward, aided by a last-place schedule, makes anything possible. After five years out of the playoffs, can they end their drought before Atlanta ends their own?

New York Giants: Hire an experienced head coach

Ralph Vacchiano: The pieces of a bright future are actually there. They’ve got a good, young quarterback (Jaxson Dart), a No. 1 receiver (Malik Nabers), two running backs (Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy), a strong defensive line (Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Abdul Carter), an experienced secondary (Jevon Holland, Paulson Adebo). That, at the very least, is a promising core.

What they need now is someone who can put it all together. They went 1-7 in one-score games this season. They blew five double-digit leads and five games in which they led in the fourth quarter. That’s more of a sign of bad coaching than a lack of talent. And while it’s easy to say "Just hire the best coach" regardless of experience, let’s face it: The Giants have been terrible at picking coaches since Tom Coughlin left.

So this time, find a guy who has done it before — someone who’s had at least one season of success, who can learn from whatever mistakes he already made. The last thing they need is another coach learning on the job. This franchise has been a disaster for a decade. They can’t wait for a rookie coach to figure it out. They need a guy who knows what he’s doing, now. If they do that, the turnaround could be quick.

New York Jets: Find their franchise quarterback

Ralph Vacchiano: Granted, this has been their primary goal for more than 50 years, but it is hugely important for the one-year-old regime of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. They do not have a viable quarterback on their roster, and without one their program will be doomed, as so many have been doomed before them.

And this time, they can’t go with a short-term stopgap. No more veterans on their last legs (Aaron Rodgers) or players who failed at previous stops (Justin Fields). That means that this year, they shouldn’t trade for Mac Jones or sign Malik Willis and hope that the year they spent in better situations fixed their flaws. And no waiting until the 2027 draft either. They need a young franchise quarterback to develop now.

Lucky for them, they might be high enough in the draft to get one. If not, they need to spare no expense in trade to move up. Because nothing — nothing — is more important in the NFL than having that quarterback, and if they don’t pick the right one and start developing him now, finding a franchise quarterback is just going to be someone else’s problem with the Jets in a couple of years.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Find some consistency by improving defensive front

Greg Auman: Tampa Bay had two seasons in 2025, coming out of the gates 6-2, sitting atop the NFL power rankings with Baker Mayfield throwing 16 touchdowns against two interceptions. And then the wheels came off. They lost seven of eight games, and still came within a tiebreaker of winning a bad division, losing out on another game’s outcome in Week 18.

Public sentiment did not want Todd Bowles back, but the Bucs are bringing him back for a fifth season, with promises of staff changes. That might include him ceding the defensive play call and hiring a coordinator, and it might mean a change on offense to give him five coordinators in five seasons.

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers saw their playoff appearance streak end at five this season.. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

The Bucs need to actively upgrade their defensive front — Lavonte David is likely retiring, so you might need two starters at linebacker, and Tampa Bay mustered only 12 sacks in the final nine games, so adding an elite pass-rusher, whether with the No. 15 pick in April or in free agency, is crucial to the entire defense. Can they get back atop the division they won four years in a row, avoiding the coach firing and restarting the rest of the division that has cycled through in the last two years? It’s up to Bowles to win over the fans he lost in the second half of 2025.

Tennessee Titans: Hire a culture-setting, demanding leader as head coach 

Ben Arthur: With the Titans, we can talk about how Cam Ward needs more support personnel-wise on offense. How the new scheme needs to be catered to his strengths. How the defense needs a talent infusion on all three levels. How better players are needed across the board. But everything in Nashville begins with hiring the right coach. 

Since firing Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season, there’s been a noticeable leadership void. Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk’s unpredictability — two head coaches and two general managers have been fired over the last 36-plus months — hasn’t helped.

So the new coach must have a proven ability to establish a culture, hold the team accountable and embrace conflict as necessary — all qualities that general manager Mike Borgonzi discussed in his end-of-season press conference. An offensive-minded coach with those attributes would be the best-case scenario for Ward and his long-term development, but that doesn’t mean Tennessee should rule out defensive or special teams coaches. 

The Bears, Patriots and Jaguars were among the NFL’s worst teams in 2024, but they’re all in the playoffs this year after nailing their head coach hire. That should be a source of inspiration for the Titans. 

Washington Commanders: Beef up that defensive line

Ralph Vacchiano: This Commanders' season has been derailed by injuries, particularly the big one to quarterback Jayden Daniels. But to be honest, it was destined to end in disappointment anyway because of this unavoidable truth: The defense isn’t good. And it hasn’t been in two seasons under Dan Quinn.

The rebuilding project there has to start on the defensive line, which is the primary culprit for why they ranked 30th in rushing defense last year and 31st this year. When Quinn and GM Adam Peters arrived, they had a defensive line filled with former No. 1 picks and potential. But now it’s one that gets pushed around way too often.

And the pass rush is very middling. It would also be worse if it weren’t for 36-year-old Von Miller, who likely won’t be back next season. Nobody else on the defense has come close to being a quarterback-rattling threat.

So that’s what they need to find, either with their top 10 draft pick or in free agency — maybe both. They need a game-wrecker on defense and probably multiple players along their defensive front. They have the offensive pieces to be a contender next season. But it won’t happen if they can’t stop the bleeding on the defensive side of the ball.

The following writers contributed to this story: Ben Arthur (@benyarthur); Greg Auman (@gregauman); Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis); Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano); Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams).

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