Colin Cowherd loves a good debate, and his first Herd Hierarchy of the 2026 season is already getting people fired up. This isn’t just another preseason power ranking; it’s Cowherd’s honest, often contrarian take on which teams are truly built for a Super Bowl run. He made one thing clear from the start: making it to Super Bowl LX last season does not guarantee anyone a spot in his top 10. The New England Patriots learned that the hard way. They were not the only notable absence, either. Cowherd acknowledged that both the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens were close enough to the cut line that he had to talk himself through them, but in the end they didn’t make it. His message was simple: there’s plenty of football left, and teams left out can absolutely play their way into the hierarchy. But this is where he stands right now, before Week 1 ever kicks off. The list does include at least the team that won Super Bowl LX, so it’s not a complete disrespect to recent history. It’s more about what Cowherd sees on the field when he watches film. At No. 10, he started with the Cincinnati Bengals, a team he believes has made one of the most underrated transitions of the offseason. He noted that the Bengals won the division both times Joe Burrow had a top-20 defense. That’s no accident. Now, with Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Kyle Dugger, Cashius Howell and Boye Mafe joining the roster, Cowherd thinks Cincinnati finally has that kind of defense. He also looked at the division and saw an older Aaron Rodgers twice plus uncertainty under center in Cleveland. That should allow Burrow to stop playing hero ball and just win football games. In his words, Burrow is a playoff quarterback when he doesn’t have to win every game in a track meet.
At No. 9, Cowherd turned to the Houston Texans, and he was almost glowing. He called them the best defense in the league by a margin, which is a massive statement given how many talented defenses exist. He acknowledged that C.J. Stroud has made too many mistakes over the last two years, but he still believes in the quarterback. The real foundation is on the other side of the ball. Houston returns 10 of 11 starters from a group that shut down the Los Angeles Rams, something the Seahawks couldn’t do. With Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr., the Texans have three players who are among the best at their positions in football. Cowherd also loves DeMeco Ryans as the head coach and is impressed with what the general manager has built. The one concern he kept coming back to is staying healthy at wide receiver. If that group can hold up, he thinks Houston has the defense and enough offense to be a real problem. Just above the Texans, at No. 8, are the Chicago Bears. Cowherd’s reasoning starts with a simple stat: the Bears are 10-1 when they win the turnover battle. And he trusts Caleb Williams to protect the football. Williams has never thrown many interceptions, not at USC, not in the NFL, not even in high school. To Cowherd, that’s not luck; it’s a skill. He also sees the receiving group starting to fulfill its potential. With Colston Loveland, Luther Burden and a finally healthy Rome Odunze, the Bears could have an elite trio. Odunze had a nice camp, and the pieces are in place. The only thing that worries Cowherd is the pass rush. It’s too inconsistent. If Chicago can’t generate pressure, those turnover numbers might not look as good. Still, he believes in this roster enough to put them at No. 8.
At No. 7, Cowherd gave us a team that might surprise some people: the Denver Broncos. He thinks too many people are overselling the fact that Denver trailed in a lot of games last year. The Broncos made a big addition in Jaylen Waddle, and Cowherd believes that gives the passing game a boost it badly needed. They already return 41 of their 43 offensive touchdowns, which means continuity is not a problem. Up front, Denver gave up the fewest sacks in the league, and on defense they have led the NFL in sacks for two straight years. That’s a team that wins at the line of scrimmage, something Cowherd always values. He also has enormous respect for Sean Payton as a coach. And he pushed back on the idea that Bo Nix is just a placeholder. Nix may not be a superstar, but Cowherd says he’s pretty good, and pretty good is enough when the defense and offensive line are this solid. The schedule is hard and the division is loaded, but that doesn’t change what he sees. At No. 6, the Los Angeles Chargers make the list, and Cowherd was honest about his concerns. He still worries about the interior offensive line. But he can’t ignore the fact that the Chargers went 11-6 last year despite having what he called the lowest-rated offensive line in football. Now they’ve brought in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, and Cowherd thinks that’s a perfect match for Justin Herbert. The weapons are good enough. They added a rookie edge rusher in the first round, and Omario Hampton is healthy at running back. The Chargers were the only team in the league to finish top five in third-down offense and third-down defense. That kind of efficiency, combined with a smart coordinator, makes them dangerous.
At No. 5, Cowherd went with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he admitted this was a close call. The first thing he mentioned was the offensive line. Philadelphia has a No. 2-ranked offensive line, and Cowherd has a long-standing belief that if you have a top-five or top-six offensive line, you are going to make the playoffs more often than not. There are questions at receiver, though. Is DeVonta Smith a real No. 1 without A.J. Brown? Cowherd seems to think the Eagles have solved that problem by adding Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown and rookie Makai Lemon. Lemon had a spotty camp, but the group as a whole is good enough. Add a great running game and a quarterback who doesn’t lose games, and Philadelphia can win in multiple ways. Their schedule is also easy by NFC standards, which gives them a path to build confidence and stay healthy. At No. 4, Cowherd picked the Detroit Lions and made it clear he believes they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Lions have the easiest schedule in the league, but more importantly, they have a new offensive coordinator who is viewed as an upgrade inside the building. The skill players are the real story. Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams give Detroit the kind of explosive playmaking that can end drives in one snap. Cowherd stressed that you can’t just rely on long, grinding drives week after week. You need home runs. You need Gibbs or Williams to turn a short pass into 70 yards. Great teams find those easy touchdowns, and Detroit has the players to create them. That’s why Cowherd thinks they’ll be in the mix at the end.
At No. 3, Cowherd has the Buffalo Bills, and he says he likes them more than most people do. The Bills are the largest favorites to win their division, and Josh Allen has been dominant against the AFC East, going 28-8 in those games. Cowherd compared Allen’s division dominance to Tom Brady, which is about as high as praise gets. He also loves the addition of D.J. Moore. Moore isn’t flashy, and he doesn’t show up on many highlight reels, but he’s durable, professional, runs great routes and gets open. Cowherd believes Moore is a real No. 1 receiver and that people simply don’t understand how good he is. The Bills’ rush defense was a legitimate weakness last season, and Cowherd acknowledged that. But he also pointed out that Buffalo has spent more draft capital on defense over the last two years than any other team. He thinks those investments are about to start paying off. If the young defenders step up, Buffalo has everything it needs to make a deep run. At No. 2, Cowherd made another bold move by choosing the Los Angeles Rams. He called them the most talented team in football, which is no small compliment. But he put them at No. 2 rather than No. 1 because he worries about the hunted element. When everyone expects you to win, it’s hard to stay motivated week after week. The Rams also have some age in key spots, and their schedule will test them as a heavy favorite. Can Davante Adams stay healthy? Will Puka Nacua be available every week? Cowherd loves the tight ends, the running back, the coach and the quarterback, but he noted that the quarterback is 38 years old. That’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s a reason to be careful. He ultimately had them just below his No. 1 team.
Cowherd’s No. 1 team is the Seattle Seahawks, and he made his case with a mix of data and feel. Seattle’s best players are all entering their athletic primes: Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon. They are also, in his words, a no-ego team. This is not the old Seahawks squad with Pete Carroll and a locker room full of big personalities like Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson. That team was great, but it was also loud. This version is quieter. Mike Macdonald is only the third-most talked-about head coach in his own division, and that’s fine with Cowherd. Darnold still plays with a chip on his shoulder, Smith-Njigba doesn’t get nearly the recognition he deserves, and Seattle doesn’t have the brand-name stars that dominate national coverage. As a result, the Seahawks are still undervalued in the market. Cowherd loves that. He wants teams that are good but overlooked, talented but not distracted. And with the Super Bowl LX champions at the top of his list, he’s not backing away from a bold take. Of course, this is just Week 1 of the hierarchy. Injuries, unexpected losses and breakout players will change everything within a few weeks. Kansas City and Baltimore are too good to stay out forever. New England has the roster to bounce back. But for now, Cowherd is comfortable with his top 10. It starts with the Bengals and Texans on the fringe, moves through a fascinating middle of Bears, Broncos, Chargers, Eagles, Lions and Bills, and ends with the Rams and Seahawks. It’s not the safest list, and that’s exactly the point. Cowherd wants to start a conversation, and he has done that before the 2026 season even begins.
