Week 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason is wrapping up.
NFL teams started their preseason slates this week, following the season-opening Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio last week. The preseason isn't always an indicator of what's to come in the regular season, of course, but that doesn't stop anyone from overreacting to what they're seeing.
So far, through one week, Ty Simpson looks like a big-time pick by the Rams, Shedeur Sanders appears to be struggling in Cleveland and Sonny Styles had a questionable debut in Washington.
But which NFL teams are expected to be the league's worse after the first week of the preseason?
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
According to ESPN's computer model, the Football Power Index, the following five teams are expected to be the NFL's worst following the opening week of the preseason:
- Miami Dolphins
- Arizona Cardinals
- New York Jets
- Cleveland Browns
- Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN's computer model projects the Dolphins to be the league's worst team this year. Miami is not expected to contend in any way in the AFC East.
How ESPN's computer model rankings work
ESPN's computer model rankings are a projection-based system.
"The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily," ESPN's computer model, the Football Power Index, writes.
Who do you have as the NFL's worst teams in 2026?
