Patriots Disrespected in AFC Team Ranking Entering 2026 Season

Despite reaching the Super Bowl a year ago, the New England Patriots enter the new NFL season with something to prove.

This isn't only within the locker room, but also to the national audience as well. Many people believe that the run to the Super Bowl was a fluke, with New England taking advantage of an easier schedule.

Some have even pointed to who the Patriots played in the playoffs, with the quarterbacks they faced being more favorable. But New England's roster should be better this year, especially after landing star wide receiver A.J. Brown.

However, despite this, the Patriots are still being overlooked coming into the season.

NFL analyst Mike Sando of The Athletic worked with six NFL executives to rank the AFC teams heading into the 2026 season. Within the rankings, the Patriots came in at No. 4, showing a clear lack of belief in this team despite the deep playoff run a year ago.

"New England can take a drop because of the schedule, but they still have the Jets twice and Miami twice, and I like their coaching, so that's why I left them up there a little bit," one of the execs said.

The Patriots have a first-place schedule this season, with them facing off against the NFC North in the rotation. This means that they'll be playing the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears, all of which could be playoff teams.

This is in addition to their normal AFC matchups, where they will play the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs, among others. New England will no longer be a surprise to anyone, but instead, they are the hunted team in the AFC.

"At some point, they are going to have to buck up and beat some good teams," another exec said. "I think they are the No. 1 regression team. Lastly, they haven't re-signed (Christian) Gonzalez yet. If that drags on into the season, it won't be good in the locker room."

Winning will silence any doubters that New England may still have, but it won't be easy. The schedule is tough, but it could also help this group get ready for the playoffs, if they can get back.

If quarterback Drake Maye can take another step forward in his development, the Patriots should be okay. But there will be a lot on his shoulders this season, and if he were to falter, New England could easily slide back to being outside the playoff picture.