For the past five years, the NFC South division has gone through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay had won four consecutive division titles, and they were well on their way to a fifth after a 6-2 start last season, but an epic collapse down the stretch allowed the Carolina Panthers to win their first division title since 2015.
If the Buccaneers plan to re-claim the throne in 2026, they’ll have their work cut out for them. The rest of the division, especially the Panthers and Saints, had incredible offseasons thanks to aggressive free agency moves and impressive draft classes.
Still, each team in the NFC South has a burning question that must be answered before it’s clear whether they can be taken seriously as contenders.
Biggest question facing every NFC South team entering 2026 season
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Can this coaching staff lead the Buccaneers back into playoff contention?
The coaching staff in Tampa Bay will be under a microscope in 2026. Todd Bowles is already on the hot seat after the team collapsed down the stretch, going from 6-2 to 8-9. Bowles’ defense ranked 20th in points allowed and 27th against the pass.
They spent the vast majority of their offseason resources addressing that, signing Alex Anzalone, Al-Aquadin Muhammad, and A’Shawn Robinson in free agency and selecting Rueben Bain Jr., Josiah Trotter, and Keionte Scott in the NFL Draft. If Bowles can’t turn things around after this massive infusion of young talent, he’ll be gone next offseason.
On the offensive side of the ball, the team fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard and hired Zac Robinson as their fifth play caller in five seasons. They also provided Baker Mayfield an explosive new wide receiver in Ted Hurst.
Grizzard’s play calling was stale and predictable, and the hope is that Robinson can better utilize the embarrassment of riches on offense. Injuries certainly played a factor last season, but the offense was still too talented to perform as mediocre as it did.
If Robinson can unlock the offense and Bowles can fix his defense, the Buccaneers could run away with the NFC South.
Carolina Panthers: Can Bryce Young take the next step in his development (consistently)?
The Panthers won the NFC South in 2025, and their aggressive offseason signals they’re all-in on repeating in 2026.
They had one of the best free agency periods of any team, making a major splash by signing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd.
During the draft, they bolstered their offensive line in the first round with Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. They added wide receiver Chris Brazzell II in the third round. Brazzell is 6-foot-4 and runs a blazing 4.37 40-yard dash. He’s a big-play waiting to happen, and lining him up across Tetairoa McMillan is nightmare fuel for opposing defenses.
The Panthers have a very talented young roster, but they’ll only go as far as their quarterback takes them. Young is coming off a career year where he completed 63% of his passes and threw for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
He had a few really good games where he flashed his potential, but he also had a handful of subpar performances. Young’s development has been a slow boil, but this year more than ever, he has all the pieces around him to be successful.
He needs to play like a No. 1 overall pick and elevate his game to a new level consistently in 2026. If he does that, the sky is the limit for this Panthers team.
New Orleans Saints: Will Tyler Shough build off his impressive rookie season?
The Saints are quietly one of the most promising young teams in the NFL. They started 2-10 but won four of their last five games to end the 2025 season strong.
New Orleans already boasted a strong defense last year. They finished No. 9 in total yards allowed and No. 4 in passing defense.
Their real question came on offense, but that seemed to figure itself out when they benched Spencer Rattler and turned to Tyler Shough at quarterback. Despite starting only nine games, he catapulted himself into Rookie of the Year conversations and led the Saints to a 5-4 record.
They had one of the league’s weakest skill position groups by far, and to say they addressed that would be an understatement. They landed arguably the best receiver in the draft in Jordyn Tyson, and double-dipped later on with Bryce Lance, who runs a 4.34 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. They also drafted a promising tight end in Oscar Delp.
Factor in the signing of Travis Etienne in free agency and the Saints have quietly built a formidable offense. The only real question is if Shough can improve off his rookie year and continue to prove himself as the Saints’ franchise quarterback. If he plays at a high level, they’ll be a really hard team to beat.
Atlanta Falcons: Will Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix “rise up” in 2026?
Offensively, the Falcons have an embarrassment of riches. Their trio of Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts form one of the best groups of skill position players the league has to offer.
During last year’s draft, they added four defensive starters in Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr., Billy Bowman Jr., and Xavier Watts. Both sides of the ball have young cornerstones that should set the Falcons up for success for years to come.
The one thing they haven’t figured out yet is the quarterback position. Michael Penix Jr. hasn't quite lived up to his draft status, completing only 60% of his passes last year and grading as PFF's 38th-ranked quarterback out of 43 qualifying players.
He can’t be written off just yet with only 12 starts under his belt, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury last season. When you factor in his extensive injury history dating back to college, there’s definitely cause for concern, especially considering he'll already be 26 years old when the season starts and time is ticking on his development.
They signed Tua Tagovailoa in free agency, but he’s coming off arguably the worst season of his career in which he threw 15 interceptions and went 6-8 as a starter. Like Penix, he also has a concerning injury history.
The Falcons are hoping one of their quarterbacks can turn in a strong 2026 season, because if they can just get strong quarterback play, all of the remaining pieces are in place for Atlanta to be a really dangerous team.
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