NFL · 4 days ago

5 Bad NFL Teams That Shouldn’t Get Any Primetime Games in 2026

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

You Tell Us! Who Will be the Most Unwatchable NFL Team in 2026?
Join the Debate

The 2026 schedule is going to have some clunker games, and these five teams are at the top of the list for potential stinkers.

Who is the Least Ready for Primetime?
- The Jets' Gamble: Can Geno Smith actually redeem his legacy in New York, or is that 5.5 win total from Vegas a warning sign?
- The Dolphins' Reset: Is De'Von Achane enough to keep you watching Miami games, or was the salary dump of Waddle and others too much to overcome?
- The Raiders' Rookie: Does Fernando Mendoza make the Raiders must-see TV regardless of their 25.4 PPG allowed on defense last season?
- Browns' Offense: If KC Concepcion has a massive rookie year, does it even matter if the passing game is still stuck at 165.2 yards per game?
Drop your take in the comments: Which of these teams is the most likely to surprise us and actually earn a primetime spot?
Why These 5 NFL Teams Aren't Ready for the National Spotlight
The Primetime Quality Crisis

Look, we all love football, but there is nothing worse than sitting down for Thursday Night Football only to realize you’re watching an offensive struggle that looks like a game from the 1940s. As we look ahead to the 2026 NFL season, the gap between the contenders and the bottom-feeders is widening. Between salary cap dumps in Miami and a messy quarterback room in Arizona, a few teams are projected to be must-miss TV.

We’re breaking down five teams that should be kept far away from your living room during peak viewing hours, focusing on the numbers that suggest they’ll be more of a headache than a highlight reel.
1. Cleveland Browns
The Browns were a tough watch last year, scoring the second-fewest points in the league at 16.4 PPG. Their passing game was just as bad, putting up a second-worst 165.2 yards per game. While they used a first-round pick on KC Concepcion to hopefully spark the offense, he’s hardly must-see TV yet. The bigger issue is who will actually be throwing the former Texas A&M wideout the ball.

Even though Shedeur Sanders has a ton of popularity and support from the fans, rumors suggest Deshaun Watson has the inside track at the starting job. Does anyone really want to support Watson at this point, and should he even be in your living room during Primetime?

This team just won't be very good, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Sorry, Dawg Pound, but you belong in the primetime doghouse for now.

2025 Record: 5-12

2026 Projected Win Total: 6.5
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals only won three games last year, and even though they landed a franchise running back in Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick, this season doesn't look much better. Arizona has quarterback problems that make Miami and Cleveland look stable. They don't have a true No. 1, instead relying on career backup Jacoby Brissett, who is on his seventh team in 10 years. Rookie third-rounder Carson Beck is behind him, and if those names don't move the needle for you, Gardner Minshew is sure to blow your socks off.

The Cards actually have solid pass-catching weapons like Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and Trey McBride, but someone has to actually get them the ball. It also helps if the QB can stay upright; Arizona’s O-line was bottom-five in rushing yards and sacks allowed in 2025. They aren't ready for the big stage yet.

2025 Record: 3-14

2026 Projected Win Total: 4.5
4. New York Jets
It’s looking like another long year in the Big Apple. The Jets just can't seem to find their way to respectability. After allowing the most points in football and tying for a league-low three wins, the projections for Not So Mean Green aren't high. Vegas has their win total at 5.5, and while doubling your win total sounds okay, it’s still worlds away from Primetime caliber.

The quarterback carousel continues to twirl in NYC, and the Jets have come all the way around to a familiar face in Geno Smith. You might remember Smith being labeled with the bust tag after being drafted by the Jets in 2013, only to go on to become a two-time Pro Bowler with Seattle after New York sent him packing. Well, he's back. He's 35, and he's coming off the worst season of his career. In Vegas, Smith put up a career-low 34.1 QBR and was benched. Benched by the hapless Raiders!

New York is hoping first-rounders TE Kenyon Sadiq (No. 16) and WR Omar Cooper Jr. (No. 30) can fix an offense that finished dead last in passing (140.3 YPG) in 2025. The Jets will be a more exciting team this year (pretty hard not to be), but they are still a work in progress.

Speaking of the Raiders...

2025 Record: 3-14

2026 Projected Win Total: 5.5
5. Las Vegas Raiders
Ok, Indiana Hoosiers fans, put a sock in it. Yes, I realize the Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza first overall, and there is a lot of hype around the rookie QB, but this is still the Raiders. The offense still has some holes and isn't so different from the 3-win team we saw a year ago. Brock Bowers is a great safety valve at tight end, and Ashton Jeanty should build on a solid rookie year, but there’s a reason Vegas has its win total set at 5.5.

Even though improving, the O-line is still a question mark after allowing a ton of sacks last year, and they are very thin at wide receiver. This was the lowest-scoring team in football a season ago, and even a Heisman winner like Mendoza can’t fix that overnight.

On top of all that, it doesn't look like the most must-see player to wear the silver and black last year, Maxx Crosby, will even be there for the 2026 kickoff. A defense that gave up the eighth-most points in the NFL (25.4 PPG) sure isn't more watchable after trading away its best player.

2025 Record: 3-14

2026 Projected Win Total: 5.5
You Tell Us! Who Will be the Most Unwatchable NFL Team in 2026?
Join the Debate

The 2026 schedule is going to have some clunker games, and these five teams are at the top of the list for potential stinkers.

Who is the Least Ready for Primetime?
- The Jets' Gamble: Can Geno Smith actually redeem his legacy in New York, or is that 5.5 win total from Vegas a warning sign?
- The Dolphins' Reset: Is De'Von Achane enough to keep you watching Miami games, or was the salary dump of Waddle and others too much to overcome?
- The Raiders' Rookie: Does Fernando Mendoza make the Raiders must-see TV regardless of their 25.4 PPG allowed on defense last season?
- Browns' Offense: If KC Concepcion has a massive rookie year, does it even matter if the passing game is still stuck at 165.2 yards per game?
Drop your take in the comments: Which of these teams is the most likely to surprise us and actually earn a primetime spot?
Why These 5 NFL Teams Aren't Ready for the National Spotlight
The Primetime Quality Crisis

Look, we all love football, but there is nothing worse than sitting down for Thursday Night Football only to realize you’re watching an offensive struggle that looks like a game from the 1940s. As we look ahead to the 2026 NFL season, the gap between the contenders and the bottom-feeders is widening. Between salary cap dumps in Miami and a messy quarterback room in Arizona, a few teams are projected to be must-miss TV.

We’re breaking down five teams that should be kept far away from your living room during peak viewing hours, focusing on the numbers that suggest they’ll be more of a headache than a highlight reel.