The 2025 NFL season is a matter of weeks away, as fans of all 32 teams anticipate whether they can contend for a Super Bowl title or if they will be eyeing the top of the 2026 NFL Draft class. But before the start of the regular season, every team will compete in preseesaon games.
The preseason allows starters to get some reps before the start of the campaign. But, it's mostly for teams to scout players looking to fill out their depth spots to ensure their rosters are stout enough to withstand the 18-week season and make it to the playoffs.
But with the preseason, some fans get high expectations of how their favorite team will perform in the regular season. Rarely does winning the preseason mean a team is going to win a Super Bowl title.
Let's take a look at every teams' preseason record since 2021 and rank them in division standings.
NFL standings ordered by preseason record since 2021
AFC East
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | New York Jets | 10-2-1 |
2 | Buffalo Bills | 8-4 |
3 | Miami Dolphins | 7-5 |
4 | New England Patriots | 6-6 |
The New York Jets have the best overall preseason record in the AFC East since 2021. Not only that, but they actually have the best cumulative preseason record in the entire conference! But that hasn't led to success, as the Jets have yet to make it in the playoffs in that span.
Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC East have record at .500 or better. The Buffalo Bills had the most success in the regular season and have made it to the AFC Championship Game once. So, a solid showing for the division, even though there have been no Super Bowl titles won by any team since 2021.
AFC North
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-4 |
2 | Baltimore Ravens | 8-4 |
3 | Cleveland Browns | 5-7 |
4 | Cincinnati Bengals | 2-9 |
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the kings of consistency under head coach Mike Tomlin, as they have never had a losing record in the regular season. Since 2021, the Steelers are 9-4 in the preseason, and that comes after going 0-3 last preseason. But, there are no Super Bowl titles to show for it.
The Baltimore Ravens have been solid in the preseason, and the results have shown in the regular season. However, they were never able to get past the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes to make it to the big game.
The Cleveland Browns actually have in-state bragging rights over the Cincinnati Bengals, as they have more preseason wins since 2021. But, that can be attributed to the Bengals rarely playing their starters. But, they did reach Super Bowl 56 in 2021.
AFC South
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | Houston Texans | 10-3 |
2 | Tennessee Titans | 9-3 |
3 | Indianapolis Colts | 8-4 |
4 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 7-6 |
Let's talk about the AFC South, one of the best performing divisions in the preseason. Every team has a winning record. The Houston Texans have seen the most success, however, as they've seen C.J. Stroud lead the team to two playoff wins in his first two years in the league.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only other team with a playoff win in the division, as they picked up a comeback victory over the Chargers in 2022. The Tennessee Titans made the playoffs in 2021, while the Indianapolis Colts never made it to the playoffs. So, all of these preseason wins didn't result in Super Bowl titles collected in the AFC South.
AFC West
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | Denver Broncos | 9-3 |
2 | Las Vegas Raiders | 8-4-1 |
3 | Kansas City Chiefs | 7-5 |
4 | Los Angeles Chargers | 4-8 |
The Denver Broncos have the best overall preseason record in the AFC West since 2021. Granted the first three seasons since 2021 were disasters overall. But last year, the Broncos went 3-0 in the preseason, and they made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Now, they look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
The Las Vegas Raiders have gone 8-4-1 in the preseason during this four-year stretch, where they made it to the playoffs in 2021 in a first-round loss to the Bengals.
The Kansas City Chiefs, meanwhile, are the Chiefs. They made it to the Super Bowl every season since 2022 and won the Lombardi Trophy twice. No matter how poorly the Chiefs play in the preseason or regular season, they are a different team once the playoffs begin.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers have gone 4-8 in the preseason. Yes, they made the playoffs twice since 2021, but suffered two heartbreaking first round losses.
NFC East
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | Washington Commanders | 5-7 |
2 | New York Giants | 4-8 |
3 | Dallas Cowboys | 4-9 |
4 | Philadelphia Eagles | 3-7-2 |
The NFC East has been dubbed the "NFC Least" over the years due to the lack of success before the Philadelphia Eagles became consistent Super Bowl contenders. But when it come to the preseason since 2021, none of the teams have winning records.
The Washington Commanders hold first place, but with a 5-7 record. Just this past season, the Commanders look like the real deal with Jayden Daniels leading the way, as he led the team to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie.
The New York Giants had a shocking run to the playoffs in 2022, where they picked up a huge win over the Vikings. But in the previous two years, the Giants were one of the worst teams in the league.
The Dallas Cowboys are still trying to make it back to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1995 season. They made it to the playoffs from 2021 and 2023 and have a win to their credit. However, they suffered two losses to the 49ers and a blowout first round loss to the Packers in 2023.
The Eagles have a dreadful overall preseason record since 2021, and they are proof that the preseason isn't indicative of what could happen in the regular season. The Eagles made it to the Super Bowl twice, and won it this past season.
NFC North
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | Chicago Bears | 10-3 |
2 | Detroit Lions | 5-7 |
3 | Green Bay Packers | 5-7 |
4 | Minnesota Vikings | 3-9 |
The Chicago Bears have been mocked a lot for "winning the offseason," but it hasn't resulted in Super Bowl titles. As it turns out, the Bears are the best preseason team since 2021, holding a 10-3 record. The thing is, they never made it to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the rest of the NFC North has losing preseason records since 2021, and they've all made it to the playoffs multiple times. The Detroit Lions made it to the NFC Championship Game in 2023. The Green Bay Packers won a playoff game in dominant fashion as a No. 7 seed in 2023. As for the Minnesota Vikings, they made it to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, but didn't pick up a single win.
NFC South
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | New Orleans Saints | 5-6 |
2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-7 |
3 | Carolina Panthers | 4-8 |
4 | Atlanta Falcons | 3-8-1 |
The NFC South, much like the NFC East, has every team holding a losing preseason record since 2021.
The New Orleans Saints are in first with a 5-6 record, but haven't made it to the playoffs since 2021. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had the most success in the division, as they made it to the playoffs every year since 2021, whether it was Tom Brady at quarterback or Baker Mayfield and they have two wins. The Carolina Panthers have been one of the worst teams since 2021, as they never made it to the playoffs. The Atlanta Falcons, like the Panthers, haven't made it to the playoffs since 2021 either.
NFC West
Rank | Team | Preseason Record Since 2021 |
|---|---|---|
1 | San Francisco 49ers | 6-5-1 |
2 | Seattle Seahawks | 5-7 |
3 | Arizona Cardinals | 4-7 |
4 | Los Angeles Rams | 3-9 |
The San Francisco 49ers have had the most preseason wins in the division since 2021. The 49ers have six playoff wins from the 2021 until the 2023 seasons, but fell short of winning a Super Bowl. But they were consistent contenders.
The Seattle Seahawks made it to the playoffs just once, where they lost to the 49ers in the opening round of the 2022 playoffs. The Arizona Cardinals made it to the playoffs in 2021 but lost in the opening round. Then, there's the Los Angeles Rams, who despite having three preseason wins since 2021, won a Super Bowl title.