AFC offseason grades: who reloaded, who reached, and who is still figuring it out
Houston added two starters on the cheap. Pittsburgh chased Aaron Rodgers. The Titans drafted Cam Ward. We rank the AFC's offseasons by who pulled off the most of what they needed.
ESPN's AFC offseason audit dropped Wednesday and the conference's slate of moves looks deeper than usual. Six teams made calls that should swing 2026 records by multiple wins. Two teams made decisions that even their own fanbases can't fully defend. Here's the punch list.
Who had the best offseason?
Houston. The Texans signed cornerback Charvarius Ward off the 49ers' books (the deal was reported in March) and traded for Danielle Hunter's extension to keep the pass-rush tandem together. Both additions cost less than $35 million combined in 2026 cap. ESPN's grade was A-minus. C.J. Stroud's offense returns intact, Will Anderson Jr. is locked up, and Houston enters 2026 as the AFC South favorite at -150.
Who took the most ambitious swing?
Pittsburgh. Signing Aaron Rodgers to a one-year, $25 million max deal closes the door on developing a young QB but raises the 2026 floor. Adding Michael Pittman Jr., Jalen Ramsey (from Miami) and rookie WR Germie Bernard means Mike Tomlin's team will look very different on opening Sunday. The grade depends on whether Rodgers throws for 28+ TDs or 18. There is no middle outcome in this kind of signing.
Where did the Patriots land?
B+. New England came off the Super Bowl LX loss with cap space and used it on offensive line (Mark Glowinski signing, plus drafting Will Campbell at 4th overall in 2025 paying dividends). Drake Maye's protection improves and the Patriots also added veteran safety Jevon Holland on a four-year, $76 million deal. The schedule is brutal, opening with Seattle in Australia in Week 1, but the roster is built to compete for a top-4 seed.
Who reached?
Tennessee. The Titans drafted Cam Ward first overall and used most of their cap room to sign LT Cam Robinson (a deal widely panned by national grades) and TE Mike Gesicki. The Titans went 3-14 in 2025 and their move-back-up trade for Carson Beck in the second round cost a 2027 first-rounder. The Ward pick was correct. Surrounding him is the harder problem and Tennessee did not address it as cleanly.
Who is still figuring it out?
The Browns. Cleveland made cosmetic changes (Quinshon Judkins drafted as the lead back, David Njoku traded to the Chargers, Joe Flacco signed as the bridge QB) but the franchise is no closer to a long-term answer at quarterback. Deshaun Watson's recovery and contract limit the team's ability to draft his replacement. Jimmy Haslam's involvement remains the variable nobody outside the organization can predict.
What about the AFC West?
Three teams in the division all bet on the same outcome: the AFC West winner will reach the Conference Championship. The Chiefs added Kenneth Walker III and JuJu Smith-Schuster around Mahomes' ACL return. The Broncos paid Hufanga and drafted edge depth. The Chargers got Jim Harbaugh's full second offseason and added David Njoku. Las Vegas drafted Mendoza first overall and is rebuilding. Nobody addressed obvious needs perfectly. All four end up with B-range grades.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: 2026 NFL offseason AFC teams' best and worst deals, picks
- CBS Sports: 2026 NFL offseason grades for all 32 teams
- PFF: 2026 NFL free agency grades
