Power Rankings: SB champs at 3; Pats outside top 10

According to NFL.com, the current Super Bowl champions are positioned at third in the rankings. Yahoo Sports specifically identifies the Broncos as the team holding that third-place spot heading into the preseason period. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have been ranked outside of the top ten teams in the league. These updates follow the completion of training camp activities as teams transition into the preseason phase of their schedules. Coverage of these rankings is widespread across major sports outlets.

NFL.com and Yahoo Sports provide specific placement details regarding the Super Bowl winners and the Broncos. USA Today reports that the rankings suggest the AFC field appears to be wide open as the preseason begins. Additionally, NFL Spin Zone has provided updated league rankings to reflect current team standings, while Stadium Rant has highlighted a specific trend of five teams rising and five teams falling in the power rankings following the conclusion of training camp. The context for these rankings is the transition from training camp to the preseason. The movement of teams—specifically those rising and falling as noted by Stadium Rant—reflects analyst evaluations of team performance and roster changes during the summer.

The fact that the defending champions are not ranked first, combined with the observation from USA Today regarding the open nature of the AFC, indicates a perceived lack of a dominant favorite in the conference moving into the 2026 season. Observers will now look toward preseason game performance to see if these rankings shift. The focus remains on whether the five falling teams can reverse their trajectory and if the five rising teams can maintain their momentum. Further updates will likely depend on how the teams ranked outside the top ten, such as the New England Patriots, perform in their initial preseason matchups. Coverage does not yet specify which other teams are among the five rising or falling categories beyond the general trend reported by Stadium Rant.