Even though we still have a long way to go before the start of the 2026 season, the Buffalo Bills already know who they will be facing next season as they prepare to debut in their new Highmark Stadium which is just right across the street from the old one. Last season didn’t just end in a heartbreaking playoff loss (once again), it also was the final straw of Sean McDermott being the head coach.
Joe Brady is now leading the charge and while the roster is looking a little different especially on defense, the Bills are still contenders and they are going to be put in the Super Bowl bubble.
While the Bills are much closer to a Super Bowl than a rebuild, there are some opponents of theirs for the 2026 season that are nowhere near having a serious shot at making the Super Bowl, let alone making the playoffs.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report listed five teams that are “most likely to tank for 2027” and there are three opponents for the Bills on this list.
3 Bills opponents on list to likely tank for 2027
The three teams on the list that the Bills will face in 2026 are the Dolphins, Jets, and Raiders. Within the AFC East, all football fans are seeing the Jets and Dolphins going in the wrong direction.
When it comes to the Jets, sure they have made some surprising good free agent signings but at the same time, there is a reason why they have so many high draft picks over the next two years. They completely tore down their defense starting at the trade deadline last season and they are most likely going to be rolling with Geno Smith at quarterback. Yeah, that's not exactly scary for an opposing defense.
Yet, the Jets still might not even be the worst team in the division as the Miami Dolphins have literally gone into a massive full rebuild. They no longer have players like Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb or Minkah Fitzpatrick. Outside of De’Von Achane, this team has no star talent.
With a brand new regime in the building, a total rebuild sounds wise as they will look to rebuild up through the draft.
As for the Raiders, they should be much better that the Jets and Dolphins but still won't be a serious contending team for the foreseeable future. With a new head coach in Klint Kubiak and the presumed No. 1 overall pick in Fernando Mendoza, it's going to take some time before they become contenders.
The Raiders may not be a full on tanking team, but they are going to be going through some major growing pains and they could very well be controlled by the Bills when they face off against each other in Las Vegas.
Even though Bills fans see these three opponents on a list like this, they should not be overlooking them. We have seen Buffalo take down some of the best teams and then struggle (and sometimes lose) to the worst ones. With free agency still happening and the draft set to take place next month, these teams can still make moves and then that will really tell us what Bills fans should be expecting from then when Buffalo goes up against them in the fall.