There's no hemming and hawing to be had about the expectations surrounding the Buffalo Bills entering the 2026 season. This team needs to slay the dragon, win the AFC Championship Game, and preferably win the Super Bowl. They've spent far too much of the Josh Allen era falling one step short.
Mike Sando of The Athletic recently polled anonymous NFL executives, using their votes to form a 1-16 ranking of every team in the AFC. The Bills ranked atop the conference, with all six voters considering them Super Bowl contenders.
As if Joe Brady's team needed any more confirmation of what they're expected to achieve this season, they just got it clear as day.
Bills' Super Bowl expectations are undeniable entering the 2026 season
As much pressure as the Bills are under this season, they're built to meet expectations. This team should have finished the job in 2025, and it got better over the offseason.
One anonymous executive in Sando's article said, "The defensive change (under new coordinator Jim Leonhard) helps, they're a little more violent defensively, a little more athletic defensively. And then it's a top-flight offensive line, and then DJ Moore is going to make an impact."
The Bills are banking on multiple offseason changes bearing fruit immediately. While Brady was an in-house promotion, he offers a shift in philosophy from the Sean McDermott era. Leonhard's impact on the defense could make the unit unrecognizable.
Buffalo doesn't have a clear weakness entering the season, outside of some secondary concerns. The wide receiver room still isn't one of the league's best, but Moore can at least be a competent top target. Buffalo has produced top-five offenses in recent years without anyone coming close to Moore's talent at the receiver position.
The real potential for a leap comes on defense, though. Leonhard's scheme, which is expected to be similar to that of the Denver Broncos, should be much more aggressive than McDermott's was. It puts pressure on players to perform at a high level, but the Broncos have shown just how dominant the system can be.
As much as it feels like Allen will be Buffalo's MVP-level quarterback for another half-century, the clock is ticking. He's 30 years old this season. In a relatively open AFC, the Bills may have their best opportunity to finally return to the Super Bowl staring them in the face.
They can't let it pass them by again.
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