AFC East: Can Bills, Jets or Dolphins unseat the Patriots in 2026?

The AFC East title race in 2026 centers on whether the Bills, Jets, or Dolphins can finally unseat the New England Patriots after the Patriots ended the Bills’ five-year run by finishing as Super Bowl runners-up last season. Both Buffalo and New England enter with quarterbacks viewed as MVP candidates: Josh Allen and New England’s offense now includes star receiver A.J. Brown after a major offseason trade. The Bills are looking to launch their new stadium in divisional form, while Buffalo also added receiver depth with DJ Moore and drafted Skyler Bell in the fourth round. New England is priced as the closest challenger in DraftKings’ futures, with the Bills at -125 versus Patriots at +120, Jets at 19-1, and Dolphins at 40-1. The Jets and Dolphins brought in new quarterbacks, Geno Smith and Malik Willis, but are not expected to contend, setting up a potential path toward the 2027 draft’s top pick.