The NFC has won the Super Bowl in each of the last two seasons. In each of these matchups, the AFC representative has looked completely outclassed and as if they didn’t belong. While often referred to as the better and quarterback-loaded conference, the NFC has been the better conference.

The AFC was seen as the weaker conference in 2025, with the NFC dominating the AFC in the regular season. Making the playoffs is never easy, and doing it in back-to-back seasons is even harder. So what would these AFC playoff teams have to do to make it back and compete for a Super Bowl?

Denver Broncos: Running Back

Despite running efficiency, the Denver Broncos didn’t house a 1,000-yard rusher in 2025. J.K. Dobbins was the team leader with 772 rushing yards on an efficient 5.0 yards per carry. Rookie R.J. Harvey was the team’s second leader, with 540 yards on 3.7 yards per carry.

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Dobbins will be a free agent, and Harvey isn’t a bell cow runner. The Broncos have their pick, with the free-agent class featuring plenty of running back talent and the draft offering solid options down the board.

With Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, and Travis Etienne highlighting the free agency pool, Denver shouldn’t have a hard time recruiting a big-name free agent to a 14-win roster.

New England Patriots: Offensive Line

The Patriots’ offensive line was exposed in the Super Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks went home with 6 sacks in the big game and put pressure on Drake Maye all game.

While their rookies are still developing and could be excused, there are still additions needed to be made. Right tackle Morgan Mosses is going to be 35 years old and is regressing, while the interior was under distress all year. New England has multiple linemen under expiring contracts, and could look to replace them sooner rather than later.

The most prominent option for the Patriots is free agent Tyler Linderbaum. The former Baltimore Ravens center is a three-time Pro Bowler and is expected to be one of the most coveted free agents.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Cornerback

The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ offense turned things around in 2025, helping them make it to 13 wins. Their defense ranked pretty well during the regular season, but they’ll be losing plenty of their talent.

Greg Newsome II and Montaric Brown are both set to hit free agency, leaving only Travis Hunter. Even if Jacksonville brings back any of its free agents, it’ll have to find more depth options. Hunter is still young and learning, and there’s a lack of consistency in the cornerback room.

There are some good options for the Jaguars in free agency, but I’d imagine the draft is where they attack the position. From earlier first-round options, such as Mansoor Delane, to promising options such as Julian Neal down the board, the cornerbacks should be able to make a significant addition.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Quarterback

The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ biggest need is glaring: they don’t have a quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is a free agent and is still debating retirement. While Mike McCarthy is Rodgers’s former head coach, the veteran quarterback is 42 years old.

Skylar Thompson and Will Howard are the only passers remaining on the roster. While Howard has his possibilities, if the Steelers want to make it back to the playoffs, they’ll have to find a veteran option.

The veteran options in the free agency pool aren’t that wide, with Daniel Jones being the best passer available. However, there are some trade candidates. Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray were once promising standouts in the league who have faded into just starters. Pittsburgh could be a nice change of scenery for those once-promising quarterbacks.

Houston Texans: Running Back

The Houston Texans‘ offense needs an efficient running back. The Texans are set to lose Nick Chubb in free agency, and Joe Mixon is a cut candidate. While Woody Marks had a promising rookie season, he hasn’t shown the ability to take over.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud has struggled since his rookie season. While the offense has tried to pivot to run-heavy, they haven’t had the talent in the room to do so. The best compliment to a strong defense is a solid run game.

Similar to the Broncos, the Texans shouldn’t struggle to find promising names in free agency. There are plenty of promising names, and they should be able to have their pick.

Buffalo Bills: Wide Receiver

Josh Allen needs a WR1. It’s not that the Buffalo Bills haven’t tried. Keon Coleman was an early pick, and Stefon Diggs was a solid WR1 during his time in Buffalo.

But the Bills don’t have a dominant playmaker on their roster. Coleman appears to be a bust, and Khalil Shakir is a solid contributor, but nothing special. Matthew Stafford has Puka Nacua, Joe Burrow has Ja’Marr Chase, and Dak Prescott has CeeDee Lamb, but Allen doesn’t have that.

Alec Pierce highlights the free agency pool, and it shouldn’t be hard to convince a free agent to catch passes from the former MVP cornerback.

Los Angeles Chargers: Offensive Line

There isn’t a bigger problem with the Los Angeles Chargers than their offensive line, and it was made clear in their playoff loss. Justin Herbert was sacked 6 times in the Wildcard matchup.

Herbert was sacked 54 times throughout the 2025 season, just one less than the league high from Geno Smith and Cam Ward. Yes, the Chargers were without their star tackle duo in Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but their pass-protection problems came from more than just the tackles.

Linderbaum is a great option for Los Angeles and should be a player they hand a blank check to, but promising young talents, such as Alijah Vera-Tucker, could also be big additions to help Herbert lead the Chargers back to the playoffs.