Entering the 2026 season, every team in the NFC East had playoff aspirations. Some were more urgent than others, sure, but after John Harbaugh threw his hat in the ring, it became clear that none of the four foes was punting on the year.
The New York Giants might currently be leading the division, but that's not much of an accomplishment so far. Every team in the East is collapsing in its own unique way. The Washington Commanders could be on the verge of firing their head coach, the Dallas Cowboys have been a disaster on defense, and the Philadelphia Eagles have a whole mess of problems.
All four teams are at some stage of a rebuild. Those who would tell you they're not in a rebuild are about to step into one. So, let's rank each team based on where they are in their rebuild, how close they are to becoming competitive, and how their young core stacks up against the rest of the division.
1. New York Giants
- Average Roster Age: 26.54
- Young Core: Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Abdul Carter, Arvell Reese
The Giants are built heavily around their first-round draft picks of the last few years. Not many of those players have reached "star" status yet — arguably, only Nabers has — but most look like players who should be signed to extensions when the time comes.
When Dart returns for the 2027 season, this New York team should be positioned to make waves in the playoffs. There are still a few areas of the roster that need to be ironed out, but the Giants have checked the boxes at all of the premium positions.
The stability of having Harbaugh at the helm has to count for something, too. The rest of the division doesn't have that kind of security.
2. Washington Commanders
- Average Roster Age: 26.79
- Young Core: Jayden Daniels, Sonny Styles
The Commanders at No. 2 and the Eagles at No. 3 were neck-and-neck, but the quarterback position ended up becoming the deciding factor to give Washington the edge.
Even if he's struggled to stay on the field, Daniels has looked like an above-average quarterback when healthy.
The rest of the picture isn't nearly as clear. The Commanders have traded away so many of their draft picks in recent years that they're left without much of a core around Daniels. They were forced to overpay on a few deals in free agency this offseason just to build a competent roster. To make matters worse, it looks like they'll be looking for a new head coach in the coming months.
This team has too many needs to feel confident about in the coming years, but the Eagles and Cowboys are in even worse situations.
3. Philadelphia Eagles
- Average Roster Age: 26.18
- Young Core: Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Jalen Carter
The Eagles seem to experience a mini-collapse every other year, but this time feels different. Their star-studded offensive line, which has carried them through multiple quarterback and head coach changes, is finally starting to fall apart. Jalen Hurts might not be the answer when he returns, and Nick Sirianni's job is far from secure.
Howie Roseman deserves some level of trust moving forward, but it will take some time to reset the books after pushing money into the future for years.
The Eagles might have to bottom out before they bounce back.
4. Dallas Cowboys
- Average Roster Age: 26.02
- Young Core: Caleb Downs, Tyler Smith, Tyler Booker
This year, like all of the others, was supposed to belong to the Cowboys. As it turns out, you need to be competent on both sides of the ball to compete for a championship.
The Cowboys' defense is a disaster. All of its reinforcements via free agency, the draft, and trades haven't been able to come together to form a decent unit.
As explosive as the offense is, it might not last long. George Pickens seems to be destined for free agency, and Dak Prescott is nearing the final years of his career. Dallas might be barreling toward a complete reset.
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