The NFC South entered the 2026 NFL season with something to prove. After the Carolina Panthers won the division last season with an 8-9 record, the NFC South was widely viewed as the weakest division in football entering the new campaign. NFL.com ranked it eighth among all eight divisions, while other preseason projections also labeled the South the NFL’s worst.

Then Week 1 happened—and somehow, the division managed to look even worse.

The NFC South went 0-4 in Week 1

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 10: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers looks on prior to the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

All four NFC South teams lost their opening games Sunday.

The Panthers were the biggest embarrassment, getting blown out 59-37 by the Chicago Bears despite entering the season as the reigning division champions. Carolina’s defense surrendered 59 points while the Bears piled up 550 yards of offense.

The Atlanta Falcons weren’t much better. They lost 20-13 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Cooper Rush making his first start for Atlanta. The Falcons’ offense managed just 13 points against a Pittsburgh team that entered the season with plenty of questions of its own.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost 33-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals after turning the ball over four times. Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions, while Tampa Bay’s defense struggled to slow down Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense.

Then there were the New Orleans Saints, who had one of the more heartbreaking losses of the afternoon. New Orleans battled back and took the game to overtime against the Detroit Lions before eventually falling 31-30 in overtime.

In other words, the entire division is 0-1.

Maybe the preseason critics were right

DETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 20: Wilson brand footballs with the NFL logo are pictured during the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns at Ford Field on November 20, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

There was optimism that the NFC South could surprise people in 2026, particularly because all four teams believed they had improved. But the division had already earned its reputation.

Carolina won the division at 8-9 last season, while Tampa Bay and Atlanta also finished 8-9. New Orleans went 6-11. All four teams finished below .500, and the division produced no legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Entering this season, PFF and other outlets still viewed the division as one of the weakest groups in football. Week 1 did nothing to change that perception.

There is obviously plenty of football remaining. One Sunday doesn’t determine an entire season.

But when every team in your division loses its opener, it’s difficult to make a convincing argument that the NFC South deserves to be viewed as anything other than the NFL’s weakest division right now.

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