Green Bay Packers elite edge defender Micah Parsons got in touch with Bleacher Report, where he shared his top 2026 AFC Divisional winners.Denver Broncos over Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes’ injury and Kansas City’s weak offensive line could hurt the Chiefs. Denver’s addition of Jaylen Waddle also takes the cake.New England Patriots over Buffalo Bills: The reinforcement of A.J. Brown gives New England an edge. Josh Allen and the Bills may not be able to match New England’s overall defensive strength.Baltimore Ravens over Pittsburgh Steelers: The addition of Trey Hendrickson gives Baltimore an advantage. Pittsburgh’s strong defensive and offensive fronts look competitive but are restricted to the No. 2 spot.Houston Texans over Jacksonville Jaguars: C.J. Stroud is already playing at an elite level, and the Texans have a strong defense. As for the Jaguars, they are in the No. 2 spot because of Trevor Lawrence’s 2025 campaign.
Baltimore Ravens lead Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC North prediction
The Baltimore Ravens are Parsons’ top pick to crown the AFC North title.He believes a new coaching staff [head coach Jesse Minter] could bring out another level in [quarterback] Lamar Jackson, while the reinforcement of [edge defender] Trey Hendrickson adds another momentous piece to the defense.Parsons initially considered the Cincinnati Bengals for second place after their strong offseason but did not finalize his No. 2 selection.He instead went for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Rodgers could make a legendary run this year because of his 2025 performance.Parsons believes Pittsburgh’s defense, led by T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and Joey Porter, combined with offensive additions such as DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman, could make the Steelers a strong contender.
New England Patriots projected to win AFC East over Buffalo Bills
Parsons has the New England Patriots finishing atop the AFC East, immediately followed by the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills.The development of Drake Maye, the reinforcement of A.J. Brown [removal of Stefon Diggs!?], healthy offensive weapons and a strong offensive line all contribute to his belief that New England can snatch the division title [once again!].Buffalo remains a serious threat because of Josh Allen, but Parsons questions whether the Bills can match New England’s overall defensive strength. He expects the two teams could potentially split their matchups [probable, not impossible].
Houston Texans selected to win unpredictable AFC South
Micah Parsons describes the AFC South as one of the hardest divisions to predict before ultimately going for the Houston Texans as his winner.His conviction comes largely from Houston’s defense and the belief that [quarterback] C.J. Stroud does not need to play at an elite level for the Texans to succeed [he is already doing that? Wow!]Parsons stresses the significance of a strong running game, good defense, and avoiding turnovers.The Jacksonville Jaguars are his No. 2 team, with Parsons believing Trevor Lawrence has gained confidence and shown that he can perform in crucial games after his 2025 campaign.The Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are also viewed as potential competitors, making the division specifically dicey to predict for Parsons.
Denver Broncos are the surprise pick to win AFC West
One of Parsons’ most shocking selections is the Denver Broncos to win the AFC West.He believes Denver remains loaded despite losing some players [DE John Franklin-Myers, S P.J. Locke, and LB Dre Greenlaw] and points to the reinforcement of [Miami Dolphins wide receiver] Jaylen Waddle as a boost to the offense.The Los Angeles Chargers are his No. 2 choice in the division, ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs.Parsons believes the Chargers’ ability to win games despite crucial injuries in their 2025 campaign demonstrates the resilience of their roster. He also heaps praise on their defense and quarterback Justin Herbert.
Micah Parsons is skeptical of Kansas City Chiefs’ 2026 chances
Parsons does not believe the Kansas City Chiefs did enough this offseason to surround Patrick Mahomes with the talent needed to win another AFC West title.The departure of Trent McDuffie [to heavily-favored Los Angeles Rams] is a specific concern, while Parsons also questions Kansas City’s receiving corps, offensive-line protection, and Mahomes’ return from ACL/LCL injury [which happened in December 2025]. Parsons himself was also injured with the same injury [torn ACL] during the same time.The Las Vegas Raiders are viewed as a talented franchise [addition of Fernando Mendoza], but Parsons believes they still need to prove [a lot] they can overcome the division’s stronger contenders [Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers].