Aug. 24, 2026 5:00 am EDT Updated According to The Athletic’s 2025 NFL Hope-O-Meter, no fanbase had more faith entering the season than Denver Broncos fans.And they were rewarded for it. Head coach Sean Payton, quarterback Bo Nix and a stout defense led the Broncos to an AFC West title, the AFC’s top seed and an AFC Championship Game appearance — and perhaps more, if Nix hadn’t injured his ankle in the divisional round.But optimism can also backfire. Coming off a thrilling 2024 campaign in which their team won 14 games and emerged as an NFC heavyweight, Minnesota Vikings fans registered a 90.3 percent optimism score in our poll before last season.One Vikings optimist wrote: “If J.J. McCarthy hits, they’re a Super Bowl contender.”McCarthy didn’t hit. The Vikings won nine games and missed the playoffs. And Vikings fans watched one of their former starters, Sam Darnold, win the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
You’ll see the swinging pendulum of NFL fandom once again in our 2026 Hope-O-Meter. How optimistic — or pessimistic — are you about your favorite team this season, and why? Chime in using the quick survey below so we can review the results and calculate an optimism score for every team.We’ll publish our findings — and the best responses — before the 2026 season kicks off Sept. 9.Just consider Minnesota a warning: There is such a thing as too much optimism.(Note: Readers using an Android device may need to use two fingers to scroll through the survey.)
