The Buffalo Bills have been the kings of the AFC East ever since former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay in 2020.
Buffalo has won five straight AFC East titles, and it doesn’t seem to stop anytime soon.
The AFC East is one of the worst divisions in football—this past season, none of the other three teams, the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, or New England Patriots, reached the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins
Miami’s been up and down the past few seasons with their young head coach, Mike McDaniel, but quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t been able to stay healthy, costing the Dolphins a handful of wins.
Two seasons ago, when Buffalo struggled, Miami ran away with the AFC East.
All the Dolphins needed to do was not blow it towards the end of the season, and that’s precisely what they did.
Miami went 2-3 in its last five regular-season games and lost to Buffalo in a division winner-take-all game in the year’s final match.
The Dolphins haven’t been the same since that moment, and if they have another bad season in 2025, there’s a good chance McDaniel will be fired, and star wide receiver Tyreek Hill will be out the door as well.
Buffalo doesn’t need to worry about Miami over the next handful of seasons because it feels like they peaked a few years ago and will now start crashing down.
New York Jets
The New York Jets made a crucial move this week, stating they will not bring back 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
New York hired Aaron Glenn as its new head coach, and the franchise wants to take a different approach.
Bringing back Rodgers would’ve been a long shot since he’s at the end of his career, and the Jets are unlikely to win.
Even though New York has excellent defensive pieces, it is struggling to offer players to complement wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall.
With Rodgers out the door, wide receiver Davante Adams will likely follow him, leaving the No. 2 receiving position open.
The Jets need to find their franchise quarterback, and they sit with the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft.
They will likely have to trade up to draft a top quarterback since Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are expected to go inside the top 5.
Until New York figures out a quarterback, it will never be a threat to win the AFC East, but it does have talent, so if it finds its guy soon, it could challenge the Bills in a few years.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots hired head coach Mike Vrabel this offseason, viewed as the best coaching hire in the league.
New England took quarterback Drake Maye during last year’s NFL Draft, and in 13 games, he looked solid, throwing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Maye needs help around him if he’s going to improve this season, and the Patriots have one of the worst rosters in the NFL.
New England has zero top receivers, the offensive line is the worst in the NFL, and the defense has many holes.
The Patriots are not a year away from competing. They are two or three seasons away if they hit on draft picks and free agents.
The good news is New England has over $120 million in cap space and sits with the No. 4 pick, so they could draft a great player and fill some holes with solid NFL talent.
They can’t be taken seriously until the Patriots figure out how to add pieces around Maye.
The Bills Will Hold the AFC East a Little Longer
Maye could be the best quarterback to compete with Josh Allen in the AFC East, but he won’t be able to do anything with the roster he’s working with.
Buffalo isn’t moving from the AFC East mountaintop anytime soon. The Bills could take a step back this upcoming season and still win the division because they have the best quarterback and a head coach.
Until the other three teams figure it out, they will not be in the conversation with the Bills.
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