There's always 2027: What would constitute a successful season for four rebuilding NFL teams?

The 2026 NFL preseason isn't over, but some teams are already looking ahead to next season.

For those squads, all hope isn't lost. The upcoming regular season can still be a positive, as long as expectations are recalibrated.

Below, we examine the four teams with the longest preseason odds to win Super Bowl LXI and determine what could make 2026 a success.

Arizona Cardinals (+50000)

Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love plays a full season...or close to it. | The Cardinals spent a premium No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Love, a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist and one of only five backs selected with a top three pick this century, joining Ronnie Brown (2005), Reggie Bush (2006), Trent Richardson (2012) and Saquon Barkley (2018). (h/t Stathead)

A promising preseason Week 1 debut was erased when the former Notre Dame running back suffered a high-ankle sprain. On Tuesday, first-year coach Mike LaFleur told reporters that Love wouldn't practice this week. 

When announcing the injury, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals were "hoping he can return for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener [versus] the Chargers," but with two weeks until the start of the regular season, the clock is ticking for him to get back on the practice field ahead of the regular season.

Considering what Arizona spent to attain Love, it needs to protect its coveted asset. But even more importantly, it needs Love on the field and producing at a high level to prove that was draft capital well spent.

Cleveland Browns (+20000)

Young offensive players become pillars. | Things are bleak for the Browns, but by the end of the season, they may be a quarterback away from things looking a lot different.

Hear us out. While Cleveland traded All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett, arguably the league's best defender, during the offseason, they acquired edge Jared Verse in return, giving the Browns the past two Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year winners, joining linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who won the award last season.

Tight end Harold Fannin (72 receptions, 731 yards, six receiving touchdowns) and running back Quinshon Judkins (230 carries, 837 yards, seven rushing touchdowns) showed flashes as rookies a year ago, and building on those numbers could make them franchise cornerstones. 

In April, the Browns used their first three picks on offensive players, including No. 9 on offensive tackle Spencer Fano. They also selected two wideouts, KC Concepcion (No. 24) and Denzel Boston (No. 39). If the three establish themselves as starters in Year 1, Cleveland's outlook will have flipped heading into the 2027 draft. The Browns may actually be an ideal destination for a quarterback.

Miami Dolphins (+35000)

Malik Willis establishes himself as a franchise QB. | If Tuesday was an accurate preview of Miami's season, it was a haunting glimpse into the future.

Early in the day, ESPN Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques shared that first-head coach Jeff Hafley is "'still evaluating' whether the team has enough NFL talent at safety -- and the same could be said for multiple positions."