ESPN sees Texans edging Jaguars in AFC South

The Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC South in 2025, with only the Houston Texans coming close to challenging the Jags for the division championship. As both teams head into 2026, it is assumed that the AFC South race will again be between Jacksonville and Houston, as neither the Indianapolis Colts nor the Tennessee Titans are expected to be legitimate contenders.

ESPN's AFC South reporters — D.J. Bien-Aime (Texans), Michael DiRocco (Jaguars), Turron Davenport (Titans) and Stephen Holder (Colts) — are looking at what is ahead for the division, and specifically, if the Jaguars can be back-to-back champions. Unfortunately, ESPN is predicting that the Texans will come out ahead of the Jags in 2026.