After years of rebuilding, Washington Commanders fans appear to believe another postseason run could be within reach.
A new nationwide preseason study found that roughly one in three Commanders fans expect Washington to reach Super Bowl LXI during the upcoming 2026-27 NFL season, highlighting growing confidence ahead of kickoff.
The research also examined just how nervous—or optimistic—every NFL fanbase is before the regular season begins, revealing that excitement is outweighing anxiety for many supporters of teams expected to contend.
While the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams emerged as the most commonly predicted Super Bowl matchup overall, Washington fans are clearly dreaming of another deep playoff run of their own.
How confident are Washington Commanders fans entering the 2026 season?
Expectations have risen considerably around the Commanders entering the new campaign, and this latest survey reflects that growing optimism.
According to the study, approximately one-third of Washington Commanders fans believe their team will reach Super Bowl LXI, a remarkably confident outlook considering only two teams can make the championship game.
That optimism comes after Washington has generated significant excitement heading into training camp, with many fans believing the franchise has the pieces in place to compete in the NFC once again.
Although not every supporter expects a championship run, the findings suggest there is genuine belief that the Commanders can remain among the conference’s contenders throughout the season.
How Commanders fans stack up against the rest of the NFL
Washington’s fanbase falls somewhere in the middle of the league when it comes to Super Bowl confidence, but it’s far from the pessimistic end of the spectrum.
The survey found Buffalo Bills fans were the most confident in the NFL, with 84% believing their team will reach the Super Bowl, followed by Philadelphia Eagles fans (71%) and Kansas City Chiefs fans (69%).
At the opposite end were Las Vegas Raiders fans, where just 6% expected a Super Bowl appearance.
Fans of the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts also expressed little confidence, with only 13% expecting their teams to make the big game.
The broader survey also found that 56% of NFL fans are nervous about how their favorite team will perform this season, while Rams fans were the least anxious fanbase overall and Chargers fans were the most nervous.
How the preseason NFL fan study was conducted
The findings come from a survey conducted on July 13th, 2026, involving 3,000 NFL fans across the United States.
Participants identified their favorite NFL team before answering questions about whether they were nervous heading into the new season, whether they believed their team would reach Super Bowl LXI, and which AFC and NFC teams they expected to meet in the championship game.
Researchers then broke the results down by fanbase to compare preseason confidence, anxiety levels, and Super Bowl expectations across all 32 NFL teams.
Respondents were 62% male, 37% female, and 1% non-binary, with an average age of 42.6 years.
