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5 worst games on 2026 NFL schedule, ranked
TL;DR
The 2026 NFL schedule will be released on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, highlighting the five worst games based on the 2025 win-loss records of the teams involved. Notably, no team appears more than once on the list to ensure a fair ranking.
Key points
- 2026 NFL schedule release on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET
- Ranking based on 2025 win-loss records of teams
- No team appears more than once on the worst games list
- Focus on parity in the rankings
- Confirmed schedule leaks available
The 2026 NFL schedule arrives Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, and not every game on it deserves a prime slot. Some matchups read like punishment for whichever crews draw them on Sundays in the fall.
What follows are the five worst games of the upcoming season, largely based on a combined 2025 win-loss record of the two franchises. The exercise includes one guardrail: no team appears more than once on the list. Otherwise, the ranking would read as a referendum against the Jets, Raiders, or Browns, and the goal here is parity, not piling on. Well, maybe a little piling on.
Most weeks are still to be determined as of this writing. The few schedule leaks below are confirmed. Thursday night’s schedule release will sort out the rest.
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5. New Orleans Saints at Washington Commanders
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Week TBD, Northwest Stadium (Landover, MD)
A meeting of last year’s biggest disappointments. Washington crashed from 12-5 and an NFC Championship Game berth in 2024 to 5-12 after Jayden Daniels missed 10 games with knee, hamstring, and elbow injuries. New Orleans went 6-11 in Kellen Moore’s first year, though rookie Tyler Shough sparked hope by going 4-1 over his last five starts and finishing as an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist. Adam Peters spent heavily on defense this spring. The Commanders edged the Saints 20-19 in their last meeting in 2024.
4. Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins
Week TBD, Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
The Dolphins enter 2026 nearly unrecognizable. Mike McDaniel is out; Jeff Hafley is in. Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, and Minkah Fitzpatrick are all gone. Malik Willis arrived in free agency to compete with 2025 seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers, who closed last season as the starter. The Bengals counter with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins still locked in together, plus the same defense that surrendered 492 points in 2025, second-most in football. Cincinnati throttled Miami 45-21 in Week 16 last December, when Burrow tossed four touchdowns at a Dolphins squad already in tank mode.
3. Cleveland Browns at New York Giants
- Jaxson Dart
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20, 1 p.m. ET, MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)
Two 2025 bottom feeders are likely playing out a meaningless December slate. The Browns averaged 15.8 points per game over the past two seasons, dead last in the league. The Giants finished 4-13. Todd Monken takes his first head coaching turn opposite his former Ravens boss John Harbaugh, who left Baltimore for New York after Brian Daboll was let go. Sophomore Jaxson Dart faces either Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, an unsettled trio whose 2025 starts produced more interceptions than touchdowns, or perhaps rookie Taylen Green out of Arkansas. Kickoff is buried in the 1 p.m. window with no national appeal.
2. Las Vegas Raiders at Arizona Cardinals
Week TBD, State Farm Stadium (Glendale, AZ)
A 3-14 vs. 3-14 matchup in the desert. The Cardinals scrapped Jonathan Gannon, hired Mike LaFleur from the Rams, and cut ties with Kyler Murray, leaving 33-year-old Jacoby Brissett under center. Arizona then took running back Jeremiyah Love third overall, signaling a multi-year teardown. The Raiders pivoted from Pete Carroll to Klint Kubiak and drafted Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza first overall after their offense scored just 241 points, the fewest in football. Both rosters are still being assembled. The combined point differential from last season sits at minus-324.
1. New York Jets at Tennessee Titans
- Cam Ward
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m. ET, Nissan Stadium (Nashville, TN)
The worst game of 2026 doubles as a homecoming. Robert Saleh, fired by the Jets in October 2024 after a 20-36 run, takes over a Titans franchise that matched his old club’s 3-14 record. Saleh brought Brian Daboll along as offensive coordinator and raided his old roster, importing Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, and Solomon Thomas. Aaron Glenn answers in Year 2 with 35-year-old Geno Smith, dealt back to New York from Las Vegas. Cam Ward, who tied for the league lead with 55 sacks taken as a rookie, faces a defense that gave up 503 points last season.
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Q&A
What are the five worst games on the 2026 NFL schedule?
The five worst games are ranked based on the combined 2025 win-loss records of the teams involved.
When will the 2026 NFL schedule be released?
The 2026 NFL schedule will be released on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
Why are certain NFL games considered the worst for the 2026 season?
Certain games are considered the worst due to the poor combined win-loss records of the teams from the previous season.
Which teams are excluded from appearing multiple times on the worst games list?
Teams like the Jets, Raiders, and Browns are excluded from appearing more than once to ensure a balanced ranking.
