Eagles News: Philadelphia among teams hurt by NFL schedule makers most in 2026

Q: How many games do the Philadelphia Eagles have with a rest disadvantage in 2026?

The Philadelphia Eagles have five games with a rest disadvantage in the 2026 NFL season.

Q: Which teams are most affected by the NFL schedule in 2026?

The teams most affected by the NFL schedule in 2026 include the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins.

Q: What is the significance of rest disadvantage in the NFL schedule?

Rest disadvantage can impact team performance, as teams with less rest may struggle against opponents who are better rested.

Q: Which teams benefit the most from the 2026 NFL schedule?

The teams that benefit the most from the 2026 NFL schedule include the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee Titans.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 11: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles calls a play in the huddle during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images ***Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …*** 2026 NFL Schedule Rest Disparity: Teams Helped & Hurt – Sharp Football Analysis This year, SEVEN teams play 5+ games with a rest disadvantage: 7 – Chargers, 5 – Eagles, Rams, Packers, Chiefs, Steelers, Dolphins. Seven teams with 5+ games of less rest than their opponent in a season is the #2 most in NFL history. Meanwhile, one team plays ZERO games with a rest disadvantage. And we have three total teams playing one or fewer games with a rest disadvantage all season: 1 – , Cowboys, 0 – Titans. To have both the Commanders and Cowboys competing against the Eagles in the NFC East, while the Eagles have five games with a rest disadvantage, and both the Commanders and Cowboys have just one such game? That seems unfair. […] **The teams hurt by the NFL schedule makers most in 2026**: 1) Los Angeles Chargers, 2)Philadelphia Eagles, 3) , 4) Pittsburgh Steelers, 5) Kansas City Chiefs. […] **The teams helped by the NFL schedule makers most in 2026**: 1) , 2) , 3) , 4) , 5) . Under this analysis, the Chicago Bears and the have the best “rest differentials” in the league this year, while the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Chargers are at the bottom. Will this matter? According to one recent study, not as much as it used to. After the 2025 schedule release, Sumer Sports looked into the rest differential and found that prior to 2011, the more-rested team enjoyed a swing of 2.2 points in their direction. As they described that advantage, it was “like benching a league average quarterback and putting , who led the sixth-ranked offense in terms of success rate, in 2024.” A larger issue to me that goes under the radar when it comes to international expansion across the four major sports leagues is how it affects the players themselves. It was only 25 years ago that the NBA moved the Grizzlies, less than a decade into their existence, from Vancouver to Memphis because of low local interest and some players’ displeasure with playing out of their U.S. That would only be heightened if players had to live for a while in the U.K. I’m against the wild increase in overseas games that take away home games from the teams’ core fan bases, but it’s ultimately preferable to me to a colossal international expansion plan that would leave the league unable to put the toothpaste back into the tube, so to speak, if things go sideways. If the Eagles stay healthy, I see a 12-5 team. The overall slate is seventh easiest in the league. But there is a lot of travel and the tough games are bunched up. The league did what it could to make things tough. The Eagles face four teams coming off a bye. That’s no bueno. My annual reminder…it isn’t just who you play, but when you play them and where you play them. The Eagles have struggled at home vs. lately, going 6-5 in 11 regular-season matchups in Philly since 2015 and sweeping them just once under Nick Sirianni, back in 2023. They are 13-5 overall vs. Washington since 2017 but three games under .500 all-time vs. Washington at 88-91-6 and also below .500 at home at 43-45-3. Jalen Hurts is 8-2 vs. Washington, and his 103.6 passer rating is 3rd-highest all-time vs. Washington, behind only and . This is the first Eagles-Commanders opener since 2020, when Washington won 27-17 in Landover. The Eagles are 6-7 all-time in openers vs. Washington. The Eagles are 5-0 in openers under Nick Sirianni and an NFL-best 15-3 since 2008. Cole Payton, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 5, No. 178). Why he fits in Philadelphia: Payton made a huge surge during the predraft process and ended up making the middle rounds. Even though he started only one season in college, Payton is a true dual-threat passer who has plenty of intriguing tools. He’s an excellent deep thrower but needs to develop more consistency on short-to-intermediate throws. The Eagles have done well with passers with similar skill sets in the past (see: Jalen Hurts) and Payton is a versatile passer who can be used in the designed QB run game. When he could get on the field: The Eagles’ QB room is crowded, with Payton joining Hurts, and . General manager Howie Roseman has suggested he’s not opposed to keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster. If that’s the case, Payton will start out well down the depth chart. He has drawn some comparisons and in theory could be deployed in short-yardage situations (tush push?) or as part of a play-design wrinkle to keep defenses off-balance. That’s Payton’s quickest route to playing. Otherwise, his time will be dedicated to developing behind the scenes. Rapper Drake released his new album “Iceman” along with two other albums, with Eagles fans paying a bit more attention to a new song called “Make Them Pay.” That’s because Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts was mentioned in the song, as Drake referenced him. “Industry is really evil, and I’ll face the way they paint me but it Hurts just like the Philly Eagles.” Another personnel exec mentioned as a potential fit for Brown. Jags receiver Brian Thomas, Jr. has regressed and been subject of trade rumors and 2025 top pick is going to be playing way more cornerback than receiver moving forward and a vet like Brown could help fill a void there. And the road games in between there are no joke, either. Starting the season off with John Harbaugh’s debut as the Giants head coach gets followed up with the aforementioned . Then it’s back-to-back games against the Packers and Eagles, two franchises that have delivered plenty of heartbreak to this fan base over the years. And the ninth game is against the , who started 8-2 last year before injuries derailed their season. Going 3-6 over that span is entirely possible. It may not be probable – one would venture to guess the Cowboys will be favored in four or five of these contests – but a couple unlucky bounces could easily get the team to 3-6 or worse. And if that happens… well, the odds of getting back to the playoffs are obviously not great. According to Burke, the Commanders have a plus-11 rest differential. (Hasan has it at 10.5). Either way, Dallas, Buffalo and Chicago round out the top four — and one of the highest totals since 2002. Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis has nine, which would be tied for fourth with the Seahawks. That seems like an overall positive – more on that later – and is tied to facing teams coming off a bye and facing teams on their short weeks. Last year, the Commanders faced four teams coming off a bye. That’s the highest total since 2002, but other teams have dealt with that number. Week 18: Eagles (TBD) — Win: 9-8 … I think the Giants are going to win only one of their final three games, and I go with this one. That gives the Giants one win against each NFC East team. FINAL THOUGHTS: As I said above, this is the most optimistic prediction I can credibly make. I believe the roster is marginally better, and the coaching is clearly better. I think, though, if you are expecting a turnaround like the had last season you are setting yourself up for disappointment. This could easily be a six-win season, though I think that is the floor. Maybe this can be a 10-win season if some unexpctedly good things happen, but I can’t in good conscience go there in a prediction. Most likely, I think Harbaugh’s first year falls in the seven- to nine-win range. … **Social Media Information:** BGN Facebook Page: BGN Twitter: BGN BlueSky: BGN Instagram: BGN Manager: Follow Brandon Lee Gowton on **** | **** | **** BGN Radio Twitter: