The NFL has released the 2026 regular season schedule, highlighting teams with varying levels of difficulty. The Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, and Cincinnati Bengals have the easiest schedules, while the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals face tougher opponents.
Key points
NFL schedule for the 2026 regular season released
Cleveland Browns, Saints, Bengals have easiest schedules
Bears, Dolphins, Cardinals face toughest schedules
Early season matchups can impact overall performance
Winning percentage of opponents determines schedule difficulty
Divisions might not be able to be won in September and October, but seasons can end prematurely because of those early slates. USA TODAY Sports listed teams who could be in trouble after the 2026 regular season schedule release.
Who's on the other end of the spectrum and might benefit from their regular-season schedule? Here are three teams who have favorable paths:
Which NFL teams have the easiest schedule in 2026?
The Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, and Cincinnati Bengals have the easiest schedules based on their opponents' winning percentages from last season.
What teams are expected to struggle with their 2026 NFL schedule?
The Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals are projected to have the toughest schedules in the 2026 NFL season.
How does the 2026 NFL schedule impact team performance?
A challenging schedule can lead to early-season struggles, potentially affecting a team's overall performance and playoff chances.
What factors determine the difficulty of an NFL team's schedule?
The difficulty of an NFL team's schedule is primarily based on the winning percentage of their opponents from the previous season.
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The Eagles will begin the regular the season with the 10th easiest strength of schedule based off opponentâs winning percentage from 2025.
The Eagles host the Washington Commanders to begin the year and then have two straight road games versus Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears. Itâs conceivable the Eagles fly out to a 3-0 start before they host the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 4 showdown.
Of Philadelphiaâs first nine games, four are against divisional opponents, three of which are at home. Then the Eagles have an ideal bye in the middle of the season in Week 10.
The Eagles do have a tough three-week stretch against the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans from Weeks 14-17, but all the games are at home, plus theyâll host Houston on a short week on Thursday night.
The Eagles got off to an 8-2 start last year. Their schedule this year gives them a path for another hot start and theyâll have home field advantage for most of their toughest opponents.
Remember the Ravensâ 1-5 start last year? The Ravens donât play a 2025 playoff team until they travel to Buffalo in Week 8.
The Ravens have an intriguing road game versus the Indianapolis Colts to start the year and then host the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 before traveling to Rio De Janeiro to take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
Baltimore does have a late Week 13 bye, but theyâll receive much-needed rest before they close the regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and all three AFC North rivals, including the Pittsburgh Steelers twice.
If the Ravens handle business before their Week 13 bye, they could separate themselves from the division in December.
Detroit's schedule is favorable: The Lions own the sixth easiest strength of schedule based off their opponentâs winning percentage from last season.
Of the Lionsâ first five games, four are against teams who finished below .500 in 2025, including a Week 1 home opener versus the New Orleans Saints and a Week 3 home tilt against the New York Jets.
After the Lionsâ Week 6 bye, they have two straight home contests against the division rival Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings before they travel to Miami to take on the rebuilding Dolphins in Week 9.
The Lions have a difficult Week 10 game versus the New England Patriots in Munich, Germany, but then have the benefit of two consecutive home games versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears, the latter coming on a short week on Thanksgiving.
The fate of the Lionsâ regular season could be decided in the final four weeks of the regular season where they have road games against all three NFC North rivals.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on XÂ @TheTylerDragon.
