Every home and road opponent for Patriots on the 2026 NFL schedule

The full NFL schedule is slated to drop on Thursday, May 14, but we already know who the New England Patriots will be facing in the 2026 season.

Nobody will be accusing the Patriots of having a "cupcake" schedule this time out. On paper, it's clear that the defending AFC champions will have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL.

The fact that New England plays the Buffalo Bills twice a year elevates the level of difficulty from the start. However, the team is also slated to face multiple playoff-contending teams, including the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers.

It will be an uphill climb for the Patriots to make it through the gauntlet with a record good enough to make the playoffs, much less repeat winning the AFC East division and returning to the Super Bowl. With that said, the Patriots have made the necessary moves to be a significantly improved version of the team that went on last season's improbable Super Bowl run.