The matchups for every single team in the NFL have been revealed, and some of them have some very easy schedules, while some are a lot harder, facing off against more teams with higher winning percentages. Strength of schedule is often determined by the combined winning percentage of its opponents from the previous season, which means some teams have a much tougher route to the playoffs than others.
The Cleveland Browns are considered the team with the easiest schedule, as their opponents have an average of 0.429 winning percentage. On the other side of that coin, however, are teams whose opponents have much higher average winning percentages than that. Here are the five teams which theoretically have tougher schedules for the 2026 season.
10 NFL Teams With the Toughest Schedules in 2026
- 10- Carolina Panthers 0.521
- 9 – Los Angeles Chargers 0.522
- 8 – Buffalo Bills 0.528
- 7 – Las Vegas Raiders 0.529
- 6 — New England Patriots 0.531
- 5 – Kansas City Chiefs 0.536
- 4 – Green Bay Packers 0.538
- 3 – Arizona Cardinals 0.538
- 2 – Miami Dolphins 0.542
- 1 -Chicago Bears 0.550
The Chicago Bears were the No. 2 team in the NFC and will be in one of the most competitive divisions in the league, as they are in there with the Packers, Vikings and Lions, all of which are considered good contenders, with none of the teams in this division going under .529 last season.
On the other hand, the team with the second-hardest schedule in the NFL are the Dolphins, which ended their 2025 campaign under .500. Despite this, they are on the same division as the Patriots and the Bills in the AFC East, with some tough matchups against other teams in the AFC.
The Cardinals, considered one of the worst teams in the NFL last season, and in the NFC West, or the Wild Wild West, as the team is pitted against the three best teams in the league, namely the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers. Along with regular matchups against these three giants, they also have some tough matchups against teams outside their division.
Over at Green Bay, the Packers have a relatively easier schedule than their divisional rivals, the Bears, but it is also very tough, as they also have some opponents considered heavy contenders for this year.
As for the Chiefs, they are there with the Broncos and the Chargers in the AFC West, but also the Raiders, which puts them down the list, though their upcoming opponents are also strong enough to warrant their inclusion in the Top 5.
Read More:
5 NFL Stars That Attended Falcons Star Michael Penix Jr.’s Extravagant Wedding Ft. Bijan Robinson
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
