By Emillio Burgos, Intern Journalist
The NFL is starting the regular season with a bang in Week 1. On Wednesday night, the New England Patriots face off against the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch between two teams that previously met in the Super Bowl. This historic kickoff marks a shift in the league's scheduling philosophy, leaning into midweek viewership. The NFL also created the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, featuring the Green Bay Packers vs. the Los Angeles Rams. These will be the first scheduled Wednesday night games of the season, a move that executives believe will maximize domestic reach during holiday travel windows.
There are also a record nine international games this season across eight different countries. From the season opener in Melbourne, Australia, to matchups in Paris and Munich, the league's global footprint is expanding faster than ever. However, this expansion comes at a cost. Some teams got lucky with their schedule from a traveling perspective, while others did not. Some teams have an easier path to the playoffs, while others will have to prove themselves against tougher competition. Teams also have bye weeks as early as Week 5. Could that help or hurt teams later in the season? How will the top rookies perform as the season progresses? These are just some of the questions NFL fans have heading into the season. Right now, there is not a clear favorite to win the Super Bowl.
Seeking Legitimacy Through Analytics
The NFL utilizes advanced AWS-powered models to evaluate thousands of variables before finalizing the grid. According to league officials, factors such as travel distance, short rest weeks, and late-season divisional matchups are weighted to ensure competitive balance. However, the 2026 release has already sparked debate among analysts regarding "schedule fairness."
"The issue is particularly relevant when you look at the disparity in rest," notes one industry analyst. "If fairness is a main criterion, you shouldn't tolerate some teams having four games where the opponent has an extra week of rest while others never deal with that once." This may serve as a significant hurdle for teams navigating an already grueling 17-game season.
Let’s take a look at the winners and losers from the NFL schedule release.
Winners
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is expected to miss the beginning of the season for the Chiefs, but Kansas City’s schedule actually favors them early on. They start the year with back-to-back home games against the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. Both are tough teams, but playing those games at home allows the Chiefs to stay in Kansas City to begin the season without the added stress of travel during a quarterback transition.
They then follow that stretch with road games against the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders, two young rebuilding teams with first-year head coaches. After that comes their bye week. Through the first five weeks, they only play one divisional game.
Mahomes could push to return around that point in the season, especially because Weeks 6-8 become much tougher with games against the Chargers, Seahawks, and Broncos on the road. There is another difficult stretch later in the season, but Mahomes should already be back by then to help push the Chiefs toward another playoff appearance.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints finished last season playing some great football. Tyler Shough emerged as one of the best rookie quarterbacks toward the end of the year, providing a spark that the franchise had been missing. The Saints also added another weapon after drafting a wide receiver in the top 10, signaling an aggressive "all-in" approach for 2026.
The NFC South feels wide open with no clear favorite, and the Saints are looking to take advantage and win the division. New Orleans does not have many difficult matchups throughout the season. They do have one international game in Paris that counts as a home game, but they follow it up with a timely bye week in Week 8. The toughest part of their schedule comes early with road games against the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.
The Saints also have a primetime home matchup in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons. If head coach Kellen Moore can keep this offense rolling from the way they ended last season, the Saints could make a serious run at the division title.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are back-to-back NFC East champions, becoming the first team in over 20 years to repeat as division winners. Philadelphia looks even stronger after drafting a wide receiver in the first round, possibly preparing for the future with rumors surrounding star AJ Brown.
The Eagles begin the season against the Titans and Commanders before entering a difficult three-game stretch. They also have multiple back-to-back road games in the middle of the season. However, the schedule becomes more favorable late in the year. Before two key road games in December, Philadelphia plays three straight home games, which is great timing heading into the playoffs. Their bye week also comes at a solid point in the season during Week 10. Overall, this is a favorable schedule for the Eagles as they look to win the NFC East for a third straight season.
The Global Arms Race
With games spanning from Melbourne to Munich, the 2026 season is a logistics marathon. The league's international strategy is designed to build "lasting impacts" in foreign markets, but for the players, it means unprecedented miles.
Losers
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots surprised many people last season by not only making the playoffs but also reaching the Super Bowl. However, some people questioned whether that success was because of their favorable schedule or because of the team itself.
The Patriots had one of the easier schedules in the NFL last season, but this year is completely different. After winning the AFC East, New England now has to face many of the top teams from both the AFC and NFC. Their Week 1 rematch against Seattle and a Week 11 trip to Munich highlight a gauntlet of elite opponents. This season will be a true test to see if the Patriots are legitimate Super Bowl contenders again.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were one of the breakout teams from last season behind the play of Caleb Williams and several late-game comeback victories. The Bears also made a major offseason move by trading away their No. 1 receiver, DJ Moore, to the Buffalo Bills. That now makes Rome Odunze the projected top option at wide receiver.
The NFL scheduled the Bears for five primetime games this season, including three straight between Weeks 7-9. Chicago also has six short weeks throughout the year, tied for the most in the league, which could become a major challenge for recovery. Interestingly, none of their primetime games are against the Green Bay Packers despite the incredible matchup those teams gave fans last season. Their primetime opponents are the Patriots, Bills, Eagles, Seahawks, and Buccaneers. The Bears also have the toughest schedule in the NFC North. Their travel situation is manageable, but the level of competition will be much harder in Year 2 under head coach Ben Johnson.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are always a team mentioned in the Super Bowl conversation, but two major problems continue to follow them. First, they play in a difficult NFC West division with the Seahawks and Rams. Second, injuries always seem to become an issue at some point during the season.
The 49ers do begin the year healthy and talented enough to compete for the division title. Outside of their matchups against the Rams and Seahawks, their overall schedule is not too difficult. However, the biggest issue is the amount of travel. The NFL schedule makers gave the 49ers the most traveled miles in the league this season, including two international games in Weeks 1 and 11.
After their Week 11 international game in Mexico City, San Francisco enters a brutal stretch against the Seahawks, Giants, Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, and Eagles. That could become one of the toughest late-season stretches in the NFL. The 49ers do have an easier start to the season after Week 1 with back-to-back games against the Dolphins and Cardinals, but their playoff outlook becomes much tougher later in the year because of the travel and difficult opponents.
Lasting Impacts
As the league prepares for this experimental schedule, the focus remains on how these structural choices will impact the final standings. While teams like the Chiefs and Saints can breathe a sigh of relief at their early slates, the Bears and 49ers must prepare for a war of attrition. For more insights on the upcoming season and player developments, check out our coverage of the College Football Playoffs first round to see which future stars might be joining these rosters next year.
The 2026 season promises to be a year of firsts, and if the schedule is any indication, the road to the Super Bowl will be more grueling than ever.