On May 14, the 2026 NFL schedule was released for all 32 teams, a true holiday for those of us who love football. Each year, the playoff field usually features teams that did not advance to the postseason the year prior, which shows how difficult it is to predict winners or losers in the NFL. At this point in the year, all we truly have is what we learned from last season and how each team changed during the spring.

That means examining every team’s schedule and identifying which teams have an easier road ahead in 2026 and which teams face a tougher climb toward the postseason. Let’s take a deep dive into the five teams with the easiest schedules and the five teams with the hardest schedules in 2026.

Teams With the Easiest Road Ahead in 2026

Cleveland Browns

The first team on this list is the Cleveland Browns. Among the factors working in their favor is having the ninth-easiest overall slate and the easiest road schedule based on opponents’ winning percentages. While opening the season with two straight road games may be challenging, the next month looks far more appealing thanks to home matchups against Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore, with a trip to face the Jets sandwiched in during Week 5.

Home games against Houston, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, and Atlanta all fall in mid-November a stretch that also includes a Week 11 bye and a reunion with former head coach Kevin Stefanski, now leading the Falcons, at what could be a pivotal point in the season.

Cleveland’s schedule is one of the more imbalanced slates in the league, featuring three straight road games in Weeks 7–9 followed by four straight home games in Weeks 10–14. The final month is tough, with trips to face the Giants, Ravens, and Bengals. If the Browns can survive the three-game road stretch, they should like how their December schedule sets up.

Denver Broncos

The next team on this list is the Denver Broncos. After opening the season with a prime-time matchup against the rival Chiefs in Kansas City, the Broncos will be glad to host most of their toughest non-division opponents in Denver. The Jaguars, Rams, Seahawks, and Bills all visit Mile High.

Denver’s schedule is remarkably balanced, with no more than two consecutive road games at any point. If they can capitalize on home-field advantage and secure wins over 2025 playoff teams like the Jaguars and Rams in September, they should emerge from the first month in solid shape though road games against the Jets and Raiders will test them.

The Broncos close the season with a challenging trio of matchups, including home games against the Bills and Chargers. But if any team is positioned to finish strong, it’s the reigning AFC West champions.

Baltimore Ravens

The third team on this list is the Baltimore Ravens. New head coach Jesse Minter opens the season on the road against a Colts team that will either be starting Daniel Jones in his first game back from an Achilles tear or a backup quarterback. New Orleans visits Baltimore in Week 2, followed by an international game in Rio de Janeiro against the Cowboys an ideal opening stretch.

Baltimore then hosts Tennessee, visits Atlanta and Cleveland, and returns home to face Cincinnati, another favorable run of games. The schedule becomes more difficult in the second half, but the Ravens never spend more than two consecutive weeks away from home. Three of their final five games are at home, including a regular-season finale against Pittsburgh the matchup that decided the AFC North last year.

The biggest hurdle may be their Week 13 bye, which follows five straight games against 2025 playoff teams (Bills, Jaguars, Chargers, Panthers, Texans). The good news: two of those games are prime-time home contests, where Baltimore is especially tough to beat in.

Detroit Lions

The fourth team on this list is the Detroit Lions. After a disappointing end to the 2025 season, the Lions have a promising path to bounce back. Their first five games include only one team that won a playoff game last season Buffalo  in a prime-time matchup that also marks the opening of the new Highmark Stadium. If there’s ever a good time to face the Bills under new head coach Joe Brady, it’s Week 2, when the team is still adjusting.

Detroit’s first two divisional games (Weeks 7 and 8) are both at Ford Field. Their road slate is manageable, with trips to Miami, Atlanta, Carolina, and Arizona, plus a matchup against reigning AFC champion New England in Munich. Outside of a brutal final month with road games against Minnesota, Chicago, and Green Bay, the schedule looks favorable for the Lions for sure.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are one of only four teams (along with the Browns, Saints, and Bengals) to land in the top ten for easiest schedules both at home and on the road based on opponents’ 2025 winning percentages. While they have the easiest schedule overall, Week 1 brings a challenge for new head coach Kevin Stefanski as he returns to Pittsburgh.

A divisional matchup with reigning NFC champion Carolina follows, then a short-week trip to Green Bay. From there, the schedule opens up. Atlanta hosts three straight playoff contenders Baltimore, Chicago, and San Francisco  in Weeks 5–7. They face Cincinnati on a neutral field in Madrid, then return home to play the Chiefs before their bye.

Most of Atlanta’s toughest matchups come at home. Two of their three late-season road trips are against teams that picked in the top seven of this year’s draft, reducing the difficulty on paper. A pair of late-season home games against division rivals should provide a softer landing before closing the season in Charlotte.

Teams With the Toughest Road Ahead in 2026

Dallas Cowboys

The pressure ramps up for Dallas in Week 3, when they travel to Brazil to face Lamar Jackson a two-time MVP looking to make a statement on a global stage. The Cowboys then play three of their next four games on the road against 2025 playoff teams, including back-to-back prime-time matchups in Green Bay and Philadelphia.

A Thanksgiving showdown with the Eagles and a trip to face the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks make for a rough holiday stretch. A visit to the Rams after a long-awaited Week 14 bye won’t be easy either.

Los Angeles Chargers

The first two games look favorable for Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers, but the schedule turns quickly. From Weeks 3–9, five of their six opponents won at least one playoff game last season. That stretch includes matchups with Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Patrick Mahomes (if healthy), and Matthew Stafford.

New defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary will have his hands full. The Chargers then visit former DC Jesse Minter and Lamar Jackson on Monday Night Football. Los Angeles also plays four of its final six games on the road, including a Week 18 trip to face the reigning AFC West champion Broncos a matchup that could carry major playoff implications.

Seattle Seahawks

After a manageable opening few weeks, the Seahawks’ schedule intensifies quickly. Starting in Week 4, Seattle plays four of five games against 2025 playoff teams, including a short-week trip to Denver.

The only non-playoff opponent in that stretch is the Chiefs who will be eager to prove they’re still contenders. After their Week 11 bye, the Seahawks face a brutal closing stretch with road games against the 49ers, Eagles (on a short week), Panthers, and Rams  all playoff teams last season.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams face little breathing room in 2026, beginning with a league-high seven prime-time games. They open with a tough divisional matchup as the designated home team in Australia and play four of their first five games against 2025 playoff teams.

Things ease slightly before their Week 11 bye, even with three of four games on the road. But the final seven games are a gauntlet, including two matchups in the final three weeks against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have the toughest schedule of any team in the NFL this season. They were dealt a difficult hand, starting with six road games in their first nine contests. Their mandated double dips against divisional rivals make things even harder.

Arizona plays seven games against teams that won at least one playoff game last season  six of which come against NFC West opponents. The 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks have not taken major steps back this offseason, making the division unforgiving for a rebuilding team.

The Cardinals also face tough matchups against the Broncos, Eagles, Chiefs, and Chargers, with the latter two on the road. New head coach Mike LaFleur is tasked with steering the franchise in the right direction, but even meaningful progress may not show up in the standings.

And there you have it  the teams with the easiest and toughest schedules heading into the 2026 season. We’ll find out in September whether these projections hold true or if the NFL delivers its usual surprises.