NFL 2026 Schedule: 3 Playoff Teams Face Toughest Strength of Schedule

The NFL is rapidly approaching the release of the 2026 regular season schedule. While the full slate drops on Thursday, May 14, the league has already announced select games for Week 1 and the Thanksgiving holiday stretch.

Thanks to the NFL’s scheduling formula, every team’s list of opponents is already set. That allows analysts to assess which playoff teams from 2025 may face the most challenging paths in 2026.

Strength of Schedule Rankings for 2026

Using the combined winning percentage of each team’s 2026 opponents from the 2025 season, the Chicago Bears top the strength of schedule rankings. Their opponents posted a combined winning percentage of .550 last year—the toughest in the league.

Two other playoff teams also face difficult schedules:

• Green Bay Packers: Opponents had a combined winning percentage of .538 in 2025, tying for the third-toughest schedule.
• New England Patriots: Their 2026 opponents posted a combined winning percentage of .531, ranking sixth-toughest in the NFL.

This marks a stark contrast for the Patriots, who benefited from an historically easy schedule en route to Super Bowl LX in 2025.

Full 2026 Strength of Schedule Rankings (via Adam Schefter)

The Cleveland Browns face the easiest schedule in 2026.

Alternative Strength of Schedule Analysis

While last year’s winning percentage provides one lens for evaluating schedule difficulty, it has limitations. Teams undergo significant roster changes year to year, making past performance an imperfect predictor.

Another approach uses projected win totals from oddsmakers to calculate strength of schedule. Under this method, compiled by Sharp Football Analysis, the Carolina Panthers—a 2025 playoff team—face the third-toughest schedule in 2026. Their slate ranks behind only the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams round out the top five.