The NFL’s 2026 regular-season schedule has not yet been fully released, but details such as the nine international games have already sparked discussions about which teams face the toughest travel schedules—and which teams will barely leave home.
The Carolina Panthers fall squarely into the latter group.
Thanks to the NFL’s scheduling formula, the Panthers will play just eight road games in 2026. Their away slate includes:
- Games against their NFC South division rivals
- Matchups against the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers (as the NFC South faces the AFC North in 2026)
- A single game against the Philadelphia Eagles
In total, the Panthers are projected to travel 8,740 miles this season—the fewest in the league.
Close behind them are the Cleveland Browns, who will log 9,073 miles on the road in 2026.
Teams With the Most Travel in 2026
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams top the list of teams with the most extensive travel schedules.
The two NFC West rivals will kick off the 2026 season in Australia, facing off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11 (September 10 in the U.S.). This marks the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia.
The 49ers’ international travel doesn’t end there. In Week 11, they will travel to Mexico City to face the Minnesota Vikings.
Could Minimal Travel Boost the Panthers’ Super Bowl Chances?
The Panthers’ schedule could prove advantageous. Last year, the New England Patriots reached Super Bowl LX, with their relatively easy travel schedule cited as a contributing factor. The Patriots left the Eastern Time Zone just twice during the 2025 regular season—once for a game in New Orleans against the Saints and once in Tennessee against the Titans—before their AFC Championship Game trip to Denver.
With the Panthers facing minimal travel in 2026, could they follow a similar path to postseason success?
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