The NFL announced its entire 2026 schedule Thursday night in a Super Bowl-type event for the league's social media departments. What better way to celebrate than attempting to forecast all 272 regular-season games?
That's right. I took a way-too-early spin through the entire schedule in an attempt to simulate how the upcoming season might shake out. Navigate through the links below to see team-by-team results, weekly breakdowns, final standings, playoff matchups, and predicted draft order.
📅 Team schedules:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WAS
Jump to:
Week by week | Final standings
Playoff matchups | Draft order
Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals' record: 2-15
The Cardinals are hoping that the arrival of Mike LaFleur can eventually spark a turnaround, but it's not easy to find wins on this schedule with a quarterback room featuring Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Beck. Arizona's rebuild is going to take some time.
Atlanta Falcons
Falcons' record: 6-11
Posting their worst record since 2020 isn't the best way for the Falcons to start the Kevin Stefanski era. But this is another team that could be weighed down quite a bit by its quarterback situation. After a few miraculous wins at the midway point - a brief glimpse of what's possible with this group of skill players - those QB issues ultimately produce another frustrating finish.
Baltimore Ravens
Ravens' record: 13-4
The Jesse Minter hire pays off right away, as the Ravens finally find some consistency on defense to complement Lamar Jackson. Baltimore will be eager to get another shot at the Bengals in the playoffs after losing both regular-season matchups.
Buffalo Bills
Bills' record: 12-5
Joe Brady makes an immediate impression in his first opportunity as a head coach, guiding the Bills through a challenging schedule en route to an AFC East title. A trio of quality wins down the stretch makes quite the statement heading into the playoffs.
Carolina Panthers
Panthers' record: 7-10
Although the Panthers made some notable offseason improvements to the roster, their quarterback play still creates too much uncertainty. Knocking off teams like the Eagles and Broncos but finding a way to finish with a sub-.500 record is exactly what we've come to expect from Carolina.
Chicago Bears
Bears' record: 12-5
The Bears' Super Bowl window is officially open. After a promising first campaign under Ben Johnson, Chicago puts together its first 12-win season since 2012. Caleb Williams takes another step forward in Year 3 to make this one of the most dangerous offenses in football, and a few new additions on defense - headlined by first-round safety Dillon Thieneman - prove to be the pieces Dennis Allen needs to build a suitable complement.
Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals' record: 10-7
The Bengals get off to yet another slow start under Zac Taylor, and a disappointing midseason stretch raises more questions about this staff. But their offseason defensive improvements allow them to steady the ship for two critical hot streaks. Taking down the Ravens twice gets Cincinnati back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Cleveland Browns
Browns' record: 4-13
While the Browns are headed in the right direction after another strong offseason, it'll be another year before the results show up in the win column. Gettable games against the Jets, Titans, and Raiders go the other way due to a still-shaky quarterback situation.
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys' record: 10-7
The Cowboys' defense still gets them into trouble against top-tier competition, but thanks to this offseason's changes, they can take care of opponents they should beat. A 5-1 record in the division allows Dallas to sneak back into the playoffs.
Denver Broncos
Broncos' record: 12-5
Denver comes flying out of the gate with four straight quality wins. The Broncos' continued success against the Chiefs makes the difference in the chase for the AFC West title. However, the offense once again hits some bumps against top opponents in the second half, raising some questions heading into the postseason.
Detroit Lions
Lions' record: 10-7
Not taking a bye week on the other side of the Lions' trip to Germany ultimately proves costly. A three-game midseason losing streak leaves little room for error down the stretch, and that's a problem with three road games against NFC North opponents in the last four weeks.
Green Bay Packers
Packers' record: 10-7
The Packers are caught off guard by Kyler Murray and a new-look Vikings offense while starting the season without Micah Parsons. It ends up hurting their quest for a fourth straight playoff appearance.
Houston Texans
Texans' record: 13-4
The Texans start the season on the right foot as their ferocious defense terrorizes Josh Allen the same way it did last November. Houston gets tripped up by a pair of early division matchups, but the retooled offensive line comes together to help the team emerge as a true Super Bowl contender.
Indianapolis Colts
Colts' record: 6-11
The Colts once again generate some early excitement, upsetting the Chiefs as Patrick Mahomes tries to find his form after his December knee injury. The hype train soon goes out of service, though. A trip to Pittsburgh isn't what you want to see on the schedule mere days after returning from overseas, and a tough midseason stretch leads to the kind of disappointing final record that could spark change in Indy.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars' record: 9-8
A difficult opening schedule presents Jacksonville with quite the challenge when it comes to building upon last year's breakout. The Jaguars manage to salvage the poor start with a big win over the Texans in London, their unofficial second home. However, a new-look Titans team catches the Jags by surprise, and that winds up costing them a shot at the playoffs.
Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs' record: 11-6
The Chiefs get off to a slow start with Patrick Mahomes still finding his rhythm after an offseason spent rehabbing a major knee injury. They manage to hit their stride after a wake-up call against the Falcons and win seven of their last eight games to roll into the playoffs.
Las Vegas Raiders
Raiders' record: 5-12
The Raiders are more competitive after an impressive offseason retool, but this schedule doesn't offer many opportunities for an up-and-coming roster to stack wins. Kirk Cousins gives way to Fernando Mendoza down the stretch, and the No. 1 overall pick helps Las Vegas come away with a few results that inspire confidence heading into 2027.
Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers' record: 9-8
Although the offense lives up to the hype with Mike McDaniel calling plays for Justin Herbert, the defense takes a step back after losing Jesse Minter to Baltimore. With so many contenders on the schedule, that ends up keeping the Chargers out of the playoffs.
Los Angeles Rams
Rams' record: 13-4
Kyle Shanahan has Sean McVay's number in 2026, but the Rams make up for those losses by beating the Seahawks twice in the last three weeks of the season. The big moves in the secondary erase the razor-thin margins of last year's defeats, helping Los Angeles earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Miami Dolphins
Dolphins' record: 1-16
It's going to be a long year in Miami. This schedule would be a gauntlet for anyone, let alone a rebuilding team that just spent the offseason gutting the roster. Malik Willis doesn't get much help in his first opportunity as a full-time starter, and the Dolphins end up with no choice but to consider drafting a top quarterback from the stacked 2027 class.
Minnesota Vikings
Vikings' record: 8-9
Kyler Murray's arrival helps Minnesota get off to a hot start. As was so often the case in Arizona, though, his play trails off over the second half of the season. The Vikings drop some winnable games as a result - headlined by an inexcusable upset in New York - and miss the playoffs for the second straight year.
New England Patriots
Patriots' record: 10-7
A challenging schedule creates some uncertain moments for the reigning AFC champs, who do just enough to get back to the postseason. Second-half wins over the Bills and Broncos give the Patriots every reason to believe they can go on another deep run.
New Orleans Saints
Saints' record: 7-10
The Saints have done an excellent job of building an offense around sophomore quarterback Tyler Shough, but there's still work to be done on defense. That reality sets in over the second half of the season as a few high-powered offenses and three road division games sap New Orleans' early momentum.
New York Giants
Giants' record: 6-11
The Giants run a far more professional operation under John Harbaugh, and an early four-game winning streak ignites optimism about their timeline for a return to contention. However, the swath of contenders on the schedule down the stretch offer a reminder that there's plenty of work to be done.
New York Jets
Jets' record: 4-13
The Jets are unable to deny Robert Saleh his revenge game in Week 1, and the coaching staff feels the heat after a winless first month. New York gets on the board shortly thereafter, though. A 2-2 finish that includes a win over the Vikings provides reason to believe things are moving in the right direction. The extra first-round pick acquired from the struggling Colts helps set the stage for a big jump in 2027.
Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles' record: 11-6
The Eagles' first-half losses to the Panthers and Commanders can be chalked up to the growing pains that come with a new offensive system. The change is largely a positive one, though, and that unit flashes more than enough to complement what remains an elite defense. Philly is once again a real threat in the NFC.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' record: 6-11
The Steelers find out the hard way that they were staving off the collapse typical of aging rosters thanks to Mike Tomlin magic, not organizational excellence. Falling to the Browns after returning home from a Week 7 game in Paris gives them two separate three-game losing streaks in the first two months of the season. That's just too big a hole to climb out of despite pulling off a few trademark upsets in the second half.
San Francisco 49ers
49ers' record: 12-5
Strong offseason upgrades to the roster and some better injury luck allow the 49ers to re-emerge as legitimate contenders. It could have been Kyle Shanahan's third 13-win season, but San Francisco opts to rest its starters with nothing to play for in Week 18.
Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks' record: 13-4
No Super Bowl hangover here - the Seahawks are every bit as terrifying as they were en route to last year's title. And while the Rams made the necessary defensive improvements to steal the No. 1 seed over the last three weeks, Seattle will likely get a chance to flip the script and avenge those losses in the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers' record: 9-8
The Bucs still aren't quite in the elite tier, and there's always some NFC South randomness to consider. But this could have been a convincing 10-win division champion if there was anything to play for in Week 18. The front-seven improvements, highlighted by draftees Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter, finally give Tampa Bay the kind of defense we're used to seeing from a Todd Bowles-coached team.
Tennessee Titans
Titans' record: 5-12
Robert Saleh's first year in Tennessee starts on a high note with a win over his old team. And shocking the Texans in Week 5 is a statement about where things are headed. But in the early stages of a rebuild, the Titans mostly have to settle for more competitive losses.
Washington Commanders
Commanders' record: 6-11
The Commanders are in much better shape than they were this time last year. However, a challenging schedule keeps them from immediately returning to the heights of Jayden Daniels' debut season. Opening with the Eagles, Cowboys, and Seahawks is a rough start, and not taking a bye after a Week 4 trip to London contributes to a costly missed opportunity at home against the Giants.
