2026 NFL Power Rankings: How the Schedule Release Shook Up the League Hierarchy
The truth of the NFL schedule is this: It’s not who you play, it’s when you play them. A team that looks tough on paper now might be a shell of itself when injuries hit in October. Maybe even sooner.
That said, strength of schedule is at least a guide to the challenges each team will face. And it’s the last piece of the puzzle for ranking the teams from best to worst before training camp begins.
So, now that the full 2026 schedule is out, here are my final Power Rankings of the offseason.
#32 Arizona Cardinals
Super Bowl odds: +40000
They have a real chance to start 0-13 against a brutal schedule before they get to their bye week. After that, they will have the chance to rack up some wins against the Jets, Saints and Raiders, but by that point they’ll have to ask themselves, "Why?"
#31 Miami Dolphins Previously ranked: 30
Super Bowl odds: +30000
If they tanked for the top pick, would anyone know? Their last six games, and nine of their last 11, are against teams projected to win nine or more games. After opening against the Raiders, the slate gets ugly fast.
#30 Las Vegas Raiders Previously ranked: 29
Super Bowl odds: +15000
It’s hard to find a soft spot in this schedule for the Raiders to put top pick Fernando Mendoza in. Maybe Week 8 against the Jets or Week 12 against the Browns, but those are the only weak games after September for a while.
How soon will the Raiders start rookie Fernando Mendoza? (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
#29 New York Jets Previously ranked: 28
Super Bowl odds: +20000
The Jets’ schedule is relatively easy. They just have to survive Robert Saleh’s revenge quest in the opener and three straight games against the NFC North to get to the easier part that starts in Week 5.
#28 Cleveland Browns Previously ranked: 30
Super Bowl odds: +15000
They have the NFL’s easiest schedule based on last year’s record and travel fewer miles than all but one team. In theory, they have plenty of time to find their way — if they can find a quarterback.
#27 Tennessee Titans Previously ranked: 26
Super Bowl odds: +12000
After Robert Saleh (likely) exacts his revenge on the Jets in Week 1, things get at a lot tougher. On paper, the Titans' schedule is easy. In reality, it’s a lot harder than it looks.
#26 New Orleans Saints Previously ranked: 27
Super Bowl odds: +8000
Once they get past Detroit and Baltimore in the opening weeks, they have a real chance to build on last year with one of the NFL’s easiest schedules based on expected wins. They also are set up for a strong finish with no games against 2025 playoff teams in the last four weeks.
#25 Pittsburgh Steelers Previously ranked: 24
Super Bowl odds: +5000
Seven of their last nine games are against teams projected to win 9-11 games. Aaron Rodgers’ 42-year-old body should be aching pretty good by then.
#24 Washington Commanders Previously ranked: 23
Super Bowl odds: +6500
Surviving their first eight games may not be possible. They only play three of those on the road, but they’re at Philly and Dallas to open the season and then off to San Francisco in Week 6. They also play the Seahawks and Rams. They don’t really have a break until they get to Arizona in Week 12.
When will Jayden Daniels return and will he be able to recapture his rookie form? (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
#23 Indianapolis Colts Previously ranked: 25
Super Bowl odds: +6500
The only real problem with their schedule is they open against the Ravens, Chiefs and Texans. That’s three tough tests for either a backup quarterback or a still-healing Daniel Jones. It gets a lot easier after that, though.
#22 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl odds: +5000
The first half of their schedule is easy compared to what awaits them in the second half. Their last nine games include trips to Chicago, Detroit and Baltimore and home games against the Chargers and Rams.
#21 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl odds: +2500
They have the third-toughest schedule when measured by expected wins for their opponent, and they travel more than all but three NFL teams (27,980 miles). Add in five prime-time games and they have an exhausting road.
#20 Atlanta Falcons
Super Bowl odds: +12000
Their road slate is easy, but their home schedule is ugly. Their first six home games are against the Panthers, Ravens, Bears, 49ers, Chiefs and Lions, and that doesn’t count the "home" game against the Bengals in Madrid. Wow.
#19 New York Giants Previously ranked: 18
Super Bowl odds: +7000
The NFL teed up the first six games for John Harbaugh, with only a road trip to the Rams looking impossible. They better build up a nice cushion, though, because life gets tough after their Week 8 bye.
#18 Carolina Panthers Previously ranked: 19
Super Bowl odds: +8000
The good news is nobody travels fewer than the 8,740 miles the Panthers will travel this season. The bad news is they play the third-hardest schedule, based on projected wins, along the way.
Will Bryce Young earn an extension after the Panthers recently picked up his fifth-year option? (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
#17 Minnesota Vikings
Super Bowl odds: +5000
If they can hang on in the division, they’re set up for a fantastic finish. Three of their last four games are at home. One is against the Commanders. And their only road trip in that stretch is to New York to play the Jets.
#16 Los Angeles Chargers Previously ranked: 14
Super Bowl odds: +1600
The opening will feel easy to them against the Cardinals and Raiders. But the next eight weeks are as ugly as it gets, starting with a four-game stretch that includes trips to Buffalo, Seattle and Kansas City, with a home game against the Broncos in between. Ouch.
#15 Detroit Lions
Super Bowl odds: +1800
They have the NFL’s easiest schedule based on projected wins, but the NFL found a way to make it difficult. They get to open the Bills’ new stadium in Week 2. Then three of their last four games are against division opponents on the road.
#14 Green Bay Packers Previously ranked: 16
Super Bowl odds: +1600
Their schedule is filled with soft spots, so they shouldn’t have an extended losing streak at any point. And down the stretch, most of their tough games (Bills, Texans and Lions) are at home.
#13 San Francisco 49ers Previously ranked: 10
Super Bowl odds: +1700
Here’s a fun fact: The 49ers will set an NFL record this season by traveling more than 38,000 miles, including trips to Melbourne, Australia and Mexico City. They’ll cross 58 time zones. Surviving that might be impossible.
#12 Kansas City Chiefs Previously ranked: 8
Super Bowl odds: +1500
The good news is the schedule is backloaded, so they might survive the first five weeks if Patrick Mahomes is rusty. The bad news is it’s backloaded, so things won’t be easy when Mahomes might be back to form.
Will Patrick Mahomes be back for Week 1? (Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
#11 Cincinnati Bengals Previously ranked: 13
Super Bowl odds: +2200
Joe Burrow is back. They strengthened their awful defense. And on top of that, they get one of the NFL’s easiest schedules. They play just two 2025 playoff teams over the last 14 weeks.
#10 Houston Texans Previously ranked: 12
Super Bowl odds: +1800
The good news for the NFL’s best defense is they don’t play a lot of offensive powerhouses on the road. Most of their toughest tests (Bengals, Cowboys, Bills) come at home, and early.
#9 Chicago Bears Previously ranked: 8
Super Bowl odds: +2500
They drew the NFL’s toughest schedule, though it’s a touch easier if you base it on expected wins in 2026 instead of the 2025 record. They also have seven prime-time or stand-alone games, so the whole world will be watching.
#8 Jacksonville Jaguars Previously ranked: 11
Super Bowl odds: +3000
They have one home game in the first six weeks (against the Patriots) and two international games. If they can survive that, though, they’ll have a pretty smooth ride the rest of the way.
#7 New England Patriots Previously ranked: 6
Super Bowl odds: +1600
They have basically the same brutal schedule as the Bills, only more home games toward the end. So why did they drop behind them? Because the Patriots aren’t used to a slate like that. And their coach has been a bit … um … distracted.
#6 Buffalo Bills Previously ranked: 7
Super Bowl odds: +1000
It’s bad enough that their schedule includes the AFC West and NFC North, but they have to play at New England, Green Bay and Denver in December. The bright side is they will be very battle-tested for the playoffs.
Can Joe Brady get the Bills back into title contention in his first year as a head coach? (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
#5 Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl odds: +950
I was told ranking them this high was controversial. Then I saw their schedule, and I’m not sure I’ve ranked them high enough. They won’t be tested until Week 7 at home against the Bengals.
#4 Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl odds: +1600
Take out three games against NFC West teams and their schedule is soft as butter. Also, they get their two toughest games at home (Rams, Seahawks), and by the time they travel to San Francisco, the frequent-traveling 49ers should be exhausted.
#3 Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl odds: +950
They have basically the same tough schedule as the Rams, only with about 12,000 fewer air miles. But honestly, the battle between these two NFC West rivals will be decided by what happens when they play those two games over the final three weeks.
#2 Los Angeles Rams Previously ranked: 1
Super Bowl odds: +800
My colleague, Eric Williams, doesn’t share my rosy view of the Rams. I remain bullish, but I got squeamish when I looked at their schedule. They’ll travel 34,847 miles this season, which can’t be good for Matthew Stafford’s 38-year-old back. And facing the Seahawks twice in the final three games caps a brutal final two months.
#1 Denver Broncos Previously ranked: 2
Super Bowl odds: +2000
Their first six games are just terrible. But assuming they survive that, there is a real soft middle of the schedule that could put them on a real run from Weeks 7 to 15. That should be enough for the class of the AFC, and a team that is motivated by the knowledge they should’ve been in the Super Bowl last year.
