NEW: NFL strength of schedule for 2026!
5 easiest schedules:
1️⃣ Lions 2️⃣ Saints 3️⃣ Bengals 4️⃣ Browns 5️⃣ Jets
5 hardest schedules:
2️⃣8️⃣ Rams 2️⃣9️⃣ Cowboys 3️⃣0️⃣ Panthers 3️⃣1️⃣ Dolphins 3️⃣2️⃣ Cardinals
1-32 with insight & analysis:
Getty
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce celebrate a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
One of the few downsides of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ dominant run over the past decade has been playing first-place schedules every season.
They handled it well, winning the AFC West nine consecutive years between 2016-2024, and going to seven straight AFC Championship games from 2018-2024. Unfortunately, things came crashing down in 2025, resulting in a 6-11 season. However, there’s even a bright side to that.
As he does every year, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis revealed his strength of schedule for each NFL team.
NEW: NFL strength of schedule for 2026!
5 easiest schedules:
1️⃣ Lions 2️⃣ Saints 3️⃣ Bengals 4️⃣ Browns 5️⃣ Jets
5 hardest schedules:
2️⃣8️⃣ Rams 2️⃣9️⃣ Cowboys 3️⃣0️⃣ Panthers 3️⃣1️⃣ Dolphins 3️⃣2️⃣ Cardinals
1-32 with insight & analysis:
The Chiefs have the 10th-easiest strength of schedule, which is a major change from the past several years. Sharp does not factor in team’s win total from the previous season when determining strength of schedule, but rather bases it off of sportsbooks, which take into account factors such as roster adjustments, coaching staff changes, and player development.
Here are some historical facts that Sharp’s model has proven over the years:
Five AFC teams were determined to have easier strength of schedules than Kansas City, but none of them made the postseason in 2025. As far as the Chiefs’ AFC West rivals go, they landed one spot ahead of the Denver Broncos, nine ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders, and 11 ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers.
GettyBroncos HC Sean Payton and Chiefs HC Andy Reid
The official 2026 NFL schedules won’t be revealed until later this month. However, we already know all 14 of Kansas City’s opponents. Here they are:
As usual, you can likely count of the Chiefs having several primetime games. They are also making a push to play internationally in Madrid, Spain, which would be against the Falcons. Kansas City will also be a hot candidate to play on Christmas for the third year in a row.
Other big games in 2026 include matchups against the Rams, who now have former Chiefs starting cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, and the San Francisco 49ers, who have a storied history with Kansas City.
One matchup that is always a huge deal is against the Bills, who the Chiefs will play for a seventh consecutive year. Kansas City also has the misfortune of playing both 2025 Super Bowl teams —the Seahawks and Patriots. Games that, for now, could be considered layups are the Cardinals, Dolphins, and Jets.
Nick Roesch Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports' Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch's career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch
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