NFL Strength of Schedule 2026
All 32 teams ranked from hardest schedule to easiest, based on what their opponents actually did last season. Open any team to see every opponent and record.
Strength of schedule is the average win percentage of a team's opponents in the 2025 season. Higher means harder. The 32 values always average .500, because every game counts for both teams.
| # | Team | SoS | Opp. record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chicago BearsNFC North | .550 | 158-129-2 | 17 |
| 2 |  Miami DolphinsAFC East | .542 | 156-132-1 | 17 |
| 3 |  Green Bay PackersNFC North | .538 | 155-133-1 | 17 |
| 4 |  Arizona CardinalsNFC West | .538 | 155-133-1 | 17 |
| 5 |  Kansas City ChiefsAFC West | .536 | 155-134 | 17 |
| 6 |  New England PatriotsAFC East | .531 | 153-135-1 | 17 |
| 7 |  Las Vegas RaidersAFC West | .529 | 153-136 | 17 |
| 8 |  Buffalo BillsAFC East | .528 | 152-136-1 | 17 |
| 9 |  Los Angeles ChargersAFC West | .522 | 151-138 | 17 |
| 10 |  Carolina PanthersNFC South | .521 | 150-138-1 | 17 |
| 11 |  Minnesota VikingsNFC North | .519 | 149-138-2 | 17 |
| 12 |  New York JetsAFC East | .517 | 149-139-1 | 17 |
| 13 |  Los Angeles RamsNFC West | .516 | 148-139-2 | 17 |
| 14 |  Seattle SeahawksNFC West | .514 | 148-140-1 | 17 |
| 15 |  Denver BroncosAFC West | .512 | 148-141 | 17 |
| 16 |  Washington CommandersNFC East | .502 | 144-143-2 | 17 |
| 17 |  New York GiantsNFC East | .498 | 143-144-2 | 17 |
| 18 |  San Francisco 49ersNFC West | .497 | 143-145-1 | 17 |
| 19 |  Pittsburgh SteelersAFC North | .495 | 143-146 | 17 |
| 20 |  Dallas CowboysNFC East | .493 | 142-146-1 | 17 |
| 21 |  Tampa Bay BuccaneersNFC South | .491 | 141-146-2 | 17 |
| 22 |  Jacksonville JaguarsAFC South | .490 | 141-147-1 | 17 |
| 23 |  Philadelphia EaglesNFC East | .481 | 138-149-2 | 17 |
| 24 |  Baltimore RavensAFC North | .479 | 138-150-1 | 17 |
| 25 |  Tennessee TitansAFC South | .476 | 137-151-1 | 17 |
| 26 |  Houston TexansAFC South | .474 | 136-151-2 | 17 |
| 27 |  Detroit LionsNFC North | .467 | 134-153-2 | 17 |
| 28 |  Indianapolis ColtsAFC South | .465 | 134-154-1 | 17 |
| 29 |  Atlanta FalconsNFC South | .465 | 134-154-1 | 17 |
| 30 |  Cincinnati BengalsAFC North | .450 | 130-159 | 17 |
| 31 |  New Orleans SaintsNFC South | .434 | 125-163-1 | 17 |
| 32 |  Cleveland BrownsAFC North | .429 | 124-165 | 17 |
Tap any team to see its opponents.
How strength of schedule is calculated
Strength of schedule is the average winning percentage of the teams you have to play. Add up each opponent's record from last season, divide by the number of games, and you get a single number: above .500 means a harder-than-average schedule, below .500 means an easier one.
Opponents' records from the previous season are used rather than the current one, because in September the current records tell you almost nothing — a 2-0 team may have played two of the weakest opponents in the league. Last season's 17 games are a far steadier signal.
One useful check on any strength-of-schedule table: the 32 values must average exactly .500. Every game is on two teams' schedules, so one team's hard fixture is another's. If a published table doesn't average out, something in it is wrong.
The method has real limits. It can't know that a team lost its starting quarterback in March, or that a 4-13 side rebuilt its roster over the summer. It measures the schedule, not the teams.
How to read the table
Start at the top
Teams are ranked hardest schedule first. The SoS column is opponents' combined win percentage.
Check the opponent record
The combined win-loss of all 17 opponents last season, which is the raw input behind the number.
Switch to remaining games
Once the season is under way, the remaining view re-ranks on only the games that haven't kicked off yet.
Open a team
Tap any row to list all 17 opponents, week by week, with each one's record.
NFL strength of schedule FAQ
Which NFL team has the hardest schedule in 2026?▼
The team at the top of the table. Rankings are based on opponents' 2025 records, and the table updates whenever the standings data is refreshed.
How is NFL strength of schedule calculated?▼
Take every opponent on a team's schedule, look up their record from the previous season, and average those winning percentages. A schedule of opponents who went a combined 150-139 works out at roughly .519.
Why use last season's records instead of this season's?▼
Because early-season records are noise. After two weeks a team might be 2-0 having played the two weakest opponents in the league. A full 17-game sample from last year is far more stable, and it's the method most published preseason tables use.
Why does the average always come out at .500?▼
Every game appears on two schedules, so each win counted for one team is a loss counted for another. Across all 32 teams the numbers cancel exactly. It's a good sanity check on any table you read.
What counts as a hard schedule?▼
Anything meaningfully above .500. In practice NFL schedules cluster tightly — the spread from hardest to easiest is usually only about .120 — because every team plays its own division six times.
Does this include the playoffs?▼
No, it covers the 18-week regular season only. Playoff opponents aren't known in advance, so they can't be part of a schedule strength calculation.
Want the fixtures themselves?
Print any week, a single team's season, or all 18 weeks on one sheet.
Open the printable scheduleLooking ahead to January? Fill in the NFL playoff bracket and pick your Super Bowl winner.