The Patriots’ [2026 schedule](https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/05/14/patriots-2026-schedule-kicking-off-season-vs-seahawks-in-super-bowl-lx-rematch/) officially dropped on Thursday night.
Here are my leftover thoughts on what should be a difficult slate as Patriots fans prepare for sleepless nights, an early morning and international travel, but zero holiday action.
— Welcome back to relevancy, Patriots. The Patriots have five scheduled primetime games, plus a game in Munich, Germany, and two games at the end of the season that are currently TBD and could be slid into a late window (watch for that Broncos Week 17 game). It makes sense. The Patriots play in a massive market and made the Super Bowl last season. They’re expected to be winners again this season. The NFL is banking on no Super Bowl hangover for the Patriots in 2026.
— A recent study from Warren Sharp listed the Patriots as having the 12th-easiest schedule based on 2026 Vegas forecasted win totals. I understand the methodology. The Patriots’ opponents average 8.5 wins. It also doesn’t tell the whole story. The only seemingly easy games on the schedule are against the Jets, Dolphins and Raiders. The Patriots take on four teams who made the playoffs last season in the first four weeks (Seahawks, Steelers, Jaguars and Bills). They have five more games against 2025 playoff opponents, and that doesn’t even factor in difficult matchups against the Lions, Vikings and Chiefs, all of whom missed the postseason last year. The Lions and Chiefs’ forecasted win total is 10.5, while the Vikings’ is 8.5. The Patriots cannot be called schedule merchants in 2026. The slate is difficult. It would be a minor miracle if they finish with 14 wins for a second straight year.
— The Patriots play on the road in seven of their first 11 games, and they’re home for four of their last six contests. They need to finish strong in those home games against the Bills, Vikings, Broncos and Dolphins. It’s also worth noting that Week 10 against the Lions in Germany could feel like a home game. The Patriots have a strong fanbase in Germany.
— There are eight teams with more scheduled primetime games than the Patriots: the Cowboys, Eagles, Bears, Packers, Seahawks, Bills, Chiefs and Rams. Five NFL teams received zero primetime games: the Jets, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals and Dolphins. It certainly seems like the NFL is going out of its way to avoid unwatchable Thursday night games this season, which is good news for Al Michaels’ psyche.
— Speaking of the Packers, Tom Brady will reportedly be back in Foxboro to broadcast the game for FOX. I wonder if he’ll [have a dog in the fight](https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/02/03/tom-brady-doesnt-have-a-dog-in-the-fight-in-patriots-seahawks-super-bowl/).
— The Patriots have to be the first team in NFL history to play a Wednesday night game and two Thursday night games. It’s an extremely strange scheduling quirk, but it further goes to show that streaming services want to broadcast the best possible matchups, which could leave some pretty brutal Sunday slates.
— It’s going to be hard for the Patriots to find a rhythm during portions of their schedule. They play on four long weeks, three short weeks, and potentially one more short week and one more long week, depending on how the last two TBD games shake out. Ultimately, the schedule all balances out. They play on a Wednesday in Week 1, then have a mini bye before playing Sunday in Week 2. They have a short week, going from a Sunday afternoon game at home against the Jets in Week 6, heading into a road Thursday night game against the Bears, but then they get another long break before playing the Dolphins in Miami on a Sunday in Week 8. Their actual bye week comes at an ideal time in Week 11. They have another short week from Week 13 at home against the Bills on Sunday afternoon before the Vikings come to town for another Thursday night game. Then they have another extended break before playing the Chiefs in Kansas City on Monday night in Week 15. Then they have a slightly short week before traveling to take on the Jets on Sunday afternoon in Week 16. The Patriots’ Week 17 game at home against the Broncos could be Saturday, Sunday or Monday. And their game in Week 18 against the Dolphins could be on Saturday or Sunday. If the Patriots and Broncos are both as good as expected, you bet the NFL will put that in primetime.
— The Patriots are fortunate they’re playing a familiar opponent in Week 16 against the Jets, coming off the Monday night game against the Chiefs. They’re on a short week, and they’ll probably have Christmas, which falls on a Friday, off.
— Despite their popularity, the Patriots somehow narrowly avoided playing on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, all of which are on the NFL schedule this season. That’s good news for the families of players, coaches, staffers and media members, but bad news for fans looking to avoid having to make small talk during the holidays.
— This Mariners fan could be biased as someone who wants to attend a baseball game while the weather is nice in the Pacific Northwest in early September, but I don’t personally mind Patriots-Seahawks as the NFL season opener. Yes, the Patriots have to watch the Seahawks raise their Super Bowl LX banner, but that could also serve as motivation and creates a good story to start the year. The Patriots got better on paper this season, while the Seahawks got worse. That could make for a more entertaining game.
— The Patriots probably would have liked to have their West Coast games against the Seahawks and Rams scheduled back-to-back. That would have meant a week spent out in Seattle or Southern California. Those weeks away can serve as quality bonding time for a team. And if it’s scheduled for November or December, it’s also a nice reprieve from the cold.
— Getting on my soapbox real quick: I love football, but I believe the NFL has gone too far with scheduling games on Wednesdays, Black Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, regardless of what day those holidays fall on, and are at risk for overexposure. Personally, I’m pretty busy with family activities on Black Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and at most, I’m peripherally watching those games. The games will be on in most households, but that doesn’t mean people are actually paying attention to the product.
I also understand that streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are offering the highest bids for games, but NFL fans are going to reach a limit for how much money they’re willing to spend to watch every game.
The international games are at risk of getting out of hand, as well. Would I like to go to Australia on a business trip? Sure, but the idea of flying for an entire day to spend three days in Australia and turn around to fly 22 hours back is brutal for players, coaches, staff and media. Is the NFL actually growing the game to international markets? Or are international fans attending one game every year and tuning out the rest of the season?
It’s obviously a money-maker for the league. If players don’t like it, they should fight against it for the next CBA.
— I booked seven flights, nine hotels and six rental cars on Thursday, leaving me wondering if I’m a travel agent or a beat reporter.
— Most importantly, the NFL schedule release has me very excited for another football season.