The NFL tees up 17 games per team trying to maintain some semblance of fairness, but with 32 franchises in the mix, inequity is inevitable. Thursday night's schedule release proved it—some teams caught a break, others caught a raw deal. Here's who's sitting pretty and who's cursing their luck on paper.

WINNERS

New Orleans Saints

The Saints closed 2025 winning four of their last five, and they're positioned to capitalize. They play in the NFL's weakest division—not a single team finished above .500 last year—and caught the second-easiest schedule in the league. Better yet, they front-load the tough stuff, opening in Detroit and Baltimore before settling in at home for five of their next seven games. Their final four matchups come against playoff-misses from 2025.

New York Giants

John Harbaugh gets a gift to start his tenure. Weeks 3 through 6 pit the Giants against the Titans, Cardinals, Commanders, and Saints—four teams that combined for a .250 winning percentage last season. All but Washington happens at home. A rare fast start is possible, especially if they knock off Dallas in Week 1 (we'll ignore the Rams trip to L.A. in Week 2). The NFL essentially handed Harbaugh an easy entry.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns need time to identify their quarterback, and the schedule grants it. After a tough Jacksonville opener, only two of their next eight games come against 2025 playoff teams. The slate never hardens. They own the easiest schedule in the league by last year's record and the fourth-easiest by projected wins. They'll also travel less than all but the Panthers and grab just one prime-time slot—a Week 10 Thursday night home game against Pittsburgh.

Carolina Panthers

On paper, the Panthers drew the third-hardest schedule. Six division games against teams nobody finished above .500, though. The real advantage: nobody travels less. They'll cover a league-low 8,740 miles, never venturing beyond the Central Time Zone. Their longest trip—to Minneapolis—doesn't come until Week 13 at just 940 miles.

Cincinnati Bengals

Injuries to Joe Burrow and slow starts have killed Cincinnati before. Burrow's healthy (for now), and the schedule sets them up for a strong beginning and an exceptional finish. They draw Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Miami in their first five games, then face just two teams projected to finish above .500 in their final 12. Both those meetings—against Kansas City and Baltimore—happen at home in December. All seven of their first games kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson's return will help new coach Jesse Minter, but the schedule helps more. Baltimore doesn't face a 2025 playoff team until Week 8 in Buffalo. The next two come at home (Jacksonville and Los Angeles). The Ravens rank in the bottom 12 for travel miles—mostly because of a Week 3 Brazil game against Dallas. After that, they venture outside the Eastern Time Zone just once, to Houston in Week 12.

Philadelphia Eagles

The NFL expects the Eagles to contend, which is why they landed five prime-time slots and three other stand-alone games. The projection appears sound: this is one of their easiest schedules in years. They face the entire NFC West, but only the Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers are projected to win 10-plus games—and Philadelphia gets the Rams and Seahawks at home. By the time they reach San Francisco in Week 17, the travel-worn 49ers will be gassed. The Eagles own the division, so it's a monster year setup.

LOSERS

San Francisco 49ers

They look built for a Super Bowl run. They'll arrive at the postseason exhausted. San Francisco will travel 38,105 miles—an NFL record. Over 15,000 come from Australia to face the Rams in Week 1. They also draw Mexico City in Week 11 (supposed to be a home game) plus cross-country trips to New York and Atlanta. Only one trip clocks under 1,000 miles. They'll change time zones 58 times. Three of their final four games are on the road. This schedule will exact a toll.

Chicago Bears

They already owned the hardest schedule by last year's record. The NFL is making sure everyone watches them prove themselves. Four prime-time games plus three stand-alones, including a Thanksgiving-Christmas double dip. They get last year's Super Bowl teams—the Patriots and Seahawks—on consecutive weeks mid-season as part of three straight prime-time contests. They finish against three teams projected to win 10-plus, including a December Buffalo trip. Minnesota closes them out—never an easy task.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Navigating a season with a 42-year-old quarterback (presumably) is hard enough. The NFL brutally backloaded Pittsburgh's slate. Seven of the final nine games pit them against teams projected to win 9-plus games. Three of those are prime-time; one falls on Black Friday. Four are on the road, including the season finale run: Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Baltimore. The Steelers have an easy start—just one 2025 playoff team in the first eight weeks—but Aaron Rodgers better get serious rest during Week 9's bye.

Detroit Lions

The schedule looked perfect. They caught the easiest slate by projected wins and the sixth-easiest by last year's records. Then the NFL undermined them with arrangement. Their first road trip goes to Buffalo for the Bills' new stadium debut. They close with three road division games in four weeks, including Chicago and Green Bay in the final two. Detroit can fatten up on bad teams before their Week 6 bye, but a rough finish awaits.

Los Angeles Rams

Losing a home division game to Australia stings. Traveling 34,847 miles and playing four prime-time games plus three other late stand-alones makes it worse. The final seven weeks? That's where the NFL got savage. Five of those opponents project to win 10-plus games; the other two sit above eight on the over/under. The stretch includes a cross-country Tampa trip and Seahawks matchups in two of the final three weeks. For a team with a 38-year-old quarterback, that's dangerous.

Arizona Cardinals

If Arizona's targeting the 2027 top pick, the schedule is ideal. For Mike LaFleur's first season as head coach? Forget it. They live in the NFC West and face the AFC West in interconference play. Five games exist against teams projected under eight wins, and the NFL buried three (vs. Jets, at Saints, vs. Raiders) in the final month. Their first 13 games—all before a ridiculously late bye—include nine matchups against 10-plus win projections. Their two "easiest" early games are both on the road: Dallas and New York. An 0-13 start looks realistic.

Buffalo Bills

They inherited a tough slate by last year's record, but that obscured worse truth: teams like Detroit, Kansas City, and Baltimore figure to be significantly better in 2026. The good news: all three come at home. That's where the good news ends. A brutal start awaits: five straight games against teams projected to win 9-10 games. A dome team (Detroit) and warm-weather team (Los Angeles) arrive early for home games instead of late when weather matters. December brings New England, Green Bay, and Denver. Both Monday night games are on the road.