Patriots Players Aren't Worrying About 2026 Schedule

FOXBORO --- Several New England Patriots players spoke to reporters last week, and all were asked about the schedule release later that night. Do players pay attention to it? Do they even care?

A lot of them answered in the same way: We know who the opponents are, and we're going to play them regardless of the order.

"Seventeen games is 17 games," center Jared Wilson said. "We’re going to play football regardless."

"Not really into the rumors," wide receiver Romeo Doubs said. "The schedule comes out, it'll be very clear for me to see just who our opponents are."

"I know it sounds cliche, but whoever is on the schedule, whoever we have that week, that’s the talk," tight end Julian Hill said. "I don’t have social media, so I don’t know who we play Week 1. The guys in the locker room, they tell me. The coaches, they tell me who we’ve. got Week 1. I’m sure other guys might have different opinions, but myself, whoever is right there, that’s who I’m focused on."

New England Patriots tight end Julian Hill speaks to the media following the team's voluntary offseason workouts. | Ethan Hurwitz / Patriots On SI

Sometimes the most interesting people in the games aren't the players, but their families instead.

"I think it’s more my family," safety Mike Brown remarked. "Family is already asking about tickets and stuff like that. I mean, we know who we’ve got to play; we just don’t know when. But I think it’s more or less a family and friends thing. We’re excited to play every game."

So it's clear that the Patriots aren't losing sleep over the schedule this season. But should they?

Tough Sledding Ahead?

There are some pockets in New England's schedule that can be tricky. The first four weeks are all against teams that made the playoffs a year ago (Seattle, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Buffalo) and could provide a rough start to the season. Last year, the Patriots opened up the year 1-2 and it appeared like the sky was falling.

Instead, they fought through the rough September to roll towards the postseason. That could happen again this year as well.

Seattle and Buffalo are the two real difficult ones in that bunch of four. Obviously, the Super Bowl rematch grabs all the headlines to open up the schedule and it will be an immediate test for the Patriots coming out of the gate. Three weeks later, they'll head to Western New York for a rivalry matchup against the Bills.

With their feet wet, they should look a lot more polished by Week 4 against Buffalo. But that doesn't mean that is an easy game by any stretch of the imagination.

Dec 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) runs the ball for a touchdown against the New England Patriots in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

There's also another part of the year -- this time at the back of the schedule -- that could trip the Patriots up. The Chargers, Bills (again), Chiefs and Broncos could all be difficult outs as the regular season begins to wind down.

The Chargers and Broncos are no strangers to playing this Patriots team in meaningful games, both losing to them in the postseason last January. You can expect that the AFC West teams are going to come into the games with revenge on their mind, making those games far from easy wins.

How Patriots Can Succeed:

A lot like last season, success will come from the middle of the season.

That's where the Patriots get to play the Jets, Raiders and Dolphins. If a bad start to the season happens, these three games can be important to right the ship and get back to winning ways.

It also comes down to the players.

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) celebrates with New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

How will Drake Maye look after an MVP-worthy season? Does Will Campbell look like he did in the postseason or does he turn a corner? How will the defense look with some major changes at linebacker and safety?

These answers can unlock how the Patriots will succeed in 2026, and prove that the schedule isn't all that.

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