5 Biggest Takeaways From the Rams’ 2026 NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2026 schedule on Thursday night. Heading into 2026, the Los Angeles Rams will be looking to make a run at a second Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. The Rams enter the summer as Super Bowl favorites. Now that we have the official slate in hand, let’s look at our top takeaways.

1. Rams Get Extra-Long Break After Australia Trip

A trip to Australia isn’t ideal from a travel standpoint, but the Rams were set up nicely with the rest period. The Rams will play the 49ers in Melbourne on the Thursday of Week 1 and then don’t play again until the following Monday night against the New York Giants. That’s 11 days between the Rams’ game against the 49ers and their game in Week 2 which should be plenty of time to recover from jet lag.

It will also allow the Rams to manage any potential injuries after playing a physical game against a division rival. The game against the Giants is also at SoFi, so the Rams won’t have to make a long road trip until Week 4.

2. Philly and Denver out of the Way Early

One thing on the Rams’ wishlist was likely to avoid trips to Philadelphia and Denver late in the season. These were two trips that had the potential to be cold-weather games and the Rams avoided that by playing both within the first month. Playing both back-to-back certainly won’t be easy, but the Rams would likely prefer that over playing in cold weather and snow later in the season.

3. NFL Makes Statement by Giving Rams Seven Primetime Games

The NFL made a statement by giving the Rams seven primetime games. It’s clear that they view the Rams as a flagship organization in the sport. Teams are usually capped at six primetime games. The Rams tied the record with last year’s Kansas City Chiefs and the 2023 Buffalo Bills with seven. They start the year with three consecutive primetime games. They play the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving and the Seattle Seahawks on Christmas.

After winning MVP, the NFL is also featuring the quarterback matchups of Matthew Stafford against Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. This is a great opportunity for the Rams to grow their fan base.. Having a successful 2026 season and playing well on primetime will be crucial.

4. Rams Have a Gauntlet After Bye Week, but It’s Manageable

On paper, the Rams have an absolute gauntlet on the schedule following their bye week. They will play the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers all back-to-back before ending the season with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks twice. All of those teams could be in the playoff hunt.

While it may be a gauntlet, it is manageable. They play on Thanksgiving Eve, which is a Wednesday, but have their bye the week prior. They play the Chiefs the next week, but will have an extra day of rest. The Chiefs play the Bills on Thanksgiving. Playing at San Francisco late in the season won’t be easy, but the Rams will be coming off of a mini-bye while the 49ers play in New York the week before.

The last point worth mentioning is that the Rams leave the West Coast once after the bye week and will do so after another long rest period. The Rams play on Christmas, which takes place on a Friday, before traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers. Last season, the Rams were on the road four times in the last six weeks and that included two east coast trips.

5. Seattle Twice in Three Weeks to End Season is Odd Scheduling Choice

If there is one complaint about the Rams’ schedule, it is that they will have played the 49ers and Cardinals twice before they play the Seahawks once. Both games against the Seahawks will take place within a three-week span to end the regular season. This could work out for the Rams as the Seahawks manage a Super Bowl hangover and a long season. However, for those wanting to see these two teams play again following the NFC Championship Game, there will be 333 days between matchups.

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