Rams have one of the hardest schedules for 2026

The Los Angeles Rams could be a victim of their own success. Despite only finishing second in the NFC West, the Rams will have one of the toughest schedules for the 2026 season. The Rams have the 28th-hardest strength of schedule, according to Sharp Football Analytics .

This determination was made using projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers. Not only will the Rams play a second-place schedule, but they'll also take on some of the most competitive divisions in the league this year in the NFC North, NFC East and AFC West. Not to mention they'll still face the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers twice each.

Coincidentally, this is the same strength of schedule that the Rams finished the 2025 season with, per Sharp. The Rams kick off the season in Australia for a Week 1 match with the 49ers, but the rest of their slate is yet to be determined. However, they could face a gauntlet of teams throughout the year that include the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions , Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.

Six of those teams made the postseason, while the Chiefs and Lions had down years and the Cowboys finished with a top-two passing offense. L. A.