8 winners and losers from the Patriots’ 2026 schedule

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel talks with offensive tackle Will Campbell (66) during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images The New England Patriots’ 2026 schedule was released on Thursday night. Starting with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks and ending with a home bout against the Miami Dolphins, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel will face plenty of obstacles on its way to repeating as AFC East champions.

Time will ultimately tell how easy or difficult the Patriots’ schedule turns out to be. For now, however, let’s focus on who in our opinion can be happy about how the chips fell into place — and who can not be. Winners Will Campbell: The Patriots’ left tackle had a lackluster performance in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks.

And, sure, going up against Seattle again in Week 1 — especially on the road — is a difficult way to start the season. That said, for Campbell it will be a major opportunity to right some wrongs and prove himself in front of the very same national audience that saw him give up eight quarterback pressures including a sack on the game’s biggest stage. Frank Piraino: The Patriots’ schedule holds some clear challenges, but getting proper rest between games is not one of them.

Sure, the team is playing on Thursday twice, but overall it is among the league leaders in net rest differential compared to its opponents. Director of sports performance Frank Piraino and his staff likely will be happy about that. Road warriors: If we count the Super Bowl as the neutral site game it is, the Patriots went undefeated on the road during the 2025 season.