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Los Angeles Rams 2026 schedule: Tough opening stretch highlights primetime-heavy slate
Nate Atkins
The Los Angeles Rams have their 2026 schedule set, which means dates and times are finally lined up on the path to chase another Super Bowl title.
To get there, the Rams will have to navigate a schedule that is both challenging — such is life in the NFC West — and under a bright spotlight.
The Rams will play four primetime games in the first five weeks, starting with the NFL’s first game in Australia, in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. They’ll have two more island games in a five-week span after the bye, including hosting the Green Bay Packers in the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game and traveling to face the Seattle Seahawks in a Christmas afternoon game.
Here’s a look at the different angles in this year’s schedule:
Week 1 keys to victory
The Rams will open the season in Melbourne, which creates a unique travel challenge, with an NFC West battle against a loaded San Francisco 49ers team. They’ll need to find a better way to cover tight ends, whom Kyle Shanahan loves to leak out on play-action against linebackers, than they did in last year’s matchups. They’ll also need to tap into their three-tight-end looks to handle the 49ers in short yardage, as well as neutralize the impact of former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, who returns after missing both games between these teams a year ago.
Must-watch game: at Seahawks, Week 16
The Rams will have the return to Seattle circled, especially after how last year’s two trips went — the first a collapse in the second half and overtime, featuring a controversial two-point conversion for Seattle; and the second being the NFC Championship Game. It is unique that the rematch in Seattle lands on Christmas Day.
To become a champion, the Rams have to take down the reigning champion. This game will feature all the stakes and narratives, so many eyeballs, real rivalry juice and one of the most fascinating chess matches in football with Sean McVay and the reigning No. 1 scoring offense up against Mike Macdonald and a Seattle defense that dominated en route to a Lombardi Trophy last season.
Toughest stretch: Weeks 1-5
The Rams will start with a bang. Not only will they travel to Australia to play the 49ers to kick off the season, but also they will play four primetime games in the first five weeks: home on “Monday Night Football” against the New York Giants in Week 2, on the road on “Sunday Night Football” against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 and home on “Monday Night Football” against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5. Their only non-primetime game in that stretch is far from a breather, as the Rams will travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in Week 4.
Aside from the Giants, that stretch features four opponents with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. If the Rams want to become a title favorite this season, they need to avoid a slow start. If they can’t, the NFC West race will become an uphill climb.
Game that has gotten tougher: at Raiders, Week 8
The Raiders have a chance to be a more threatening team than they appeared late last season. Fresh off the worst record in the league, the Raiders drafted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 and also had superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby fall back into their laps after a failed trade.
Las Vegas’ offense is young but quite talented, with Mendoza (or Kirk Cousins, who could be starting in Week 8) handing off to Ashton Jeanty and throwing to Brock Bowers. Their new head coach and offensive play caller is Klint Kubiak, who schemed the Seahawks’ offense to a pair of monstrous performances against the Rams last season.
One game the Rams can’t afford to lose: vs. Giants, Week 2
As the Rams power through their tough opening stretch, they really need to take care of business in their home opener. It’s on “Monday Night Football,” but it comes against a Giants team that finished 4-13 last season. New York has some energy with the arrival of new coach John Harbaugh, and Jaxson Dart hopes to take a leap in his second year at quarterback.
But this one comes early for a team in transition. The Rams need to show the difference between a team on the rise and a true contender, and they need to win this game to avoid getting off to a slow start, given the rest of the slate in the first month-plus of the season.
Best offense the Rams will face: vs. Bills (Week 5)
This schedule has a few contenders for this, depending on how the Kansas City Chiefs bounce back after a disastrous season and with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys on the slate. But the Bills led the NFL in rushing yards in 2025 and have Josh Allen at quarterback, and they just promoted their offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, to head coach.
The receiving corps isn’t as daunting against a Rams secondary that loaded up with new cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, but Dalton Kincaid of the Bills is a mismatch tight end who could stress a linebacking corps that did not see an upgrade this offseason. This game will really challenge Jared Verse, Byron Young and Kobie Turner to rush with discipline, because overzealous moves often allow Allen to scramble and create an explosive play.
Best defense the Rams will face: Seahawks (Weeks 16 and 18)
The answer is the same as last season until something changes. The Seahawks rode a defense that finished top-five in nearly every statistic to the Super Bowl, in which it wrecked the game against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots. Seattle lost cornerback Tariq Woolen and safety Coby Bryant in free agency, but so much else of Macdonald’s unit should continue to surge with Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori, DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams presenting matchup problems.
The Rams can feel confident about this matchup after Matthew Stafford racked up 831 passing yards, five touchdowns and no turnovers in two matchups in Seattle last season. But he was shakier in the first matchup at SoFi Stadium, and he and Davante Adams will have to prove they can do it again in their mid- to late-30s.
Predicted record: 12-5
This Rams team looks more complete than it did last season, when it finished 12-5 with the league’s toughest schedule. The Rams added McDuffie and Watson to fix the Achilles’ heel of the secondary, and they should rebound from special teams woes that cost them in nearly every defeat. Los Angeles has the look of a team that could be favored in a wide majority of its games.
The start to the season is incredibly difficult and pressurized with four contenders in the first five weeks. And that’s not counting three games against the 49ers and Seahawks late in the season. Given those rosters and how these games went last year, it’s fair to expect splits against San Francisco and Seattle.
I see the Rams making a sizable trade in October to gain some separation against other legitimate teams on the schedule, which could help them pull out a couple more close games than a year ago. If they go 2-2 against the 49ers and Seahawks, they need to go 10-3 against the rest of the schedule to hit 12 wins, but I think it’s doable with the roster they’ve assembled.
Predicted NFC West finish: First
Rams
49ers
Seahawks
CardinalsThe Rams were so close to the top last season, if not for two crazy finishes in Seattle, where the secondary fell apart. The secondary is so much better with McDuffie and Watson that it should close the gap and allow for slight natural regression to the league’s No. 1 scoring offense.
The 49ers managed to go 12-5 despite an outrageous number of injuries to star players. Odds are Bosa, George Kittle, Brock Purdy and other key players stay healthier this season. Even though weaknesses on the roster remain prevalent, they should put together another very strong regular season.
Super Bowl hangovers happen, and I think it’s fair to expect a slight one here. The Seahawks lost their offensive coordinator in Kubiak as well as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, so the infrastructure around Sam Darnold might not be quite what it was. This is still a loaded team with a playoff floor, but someone has to finish third in this loaded division.
The Cardinals gained a little juice with the selection of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, but it won’t be enough to close the gap. Arizona did little else to bolster a roster that finished 3-14, perhaps to gear up for the Arch Manning sweepstakes in next year’s draft. It’ll be a difficult first season for new coach Mike LaFleur.
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