ESPN's Computer Projects The NFL's 10 Hardest Schedules

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Holleran | Last updated Jul 5, 2026 8:41 AM ET

With the Fourth of July now in the rearview, and August approaching, football season will be here before you know it.

The start of the 2026 NFL regular season is set for early September. We'll get some big games right away, like a Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and the Patriots, and a huge Sunday Night Football showdown between the Cowboys and the Giants.

Which NFL teams have the easiest schedules in the league heading into the 2026 regular season? Which NFL teams have the hardest schedules?

Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates with wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

ESPN's computer model, the Football Power Index, has ranked the NFL's 10 hardest schedules for the 2026 regular season:

There's a lot of NFC East in the Top 10, with the Cowboys, Commanders and Giants all having one of the league's toughest schedules.

How does ESPN's FPI work?

ESPN's FPI is a projection-based model, that uses 1,000s of simulations to project most-likely results.

"The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily," ESPN writes.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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