New England Patriots opponents 2026: Who’s on the schedule, how easy or hard will their schedule be

After a disappointing 4-13 season in 2024, new head coach Mike Vrabel took over the reins in New England, and won the AFC East going away. Quarterback Drake Maye was the catalyst for the turnaround, as he is now the favorite at many sportsbooks to win the MVP award.

This was a huge turnaround for the Patriots, but it did come with a historically easy schedule. On average, the teams they played had a .386 winning percentage this season. Of course, the Patriots did rank third in point differential, so they took it to these bad teams pretty well. You can only play the team in front of you of course, but a tougher schedule in 2026 is on the way.

Maye was outstanding and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson showed his game breaking ability when given the chance. But, they still need to keep adding offensive weapons. The good news is that Maye has proven he’s got the goods and now they just need to continue to build around him.

The Patriots will have eight home games and nine road games next season pending the announcement of the matchups for the 2026 international games. The AFC East will take on the NFC North and the AFC West, while the Patriots will get the first place teams from the AFC North, AFC South, and NFC West.

First off, the NFC North has improved with Caleb Williams and the Bears coming on strong and no team in the North dropping below eight wins this season. The AFC West has been the Chiefs and then whatever, but things are changing and the Broncos, Chargers and as long as Patrick Mahomes comes back healthy, the Chiefs, are all going to be tough matchups next season. Add in the division winners, especially from the NFC West, and there is little doubt the Patriots will have a tougher schedule in 2026.