5 Things on the Rams’ 2026 NFL Schedule Wishlist

On Thursday, the NFL will release the 2026 NFL schedule. While we know who the Los Angeles Rams will play this season, we don’t know the order. Sometimes, it’s not necessarily who you play, but when you play them.. Last year, the Rams were able to get the Baltimore Ravens without Lamar Jackson. Had they played the Philadelphia Eagles during their slide, they may have won. Below is our wishlist for the 2026 Rams schedule.

1. Get Philadelphia and Denver Early

The Rams managed to avoid many cold weather games last season. While they played the Chicago Bears in January, that was in the playoffs and the Rams were the lower seed. This season, the Rams are on the road in Philadelphia and Denver. Both of those games have the potential to be cold if played after November. Ideally, the Rams are able to get those games out of the way early and limit cold-weather games late in the season.

2. The Sooner the Rams Face Mahomes, the Better

There is rarely a good time to get Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Chiefs are going to be extremely motivated. However, Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL. Getting Mahomes early in the season when he’s still in the process of gaining confidence in his knee could work to the Rams’ benefit.

3. The Rams Need a Well-Timed Bye Week

To start the season, the Rams will be playing on Thursday Night Football, giving them an immediate ‘mini-bye’. It’s likely that the Rams will get a midseason bye week because of that. Last season’s bye week came in Week 8 which was perfect. The Rams’ Week 6 bye in 2024 was a little early. If the Rams can avoid one of the early bye weeks between Weeks 5-7 and get one somewhere between Week 8-10, that would be ideal.

4. Minimize Cross-Country Wear and Tear

With the Rams being on the West Coast, they tend to have more travel miles than many other teams in the NFL. That won’t change with the Rams set to play in Melbourne, Australia to start the year. Last season, the Rams had three back-to-back road games which worked well. When they traveled to London to play the Jacksonville Jaguars, they were able to stay in Baltimore.

5. The Rams Should Hope to Close at Home

Last season, the Rams played four of their final six games on the road. All four road games were against NFC opponents and two of those were against playoff teams. Playing at home early in the season doesn’t benefit the Rams as much because weather isn’t as much of a factor. After a long season with a lot of travel, playing at home is a huge advantage for the Rams.

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