Heading into the offseason, the Buffalo Bills knew they had to make some changes to capitalize on quarterback Josh Allen’s prime years.
The team made the difficult decision to part ways with head coach Sean McDermott, who led Buffalo to 98 wins, eight playoff appearances, five division titles, and two AFC Championship Game appearances in nine seasons.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady was promoted to replace him, and the Bills made several roster upgrades in the form of four-time 1,000-yard wide receiver DJ Moore, Pro Bowl edge-rusher Bradley Chubb, rookie fourth-round WR Skyler Bell, 21.5 sack edge-rusher Mike Danna, second-round edge-rusher T.J. Parker, second-round cornerback Davison Igbinosun, and Super Bowl-winning safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Some believe those changes have kept Buffalo near the top of the AFC and in good position to compete for a Super Bowl next season.
Bills Have One of NFL’s Toughest Schedules in 2026
Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesThe Buffalo Bills will play eight home games and nine road games in 2026
While Buffalo made some necessary roster tweaking, its path to the Super Bowl didn’t get any easier.
In fact, just days before the NFL’s 2026 schedule release, the Bills learned they actually have the eighth-toughest schedule in the league based on last year’s opponent win percentage.
A small consolation price for Bills fans: they don’t have the toughest strength of schedule in their own division. That dubious honor goes to the Miami Dolphins, who have the second-toughest schedule in the league (.542), followed by the New England Patriots, who have the sixth-toughest schedule (.531).
The full NFL schedule release won’t happen until Thursday, May 14 at 8 p.m. ET, so Bills fans will have to wait until then to see how 2026 will shake out. However, the team does already know all of its opponents.
2026 home opponents: Dolphins, Patriots, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens
2026 away opponents: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams.
Strength of Schedule for Every NFL Team in 2026
GettyThe Buffalo Bills have the third-toughest strength of schedule in the AFC East
Below is a list of every team’s strength of schedule for the 2026 season in order from toughest to easiest.
- Chicago Bears, .550
- Miami Dolphins, .542
- Arizona Cardinals, .538
- Green Bay Packers, .538
- Kansas City Chiefs, .536
- New England Patriots, .531
- Las Vegas Raiders, .529
- Buffalo Bills, .528
- Los Angeles Chargers, .522
- Carolina Panthers, .521
- Minnesota Vikings, .519
- New York Jets, .517
- Los Angeles Rams, .516
- Seattle Seahawks, .514
- Denver Broncos, .512
- Washington Commanders, .502
- New York Giants, .498
- San Francisco 49ers, .497
- Pittsburgh Steelers, .495
- Dallas Cowboys, .493
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, .491
- Jacksonville Jaguars, .490
- Philadelphia Eagles, .481
- Baltimore Ravens, .479
- Tennessee Titans, .476
- Houston Texans, .474
- Detroit Lions, .467
- Atlanta Falcons, .465
- Indianapolis Colts, .465
- Cincinnati Bengals, .450
- New Orleans Saints, .434
- Cleveland Browns, .429
Bills Hit With Bad News Days Before NFL Schedule Release