At some point, the 2025 Los Angeles Rams will have to turn the page and move forward from the sting of their NFC Championship Game loss. From the sounds of it according to Peter Schrager, the Rams are not ready to do that yet just over 48 hours removed from the loss. But, every champion must bounce back and show their mettle. The Rams road to Super Bowl LXI is now underway. The road will be even tougher as their schedule consists of 9 games where their opponent was in the 2025 playoffs. Los Angeles will face the AFC West and NFC East along with a 17th game against the Buffalo Bills.
Here is an early preview of each franchise the Rams are set to face:
Seattle Seahawks
As an NFC West opponent, the Rams will face Seattle twice. The Rams will want to avenge the 2025 NFC Champions that finished the regular season 14-3. The Seahawks will have some key free agents to attempt to resign: Kenneth Walker, Boye Mafe, Josh Jobe, Tariq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Rashid Shaheed. The Seahawks have $66.8 million in cap space (4th-most). Seattle will be a playoff team again in 2026 with Mike Macdonald at the helm.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers finished in 3rd place in the NFC West but still made the playoffs. The 49ers benefited from a 4th place (2024) schedule to get into the playoffs. In 2026, they will face a 3rd place schedule that includes the Falcons, Vikings, and Dolphins. San Francisco’s biggest factor will be getting healthy with players like George Kittle (achilles), Fred Warner (ankle), and Nick Bosa (ACL), along with the departure of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Their team is starting to age and show signs of wear. But Kyle Shanahan has been one of the best at scheming for his offense.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are the basement dwellers of the NFC West after finishing 3-14. The team has still yet to hire a new Head Coach after firing Jonathan Gannon. Arizona owns the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft but they have glaring needs across their roster to include: running back, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, and secondary. Time may have run out for Kyler Murray who has been hurt or performed below expectations over the last four seasons. LA has owned Arizona in the Sean McVay era and that shouldn’t change in 2026.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys offense was one of the league’s best in 2025 with first year coach Brian Schottenheimer. However, the defense was amongst the league’s worst. Bringing talent via free agency and the draft will be imperative but the Cowboys do not have a ton of cap space.
New York Giants
John Harbaugh will lead the Giants in 2026. He will hope that the offense runs efficiently with Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, and Malik Nabers. There are pieces on defense for Harbaugh to work with. I expect New York to rise to top of the NFC East in 2026.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay will always be a competitive team. However, the injury to Micah Parsons, who will probably be limited to start the 2026 season will be worth watching. The team is desperate to have wide receivers that can catch the ball as Green Bay has dealt with drop issues over the last two years. Jonathan Gannon enters as the Packers defensive coordinator to replace Jeff Hafley who took the Miami Dolphins head coaching job.
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes will be trying to recover from his ACL injury to lead the Chiefs back to the playoffs in 2026. But the Chiefs issues run deeper than Mahomes injury. The offensive line needs to be reconfigured. Travis Kelce is a shell of himself. The wide receivers are average. And the secondary is set to lose some pieces. I expect Kansas City to target the University of Miami’s right tackle Francis Mauigoa to immediately give Mahomes protection.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers were knocked out of the 2025 playoffs because they did not have a healthy offensive line to protect Justin Herbert. Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are key to the Chargers future success. Mike McDaniel was hired to serve as the team’s offensive coordinator which could unlock Herbert’s full potential. If healthy, I expect LAC to contend for a top seed in the AFC.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills disappointed in their 2025 playoff run. Josh Allen could not advance past the divisional round, despite Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson not being in the picture. The Bills also have wide receiver issues and defensive concerns. Buffalo will be starting the offseason having to make cap space as they currently sit (-$14.0 million) over the cap.
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia did not have a 2023 collapse but their offense was one of the worst in NFL history with respect to 3 & outs. The team is still searching for an offensive coordinator this offseason. Will they also trade AJ Brown to clean up the locker room drama? Will Lane Johnson be back? Will Vic Fangio be back? Questions remain. The only certain is that Philadelphia’s defense will be a top unit again in 2026.
Washington Commanders
Everyone was certain that Washington would regress in 2025 and they did. Jayden Daniels is a future star in the league but he needs a supporting cast. The offensive line is below average. The wide receivers are meh. And the defense has aging parts. Washington will also have to fight within a division that sees New York and Dallas improve.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers firm grip on the NFC South may be over as the other three NFC South teams closed the gap in 2025 with Carolina taking the division crown. It would not surprise me if Tampa Bay falls to the bottom with Carolina and Atlanta having young cores that have improved.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders own the first overall pick in the draft and will likely draft Francisco Mendoza. Problem is that the Raiders are really bad and do not stand much of a chance in the AFC West against Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos finished with the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2025, however an ankle fracture to Bo Nix in the divisional round killed their Super Bowl hopes. Denver should be expected to be strong once again in 2026 as the defense led the NFL in sacks.
Review
Los Angeles will face their fair share of strong defenses in 2026 as 10 of their 17 games will be against top 15 defenses. The NFC West division will be expected to continue as one of the toughest divisions in football yet again. 2025 provided a clear understanding to the Rams of how important it is to win the division as they were forced to travel on the road three times during the playoffs.
Early record prediction: 12-5* (first place in NFC West), 2nd seed in NFC
