Commanders schedule release: How Washington’s 2026 opponents stack up
We'lllearn when the Commanders will play their 2026 season slate when the NFL schedule is formally released on Thursday evening.
We'veknown which teams theCommanders will play for months. That part was solidified shortly after the season, locking that down based on Washington's place in the standings.
That also sets upwhat'sknown as strength of schedule, the perceived difficulty of the opposition based on last year's results.
The Commanders have a .502 strength of schedule,hoveringin the middle of the pack.
Before the full schedule is released, take a look at each team's strength of schedule for 2026.
- NFL (@NFL) May 11, 2026
: NFL Schedule Release - Thursday at 8pm ET on ESPN/NFLN pic.twitter.com/eChBp3QMVa
Washington's opposition is considered the 16th-hardest, with them playing home-and-away contests against the NFC East, the entireNFC Westand AFC South, plus away games againstMinnesota and home games against Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Strengthof schedule is not a perfect metric on a slate's overall difficulty. We often have teams that go from worst to first or in the opposite direction. We have teams that are undergoing massive overhauls or rebuilds that can skewhow difficult the opposition is.
For example, teams that got the Chicago Bears or New England Patriots thought there was an easyW'onthe schedule. Those teams were anything but, making playoff runs after productive seasons.
That'swhy Sharp Football analysis takes strength of schedule one step further, factoring in expected2026 wintotals. Whilethat'sstill not foolproof, it paints a clearer picture of what the Commanders are dealing with.
NEW: NFL strength of schedule for 2026!
- Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 4, 2026
5 easiest schedules:
1 Lions
2 Saints
3 Bengals
4 Browns
5 Jets
5 hardest schedules:
28 Rams
29 Cowboys
30 Panthers
31 Dolphins
32 Cardinals
1-32 with insight & analysis:https://t.co/iS1PFqfcxx
Sharp explains his method further,stating: By leveraging projected win totals and current season data, Warren Sharp's strength of schedule model provides a more accurate and insightful tool for assessing team schedules and forecasting performance."
Sharp has Washington's strength of schedule at No. 25, with only seven teams facing a tougher road thanthe Commanders.
The Commanders also havelocationworking in their favor. They only play three times outside of the Eastern and Central time zones, with games at Arizona and San Francisco, plus a game against the Colts set to be played in London in Week 4.
Air miles each team will travel this season, via @billsperos: pic.twitter.com/oxd4dja4tD
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 13, 2026
The actual schedule will have some impact on the Commanders season, especially with the bye week's positioning and if they have a bunch of short or longer weeks by playing games on days other than Sunday.
We'reever-so-close to Thursday's schedule release, the last major event of the offseason, when the structure of the 2026 campaign takes shape.
NFL Schedule 2026 Release InfoRelease Time:8:00 PM EST (Thursday, May 14, 2026)
TV Schedule:ESPN2, NFL Network
Online Stream:FuboTV,ESPN+,Paramount+