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The 2026 NFL schedule was fully released Thursday night, and the Miami Dolphins weren’t given any favors whatsoever. For starters, the Dolphins have the second-hardest schedule in the NFL, with the Chicago Bears having the most difficult based on the 2025 winning percentage of opponents.
Miami will begin on the road for the first two weeks on a west coast swing, starting with the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 and the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2. This will be the seventh occasion since 2000 that the Dolphins will open on the road their first two games, with other instances being 2023, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2010.
The Dolphins will face three road opponents in their first four games, with a Week 3 home meeting against the Kansas City Chiefs after their west coast swing, then hit the road again in Week 4 to face the Minnesota Vikings and their defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who, of course, was Miami’s head coach from 2019-21.
Making things a bit more difficult for Miami is an early Week 6 bye week, which could be interesting for a young team to see how they respond, as well as first-year coach Jeff Hafley, with 12 straight games without a break to close the season.
Also, the schedule doesn’t see Miami facing an AFC East team until heading north in Week 7 to face the New York Jets following their bye, which is the latest divisional matchup to start a season since 2013. Coincidentally, that year also replicated two away games to begin the year, three out of the first four on the road, and a Week 6 bye before they hosted the Buffalo Bills. That season, Miami finished 8-8 under then-coach Joe Philbin
The NFL also decided not to grant Miami a primetime game, and the Dolphins join the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and the Jets in not being featured nationally at night. The last time Miami was without a primetime game was following their 1-15 2007 season, yet the Dolphins happened to have won the AFC East division in 2008 under a first-year head coach, the late, great Tony Sparano.
The Dolphins will also have three late-season tests with potential weather and elements, which can be a good indication if general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is on the right track in attempting to build a tougher identity for games in December and January. Miami will head to Denver to face the Broncos in Week 13, and then Sullivan, Hafley, and quarterback Malik Willis will return to Green Bay Week 15 to face the Packers, on what could be a frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Miami will close the season once again, like in 2025, up in New England to face the Patriots.
Finally, those three games are part of a brutal six-game gauntlet to close the 2026 regular season. The Dolphins will host the Chicago Bears in Week 14, the Los Angeles Chargers and new offensive coordinator, former Miami head coach Mike McDaniel, in Week 16 and the Bills in Week 17.
If there was ever a season in which the Dolphins have to face all these unfavorable situations, it’s 2026, as it is universally known and accepted that Miami is in a full rebuild with no playoff expectations. The schedule could be a tough immediate scenario for the Dolphins, but 2027 will be a year in which there is a tremendously talented NFL draft class, as well as plenty of salary cap space for Sullivan to utilize in free agency next offseason.
More Dolphins: Predicting every game on the Miami Dolphins' 2026 schedule
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Important things to know about the 2026 Miami Dolphins schedule
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On the road early
Miami will begin on the road for the first two weeks on a west coast swing, starting with the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 and the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2. This will be the seventh occasion since 2000 that the Dolphins will open on the road their first two games, with other instances being 2023, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013 and 2010.
The Dolphins will face three road opponents in their first four games, with a Week 3 home meeting against the Kansas City Chiefs after their west coast swing, then hit the road again in Week 4 to face the Minnesota Vikings and their defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who, of course, was Miami’s head coach from 2019-21.
Early bye and AFC East swing
Making things a bit more difficult for Miami is an early Week 6 bye week, which could be interesting for a young team to see how they respond, as well as first-year coach Jeff Hafley, with 12 straight games without a break to close the season.
Also, the schedule doesn’t see Miami facing an AFC East team until heading north in Week 7 to face the New York Jets following their bye, which is the latest divisional matchup to start a season since 2013. Coincidentally, that year also replicated two away games to begin the year, three out of the first four on the road, and a Week 6 bye before they hosted the Buffalo Bills. That season, Miami finished 8-8 under then-coach Joe Philbin
No primetime games
The NFL also decided not to grant Miami a primetime game, and the Dolphins join the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and the Jets in not being featured nationally at night. The last time Miami was without a primetime game was following their 1-15 2007 season, yet the Dolphins happened to have won the AFC East division in 2008 under a first-year head coach, the late, great Tony Sparano.
Six-game gauntlet
The Dolphins will also have three late-season tests with potential weather and elements, which can be a good indication if general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is on the right track in attempting to build a tougher identity for games in December and January. Miami will head to Denver to face the Broncos in Week 13, and then Sullivan, Hafley, and quarterback Malik Willis will return to Green Bay Week 15 to face the Packers, on what could be a frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Miami will close the season once again, like in 2025, up in New England to face the Patriots.
Finally, those three games are part of a brutal six-game gauntlet to close the 2026 regular season. The Dolphins will host the Chicago Bears in Week 14, the Los Angeles Chargers and new offensive coordinator, former Miami head coach Mike McDaniel, in Week 16 and the Bills in Week 17.
If there was ever a season in which the Dolphins have to face all these unfavorable situations, it’s 2026, as it is universally known and accepted that Miami is in a full rebuild with no playoff expectations. The schedule could be a tough immediate scenario for the Dolphins, but 2027 will be a year in which there is a tremendously talented NFL draft class, as well as plenty of salary cap space for Sullivan to utilize in free agency next offseason.
More Dolphins: Predicting every game on the Miami Dolphins' 2026 schedule
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Important things to know about the 2026 Miami Dolphins schedule
Continue reading...
