The Los Angeles Rams have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL in 2026 by nature of how well they played this past season, but that shouldn’t decide their season.
L.A. enters the year with one of the best rosters in the league, led by the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford. The offense and defense returned key players and head coach Sean McVay is still one of the best in the NFL. With that being said, the 2026 schedule is littered with big matches and interesting storylines.
In no particular order, here are the top five most intriguing games from the Rams’ 2026 schedule.
Week 1 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Playing in Australia is only half of what makes this game interesting. It will also set the table for how the season will go for L.A. The Rams should be at full strength for this game, but the 49ers will be anything but, with George Kittle and possibly Nick Bosa and Mykell Williams all not healthy enough to suit up. Additionally, a Week 1 win against a division rival would go a long way to getting the season started on the right foot.
Week 4 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Rams are 0-2 against the Eagles over the past two seasons, and both losses came devastatingly. Both the NFC Divisional Round loss in 2024 and the Week 3 loss in 2025 came in the final moments of the game in Philadelphia, and the 2026 game will also be at Lincoln Financial Field. What will be interesting, though, is whether the Eagles will have traded receiver A.J. Brown by then.
Week 5 vs. Buffalo Bills
Another matchup between quarterback juggernauts with two of the most recent MVPs — Stafford against Josh Allen. The last time these two faced each other, the Rams eked out an insane 44-42 win at SoFi Stadium in 2022. Allen finished the game with 342 passing yards and six total touchdowns (three passing and three rushing) while Stafford threw for 320 yards and two scores, including 162 to Puka Nacua.
Week 13 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
This will be Stafford’s first game against the Chiefs in a Rams uniform. The last time these two teams played was in 2022 when Stafford was injured, and he wasn’t on the team in 2018 during the wild 54-51 shootout. Patrick Mahomes could be fully recovered from his 2025 ACL injury by this point in the season, too, and would pit two of the best quarterbacks in the league against each other for the first time since 2019, when Stafford played for the Lions.
Week 16 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Not only is this game being played on a Friday on Christmas Eve, but it is also the first time the Rams will get a chance to avenge their NFC Championship loss to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Seahawks. If all goes well for both teams, this should play a key role in determining both the NFC West champion and the NFC playoff seeding.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 5 most intriguing games from Rams 2026 schedule
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
