To start with the obvious, six of the Chiefs’ games next year will take place against AFC West opponents (the Broncos, Raiders and Chargers). That’s the lone component of the schedule that remains the same from season to season.
Beyond that, the Chiefs (and the rest of the AFC West) will take on the entirety of the AFC East (Patriots, Bills, Dolphins and Jets) and NFC West (Seahawks, Rams, 49ers and Cardinals) in 2026. Every division in the NFL plays each team from one division in the AFC and one in the NFC on a rotating basis. For example, the Chiefs played the AFC South and NFC East this past year.
That already accounts for 14 of the Chiefs’ matchups next season, leaving three remaining opponents. Two of those (the Colts and Bengals) were determined because of where each team finished in their respective division this past year. Kansas City finished third in the AFC West, locking them in with matchups against the third-place finishers in the AFC North (Cincinnati) and AFC South (Indianapolis).
The final game was calculated in a similar manner, as each member of the AFC West will play the team that finished in its same position in the NFC South. That pins the Chiefs against the champion of the third-place finisher in the NFC South (the Falcons) while the Broncos, for example, will play the Carolina Panthers (who won the division). The location of this game – which is often referred to as “the 17th game” – is the one that alternates between conferences. The NFC has more home games than the AFC this year, which is why this game will take place in Atlanta. This inter-conference matching occurs on a four-year rotational basis, meaning that the AFC West will line up with the NFC East in 2027.
It all makes for another great slate of opponents in 2026, and as the offseason kicks into high gear in the coming months, we’ll learn the exact schedule soon enough.
