Justin Herbert faces a gauntlet of Super Bowl contenders and 12-win juggernauts. See how a favorable opening stretch could propel Los Angeles through this grueling 2026 slate.
The Los Angeles Chargers have their schedule set for the 2026 NFL season. We now know the order in which they will face this year's set of opponents.
The Chargers released their schedule reveal on social media on Thursday evening. The team will open the season with an opponent from the NFC divisional counterpart in the NFC West.
Los Angeles is set to start the season with the Arizona Cardinals (3-14) who struggled in the 2025 season earning a Top 3 pick in the NFL draft. Then the Chargers will face last place AFC West finishers in the Las Vegas Raiders (3-14). The two teams combined for a 6-28 record last season presenting an opportunity for a fast start for Los Angeles.
Next, starting quarterback Justin Herbert and company will take on a string of difficult games as they face the Buffalo Bills (12-5), Seattle Seahawks (14-3), Denver Broncos (14-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (6-11), with the Broncos game as the lone home matchup of the four-game stretch. The Seahawks, of course, won last year's Super Bowl, while the Broncos went to the AFC championship game. Going 2-2 in that stretch would be nothing to frown on for Chargers fans.
The Chargers will get a Week 7 bye before facing two more playoff teams in the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) and Houston Texans (12-5). The Chargers' first eight games will feature five double-digit win teams from a season ago. All five teams won at least 12 games.
The schedule difficulty sees a short reprieve with the Baltimore Ravens (8-9) and New York Jets (3-14) based on last year's results. The Ravens, however, could bounce back with a healthy Lamar Jackson at quarterback.
The break is short-lived as the Chargers take on the AFC champion New England Patriots (14-3) in Week 12.
The Chargers close with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9), Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers (12-5), Miami Dolphins (7-10), Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.
The big takeaway: The Chargers are going to face several 12-win teams from a season ago, and there really wasn't much way for the NFL to spread out the difficult games. Starting with the team's two worst opponents is probably disadvantageous given how little time the team will have to exhale before getting to another difficult test from Weeks 3-6.
The path to the playoffs won't be easy for the Chargers, but now we know how the path goes. Los Angeles will look to start the season strong with a win against the Cardinals.