49ers and 5 other teams that got completely screwed by NFL schedule release

The NFL masterfully creates the illusion that there is no true offseason, and somehow, it continues to generate hype for the product during what is supposed to be the “down period.” Every event on the calendar feels like a spectacle. The annual NFL schedule release perfectly illustrates the league’s shrewd business acumen.

This warranted praise does not excuse the NFL’s endless greed, self-righteousness and hypocrisy, but it does better explain why there is an insurmountable gap between American football and the rest of the major sports. Opening kickoff is still more than three months away, and yet, fans around the country are currently giddy with anticipation.

Following the grand unveiling of the 2026-27 schedule, which all 32 teams rolled out in their own way, people can now make win-loss predictions and plan what games they want to attend during the season. The feedback is not all positive, of course. The NFL has plenty of flaws, some of which I already spotlighted, and one is on display for several fan bases to see.

The schedule, at least as of right now, appears to be extremely unkind to a handful of franchises. While some teams came away big winners following this big reveal, others have reason to feel disrespected by commissioner Roger Goodell and the other league decision-makers.

We are going to air those grievances on their behalf, as we highlight the unlucky losers of the latest NFL schedule release.

The 49ers are forced to promote the game around the globe

The San Francisco 49ers have been assigned de facto global ambassador duties for the new campaign. They will become the first team to play international games in two different counties during the same season, which will make up a big chunk of the record-breaking 38,105 miles the NFC West squad will travel.

The Niners clash with the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia in Week 1 and will face the Minnesota Vikings in Mexico City in Week 11. These two prime-time matchups underscore the storied organization’s far-reaching brand appeal, but they could jeopardize management’s big-picture goals.

San Francisco already endures as much injury troubles as anyone. How fresh will players be after competing in two separate continents when they already reside in the most demanding division in the sport? I still have faith in the roster and a Kyle Shanahan-led coaching staff, but they could get pushed to their limits.

While a fairly manageable start to the season and a Week 8 bye positions the team for success, there is adversity aplenty from mid-November onward. The 49ers visit the Dallas Cowboys, go to Mexico City, host the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, head to the Meadowlands to battle a potentially tricky New York Giants squad, come back home to greet the Rams, play road games against the LA Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs and welcome in the Philadelphia Eagles.

A regular season finale at the Arizona Cardinals could act as a nice reprieve before the playoffs, but the Niners may be running on fumes by that point. Perhaps Lady Luck will pop in from time to time to ease this NFL-issued onus. Even so, it seems like San Francisco has a climb ahead of itself. Fortunately, this is the right group to withstand it.

The Bills get stuck with holiday duty 

Although it is an honor to represent the NFL on the biggest days of the calendar, the cost could be quite severe for the in-transition Buffalo Bills. The routine playoff contender already has enough on its plate, as it gets acclimated to a new stadium and new head coach. Now, it will also have a taxing schedule to contend with this year.

Josh Allen faces one of his worst nightmares right off the bat — a Houston Texans’ defense that sacked him eight times last November. Home games versus the Detroit Lions, Chargers and New England Patriots and a road trip to Rams’ SoFi Stadium round out what could be a challenging start to the season.

The Bills also get slapped with a Week 7 bye and a difficult Weeks 12-16 stretch that features the Chiefs (Thanksgiving), Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos. Worst of all, they will endure back-to-back matchups on short rest — versus Chicago on Dec. 19 and at Mile High on Christmas Day.

The good news is that this perennially-tortured franchise should be better equipped to exorcise its playoff demons if it survives this exhausting 2026-27 slate.

No mercy was shown to the struggling Cardinals

The Cardinals posted a 3-14 record last season and must still deal with the unforgiving NFC West, so fans already knew hard times lied ahead. But somehow, the NFL managed to unleash even more misery on Glendale.

With rookie head coach Mike LaFleur and a question-filled quarterback room, the embattled Cardinals will begin the season vs. the Chargers, Seahawks and 49ers and play away from State Farm Stadium in six of the first nine weeks. Arizona will also square off with the loaded AFC West.

The schedule softens at the end, but by a cruelly-late Week 14 bye, most of the damage could already be done. Fans should find themselves heavily invested in college football and mock drafts early in the campaign. Cards owner Michael Bidwill might want to figure out what he did to incur the wrath of the NFL offices. More despair likely awaits the Desert.

The Chiefs will not be gifted a bounce-back year

Apparently, the league was in so much distress over the Chiefs missing the playoffs last season that it completely forgot everything that happened.

Despite a favorable first four weeks of action — Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders — KC got dealt a brutal Week 5 bye, consecutive road matchups versus the Seahawks and Broncos (Weeks 7-8) and a rough final stretch that includes a three-game road trip against the Bills, Rams and defensively-improved Cincinnati Bengals and showdowns with the Patriots, 49ers and Chargers.

This is not a schedule a 6-11 squad should typically expect to receive, but the Chiefs will never have a truly easy slate in the Patrick Mahomes era. The franchise remains at the center of attention and will inevitably command a high volume of prime-time games. Even the supposed surefire victories will come early in the season, when the three-time Super Bowl MVP is shaking off rust following a lengthy ACL recovery.

Vikings do not get much of a cushion

Beginning the season against divisional rivals Green Bay and Chicago is challenging enough, but the Minnesota Vikings will really feel the schedule in November. During that potentially pivotal month, they will visit the Lions and Packers, battle the Bills on Monday Night Football and travel to Mexico City to face the 49ers. Curiously, there is no bye to alleviate this physical and mental stress.

Minnesota’s break comes in Week 6, roughly a month and a half before its international game. Although the trek is not as strenuous as others, Vikings are still in for a taxing journey to Estadio Banorte. Amid uncertainty about the JJ McCarthy-Kyler Murray QB competition, they will have to push through the most difficult section of their schedule without a true cushion in between.

Add in jet lag, and the Vikings could be drained by Christmas.

 The NFL schedule has no love for new-look Raiders

Legendary Raiders owner Al Davis made an enemy of the NFL back in the day, and perhaps that tradition has carried on with his son Mark. Just months after selecting the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, Las Vegas will be thrown into the gauntlet.

Not only is rookie quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner/national champion Fernando Mendoza being denied the chance to compete in prime-time, but the Silver and Black will also face one of the tougher schedules in the league.

From Weeks 4-11, with only a Nov. 1 meeting with the New York Jets providing some sort of relief, they will play the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos. Zoinks!

Forget about prime-time. This is a terrible slate for a transitioning Mendoza to navigate. Even if veteran Kirk Cousins starts the season under center, there is no ideal spot to insert the former Indiana Hoosiers star into the action.

Sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better, and unfortunately, that might need to become Raider Nation’s mantra in 2026.

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