The Rams' 2026 regular season schedule is out, and so are the reactions to it.
Here are some of the most notable ones:
Rams have NFL's second-toughest schedule
NFL.com's Dan Parr has the Rams' schedule as the second-toughest for 2026, influenced heavily by their league-leading seven primetime games.
"I'm not seeing a ton of room to breathe for the franchise with a league-high seven prime-time games," Parr writes. "The Rams open with a tough division opponent as the designated home team in Australia and play four of their first five contests against squads that made the playoffs last season. Things become more manageable in the weeks leading up to the Week 11 bye -- even with three out of four on the road -- but the final seven games are an absolute beast, with two of the final three coming against the reigning champion Seahawks."
Two of the Top 10 primetime games in 2026
The NFC West has made for great sports drama in recent years, and the Rams' Week 1 Australia game against the 49ers and Week 16 Christmas Day road game against the Seahawks both landed in Jeremy Bergman's Top 10 primetime games for the upcoming season.
In fact, they both landed in the Top 3, with Rams-49ers No. 3 and Rams at Seahawks No. 1.
Read his breakdown of both matchups, and his full Top 10, here.
The No. 1 game of 2026
Bergman's NFL.com colleague Eric Edholm has Rams at Seahawks as his top game of 2026, as well FOX Sports' Eric Williams in his rankings.
Recovery from Australia game will be key to getting through early portion of schedule
ESPN's NFL Nation reporters broke down the schedules for each of the respective teams the cover, analysis which including each writer's biggest takeaway. Rams reporter Sarah Barshop's tied into how the Australia trip will impact the rest of their early slate.
"Because the Rams open the season on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, a key to getting through the early season will be how they recover from that trip," Barshop writes. "After "hosting" the 49ers in Week 1, the Rams will play their L.A. season-opener in Week 2 against the Giants. They will also have a short road trip to Denver in Week 3. The Rams will face a tough test down the stretch, with games against the Packers, Chiefs and Seahawks after their Week 11 bye. Los Angeles will finish with three of its final five games on the road, although two are trips within the NFC West."
Barshop's full schedule breakdown can be read here.
Rams-49ers Week 1 a contender for biggest national TV draw of season
The Athletic's Dan Shanoff projected these as part of the outlet's schedule release coverage, and including that Australia game in those.
"That the Week 1 game will feature the Rams — the current odds-on Super Bowl favorite led by the reigning NFL MVP, quarterback Matthew Stafford — will help with interest. But the inherent fan interest in the NFL's opening week will have people's attention," Shanoff wrote as part of his analysis. "The open question is whether Netflix's NFL ambitions are bona fide enough to drive big audience numbers outside of Christmas."
Shanoff's full projections can be read here.
