The Cleveland Browns are thought to have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL for the 2026 season, either based on their opponents’ winning percentage from last season or on their win projections for this season. However, now that the dates and order for those games have officially been released, it may have become a bit more difficult in reality.
The Browns open the campaign with two road games, at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the latter of which is a meeting with former quarterback Baker Mayfield. That could be daunting with Cleveland’s offense possibly facing a steep learning curve in the first games of head coach Todd Monken’s tenure.
The Browns also play six of their first 10 games on the road, including a difficult stretch from Weeks 5-9 that ESPN Cleveland analyst Chris Oldach has revealed as a glaring concern about their schedule.
“It’s actually a four-game on the road stretch in a five-week period throughout the month of October and November. That is a tough stretch. Regardless of who the opponents are, having four of five games on the road is tricky,” Oldach said.
“Regardless of who the opponents are, having 4 of 5 games in a row on the road is tricky,” – @TheOGPAW on the Browns schedule.
What are your thoughts on how the schedule is broken up? pic.twitter.com/tmgjLtavsQ
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 15, 2026
The challenging stretch comes after the Browns’ first two home games of the season. They host the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 27 and then have a Thursday Night Football contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 1.
It will give Cleveland some extra time off before visiting the New York Jets in Week 5. That is followed by a notable home game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, with Monken taking on his former employer for the first time.
Three straight road games follow: at the Tennessee Titans in Week 7, at Pittsburgh in Week 8, and at the New Orleans Saints in Week 9. On the bright side, the Titans and Saints are projected as two of the weaker teams the Browns are going to face this season.
If the Browns can remain in contention, they will have a unique advantage of four straight home games. From Week 12-15, they will host the Las Vegas Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Giants, teams that all had a losing record in 2025.
Projections for the Browns this season vary wildly, and a lot will be determined by that stretch of road games from mid-October into November.
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Todd Monken Reveals Browns’ ‘Ultimate Goal’ For 2026