NFL Analyst Picks 10 Must-Watch 2026 Games Ahead of May 15 Schedule Release

6 articles · Updated · NFL.com · May 11

Ten matchups made the analyst’s pre-schedule-release watch list, led by Seahawks-Rams in Seattle after three 2025 thrillers helped propel Seattle to the NFC’s top seed and eventually the Super Bowl title.
Three teams dominate the ranking: the champion Seahawks and runner-up Patriots appear three times each, while the Rams, Chiefs, Ravens and Bills land twice as the list leans on projected contenders and rivalry stakes.
Bills-Chiefs, Bears-Packers and Ravens-Steelers headline the next tier, with storylines including Patrick Mahomes’ ACL recovery, Chicago’s revived edge in a 105-year rivalry, and the first Baltimore-Pittsburgh meeting in nearly 20 years without John Harbaugh or Mike Tomlin.
The slate also spotlights Sept. 11 in Melbourne for Rams-49ers, a Patriots-Broncos rematch of the 10-7 AFC title game, Seahawks-Chiefs after Kenneth Walker III’s move to Kansas City, and Ravens-Bengals with Trey Hendrickson returning to Cincinnati.
The rankings could shift once the NFL unveils the full 2026 schedule Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, when timing, venue sequence and early-season injury uncertainty become clearer.

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