Preparation

• Begin by identifying the AFC and NFC divisional matchups for 2026 based on the rotational schedule system, which forms the core of half of each team's schedule.
• Project the final standings for the 2025 NFL season, considering current team trajectories and future outlooks, as this determines "like-place" matchups.
• Using your projected 2025 standings, identify potential "first-place vs. first-place" matchups, which are likely to be the most anticipated games.
• Beyond automatic divisional games, look for historical rivalries that could be reignited through the rotational schedule or "like-place" alignments.
• Identify teams that are candidates for international games, based on recent international play, strong global fanbases, or star players the NFL might want to showcase.
• Consider potential major player contract situations and free agency, as star player movements can create instant grudge matches against former teams.
• Analyze how the combination of a team's division, rotated opponents, and "like-place" matchups might create deceptively strong schedules, leading to potential "trap" games.
• Observe historical trends for teams that travel internationally to offer early predictions for bye week assignments, though this is speculative.
• Factor in the 17th interconference game, based on "like-place" finishers, as it often creates unique and exciting pairings.
• Analyze potential geographic groupings of games the NFL might create to minimize excessive travel for teams, such as East Coast swings or West Coast trips.
• Compile all findings into a clear, numbered list of key insights, emphasizing that these are a framework for discussion and excitement rather than definitive predictions.
• Advise users to save these predictions for comparison with the official schedule release in May 2026 to track accuracy.