Technically speaking, all 32 NFL teams have the same odds of winning the Super Bowl when the season begins. But even though they all play 17 games and get one week off, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s an entirely level playing field.
The Carolina Panthers are a good example. While their schedule is the third-toughest in the NFL this year based on projected win totals, their schedule is pretty friendly in other ways.
For one, they’re slated to fly (way) fewer air miles than any other team in 2026. They’ll also, according to an analysis by Arif Hasan of Wide Left, get 8.5 more days of rest than their opponents will—which ranks as the sixth-highest such mark this season . . .
i think i did this right pic.twitter.com/oAHlybcGTy
— Arif Hasan, but NFL 🏈 (@ArifHasanNFL) May 15, 2026
In this department, the Chicago Bears have the most luck, as they’ll enjoy 15 more days of rest than their opponents. On the other end of the spectrum, nobody has more reason to complain than Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers, who will have a massive total of 24 fewer days of rest.
So at least the Panthers should be relatively well recovered before facing their daunting schedule.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: 2026 NFL schedule: Panthers have rest advantage over most of league