Cleveland Browns’ 2026 schedule comes with a real favor from the NFL that can’t be overlooked
The Cleveland Browns’ 2026 schedule will be released on Thursday bringing us closer to the season. Cleveland’s schedule will come with one added bonus for the fall.
We are just a day away from getting the 17-game 2026 NFL schedule for the Cleveland Browns, which is set to be announced on Friday night. Cleveland is looking to improve on last year’s 5-12 record after moving on from Kevin Stefanski for Todd Monken.
Cleveland will have a fourth-place schedule in 2026 after finishing last in the AFC North last year. It’s the second-easiest schedule in the NFL that Cleveland has been handed, and there’s an interesting tidbit worth noting about what’s coming.
The Browns’ traveling distance for 2026 is good news for the schedule release
Along with the second-easiest schedule in the NFL, the Browns are going to be one of the least-traveled teams in the league. Of course, travel isn’t the worst for NFL players, but it’s still an extra layer that can impact teams. Cleveland will travel the second fewest miles in 2026, only to the Carolina Panthers, according to Bill Speros.
Cleveland will travel just 9,073 miles during its 17-game season this fall. In comparison, the San Francisco 49ers will travel the most with 38,105 travel miles ahead of them. The Baltimore Ravens (21), Cincinnati Bengals (24), and Pittsburgh Steelers (26) are all in the back half of the league in miles to be traveled.
When looking at the Browns’ schedule, we already know who the home and road opponents will be, just not the order. Cleveland’s toughest road games will of course be its divisional games within the AFC North; then, trips to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars stand out.
Cleveland’s farthest trip will be to play the Bucs in 2026 and they won’t have to go further than Florida. The Las Vegas Raiders coming to Cleveland is good news for the Browns. It could be a case where rookie QB Fernando Mendoza is traveling to play the Browns defense on the road.
It’s a positive wrinkle for the Browns to not have a ton of travel in 2026. They’re one of the youngest teams in the NFL with a new coaching staff, so they’ll definitely take it.