The Los Angeles Chargers have their 17 games laid out on a platter for the 2026 season and it’s going to be a challenge to qualify for the playoffs for the third year in a row.
However, given where the team stands and how the schedule played out, there is a chance the team could be back in the postseason conversation for the AFC.
Here’s a look at all 17 games and predictions for each matchup:
Week 1: Sun. Sept. 13 vs. Arizona Cardinals 1:25 pm CBS
The Chargers are given a gift to start the season in arguably their easiest matchup against the Cardinals at home.
This should give the Chargers a chance to establish themselves early with a win at home.
Chargers 27, Cardinals 13
Week 2: Sun. Sept. 20 vs. Las Vegas Raiders 1:05 pm CBS
Once again, the Chargers are given an easy matchup early in the season at home. This could be the Chargers’ first meeting against No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza if he earns the starting job over Kirk Cousins. This should give the Chargers a prime opportunity to start 2-0.
Chargers 28, Raiders 17
Week 3: Sun. Sept. 27 at Buffalo Bills 10:00 am FOX
After arguably the easiest two home games of the season, the Chargers face one of their most difficult matchups on the road against Josh Allen and the Bills. The Chargers will have a shot in this one, but playing on the east coast this early in the year is never easy for west coast teams, especially when the Bills have a rest advantage after playing on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.
Bills 31, Chargers 24
Week 4: Sun. Oct. 4 at Seattle Seahawks 1:25 pm CBS
The Chargers will be tested heavily in their Week 4 contest against the defending champion Seahawks at Lumen Field. The Seahawks defense will swarm Justin Herbert, so the offensive line has to be ready to protect him. Ultimately, the Seahawks should have too much firepower against the Chargers.
Seahawks 22, Chargers 14
Week 5: Sun. Oct. 11 vs. Denver Broncos 1:05 pm CBS
Another tough matchup for the Chargers comes in Week 5 when the Broncos come to town. The top seed in the AFC last season will be hungry to repeat, and the Chargers could be one of their biggest obstacles in the way of that happening. The Chargers won this game a year ago and they should come out on top again with the home crowd at SoFi Stadium on the Bolts’ side.
Chargers 24, Broncos 20
Week 6: Sun. Oct. 18 at Kansas City Chiefs 1:25 pm CBS
The Chargers face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the first time since the former league MVP tore his ACL against them back in December. Mahomes definitely has this game circled on his calendar, so the Chargers will have to play their A-game if they want to come out on top against their division rival.
Chiefs 28, Chargers 19
Week 8: Sun. Nov. 1 at Los Angeles Rams 1:05 pm FOX
The Chargers get a Week 7 bye, and they won’t have to travel too far for their Week 8 matchup against their cross-town rival Rams. The rest should help the Chargers, but the Rams might be the best team in football, making it tough for the Bolts to come out on top.
Rams 26, Chargers 17
Week 9: Sun. Nov. 8 vs. Houston Texans 1:05 pm CBS
Once again, the Chargers are given another tough matchup at home, this time against the Texans, who beat them at SoFi Stadium last season in a crucial December contest. The Texans might have the best defense in football, which will make the Chargers sweat another one out.
Texans 17, Chargers 13
Week 10: Mon. Nov. 16 at Baltimore Ravens 5:15 pm ESPN
This game marks Jesse Minter’s return to the Chargers and it comes in primetime on Monday Night Football. This game brings a specific challenge as Minter is extremely knowledgable of the Chargers’ personnel, making it a difficult matchup for the Bolts. If Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are both healthy, that will only make things tougher for the Chargers.
Ravens 30, Chargers 21
Week 11: Sun. Nov. 22 vs. New York Jets 1:05 pm FOX
At 3-6, the Chargers need a “get right” game, which they get against the Jets. Games like this are considered must-win for the Chargers regardless of where they are in the season because it is one of their easier matchups. When the standings could come down to tiebreakers, games like this just matter more.
Chargers 37, Jets 14
Week 12: Sun. Nov. 29 vs. New England Patriots 5:20 pm NBC
Another primetime matchup comes with the Patriots traveling to LA. The Chargers will want revenge after the Pats beat them in the Wild Card round back in January, so this is an all-important contest for the Bolts. Despite only scoring three points in the playoffs, the Chargers will show that they can learn from their mistakes.
Chargers 24, Patriots 22
Week 13: Sun. Dec. 6 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10:00 am CBS
The Chargers are riding a two-game win streak and need one more to get back to .500. The Bucs are tricky to predict, especially given their regression last season. Considering the fact that they didn’t truly improve their roster this offseason, I like the Chargers’ chances of coming out on top.
Chargers 28, Buccaneers 18
Week 14: Sun. Dec. 13 at Las Vegas Raiders 1:05 pm CBS
This is a trap game in every sense of the word. The rebuilding Raiders likely won’t be playing for much at this point in the season, but we’ve seen how underdogs can come out on top in December in road divisional games. The Chargers will have to begin their playoff push here against the Raiders, and they should come out on top.
Chargers 29, Raiders 20
Week 15: Thurs. Dec. 17 vs. San Francisco 49ers 5:15 pm Prime Video
This game should have a massive impact on both playoff races in the AFC and NFC. The Niners will be in the thick of things in the NFC while the Chargers could be riding a long win streak going into the contest. Look for the Chargers to put up a fight, but the Niners should prevail here if they are healthy at this point in the season.
49ers 28, Chargers 21
Week 16: Sun. Dec. 27 at Miami Dolphins 10:00 am FOX
The Dolphins will be among the teams lining themselves up for the No. 1 overall pick, so the Chargers should take advantage as they will likely be fighting for the final Wild Card spot.
Chargers 33, Dolphins 16
Week 17: TBD vs. Kansas City Chiefs TBD
Closing the schedule out with a pair of playoff hopefuls in the AFC West is a big challenge for the Chargers, especially if they are 8-7 as I have them. It’s possible the Chargers may need to win both games at the end of the season in order to advance to the playoffs. While they were able to sweep the Chiefs last season, I think Kansas City should have better injury luck, which leads to them winning on the road.
Chiefs 28, Chargers 22
Week 18: TBD at Denver Broncos TBD
The Broncos could be fighting for a lot in the final week of the season, and with the Chargers possibly eliminated from playoff contention at this point, I’d imagine Denver pulls out the stops to beat Los Angeles at Mile High.
Broncos 21, Chargers 10
Final Record Prediction: 8-9
The Chargers are very capable of winning double-digit games this season. The problem is that they face 12 games against teams that made the playoffs in either of the last two seasons.
This is one of the most difficult schedules in the league, so if they finish with a record above .500, it’s proof that the Chargers are one of the best teams in the NFL.
BFTB community, what do you make of the Chargers’ schedule? Chime off in the comments section below.
