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- The Dolphins and Cardinals are rebuilding and are no longer appealing to a national audience.
- Despite the market the Jets play in, prime-time opportunities could be further reduced.
The NFL’s regular season schedule may be a complex puzzle, but when it comes to optimizing broadcast schedules, the concept of fairness can quickly fall to the wayside.
Despite the league widely touting its parity, that dynamic rarely extends to the balance, or lack thereof, in how prime-time games are distributed. Franchises with major markets and large audiences will remain on a single pedestal, while remaining franchises will fight for scraps.
However, assignments can vary widely from season to season as each organization’s expectations change. Ahead of this year’s schedule announcement, here are five teams that deserve fewer prime-time games in 2026.
atlanta falcons
The Falcons, who have five prime-time games and an independent slot for a game against Germany in 2025, received a huge vote of confidence from the league. Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s breakthrough didn’t materialize, and Arthur Blank cleaned house in response to the disappointment.
Even with new coach Kevin Stefanski in place, the Falcons aren’t exactly a must-watch team on TV. The quarterback competition between Penix and Tua Tagovailoa isn’t going to impress viewers or produce much better results through the air. Atlanta’s struggling squad has been overtaken by their NFC South rivals, with the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints showing serious signs of improvement. It’s time to diversify the wealth within the sector. That can easily be accomplished by reducing the Falcons to a clean slate worthy of a neutral team.
miami dolphins
The NFL benefited the rudderless Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals last year by making it all the way to Week 16 before changing their prime-time matchups. That was perhaps a harbinger of how the league will handle the former this spring, after securing five such spots on teams in 2025.
First-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has left no doubt that Miami is serious about dismantling Tagovailoa, wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and edge rusher Bradley Chubb, among others. All that’s left in the rubble are a variety of low-cost holdovers, cheap free agent contracts, and rookies trying to find their way. And while quarterback Malik Willis has shown promise with his big-play ability as a runner and downfield thrower, he will certainly be hampered by a receiving corps that lacks established options. It looks like the Dolphins will spend this season struggling and tweaking before becoming truly competitive. Perhaps it’s best for the group to do it out of the spotlight.
commander of washington
In 2025, the league’s schedule creators welcomed Washington’s team into the NFC Championship Game on a surprising note, giving the franchise five prime-time games in addition to a Christmas slot and a standalone international slot. The managers went on to lose all seven games, three of which were decided on the final play.
Is this a sign of a rapid recovery? There’s reason to believe Washington should be even more formidable in 2026 after Jaden Daniels’ fresh start after a spate of injuries ruined his sophomore season. Still, the manager will likely hire two first-time coordinators and implement a more methodical offense with David Breaux focusing on work under center. This isn’t exactly a bright setup for a team that hasn’t done much from a personnel standpoint to support Daniels, who still lacks a viable No. 2 target alongside Terry McLaurin.
Managers need to find a more stable resting point between the highs of 2024 and the lows of last season. But Washington is still clearly out of the running as a major contender in the NFC, and its schedule needs to reflect that reality.
arizona cardinals
Since eliminating the requirement for every team to schedule at least one prime-time game, the NFL has not hesitated to push some of its boring and uncompetitive operations out of the spotlight. This could mean trouble for Arizona State, which has two prime-time appointment slots in 2025 that could go blank this fall.
First-year coach Mike LaFleur may have some luck health-wise – the Cardinals finished last season with 24 players on injured reserve – and may have better luck in close games than his predecessor Jonathan Gannon. But the team, which finished with the worst point differential in the NFC (-133) as they went 0-6 against their NFC West foes last year, is still a long way from challenging other teams in the division. Whether Jacoby Brissett retains his starting QB spot or cedes it to third-rounder Carson Beck, the offense seems bound to be limited by its limitations behind center. Jeremiah Love’s arrival may spark some mild intrigue, but as with any game time other than Sunday afternoon, running room will likely be difficult to find.
new york jets
Perhaps this may seem harsh for a team that was already pushed into the corner, with its prime-time record dropping significantly from six games in 2024 to two last year. But even matching that amount this fall would be generous for an administration that has yet to remember why other countries are following suit.
Gang Green could become a more capable operation after absorbing the necessary lessons from Aaron Glenn’s tumultuous first year in office. But are the Jets more attractive than before? The defense still appears to be in a state of transition after releasing Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams in midseason, and the new pairing of quarterback Geno Smith and coordinator Frank Reich doesn’t inspire much confidence in the offense’s rapid growth.
Of course, the Jets are too big a brand to be completely sidelined. But while a “Thursday Night Football” game against an AFC East rival may be reasonable, anything beyond that may be a stretch.
