Best of The Herd

Schedule release day in LA, and it’s clear where the league’s leaning: protect quarterbacks, juice offense, and stack the holidays with marquee matchups and elite play-callers. The international slate finally rocks, and thank goodness they ditched the one‑primetime‑game‑for‑everyone rule—this year’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, and global games feel like event TV.

Viewers will love it, but coaches and players won’t beg for more night games. The Packers look like big winners, and the Bengals drew a friendly run too.

The league is intentional, not random: the Chargers get confidence windows early, then a national showcase stretch without being buried. Denver, meanwhile, opens with a buzzsaw that sure feels like the league giving Sean Payton a cold shoulder.

That Broncos run includes Mahomes and a pile of playoff teams; grabbing even a few would be impressive.

After seeing both slates, I’ve got the Chargers pushing for the division while Denver scraps as a wild card.

Chicago’s draw is softer than advertised: three home dates in the first month, limited elite quarterbacks early, a midseason warm‑weather and dome duo visiting the cold, extra rest before Seattle, and the Packers and Lions at home late. It reads like the league wants the Bears relevant wire to wire.

Kansas City’s path is rugged: a tricky opener, a midseason run with tough quarterbacks, then a late‑year gauntlet featuring road trips to face stars in bad weather. That’s a brutal stretch when bodies are banged up.

Let’s talk overseas: two West Coast powers flying to Australia, and one gets less recovery. As a player, how does that land?

Travel messes with your head and your clock, but the biggest player worry is the field—surfaces abroad have not always met NFL standards. If global games matter, the league must guarantee top‑tier turf.

You can see the Bears’ path was shaped on purpose; do players believe the league engineers these breaks?

Players scan for week one, week eighteen, byes, and whether opponents come off rest, and Chicago dodges those landmines. Cold‑weather teams also want heavyweight visitors late at their place, which is a real edge.

The 49ers feel old in spots, and their back half is mean—physical teams and cross‑country trips stack up when recovery slows.

Age matters, but so does how you practice—smart tempo and limited contact can keep stars upright for the stretch run.

For the Raiders, I’d consider starting Fernando Mendoza early against a rebuilding Miami traveling cross‑country; the matchup and protection help a poised rookie.

I was in their building this week, and I expect conviction: Kirk Cousins starts until he can’t, while Mendoza learns and earns it, the way steady programs bring along a young passer.

Which holiday slot would you want: Thanksgiving Eve, the day, or Black Friday?

Thanksgiving Eve, every time—the short prep limits a coordinator’s new wrinkles, and you get the holiday free to enjoy football with family.

Looking at Seattle’s slate as a champion’s template, it didn’t jump out as overwhelming at first glance.

It’s heavier than it looks at the end—Eagles, then the Rams twice with everything likely on the line, and those teams know each other cold.

Denver’s first six games feel like a message—you could have slipped in a softer landing and didn’t. I’m not a conspiracy guy, but the league clearly smooths paths for some brands while others take the early punch, and that disparity jumps off the page.