We’re a long way away from the Buffalo Bills kicking off the 2026 regular season, their first in their new home at New Highmark Stadium. Still, all 32 rosters are taking shape after the first week of free agency passed through with big names heading to new places.
The Bills already know who is on the schedule next season; they just don’t know the order. We’ll get that information in a few months, but in the meantime, Bills Mafia can already look ahead and see which opponents actually look stronger ahead of their meeting with the Bills this fall.
The three teams on the Bills’ schedule have made strides in their 2026 offseason that will undoubtedly make them more competitive against Buffalo than fans may have previously believed.
First wave of free agency brought big upgrades for some 2026 Bills opponents
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders spent $281.5 million in free agency after they traded away Maxx Crosby. Now they get to keep those upgrades and their elite pass rusher, who appears to be taking the entire fiasco with Baltimore in stride.
The Raiders poured money into their offensive line and defense, which they hope will set up obvious first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza to hit the ground running in his rookie season. The biggest help Mendoza got was his new center, Tyler Linderbaum, who signed the biggest free agent contract for a center in NFL history. Linderbaum will be able to command the line of scrimmage as Mendoza gets acclimaited to the league.
Defensively, the Raiders revamped their linebacker corps with former Georgia Bulldogs Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. Paired with Kwity Paye and Crosby on the edge, and the Raiders should have little issue improving on their 25th-ranked scoring defense from last season. Of course, the Bills will also see one of their own former players on that defense in nickel corner Taron Johnson.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are already Super Bowl contenders, so the reasoning for mentioning them here is really quite simple: their upgrades at cornerback.
The Rams picked up Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason, the first in a trade, the other in free agency. That duo surrendered just over 800 yards and five scores on 124 targets last season. They’re a significant upgrade for a defense that ranked 20th in passing yards allowed and 26th in passing touchdowns allowed last season.
The Rams otherwise haven’t been any more active in free agency than the Bills were, keeping the players around who fit their vision and moving on from those who don’t. That said, the Rams-Bills matchup this season is sure to be a primetime event featuring a potential Super Bowl LXI matchup. The Rams will be ready for Josh Allen’s passing attack with their beefed-up secondary when Buffalo heads down to L.A.
Minnesota Vikings
Unlike the Rams, the Vikings are going to have to prove themselves as postseason contenders after crashing down to earth last season. The team is hoping that Kyler Murray is the answer at quarterback, at least for this season.
Murray hasn’t sold anyone on his franchise quarterback status as a Heisman Trophy winner and former first-overall pick. Maybe playing for his boyhood team will help him reach that next level that eluded him in Arizona. If not, maybe having Kevin McConnel in his corner can help him find his top receiver more consistently.
As long as the Vikings have Justin Jefferson and a competent quarterback, they’re a dangerous team. If Murray is that competent quarterback, then the Vikings could swing the pendulum back to their pre-2025 success just in time for the Bills to come to town this season.