Shedeur Sanders? Jets vs Titans? Fernando Mendoza? The Worst Week 1 Games

The NFL has unveiled its schedule for next year, and fans are already excited about the opening week slate of games.

But not every game in Week 1 is created equal.

While the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will have a rematch of their Super Bowl clash, some games in the opening week might be considered less flashy than others.

Here are my top three picks for the worst games on the schedule for Week 1 of the new NFL campaign.

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3. Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars might be really good this season, but we might not know how good they really are until later in the season.

While Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence wants to compete for an MVP this season, every quarterback on the Browns just wants to make sure they make the roster. Shedeur Sanders finished last season as a starter, but with Deshaun Watson back, Dillon Gabriel hovering, and a newcomer in Taylen Green, who knows which signal-caller will be out there for Cleveland?

2. Miami Dolphins vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The excitement of this game hinges on whether Fernando Mendoza starts. If he is, then this game goes from one of the worst to must-watch, as we see the No. 1 overall pick make his NFL debut.

But if the Raiders stick to their plan on not rushing Mendoza’s development and have ole Kirk Cousins out there under center, then this game might not mean much in the grand scheme of things.

1. New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans

If either of these teams are in playoff contention come the end of the year, it’d be a surprise. The Titans should be better, and the addition of Carnell Tate will be interesting to track throughout the campaign, but it’s not enough to take this game out of the bottom of the barrel.

Geno Smith is back for the Jets.

And… Yeah, this is the least anticipated game of Week 1.

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 7:28 PM.