There’s a lot to dissect when looking over the NFL schedule. From the quality of competition to the amount of prime time games, there’s a lot for fans to complain about and be happy with. One lesser discussed advantage, though, is the travel. It’s fair to assume that teams that travel less will be more rested and able to play to the best of their ability.

With that in mind, these five teams caught a massive break by not having to travel nearly as much as other foes in the league.

Carolina Panthers

• 2026 miles traveled: 8,740

Not only do the Carolina Panthers have the good fortune of playing in the NFL’s weakest division, but they have the fewest miles traveled this season. Not only do the Panthers not have a single international game, but they don’t have to travel to the West Coast a single time. They don’t even have to travel to the Mountain time zone.

The Panthers face some quality opponents like the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos (to name a few), which makes sense after they won the NFC South last season, but not having to travel further than the Central time zone, and not having to leave the Eastern time zone until late October, is an insane victory.

Cleveland Browns

• 2026 miles traveled: 9,073

If the Cleveland Browns lose a ton of games in the 2026 NFL season, it won’t be because of their schedule. The Browns were always going to have a relatively easy schedule after finishing in last place in the AFC North in 2025, but finishing in last place does not mean you’ll be blessed with an easy travel schedule. The Browns caught a break in that regard.

Cleveland does not play an international game and, like Carolina, doesn’t have to travel much within the United States at all. In fact, the Browns only have to leave the Eastern time zone once this season, and it’s to face the New Orleans Saints, a team situated in the Central region. Outside of a Week 4 bout with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football, the Browns aren’t even scheduled to play later than 1:00 p.m. ET. The Panthers don’t travel as many miles as Cleveland, but the Browns’ schedule might be even more favorable.

Green Bay Packers

• 2026 miles traveled: 12,673

NFL teams will travel almost 630,000 miles this season, and the Green Bay Packers count for roughly two percent of that. Yes, a Super Bowl contender barely has to travel, and that could prove to be a huge advantage.

The Packers do have to travel to Los Angeles to take on the Los Angeles Rams on Thanksgiving Eve, but other than that, their entire season is spent within the East and Central time zones. That’s a pretty good draw for a Packers team that has a ton of Prime Time games on its schedule. The NFL blessed them by not having them travel too far.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• 2026 miles traveled: 12,185

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face two teams from the West Coast and five teams in the Central time zone, so you’d think they’d travel a ton. You’d be wrong with that assumption. The Bucs face both Los Angeles teams, with both of them set to travel across the country to Tampa. One trip to Los Angeles alone would’ve been over 2,000 miles. Only two of the five games the Bucs play against teams in the Central time zone are on the road, and one of those comes against the Saints, a team they play on the road every year.

Their longest trip this year will be a stop in Dallas, a 1,103-mile journey. While that obviously isn’t nothing, teams are traveling to Melbourne, Australia! The Bucs are attempting to bounce back following an incredibly disappointing finish to their 2025 season, and limited travel certainly won’t hurt their chances.

Chicago Bears

• 2026 miles traveled: 10,676

The Chicago Bears enter the 2026 season with good vibes after such a promising 2025 campaign, and this should only help them. The Bears are set to travel just over 10,000 miles, the third fewest in the NFL, and around where they were in 2025 (12,252).

The Bears do have to make a trip to Seattle to take on the defending champion Seahawks, and they have way too many short weeks, but other than that, the travel schedule is very light. In fact, they begin their season in Carolina, and that’s the only time they leave the Central time zone until Week 6. The Bears will have left the Central time zone just twice until mid-December. This gives the Bears a massive opportunity to get off to a strong start, and that’s something they’ll need if they want to win what should be a very competitive NFC North.

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