The Seattle Seahawks win over the San Francisco 49ers in the final week of the regular season on Saturday simplified the formula to figure out the one remaining opponent for the Miami Dolphins to be determined for the 2026 schedule.

The Los Angeles Rams’ win over the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday’s late afternoon game means the Dolphins will visit the 49ers next season.

That’s because of the swing in the third-place finisher in the NFC West the result creates, with the Dolphins, the AFC East’s No. 3 team, due to play that team on the road.

Miami is already set to play their three divisional opponents — the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets — home and away, the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears at Hard Rock Stadium and Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers on the road.

The NFL will release the full 2026 week-by-week schedule later in the year.

Here is a note for each non-division game next season:

Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium

Patrick Mahomes has played two games at Hard Rock Stadium, both six years ago. The first, on February of 2020 was in his first Super Bowl, against the 49ers. The second, in December, was his lone game against the Dolphins in South Florida. In that matchup, the AFC champion had a 30-10 lead in the fourth quarter before taking their foot off the gas, winning 33-27. The Dolphins have a five-game losing streak against the Chiefs and haven’t beaten them in Miami Gardens in 20 years.

Los Angeles Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium

In his four career games against the Dolphins, Justin Herbert, selected sixth in the 2020 draft after the Dolphins picked Tua Tagovailoa, has averaged 26.8 points a game, including 29 in a pivotal game for the Chargers earlier this season. The Dolphins have averaged 27.3 points a game in that quartet.

Chicago Bears at Hard Rock Stadium

Former Dolphins assistant Ben Johnson makes his first return to Hard Rock Stadium since his stint with Miami from 2012-18. After the Dolphins grabbed a 4-0 lead in the all-time series with the legendary Monday Night Football win over then-undefeated Chicago in 1985, the Bears won four of the next seven games between the teams. However, Miami has a three-game win streak.

Detroit Lions at Hard Rock Stadium

Another former Dolphins assistant coach, and former interim head coach, comes back to Miami Gardens for his first time since finishing his six-year tenure in South Florida in 2015. The last time the Dolphins beat the Lions in South Florida was a 49-21 walloping in the season opener of 2002, which was also Ricky Williams’ Dolphins debut.

Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium

Joe Burrow will be looking to improve to 3-0 all-time against Miami, having averaged 36 points a game in games against the Dolphins.

Denver Broncos at Empower Field*

Broncos coach Sean Payton will have been waiting three years for this game, his Broncos having been ravaged for 70 points in Miami Gardens in 2023 the most recent time the teams played.
Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium*

One of the rare flips of series record in the Dolphins’ favor since Don Shula left after 1995, the Dolphins trailed Oakland/Los Angeles 6-16-1 heading into the 1996 season. The past 20 years, however, the Dolphins have rolled Oakland/Las Vegas 15-5, and now the series is squared at 21-21-1.

Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field*

The Dolphins had been 8-0 against Green Bay when Jimmy Johnson took over for Don Shula in 1996, but the Packers, powered by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, have cruised through the Dolphins with wins in seven of the teams’ nine matchups since then.

Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium*

The Dolphins have played a Brian Flores-coached defense once since he and Miami parted ways after 2021, and that was a 16-10 Dolphins win in 2022 when the Steelers dropped four Tua Tagovailoa passes that hit both hands.

Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium*

The Colts, before collapsing, arguably had their best game of their season in the opener against the Dolphins, a 33-8 shellacking in Indiana.

San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California*

There is some argument that one of the last moments the Dolphins felt like things had finally turned around was the first-play-of-the-game 75-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Trent Sherfield the last time Miami traveled to Santa Clara. However, the host 49ers rebounded to rout Miami, who had entered the game 8-3. Miami sputtered to 9-8 to squeak into the playoffs, where they lost to Buffalo 34-31.

(* Denotes there is a possibility this game may be played internationally.)