Schedule

The Ultimate 2026 NFL Season Master Schedule

The wait is officially over. The National Football League released the complete 2026 regular-season schedule on May 14, 2026, mapping out the massive 18-week road to Super Bowl LXI. Powered by AWS, this historic schedule features an unprecedented Wednesday night season opener, a record-breaking 9-game international series across four continents, and an absolute takeover of major holiday broadcasting.

Season Kickoff

Sept 9, 2026
Patriots at Seahawks (Wed)

Global Series

9 Games
Across 7 Countries

Thanksgiving Week

5 Games
Starts Wednesday Eve

Super Bowl LXI

Feb 14, 2027
SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles)

1. The Historic Opening Week (Week 1)

A Super Bowl LX Rematch to Kickoff the Season

The 2026 season shatters tradition right out of the gate. To accommodate the massive international expansion in Australia, the league has scheduled its Kickoff Game on a Wednesday Night (September 9) for only the second time in NFL history. The defending Super Bowl LX Champion Seattle Seahawks will raise their banner at Lumen Field as they host the New England Patriots.

This matchup is a direct rematch of Super Bowl LX, where Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks dominated the Patriots 29-13 in February to secure the franchise’s second title. This marks just the third time in NFL history that the two Super Bowl teams face off again in Week 1 of the following season (the last occurrence being the Broncos and Panthers following Super Bowl 50).

Date & Time (ET)MatchupNetworkSignificance & Venue
Wed, Sept 9 | 8:20 PMNew England Patriots @ Seattle SeahawksNBCSuper Bowl LX Banner Ceremony
Lumen Field, Seattle
Thu, Sept 10 | 8:35 PMSan Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles RamsPrime VideoFirst Game in Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sun, Sept 13 | 8:20 PMDallas Cowboys @ New York GiantsNBCSunday Night Football Opener
MetLife Stadium, NJ
Mon, Sept 14 | 8:15 PMDenver Broncos @ Kansas City ChiefsESPN / ABCMonday Night Football Opener
Arrowhead Stadium, MO

2. Record-Breaking 2026 International Series

The National Football League is aggressively pursuing global expansion. The 2026 season features an incredible nine regular-season games played across four continents, seven countries, and eight different stadiums. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Executive VP Peter O’Reilly have orchestrated the most ambitious overseas slate in sports history.

This year includes three historic “firsts”: the first-ever regular season game in Melbourne, Australia; the first game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (shifting from São Paulo); and the highly anticipated debut in Paris, France at the Stade de France. Europe continues to be a massive hub, hosting six of the nine international games.

WeekDate & Time (ET)International MatchupHost City & StadiumNetwork
Week 1Thu, Sept 10 | 8:35 PMSan Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles RamsMelbourne, Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground		Prime
Week 3Sun, Sept 27 | 4:25 PMBaltimore Ravens vs. Dallas CowboysRio de Janeiro, Brazil
Maracanã Stadium		FOX
Week 4Sun, Oct 4 | 9:30 AMIndianapolis Colts vs. Washington CommandersLondon, U.K.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium		NFL Net
Week 5Sun, Oct 11 | 9:30 AMPhiladelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville JaguarsLondon, U.K.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium		NFL Net
Week 6Sun, Oct 18 | 9:30 AMHouston Texans vs. Jacksonville JaguarsLondon, U.K.
Wembley Stadium		NFL Net
Week 7Sun, Oct 25 | 9:30 AMPittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans SaintsParis, France
Stade de France		NFL Net
Week 9Sun, Nov 8 | 9:30 AMCincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta FalconsMadrid, Spain
Bernabéu Stadium		NFL Net
Week 10Sun, Nov 15 | 9:30 AMNew England Patriots vs. Detroit LionsMunich, Germany
FC Bayern Munich Arena		NFL Net
Week 11Sun, Nov 22 | 8:20 PMMinnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ersMexico City, Mexico
Estadio Banorte		NBC

3. The Ultimate Holiday Broadcast Domination

The NFL’s strategy for 2026 is clear: absolute dominance of major holidays. The Thanksgiving schedule has been transformed into a nearly week-long football festival, and Christmas Day features a massive tripleheader exclusively engineered for streaming and premium networks.

🦃 The Mega Thanksgiving Week (Week 12)

For the very first time, the NFL is expanding Thanksgiving into Wednesday night. The slate begins with a “Thanksgiving Eve” broadcast, runs through the traditional Thursday afternoon tripleheader in Detroit and Dallas, and concludes with a standalone Black Friday afternoon game.

  • Wed (Eve) Green Bay Packers @ Los Angeles Rams

    Netflix

  • Thu 12:30 PM Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions

    CBS

  • Thu 4:30 PM Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

    FOX

  • Thu 8:20 PM Primetime AFC Showdown TBD

    NBC

  • Fri 3:00 PM Black Friday Game TBD

    Prime Video

🎄 Christmas Day Tripleheader (Friday, Dec 25)

Continuing its strategic takeover of December 25th, the NFL has scheduled three colossal, high-stakes matchups for Christmas Friday. This guarantees wall-to-wall football action while families gather. Netflix continues to cement its position in live sports broadcasting by securing the early afternoon windows.

  • 1:00 PM ET Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

    Netflix

  • 4:30 PM ET Buffalo Bills @ Denver Broncos

    Netflix

  • 8:15 PM ET Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks

    FOX

4. Schedule Winners, Losers & Team Analysis

A team’s success isn’t just about who they play, but when they play them. After thoroughly analyzing the 2026 schedule release, clear winners and losers have emerged based on bye weeks, travel mileage, and early-season difficulty.

🟢 Winner: Green Bay Packers

The schedule makers handed the Green Bay Packers a massive gift. Reports surfaced in May that All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons (recently acquired) may begin the 2026 season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list due to his ACL recovery. This means he will miss at least the first four games. Fortunately for Green Bay, their first month is incredibly soft. They face four teams that missed the playoffs last year, including a Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings (who have major QB injury concerns). This allows the Packers to survive without their best defensive player.

🔴 Loser: New England Patriots

Conversely, the New England Patriots face what analysts are calling their toughest start in 40 years. Drake Maye and his squad must travel to the hostile environment of Lumen Field to face the defending champion Seahawks in Week 1. Following that, they have a grueling slate of playoff-caliber opponents before facing the brutal logistics of flying to Munich, Germany, in Week 10 to play the high-powered Detroit Lions.

✈️ The Travel Burden: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars will once again act as London’s unofficial home team. They are scheduled for back-to-back games in the U.K. (Week 5 vs. Eagles at Tottenham, Week 6 vs. Texans at Wembley). This marks the 16th time the Jaguars will play in London, forcing them to navigate massive time zone shifts right in the middle of their crucial AFC South divisional race.

Official Schedule Data: The 2026 NFL regular season schedule is powered by AWS and was officially released on May 14, 2026. All broadcast networks, dates, and international locations are subject to the NFL’s flexible scheduling rules later in the season.

The Ultimate 2026 NFL Hub