<\/p>\n
The NFL released its full 2026 schedule on Thursday.<\/p>\n
After looking it over, here are 10 dates to circle for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n
New England Patriots at\u00a0<\/strong>Seattle Seahawks<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(8:20 p.m. ET \u2022 NBC)<\/strong><\/p>\n For only the second time in league history, the NFL season kicks off on Wednesday to make room for a Thursday night game held in Australia. And instead of picking a budding contender such as the Chicago Bears<\/a> for the opener, the NFL went big, choosing a rematch of Super Bowl LX to ring in the 2026 season.<\/p>\n It will be a good test for the Patriots to see if they improved enough in the offseason to close the gap with the Seahawks after getting blown out, 29-13, in February’s championship game. Seattle also lost some key players, including Super Bowl LXI MVP running back Kenneth Walker, safety Coby Bryant, defensive end Boye Mafe and corner Tariq Woolen, making this a huge first test for a group that must prove itself all over again.<\/p>\n Atlanta Falcons at\u00a0<\/strong>Pittsburgh Steelers<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(1 p.m. ET \u2022 Fox) The 2026 coaching carousel was particularly active, and two of the year’s 10 hires will be guaranteed a 1-0 start. Former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski begins in Atlanta against a familiar foe in the Steelers, who he went 6-7 (including playoffs) against as a division rival. Pittsburgh replaced Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy, who began stints as Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach with losses and will look to avoid a similar result.<\/p>\n Former Jets coach coach Robert Saleh has an early chance to get revenge when his Titans host New York, while either the Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley or Raiders coach Klint Kubiak will begin their rebuilds with a 1-0 record. John Harbaugh can begin his run in New York with a bang by sending the Cowboys home with a Week 1 loss.<\/p>\n Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (8:15 p.m. ET \u2022 Prime Video)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bills open the new Highmark Stadium, which cost a staggering $2.2 billion (a record $850M of which came via public funding), with a rematch of one of the best games of the 2024 season, when Buffalo went to Detroit and beat the Lions, 48-42. In fact, while the players and coaches have changed over the years, the results largely haven’t, with the Bills going 6-1 against the Lions since 2002<\/a>, with all seven games decided by seven points or less. Fans are owed a good game, and they \u2014 along with the rest of the country \u2014 should get it.<\/p>\n Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (8:15 p.m. ET \u2022 ESPN)<\/strong><\/p>\n After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 forced the Saints on the road for the entire season, the franchise made an emotional \u2014 and triumphant \u2014 return to the Superdome on Sep. 25, 2006 the following year on “Monday Night Football” against the Falcons. Former special teams ace and franchise legend Steve Gleason’s iconic blocked punt from the game, a 23-3 Saints win, was honored with a statue that sits outside the dome in 2012.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nSep. 13, 2026 | Offseason coaching hires can make early statements<\/h2>\n
New York Jets at\u00a0<\/strong>Tennessee Titans<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(1 p.m. ET \u2022 CBS)
Miami Dolphins at\u00a0<\/strong>Las Vegas Raiders<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(4:25 p.m. ET \u2022 Fox)<\/strong>
Dallas Cowboys at\u00a0<\/strong>New York Giants<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(8:20 p.m. ET \u2022 NBC)<\/strong><\/p>\nSep. 17, 2026 | Buffalo Bills open new Highmark Stadium<\/h2>\n
Oct. 5, 2026 | Saints commemorate 20th anniversary of return to the Superdome<\/h2>\n