Chiefs-Bills, Patriots-Seahawks among top 10 games of the 2026 NFL season
After a slow series of leaks and announcements, the NFL announced its schedule for the 2026 season on Thursday, setting dates and times for matchups that were determined at the end of last season.
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Week one will begin on a Wednesday this year, as the defending Super Bowl champions play a day early to host the league’s first-ever regular season game in Australia, which will take place the following day.
The regular season begins on September 9 and ends on January 10. The Super Bowl will take place on February 14, Valentine’s Day! – in Los Angeles.
Here are the 10 most intriguing games from the schedule reveal.
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks, Week 1
The teams that played the final game of last season will play the first of 2026, as New England and Seattle face off in a Super Bowl rematch. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye should be very motivated after struggling in the championship game. The Seahawks, meanwhile, could send an early message to avoid any sort of Super Bowl hangover. Another subplot looms: Will New England head coach Mike Vrabel be on the sidelines?
Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills, Week 8
The Ravens and Bills are coming off disappointing seasons that led them to make coaching changes. The path to the Super Bowl was supposed to be open to them last year after the Chiefs missed the playoffs. Instead, Baltimore also failed to reach the playoffs and Buffalo lost to the Broncos in the divisional round. This should be a measuring game for both first-year head coaches as they attempt to stake their claim as top contenders in the AFC.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Las Vegas Raiders, Week 10
Seattle’s defense powered all the way to a Super Bowl victory, which is why this could be a great test for Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. The mystery here is whether Mendoza will start this game, as the Raiders seem interested in taking him soft. If he gets the call, watching him try to figure out the Seahawks will be an early milestone in what Las Vegas hopes will be a long and illustrious career.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills, Thanksgiving
The NFL’s ultimate quarterback rivalry gets one of the best time slots of the year, as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen face off in prime time this Thanksgiving. The big question here, obviously, is how recovered Mahomes will be after tearing an ACL last year. Allen and Buffalo won the most recent game, hosted by the Bills in November.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys, Thanksgiving
These are two teams with huge fan bases and polarizing quarterbacks who are coming off disappointing seasons. The Eagles’ offense collapsed after their Super Bowl run in the 2024 season, while Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott finished below .500 as a starter for the first time a year ago (minimum 10 starts). Whatever happens in this one, as good as these teams are, this matchup should be ripe for the overreactions that will carry us through the long weekend.
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears, Christmas Day
Bears head coach Ben Johnson put fuel on the Packers-Bears rivalry during his introductory press conference when he said how much he loved beating Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur. Then the teams took turns throwing matches on fire last season with three incredible matches: a straight-up thriller in Green Bay then two improbable comebacks in Chicago, including the Bears’ unforgettable 31-27 victory in the playoffs.
Johnson said after that game, “F— the Packers!”
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks, Christmas Day
The Rams and Seahawks were the two best teams in the NFL last season, and they delivered three fantastic games between the regular season and the playoffs. The combined score of their three confrontations? Seattle 88, Los Angeles 85. If these clubs are as tied as last season, this should be an absolute thriller.
New York Jets vs. Arizona Cardinals, Week 15
Will it be a great game? Certainly not. Could this matchup decide which team ends up with the No. 1 pick? Yes, almost certainly.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins, Week 16
Mike McDaniel’s Revenge Game! The Dolphins fired McDaniel as head coach after he led them to two playoff appearances in four years. Today, one of the brightest offensive minds in the league is offensive coordinator Justin Herbert, the Miami quarterback who was drafted by the since-released Tua Tagovailoa in 2020. McDaniel could be looking to drop 70 points on his former team.
Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots, Week 17
A rematch of a snowy and tense AFC championship game. New England beat Denver to advance to the Super Bowl, with the Broncos limited without starting quarterback Bo Nix. Is the rise of these two teams a coincidence? Or could Nix and Maye start a new quarterback rivalry in the AFC?
