Ranking 5 Most Likely Lions Primetime Opponents

The Detroit Lions will learn their 2026 schedule officially on Thursday.

With Monday marking the beginning of what has come to be known as schedule week in the NFL's non-stop offseason, it's very likely that the Lions' schedule will be leaked slowly throughout the next four days before the initial announcement.

Television networks will announce certain matchups as part of their upfront meetings, and most of the time these announcements will feature primetime matchups. As a result, the Lions could learn some of their biggest games on the schedule early.

Teams can play up to seven primetime games in an NFL season. Last year, the Lions had five primetime games along with their annual standalone spot on Thanksgiving. They were 3-2 last year in those primetime games, with two of those wins coming on ESPN's Monday Night Football.

Under Dan Campbell, the Lions have become one of the most popular NFL teams from a viewership perspective. They could once again be a hot ticket for standalone games, as Campbell's team returns plenty of its star power.

Here's my personal ranking of the five best potential primetime matchups for the Lions in the 2026 season.

5.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Lions and Buccaneers have a lot of history over the last three seasons. They've played plenty of tight games, including a Divisional Round nail-biter that the Lions won to propel them to the 2023 NFC Championship game.

Last year, these two teams met on Monday Night Football with the Lions dominating defensively in a 24-9 win. They've played four times over the last three years counting the playoff game, with the Lions winning three of those meetings.

Detroit will host Tampa Bay for the third-straight regular season this year. Both teams underachieved relative to expectations last year, but have some firepower coming back. Additionally, both teams have veteran quarterbacks who have taken somewhat similar paths to their new homes and found success in their new organizations after being previously cast aside.

As a result, this is a storyline-rich matchup between two familiar opponents, and may once again be featured in a primetime slot.

4.) New England Patriots

It has been a whirlwind offseason for the Patriots, as head coach Mike Vrabel has consistently been in the headlines. However, coming off a Super Bowl appearance in Vrabel's first year, the Patriots have the look of a contender once again in 2026.

Third-year quarterback Drake Maye had an underwhelming Super Bowl performance against Seattle's stout defense, but otherwise emerged as one of the league's brightest young quarterbacks. He and the Patriots come to Ford Field in 2026, and could be one of the best attractions to come to Ford Field outside of the divisional slate this year.

The Lions and Patriots haven't squared off since the 2022 season, where the Patriots blanked the Lions in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Detroit is a much different team than it was then, and this could be an electric matchup.