2026 NFL schedule release: 10 dates to circle for the upcoming season

It's a moment that will be replayed often in the lead-up to this early-season showdown between fierce NFC South rivals. Atlanta swept the season series in 2025, but just like 20 years ago, New Orleans, which has five consecutive non-playoff seasons, can show it's back with a resounding win.

Oct. 25, 2026 | An all-day bag of treats

Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints (9:30 a.m. ET • NFL Network)
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m. ET • TBA)
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (4:25 p.m. ET • TBA)
Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks (8:20 p.m. ET • NBC)

The final Sunday before Halloween is a day full of goodies for football fans, beginning in the morning with Steelers-Saints from Paris. The early afternoon slate is highlighted by the Cincinnati Bengals traveling to play the Baltimore Ravens in a battle between star quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions meet in the late-afternoon window for what could be a key NFC North showdown, while the nightcap between the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks will be a must-watch affair, pitting Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes against a stellar Seahawks defense.

Nov. 8, 2026 | Tom Brady's Foxboro return

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots (4:25 p.m. ET • Fox)

For 20 seasons, seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady played for the Patriots, and he'll return for the first time as a member of Fox's broadcasting booth for the Week 9 late-afternoon window, when New England hosts Green Bay.

Nov. 15, 2026 | Ditch the remote

New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions (9:30 a.m. ET • Fox)
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (1 p.m. ET • Fox)
San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m. • Fox)

One channel is all you need in Week 10. The three biggest games outside of prime time are on Fox, beginning with Patriots-Lions in Munich. The Vikings and Packers play for the second time in 2026 after previously meeting in Week 1, while the 49ers and Cowboys, two of the NFL's most iconic brands, play in a mid-afternoon showcase.

Nov. 25, 2026 | First Thanksgiving Eve game

Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams (8 p.m. ET • Netflix)

The NFL invades another space this year, staking claim to the day before Thanksgiving, which was previously a football desert. With the expanded viewing window, that also means we're getting at least one college or professional football game every day from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30. Sometimes, the NFL's need to always go bigger is a good thing.

Dec. 20, 2026 | Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry enters new era

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET • CBS)

The Steelers and Ravens play twice over the final four weeks of the regular season, making for a long build-up for the first game between McCarthy and Baltimore coach Jesse Minter, who's also entering his first season. Anytime these two teams meet, something seems to be at stake. But even if either team is out of the playoff picture, a win over their most heated rival would be a nice consolation.

Jan. 3, 2027 | No. 1 pick on the line? 

Las Vegas Raiders at Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m. ET • CBS)

The penultimate week of the regular season could decide who picks first in next year's NFL Draft. The Raiders and Cardinals both finished 3-14 last season, and neither is expected to take a giant leap forward this fall. Both might find themselves in position to select No. 1 overall, with the Week 17 loser a potential massive winner.