NFL schedule release: Predicting Thanksgiving, Christmas, season opener and more
FanSided • • sports
Key Points:
- The 2026 NFL schedule will be officially released on Thursday, May 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET, with some leaks expected earlier in the day on social media.
- Two international games are confirmed: the 49ers vs. Rams in Melbourne, Australia for Week 1, and the Ravens vs. Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro during Week 3.
- The Seattle Seahawks, as reigning Super Bowl champions, will host the NFL's Opening Night game on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with potential opponents including the Bears, Cowboys, Patriots, Chiefs, or Giants.
- Thanksgiving Day games will feature the Lions hosting the Giants, the Cowboys hosting the 49ers, and the Rams playing the Seahawks in the night cap, breaking the Rams' Thanksgiving drought since 1975.
- Black Friday will likely have one game on Amazon Prime, with the Chiefs hosting the Chargers in a key AFC West matchup, while Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will feature games with Western time zone teams and division rivalries, including Bills-Patriots and Packers-Bears, with the NFL aiming to maintain a tripleheader on Christmas.