The NFL is set to release the 2026 schedule around May 13 or 14, with predictions for key matchups including the season opener and Thanksgiving and Christmas games.
Key points
2026 NFL schedule expected to release on May 13 or 14
Predictions for Thanksgiving and Christmas games
Season opener predicted to be in Seattle
Tripleheader planned for both Thanksgiving and Christmas
cowboys-commanders.jpg
Imagn Images
At some point, the NFL will release the 2026 schedule, and right now, that's expectedas soon as next week (May 13 or 14). Since we have some time to burn between now and the release of the schedule, we've decided to fill that time by making some predictions about the biggest games on the slate this year.
We're going to attempt to predict the exact matchups for some of the biggest games of the year, including the Wednesday night opener. The NFL will also be holding a tripleheader on both Thanksgiving AND Christmas this year and we'll also be throwing out some predictions for those six games.
Remember, these are just predictions, so don't go booking any flights or hotel rooms just yet. With that in mind, let's get to the predictions, starting with the first game of the season in Seattle.
Breakdown: For just the second time in the Super Bowl era, the NFL season is going to be kicking off on a Wednesday and the only thing we know about this game right now is that the Seahawks will be playing in it. When you break this down, it feels like there are only two viable options. For one, we know Seattle won't be playing the Rams or 49ers because those two teams will be in Australia. Also, the NFL isn't going to put a Cardinals team coming off a three-win season into this slot. The Giants could be interesting with a new coach, but they're coming off a four-win season, so it's hard to see them getting this spot. The Chiefs almost certainly won't be in this spot because the NFL isn't 100% sure if Patrick Mahomes will be able to play. And then we have the Patriots, who could make sense, but I'm not sure the NFL would want to put the spotlight on Mike Vrabel this early in the season. That leaves us with two teams: the Bears and Cowboys.
Predicted opponent: Bears or Cowboys
Q&A
When will the NFL release the 2026 schedule?
The NFL is expected to release the 2026 schedule on May 13 or 14.
What are the predicted matchups for Thanksgiving games in 2026?
Predictions for the Thanksgiving games in 2026 include a tripleheader, but specific matchups have not been confirmed yet.
What teams are expected to play in the 2026 NFL season opener?
The predictions suggest that the season opener will take place in Seattle, but the specific teams have not been finalized.
How many games will be played on Christmas Day in 2026?
There will be a tripleheader of games played on Christmas Day in 2026, according to predictions.
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Both teams have solid cases, but I'd give a slight edge to the Bears because the Cowboys have played in the NFL opener twice since 2021, including last year.
Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 25)
The NFL is expected to add a new game this year, to be played on the day before Thanksgiving. This isn't set in stone, but Puck News has reported that Netflix is looking to stream this game, so it's safe to say that it's going to happen.
With that in mind, let's make a prediction.
Predicted game: Chiefs at Seahawks OR Bills at Rams
The NFL is going to want to make a statement with the introduction of the Thanksgiving Eve window, so I'd expect a huge game here, and when the NFL has a big slot to fill, they love to use Patrick Mahomes. Although the Chiefs almost certainly won't be facing the Seahawks in Week 1, putting Mahomes up against the defending Super Bowl champs on the night before Thanksgiving would be a great way to kick off the holiday week.
When it comes to the Chiefs, the NFL loves to put their NFC matchups in primetime. Over the past two years, the Chiefs have played 10 NFC opponents in the regular season, and seven of those games have been island games (six primetime games and one Thanksgiving game). Given that, I'd expect Kansas City's games against the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers to all end up in nationally televised slots, and I won't be surprised if any of them land on Thanksgiving Eve.
One thing to keep in mind with this game is that it will take place in Week 12 and the two teams playing in it are expected to have a Week 11 bye. I could see the NFL sending the Chiefs to Spain to play the Falcons in Week 10, followed by a Week 11 bye, and then having Kansas City play in this game.
If the NFL decides NOT to use the Chiefs, then Bills-Rams would also be a great option. You'd have the last two NFL MVPs squaring off under the lights in Los Angeles. These two teams met in 2024, with the Rams winning 44-42, and the NFL would probably love to see another game like that.
Breakdown: The Lions have faced a divisional opponent for three straight seasons on Thanksgiving and it won't be surprising at all if the NFL sticks with that. After playing the Bears in 2024 and the Packers in 2025, it seems like it might be Minnesota's turn in the rotation. The Vikings would certainly be an intriguing option, especially with Kyler Murray at quarterback. The NFL also has the option of putting the reigning AFC champs in this game and it certainly wouldn't be surprising if the league decides to go that route.
Breakdown: Last year, the NFL put Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in this spot and the game set a regular-season record by drawing 57.23 million viewers. This year, the NFL could have the Cowboys play against another former two-time MVP in Lamar Jackson. The Ravens feel like the sexiest choice, but the Cowboys have played a divisional opponent in three of the past four years on Thanksgiving, so you certainly can't rule out that possibility.
**Predicted game:**Broncos at 49ers or Steelers at Eagles
Breakdown: Over the past 10 years, the prime time Thanksgiving game has featured at least one team that made the playoffs in the prior season, so it seems like a lock that we'll see at least one 2025 playoff team in this slot and possibly two. The Broncos haven't played on Thanksgiving since 2009, so this would end their drought. Not to mention, Kyle Shanahan served as a Broncos ball boy when he was younger, so you have a perfect connection for a Thanksgiving night game. The Steelers could also make some sense here. With Aaron Rodgers playing in what will likely be his final season, this gives the NFL one more chance to feature him on Thanksgiving. Rodgers hasn't played in a Thanksgiving game since 2015, which is also the last time the Eagles played on Thanksgiving, so that matchup would be perfect.
Black Friday (Nov. 27)
There's been speculation that the NFL will introduce a Black Friday DOUBLEHEADER this year, which could mean we get two games. That's not set in stone yet, but we'll definitely get at least one game, so let's try to predict who will play in the NFL's first Friday game of the season.
Predicted game: Packers at Rams or Ravens/Steelers at Bengals
Breakdown: There have only been three Black Friday games in NFL history, and in each of those games, we had two teams from the same conference facing off, including two games that featured division rivals. In 2023, we got a Dolphins-Jets game that was supposed to feature Aaron Rodgers, but he got injured. That was followed by a 2024 Raiders-Chiefs game featuring Patrick Mahomes. In 2025, the NFL gave us Jalen Hurts vs. Caleb Williams with the Eagles facing the Bears. Basically, it seems like the NFL likes to have at least one high-profile QB in this game. If the Rams don't end up in the Thanksgiving Eve game, then this would be the perfect spot for them in an NFC showdown against the Packers. As for the other prediction, the Bengals actually offered to permanently host the Black Friday game back in 2023, and not only did the league turn them down, but Cincinnati still hasn't played in one yet. If there is a doubleheader, this seems like the perfect year to finally get Joe Burrow and the Bengals into a Black Friday game. As for who they'll play, if the Steelers or Ravens don't get picked for a Thanksgiving game, then pushing them back one day and having them play on Black Friday against the Bengals would make sense.
Christmas tripleheader (Dec. 25)
The NFL is trying to take over Christmas and if you're trying to do that, then it makes sense to schedule three big games. There were three games played on Christmas last year and we saw the league schedule four 2024 playoff teams into the six 2025 Christmas slots.
The NFL wants to make sure these are must-see games, so you can bet that the league will do everything it can to make that happen.
The Chiefs have played on Christmas for three straight years, and they've asked the NFL to let them play on Christmas again this year, so it's a safe assumption we'll see it happen again.
Early game
**Home team:**TBA
**Time:**1 p.m. ET game (Netflix)
**Predicted game:**Eagles at Giants
**Breakdown:**The NFL loves to put NFC East teams on key parts of the schedule, so it would make a lot of sense for these two teams to be here. I thought about putting the Cowboys in this spot, but they played on Christmas last year and I'm not sure they'd be too happy about playing on Thanksgiving AND Christmas in back-to-back years. The Giants could be surprisingly good this year in their first season under John Harbaugh and if that's the case, then NFL fans will want to watch.
Later afternoon game
**Home team:**TBA
**Time:**4:30 p.m. ET game (Netflix)
**Predicted game:**Chiefs at Chargers
**Breakdown:**The Chiefs have played three straight games on Christmas and two of those games have come against a division rival, so it wouldn't be a big shocker to see the NFL stick to that trend. This would also be a pretty high-profile game with Justin Herbert in a duel with Patrick Mahomes. With Travis Kelce possibly retiring after the season, this could be one of his final games and we'd even get the chance of Taylor Swift showing up for a holiday game in Los Angeles. Also, with Jim Harbaugh coaching in this game, you'd have both the Harbaugh brothers coaching on Christmas.
Primetime game
**Home team:**TBA
**Time:**8:20 p.m. ET game (Fox, Fubo try for free)
**Predicted game:**Rams at Seahawks
**Breakdown:**The Rams and Seahawks played three times last year, including the NFC title game, and all three games went down to the wire, so why not end Christmas by giving NFL fans the gift of what should be another crazy game.
If you want more schedule predictions, don't worry, we've got that. There will be nine international games on the NFL schedule this year and we attempted to predict all of the matchups here.
Remember, although we don't know the schedule yet, we do know who each team will be playing, and you can check out the home-and-away opponents for all 32 teamshere.
