Detroit Lions’ 2026 season-opening opponent unveiled

TL;DR

The Detroit Lions will host the New Orleans Saints in their 2026 season opener at Ford Field. This marks the second time in three years the Lions have opened the season at home.

Key points

Detroit Lions will host New Orleans Saints in season opener
Game will take place at Ford Field
Lions have opened season at home twice in three years
Lions will play Buffalo Bills shortly after the opener
Saints showed improvement late in the 2025 season

Mentioned in this story

Kellen Moore

Detroit LionsNew Orleans SaintsBuffalo Bills

DETROIT,MICHIGAN-NOVEMBER 2: Detroit Lions cheerleaders perform during the first half of an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Sunday, November 2, 2025 (Photo by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images The Detroit Lions will open the season in the confines of Ford Field, according to the latest NFL schedule leak. New Orleans Saints reporter Nick Underside is reporting that the Lions will host the Saints in the Week 1 opener. As of this time, it’s not clear what time the game will be played at. This is the second time in three years the Lions have opened the season at home. But they won’t stay home for long. It’s already been reported that Detroit will have a short week following the Saints game, traveling to the Buffalo Bills for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Buffalo Bills for the grand opening of their new stadium. The Lions and Saints don’t exactly have a long and illustrious history. They’ve played just twice since 2018, with the Lions winning the most recent matchup, 33-28, and the Saints winning 35-29 back in 2020. has struggled as of late, but they showed some promise late in the 2025 season under first-year head coach—and former Lions quarterback—Kellen Moore. The Saints won four of their last five games, including a big upset win over the and . Rookie quarterback looked particularly impressive down the stretch, throwing for five touchdowns, two interceptions, a passer rating of 99.1 and an average of 263.2 yards per game in the final five games of his season. .

Q&A

Who will the Detroit Lions play in their 2026 season opener?

The Detroit Lions will play against the New Orleans Saints in their 2026 season opener.

What is the significance of the Lions opening at home in 2026?

This is the second time in three years that the Lions will open the season at home, indicating a favorable scheduling trend for the team.

What are the Lions' upcoming games after the season opener against the Saints?

Following the game against the Saints, the Lions will have a short week and travel to play the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football.

Detroit Lions’ 2026 season-opening opponent unveiled

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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