Eagles’ 2026 schedule has one brutal stretch that could make or break their season

The Eagles’ 2026 schedule was finalized last night.

We will hold off on making any predictions until right before the season, but let’s take a look at the schedule and give you some takeaways.

Here’s the whole schedule before we begin:

Week 1: vs. Commanders on Sept. 13 at 4:25 p.m. on FOX

Week 2: at Titans on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. on FOX

Week 3: at Bears on Sept. 28 at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN

Week 4: vs. Rams on Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. on FOX

Week 5: at Jaguars in London on Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. on NFL Network

Week 6: vs. Panthers on Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. on CBS

Week 7: vs. Cowboys on Oct. 26 at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN

Week 8: at Commanders on Nov. 1 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC

Week 9: vs. Giants on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. on FOX

Week 10: BYE

Week 11: vs. Steelers on Nov. 22 at 4:25 p.m. on CBS

Week 12: at Cowboys on Nov. 26 at 4:30 p.m. on FOX

Week 13: at Cardinals on Dec. 6 at 4:05 p.m. on FOX

Week 14: vs. Colts on Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. on CBS

Week 15: vs. Seahawks on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 16: vs. Texans on Dec. 24 at 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime

Week 17: at 49ers on Jan. 3 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC

Week 18: at Giants, TBD

Ok, now that you’ve read the schedule, here are our 10 thoughts on the Eagles’ 17-game slate:

(1) The NFL loves having the Eagles in the spotlight

The NFL has the Eagles playing in eight primetime/standalone games this season. It doesn’t come as a shock because the Eagles are a big market team with elite talent and could be one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the league.

But there’s another reason why the NFL could want the Eagles in the spotlight: they make for good TV because there is always drama surrounding the team, and that might increase in 2026. People are watching to see how quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni respond to pressure with their jobs potentially on the line if the season doesn’t go well.

Everyone is interested in how offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will do in his first season. Can he get the offense back on track? Those are a few of the high-stake questions.

2. Easy start to season

No game in the NFL is a gimme, but the Eagles have an easy-ish start to the season. They will face the Commanders — who finished with a 5-12 record last year, in Week 1 and will face the Titans — who finished with a 3-14 record last year — in Week 2. The Eagles could start with a 2-0 record.

3. The real tests

How the Eagles play against the Bears, Rams, Seahawks, 49ers and Texans will be the ultimate test. Winning three to four of those games could be a sign that the Eagles are back to their championship form. Those five opponents are considered potential Super Bowl contenders heading into the year and will be Philadelphia’s toughest matchups. Losing the majority of those games could be a bad sign for the Eagles’ chances of making a deep playoff run.

4. More breaks

The Eagles face better circumstances on their schedule this year. After going to London, three of their next four games will be at home, and their away game will be a short drive to Washington. They won’t get another flight until the day before Thanksgiving, when they are scheduled to face the Cowboys. The Eagles have back-to-back home games in October and December. The 2025 team did not have any consecutive home games last season.

5. Late bye week

The Eagles won’t have their bye until Week 10, which is late into the year but comes at the perfect time. They could make last-minute adjustments before they face a brutal stretch in the final month of the season, including three game consecutive games against the Seahawks, Texans and 49ers. Winning these games could help the Eagles secure a high seed in the playoffs and put themselves in a good position to make a Super Bowl run.

The only downside to having the bye in Week 10 is not having a break after the London game. They could be worn out the following week against the Panthers.

6. Can bad trends be snapped?

The Eagles have lost eight straight games to the Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions, and two straight games to the 49ers, including in the first round of the playoffs last year. Those teams match up well with the Eagles. The NFC West is the best division in the NFL, and the Eagles will have to win at least two of their three games against the Seahawks, 49ers and Rams to rank at the top of NFC. It won’t be easy to finish as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed with those teams standing in the way.

7. Are the Cowboys legit?

The Cowboys are best positioned to challenge the Eagles in the NFC East. Dallas had a championship-caliber offense last year, but the defensive unit wasn’t good enough to be a playoff team. That’s no longer the case. Dallas added premier defensive talent this offseason, including first-round safety Caleb Downs, and made former Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker their new defensive coordinator. Parker is considered one of the league’s brightest young minds. He could help the Cowboys overtake the Eagles.

8. Will the Eagles’ offense live up to expectations?

Philadelphia’s talented offense let the team down last year and must play better in 2026. The passing game and run game both struggled, but the passing game has been an issue for the last two years and is the bigger concern.

The Eagles will face some of the league’s best secondaries in 2026, including a remade Rams unit led by All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. How the passing game looks in that matchup and several other key games could determine how far the Eagles make it this year.

9. The teams with the good tight ends

MORE BY

CAYDEN STEELE

The Eagles’ biggest weakness heading into the year is the safety position. Before the season, the Eagles could find an upgrade over Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II, but as of now, they are the top candidates to start alongside Drew Mukuba. Bears tight end Colston Loveland, Colts tight end Tyler Warren and Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, among other tight ends, could take advantage of that weakness.

10. Former Eagles players coming back to Philadelphia

Former Eagles players Reed Blankenship and Jaelan Phillips will return to Philadelphia this season. Blankenship signed a three-year deal with the Texans in free agency, leaving Philadelphia with a huge hole at safety. Phillips signed a four-year deal with the Panthers. Both players could help their teams knock off the Eagles.

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