Predicting Jaguars' Week 1 opponent in 2026 NFL season

Jacksonville Jaguars 2026 road opponents

• Houston Texans
• Indianapolis Colts
• Tennessee Titans
• Baltimore Ravens
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants
• Denver Broncos
• Chicago Bears

Not always, but oftentimes, the NFL has a number of divisional matchups to open up the regular season. The NFL also wants to kick off the season with some top-tier matchups.

So with those two factors leading my decision-making, my guess is that the Jaguars open the season against the Houston Texans.

Like the Jaguars, the Texans were red-hot to finish the 2025 season, winning their final nine games and clinching a wildcard spot, with Jacksonville winning the division.

A Week 1 game featuring two AFC playoff teams from the same division feels like a matchup the NFL would love to feature in Week 1.

Now, will it be played in Houston or Jacksonville? I'll guess the Jaguars will be on the road.

Predicting Jaguars' 2026 Week 1 regular season opening game

Contributing writer Casandra Chesser is predicting that the Jaguars open up the 2026 season against another AFC South foe, the Tennessee Titans.

"The Jaguars and the Titans have a long-running rivalry, which can only become more entrenched with the addition of Robert Saleh as Tennessee's new head coach. There's no love lost between Saleh and Liam Coen, and while both have claimed there's no longer any animosity between them, the NFL might see an opportunity for some more fireworks between the two.

"That said, there's no denying the rivalry between the two teams and 2026 is set to potentially be a prime match-up. The Jaguars have been on a roller coaster in recent years, sure, but the Titans have been in a constant slump that seemingly had no end. But the addition of Saleh, as well as the decision to surround Titans QB Cam Ward with offensive weapons, indicates that 2026 might be different. With Tennessee expected to see a resurgence, a Week 1 opener against Jacksonville could be a seriously exciting game between two up-and-coming teams, not to mention the long history between the two teams and the emotion that comes with it. What more could you want from a season opener?"

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL schedule: Predicting who Jaguars play in Week 1