The 2026 NFL schedule has been released, and football fans everywhere are starting to circle the most notable matchups on the league’s calendar.
This includes a plethora of matchups between Super Bowl contenders, a handful of notable divisional rivals and a rematch of the biggest game from the 2025 NFL season.
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Of course, things will change plenty ahead of and during the 2026 NFL season. After all, few expected last season for teams like the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks to emerge as the NFL’s top performers.
NFL SCHEDULE RELEASE: Eagles, Ravens among teams that could benefit from 2026 schedule
So, once the season starts playing out, football fans will have a better idea of the marquee matchups to watch week in and week out.
Until then, here’s an early look at 10 of the most intriguing matchups on the 2026 NFL schedule, starting with a Thanksgiving date between two AFC contenders.
2026 NFL schedule: 10 games we can’t wait to see
Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs
NBC landed a juicy matchup for its Thanksgiving night game in 2026. The Bills and Chiefs have met often during the Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes era, with Buffalo typically holding an edge during the regular season and Kansas City dominating in the postseason.
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The common thread between all the games is that they have been close and exciting. The last seven games have all been decided by single digits, with six of those seven games being by just one possession.
Expect the 2026 edition of the game to be another great installment in the rivalry, especially with it serving as an unofficial kickoff to the stretch run of the 2026 NFL season.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
The Chiefs are coming off their worst-ever finish under Andy Reid and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. They will be hoping to bounce back and re-establish themselves as Super Bowl contenders, and will get an early chance to do so in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, who were the AFC’s No. 1 seed last season.
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While the Chiefs-Broncos matchup is intriguing on its own, it’s especially interesting given that Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. It isn’t yet clear whether he will play in Week 1, but all signs point to him being ahead of schedule in his return.
Such a development would boost Kansas City’s chances of once again becoming an AFC contender.
Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
The NFL decided to export one of its best 2026 matchups to Australia. The Rams and 49ers will play the first-ever NFL regular-season game halfway around the world from their respective West Coast homes in a game that could have massive implications in the loaded NFC West.
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Los Angeles and San Francisco were two of the final four teams standing in the NFC last season and each had at least 12 wins. Both are hoping to emerge as Super Bowl contenders once again in 2026, and beating a divisional rival in Week 1 would go a long way toward helping make that happen.
However, the bigger point of intrigue will be what happens to the team that loses this game. That squad will have to travel back, readjust their body clocks and try to bounce back during their respective Week 2 matchup. A failure to do that could put them behind early in a divisional race where it won’t be easy to make up ground.
Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
Speaking of NFC West teams, Seattle’s quest to defend its Super Bowl title will come in Week 1. While choosing the Patriots – the very team the Seahawks beat in a Super Bowl 60 blowout – to open the season wasn’t the most inspiring choice for an NFL Kickoff Game, it remains an intriguing Super Bowl rematch.
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Will the Seahawks be able to reassert their defensive dominance and get after Drake Maye frequently? Or will New England‘s upgrades along the offensive line, in the form of Alijah Vera-Tucker and Caleb Lomu, afford Maye a better opportunity to compete against a Seattle stop-unit that has lost several key role players? The answer to those questions will go a long way toward setting the tone for each team’s season.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams
A case can be made that the NFL should have kicked off the season with a Seahawks vs. Rams game. The NFC West rivals met three times in 2025, and the contests were decided by a combined seven points.
In 2026, NFL fans will have to wait until Christmas to watch the Seahawks and Rams play, but what a gift the battle will be. Each sports one of the NFL’s best receivers – Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle and Puka Nacua in Los Angeles – while reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford will get one of his toughest tests of the season against the Seahawks’ elite defense.
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Add in that their first meeting could help decide the winner of the NFC West and this looks like one of the best games of the 2026 NFL season.
Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
The Bills will be playing their first home game at the new Highmark Stadium on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 2. The NFL tapped the Detroit Lions to be their opponent, which should guarantee a high-scoring offensive showcase.
The Bills and Lions have been among the NFL’s best offenses over the last few seasons. Allen should have a good matchup against a Detroit secondary that has long been leaky, while Jahmyr Gibbs could run wild on what was a shaky Buffalo run defense last season.
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This game figures to be particularly important for the Lions, as it is one of the few non-divisional tests they will get as part of having the NFL’s easiest schedule. If Dan Campbell’s squad can win in what figures to be a raucous environment, that could help Detroit show its mettle as a playoff contender after missing the postseason last year.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Like the Bills vs. Lions game, the Bengals vs. Buccaneers game has a chance to be a high-scoring affair. Cincinnati and Tampa Bay both have explosive passing offenses, while each sports a secondary that had its share of issues last season.
This game being in Week 1 also makes it critical for the Bengals, who have notoriously been slow starters under Zac Taylor. Cincinnati will be looking to finally get off to a fast start and have Joe Burrow stay healthy for a full season. That all starts with the team’s matchup against the Buccaneers, which could be one of the most exciting offensive battles of Week 1.
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Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson has raised the temperature in the historic Bears-Packers rivalry since being named Chicago’s coach before the 2025 NFL season. He frequently took shots at Green Bay across his first season, which only made the three games between the two teams – all of which were decided by one possession – all the more exciting.
The Bears also embarrassed the Packers in the playoffs last season, overcoming an 18-point deficit to earn their first playoff win since 2010. Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur survived the debacle but should be eager to exact revenge when the NFC North rivals first meet in Week 5.
The Bears vs. Packers Christmas Day game will also be of interest, but their first meeting could contain a few more fireworks if Green Bay is motivated to avenge its playoff loss.
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Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
Last season, Tyler Loop needed only to make a 44-yard field goal to help the Ravens beat the Steelers and head to the postseason. Instead, he missed it, granting Pittsburgh an AFC North title and the conference’s No. 4 seed.
In Week 15, Loop will return to the site of his worst NFL memory to date with an opportunity to rectify the mistake. The game will also be the first meeting between the new coaches of the Ravens and Steelers, Jesse Minter and Mike McCarthy respectively, and it will be interesting to see which of them ends up having the upper hand in the historic rivalry.
The Week 15 battle will also be the first of the season between the Ravens and Steelers. As such, it could have a big impact on the AFC North race, making this one of the top contests to watch down the stretch of the NFL season.
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Las Vegas Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans
The Raiders and Titans won’t meet until Week 16. Neither team is expected to be in playoff contention at that time, but their matchup will still garner plenty of attention.
Why? Because the No. 1 overall picks from the last two draft classes – Fernando Mendoza and Cam Ward – will be facing off against one another for the first time. The winner of the contest will earn temporary bragging rights in what could eventually emerge as a quality rivalry, so that will make the game worth paying attention to – even if it doesn’t have an impact on the playoff picture.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bills-Chiefs among 10 best games to watch after NFL schedule release
