The six-month football drought is almost over. While the 2026 NFL regular-season schedule release is just around the corner, the league has officially locked in the first matchup of the year. The road to the Super Bowl (and your fantasy championship) begins in Canton, Ohio, as two franchises with legendary ties to the Class of 2026 prepare to kick off the preseason.
- When: three preseason games per team across August 2026.
- How to watch: games air on local stations plus national windows on NFL Network.
- Includes: preseason dates, kickoff times, and TV, plus printable PDFs.
To help you plan your August weekends, we’ve created a Free, printable 2026 NFL Preseason Schedule (PDF). This low-ink, black-and-white design is perfect for your fridge or office pool, ensuring you never miss a snap from the Hall of Fame Game to the final roster cuts.
2026 NFL Preseason Schedule
All three weeks of the 2026 NFL preseason are below, organized day-by-day with kickoff times in Eastern Time. Some networks are still pending and will be locked in closer to camp. Print the free pickem sheet for each week underneath the grid.
Preseason Week 1 (Aug 13-17)
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 14 | Denver Broncos @ Atlanta Falcons | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Philadelphia Eagles @ Baltimore Ravens | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Carolina Panthers @ Buffalo Bills | 1:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Cleveland Browns @ Chicago Bears | 1:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 13 | Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 13 | Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans | 8:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Los Angeles Rams @ Kansas City Chiefs | 4:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 13 | Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders | 8:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 13 | Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots | 7:30 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Jacksonville Jaguars @ New Orleans Saints | 4:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants | 1:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New York Jets | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 13 | Green Bay Packers @ Pittsburgh Steelers | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 13 | Tennessee Titans @ San Francisco 49ers | 9:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 15 | Dallas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks | 8:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 14 | Miami Dolphins @ Washington Commanders | 7:00 PM | Local |
Preseason Week 2 (Aug 20-24)
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 22 | Dallas Cowboys @ Arizona Cardinals | 10:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Buffalo Bills @ Cleveland Browns | 1:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 21 | Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos | 9:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions | 12:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 20 | Las Vegas Raiders @ Houston Texans | 8:00 PM | ESPN |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Atlanta Falcons @ Indianapolis Colts | 1:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 21 | Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars | 7:30 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 20 | San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Chargers | 10:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | New Orleans Saints @ Los Angeles Rams | 4:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | New York Giants @ Miami Dolphins | 4:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings | 1:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 21 | New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 22 | Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7:30 PM | Local |
| Sun, Aug 23 | Seattle Seahawks @ Tennessee Titans | 8:00 PM | FOX |
Preseason Week 3 (Aug 27-30)
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 28 | Washington Commanders @ Baltimore Ravens | 6:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 27 | Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Houston Texans @ Carolina Panthers | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 27 | New England Patriots @ Cleveland Browns | 8:00 PM | Prime Video |
| Fri, Aug 28 | New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys | 8:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Minnesota Vikings @ Denver Broncos | 9:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Arizona Cardinals @ Green Bay Packers | 8:00 PM | Local |
| Sat, Aug 29 | Detroit Lions @ Indianapolis Colts | 1:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Jacksonville Jaguars | 7:30 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Seattle Seahawks @ Kansas City Chiefs | 8:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 27 | San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders | 8:00 PM | Local |
| Thu, Aug 27 | Los Angeles Rams @ Los Angeles Chargers | 10:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins | 7:00 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | New York Giants @ New York Jets | 7:30 PM | Local |
| Fri, Aug 28 | Cincinnati Bengals @ Philadelphia Eagles | 8:00 PM | CBS |
| Sat, Aug 29 | Chicago Bears @ Tennessee Titans | 6:00 PM | Local |
2026 Hall of Fame Game: Panthers vs. Cardinals
The NFL has confirmed that the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers will square off in the 2026 Hall of Fame Game. It’s a fitting matchup: legendary Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald and Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly are both set for enshrinement that same weekend.
| Date | Matchup | Venue | Kickoff Time (ET) | TV/Stream |
| Thursday, Aug. 6 | Carolina vs. Arizona | Tom Benson Stadium (Canton) | 8:00 PM | NBC / Peacock |
Full 2026 NFL Preseason Window
While we are waiting for the May 13 schedule release for specific team dates, here is the projected window for the three-week preseason slate:
- Hall of Fame Weekend: August 6 – 9, 2026
- Preseason Week 1: August 13 – 17, 2026
- Preseason Week 2: August 20 – 24, 2026
- Preseason Week 3: August 27 – 30, 2026
The Path to the NFL Week 1 Schedule
Following the conclusion of the preseason on August 30, teams will have until August 31 to finalize their 53-man rosters. The Seahawks, our reigning Super Bowl champions, will then open the regular season on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Want to visualize the road to the playoffs? Use our Custom NFL Bracket Maker to predict every division winner and see how the postseason might shake out.
2026 NFL Preseason Schedule by Team
Here are the 2026 NFL Preseason schedules by team. As we build them out, we’ll link to them for you below.
NFL Resources & Hub
Stay ahead of the competition with our dedicated guides:
- NFL Schedule Hub: Live updates as the 2026 schedule leaks.
- 2026 NFL Draft Tracker: See where stars like No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza landed.
- Printable 2026 NFL Playoff Brackets: It’s never too early to project the path to the Super Bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions (2026 NFL Preseason)
- When is the 2026 NFL schedule release? The NFL is expected to release the full regular and preseason schedule on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
- Who plays in the Hall of Fame Game this year? The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals will meet in Canton on Thursday, Aug. 6.
- How many preseason games are there in 2026? Most teams will play three preseason games, while the Panthers and Cardinals will play four (including the Hall of Fame Game).
- Where can I watch NFL preseason games? National games will air on NBC, FOX, CBS, and ESPN/ABC, while others are available via NFL+ and local affiliates.
🏆 Join the $BRACKETS League
Don’t just watch the games, own them. Join our $BRACKETS League on the Solana network to compete in unique preseason prediction pools and climb the global leaderboard.
👉 Sign Up for the $BRACKETS League Here
