The NFL preseason kicked off on August 6, when the Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Ohio. The league’s three-week preseason will begin on Thursday, August 13, and will run through August 29, with the regular season set to start on Wednesday, September 9.
2026 NFL Preseason Schedule
There will be six games on Thursday, headlined by the Green Bay Packers at the Pittsburgh Steelers, which will air on NFL Network.
Week 1 (Aug. 13–15)
Thursday
- Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals, 7 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers, 7 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
- Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots, 7:30 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Arizona Cardinals at Las Vegas Raiders, 8 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans, 8 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers, 9 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
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Friday
- Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons, 7 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders, 7 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets, 7 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Saturday
- Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
- Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints, 4 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs, 4 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
- Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens, 7 p.m. ET (Local TV)
- Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, 8 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
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How to Watch/Stream NFL Preseason Games
Most of the games will air on local networks, while a few will be broadcast on the NFL Network. Select games will stream on ESPN Unlimited and Paramount+ for local games in CBS’s regional television schedule.
Sunday Ticket subscribers will not be able to watch preseason games since the service only provides out-of-market games on Sunday afternoons during the regular season. Fans will also be able to watch out-of-market preseason games via NFL+.
The NFL preseason will end on August 29 as fans wait with bated breath to see whether icons like Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will take to the field at the start of his last season in the league. Playing time for starters will vary. Some teams will rest veteran players, while others will use the preseason games to fine-tune their starting lineups.
The Panthers and the Cardinals will each play four preseason games instead of three this year after their Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Ohio last week.
