NFL Schedule Release Leaks and Rumors 2026: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving Games Announced

Keep track of the latest NFL schedule rumors and announcements, including the international series slate, Cowboys-Giants in Week 1, and more.

The NFL’s full 2026 schedule will be released on Thursday, May 14, at 8 p.m. ET, but the league has already started dropping some matchups.

For example, the NFL’s 2026 international series games were announced earlier today, with a record nine international games being played across four continents, seven countries, and eight stadiums.

Several other matchups have also surfaced through reliable schedule-leak accounts that have proven accurate in previous years.


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Confirmed Games Ahead of NFL Schedule Release

As more games are confirmed, we will update this section. Rumors and potential leaks can be found below.

Week 1:
9/9 (Wednesday): Patriots @ Seahawks to open 2026 NFL season
9/10 (Thursday Night Football): 49ers @ Rams in Melbourne, Australia
9/13 (Sunday 1 p.m.): Bears @ Panthers
9/13 (Sunday): Commanders @ Eagles
9/13 (Sunday): Jets @ Titans
9/13 (Sunday Night Football): Cowboys @ Giants
9/14 (Monday Night Football): Broncos @ Chiefs

Week 2:
9/17 (Thursday Night Football): Lions @ Bills

Week 3:
9/27 (Sunday): Cowboys @ Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Week 4: 
10/4 (Sunday): Colts @ Commanders in London, England
10/4 (Sunday Night Football): Lions @ Panthers

Week 5:
10/11 (Sunday): Eagles @ Jaguars in London, England
10/11 (Sunday 1 p.m.): Colts @ Steelers

Week 6:
10/18 (Sunday): Texans @ Jaguars in London, England

Week 7:
10/25 (Sunday): Steelers @ Saints in Paris, France
10/25 (Sunday 1 p.m.): Dolphins @ Jets
10/26 (Monday Night Football): Cowboys @ Eagles

Week 9:
11/8 (Sunday): Bengals @ Falcons in Madrid, Spain
11/8 (Sunday Night Football): Buccaneers @ Bears

Week 10:
11/15 (Sunday): Patriots @ Lions in Munich, Germany
11/15 (Sunday 4:05 p.m.): Seahawks @ Raiders

Week 11:
11/22 (Sunday): Vikings @ 49ers in Mexico City, Mexico
11/22 (Sunday 1 p.m.): Jaguars @ Giants

Week 12:
11/25 (Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve): Packers @ Rams on Netflix
11/26 (Thanksgiving Day 1 p.m.): Bears @ Lions
11/26 (Thanksgiving Day 4:30 p.m.): Eagles @ Cowboys
11/26 (Thanksgiving Day 8:20 p.m.): Chiefs @ Bills
11/27 (Black Friday 3 p.m.): Broncos @ Steelers

Week 14:
12/13 (Sunday 1 p.m.): Texans @ Commanders
12/13 (Sunday 4:25 p.m.): Chiefs @ Bengals

Week 15:
12/20 (Sunday 1 p.m.): Browns @ Giants
12/20 (Sunday 1 p.m.): Falcons @ Commanders

Week 16:
12/24 (Christmas Eve): Texans @ Eagles
12/25 (Christmas): Packers @ Bears

Week 17:
12/31 (New Year’s Eve, Thursday): Ravens @ Bengals

Cowboys-Giants Will Headline Week 1 SNF

The league announced on Monday that the Dallas Cowboys will visit the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football in Week 1. It marks the eighth time in 15 seasons that the NFC East rivals have played their first game of the season against each other.

The matchup also marks head coach John Harbaugh’s first game with the franchise and the first meaningful meeting between Dak Prescott and second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Both teams have made significant improvements in the offseason, and this will be an exciting matchup to watch on NBC in Week 1.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve Games Revealed

The Cowboys are also confirmed to host the Eagles on Thanksgiving. Dallas has now hosted a divisional opponent on Thanksgiving in four of the past five years, and the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry has historically delivered strong ratings.

The Bears and Lions will also face off on Thanksgiving Day in a fun NFC North clash. Finally, the Bills and Chiefs will wrap up the Thanksgiving Day slate with a Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes showdown.

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We also got word that the Packers and Rams will play a special Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday night, which will be streamed exclusively on Netflix. On Black Friday, the Broncos and Steelers will face off at 3 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video.

On Christmas Eve, the Eagles will host the Texans. Then, on Christmas Day, we will get the latest rivalry game between the Packers and Bears in Chicago.

On New Year’s Eve, Joe Burrow’s Bengals will host Lamar Jackson’s Ravens.

9-Game International Series Announced

Here is the complete international series schedule for the 2026 NFL season:

  • Week 1: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia | Sept. 10 in the US/Sept. 11 locally
  • Week 3: Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Sept. 27
  • Week 4: Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England | Oct. 4
  • Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England | Oct. 11
  • Week 6: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London, England | Oct. 18
  • Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints at Stade de France in Paris, France | Oct. 25
  • Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Atlanta Falcons at the Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain | Nov. 8
  • Week 10: New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions at the Allianz Arena (AKA FC Bayern Munich Stadium) in Munich, Germany | Nov. 15
  • Week 11: Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, Mexico | Nov. 22

The San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars will each play multiple games overseas. However, the Niners will face a unique challenge, as their schedule features the two international series games spaced more than two months apart.

This will mark the first-ever regular season NFL game in Paris, France, which is something the league is excited about.

“Bringing a regular season game to Paris in 2026 marks an exciting next step in the continued expansion of the league’s global footprint,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Paris is one of the world’s greatest sporting and cultural cities with tremendous success in hosting global events that unite fans on the biggest stages.

“Playing our first‑ever regular season game at the impressive Stade de France, together with the New Orleans Saints, underlines our continued global growth ambitions and we look forward to bringing the NFL to our passionate fans in France.”

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