The Detroit Lions will open the 2026 NFL season against one of Dan Campbell’s old teams.
The Lions will host the New Orleans Saints in their season opener Sept. 13 at Ford Field, New Orleans Football reported.
Campbell, in his sixth season as Lions coach, spent his last season as a player with the Saints in 2009 and was the team’s assistant head coach and tight ends coach for five years before coming to Detroit.
Former Lions quarterback Kellen Moore also is in his second year as Saints head coach.
The Lions will release their full 2026 schedule tonight, but more than a quarter of the games are known so far.
The Lions will visit the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 to open Buffalo’s new stadium, they’ll host the New England Patriots in Germany on Nov. 15, play the Chicago Bears in their annual Thanksgiving game 12 days later and close the season against the Green Bay Packers.
(The NFL plays division games in Week 18, and multiple outlets have reported the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears will square off in their season finale.)
The Lions are coming off a 9-8 season and last-place finish in the NFC North. The Saints went 6-11 last season and finished in last place in the NFC South.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions set to open 2026 season at home against Saints
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
