We will learn the official Detroit Lions 2026 schedule in full tonight, Thursday, May 14.
But we already know a few things about the schedule, including their Week 2 primetime matchup, their game in Germany and their spicy divisional Thanksgiving matchup.
The NFL will release the entire 2026 schedule for all 32 teams on Thursday, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. It will be on the TV channels ESPN, NFL Network and the ESPN App.
The full schedule release for all 32 NFL teams will take place on Thursday.
We are tracking every veritable Lions schedule leak and rumor below. Come back to freep.com for all our instant analysis once we have the schedule and game-by-game predictions.
Lions 2026 Thanksgiving game vs Bears
The Lions are set to host former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears in the 2026 Thanksgiving Day NFL game Nov. 26 in Detroit, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Bears won the NFC North last season in Johnson’s first year as head coach, but went 0-2 against the Lions, including a 52-21 shellacking in Week 2 at Ford Field.
The Lions have lost eight of their past nine Thanksgiving games, with their one win coming in 2024 against Chicago. The Lions are 6-6 on Thanksgiving against the Bears, more than twice as many wins as they have over the next closest team (the Green Bay Packers) on the holiday. The Lions’ six losses to the Bears is second-most to the Packers (seven).
Lions to play New England Patriots in Germany
The NFL on Wednesday announced the Lions’ opponent in Munich will be the AFC champion New England Patriots on Nov. 15. The Lions last played in Europe in 2015, losing to Kansas City, 45-10, in London.
The Patriots, the only non-division team with a winning record in 2025 on the Lions’ home schedule in 2026, have international marketing rights in Germany like the Lions.
Lions will visit Buffalo Bills in Week 2
From the Free Press’ Dave Birkett: “A last-place finish in the NFC North last season hasn’t done anything to diminish the Detroit Lions as a primetime draw. The Lions will play the Buffalo Bills in a Week 2 Thursday night game to open Buffalo’s new stadium, Highmark Stadium, on Sept. 17. The game was announced by Prime Video, which airs “Thursday Night Football” all season, via social media. The Lions played five primetime games last season, seven more in the 4:25 p.m. national window – including on Christmas Day – plus their regular Thanksgiving game.”
Lions 2026 opponents
*Team made the 2025-26 NFL playoffs; 2025 record in parenthesis.
Lions home games (one will be in Germany):
Lions away games:
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions 2026 schedule release leaks, live updates
Reporting by Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
