Get your travel plans started. The Detroit Lions’ 2026 schedule is out.
While some of the games on Detroit’s upcoming slate leaked throughout the week, we now have a full idea of what the team is up against through the full 18 weeks.
The season starts off with Detroit playing a non-divisional NFC opponent at home in the New Orleans Saints, then takes a quick turn into the bright lights, as a primetime showdown on “Thursday Night Football” against the Buffalo Bills awaits in Week 2.
The remaining three games before the bye (Week 6) are against the Carolina Panthers and two teams projected to be picking in the top 10. Detroit follows that up with a pair of divisional games before traveling to Miami for a date with the Dolphins and an overseas trip to Munich, where they’ll play the New England Patriots.
Detroit didn’t get a bye after the international game; they’ll instead return home to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before a fierce Thanksgiving matchup with the Chicago Bears, the sixth Thanksgiving matchup between the two teams since 2014.
After a two-game stretch against the Atlanta Falcons (road) and Tennessee Titans (home), the Lions face a divisional gauntlet in the final stretch. The Lions play all three NFC North teams on the road in the final four weeks, with their lone respite being a “Monday Night Football” matchup against the new-look New York Giants.
Here’s the Detroit Lions’ full 2026 schedule (all dates and times for preseason games are to be determined):
Preseason Week 1: at Cincinnati Bengals
Preseason Week 2: vs. Washington Commanders
Preseason Week 3: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 2: at Buffalo Bills (‘Thursday Night Football’)
Thursday, Sept. 17, 8:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime)
Week 3: vs. New York Jets
Sunday, Sept. 27, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 4: at Carolina Panthers (‘Sunday Night Football’)
Sunday, Oct. 4, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 5: at Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, Oct. 11, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 6: Bye Week
Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday, Oct. 25, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 8: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Sunday, Nov. 1, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9: at Miami Dolphins
Sunday, Nov. 8, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 10: vs. New England Patriots (International Series in Munich)
Sunday, Nov. 15, 9:30 a.m. (FOX)
Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, Nov. 22, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 12: vs. Chicago Bears (Thanksgiving Day)
Thursday, Nov. 26, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 13: at Atlanta Falcons
Sunday, Dec. 6, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 14: vs. Tennessee Titans
Sunday, Dec. 13, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 15: at Minnesota Vikings (‘Sunday Night Football’)
Sunday, Dec. 20, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 16: vs. New York Giants (‘Monday Night Football’)
Monday, Dec. 28, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 17: at Chicago Bears
Sunday, Jan. 3, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 18: at Green Bay Packers
Date, time TBD (TBD)
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions schedule: See dates, times for full 2026 slate here
Reporting by Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
