The NFL schedule is set to be officially released on Thursday, May 14.
The Chargers already know that all 17 of their games will be on American soil and that they will not play in primetime in Week 1, due to the release of individual games over the last week or two. But with a roster that regains offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt from injury and adds offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Los Angeles will likely match or exceed last year’s total of 5 primetime games.
Here’s a look at which of those games feel likeliest to land in primetime slots.
Chargers @ Seahawks
Always expect the reigning Super Bowl champions to be on the primetime docket, especially when a high-octane offense like the Chargers is set to meet Seattle’s historically good defense from a season ago. The Seahawks also don’t have many other primetime game candidates: they’ll open the season with a Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday night and meet the Rams on Christmas Day, but the rest of their schedule doesn’t leave many other obvious primetime tilts outside of LA.
Chargers @ Ravens
TV networks love a good story, and there’s plenty to dig into in this one with Jim Harbaugh protege Jesse Minter taking over the Ravens this season. Minter was the defensive coordinator in LA for two seasons and transformed the Chargers into a fearsome unit that new coordinator Chris O’Leary is looking to maintain. Plus, this one gives us two of the best quarterbacks in the sport, with Justin Herbert facing off against Lamar Jackson.
Chargers vs. Patriots
The Chargers get both of last season’s Super Bowl participants on the schedule this year with the AFC East and NFC West making up their annual divisional games. This is another matchup that includes two premier quarterbacks and would give LA a chance to show a national audience that they’re a real deal contender in 2026, something the networks will likely give the Chargers plenty of chances to do considering the market they reside in.
Chargers @ Bills
Tackling the AFC East this season also means that the Chargers will meet the Bills, who are undergoing a bit of a facelift with new head coach Joe Brady and a new stadium opening this season. It would make sense to get Josh Allen and company into primetime fairly often to show off their new digs, so LA’s trip to Western New York seems like a good opportunity to fit one of those in.
Chargers vs. Raiders
The Raiders rivalry tends to end up on primetime television regardless of the quality of the two teams, especially considering the NFL can always toss it on Thursday Night Football for some free pop. With Vegas now rostering 2026 No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza under center, the matchup is juicer than it has been in recent years. We’re projecting the Chargers home game for this one because a few reports have already suggested that LA will head to Vegas in Week 14 as part of the Sunday afternoon slate.
Chargers @/vs. Broncos
Denver reached the AFC Championship Game last season and might’ve pushed for a Super Bowl bid had quarterback Bo Nix not fractured his ankle in the divisional round. With Nix expected to be back healthy, the league has already announced that the Broncos will meet the Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 1 and face off with the Steelers in the NFL’s Black Friday game. A few more primetime slots for Denver are surely in the cards, and divisional matchups that are likely to have playoff stakes often inhabit those spots later in the year.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers schedule: Predicting the 2026 primetime matchups
Reporting by Alex Katson, Chargers Wire / Chargers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
