The NFL released the full 2026 schedule Thursday, whetting the appetite for fans already counting down the days to football season.
That wait still has another nearly four months to it, but the league at least loaded the Week 1 schedule with a few handcrafted matchups for maximum immediate intrigue.
Ranking The Top 5 Week 1 Matchups Following The Release Of The 2026 NFL Schedule
Here are the five best games to direct that countdown to in anticipation of the 2026 NFL season — starting with a Super Bowl rematch.
New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, Wednesday, Sept. 9 (8:20 p.m. ET/NBC)
Super Bowl LX actually wasn’t much of a competitive game with the Seahawks leading 19-0 into the fourth quarter before closing out a one-sided 29-13 win over the Patriots.
But the season-opening rematch gets a standalone spotlight on Wednesday night as the first game of the season, airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Also, the Patriots will carry fresh subplots and storylines into the clash this time.
They could be an even better team in 2026 after upgrading the offensive line and wide receiver corps for MVP runner-up Drake Maye. That will be especially true if the long-rumored/reported trade with the Eagles for star wide receiver A.J. Brown indeed happens after June 1.
It was clear Maye wasn’t at full strength in that lackluster Super Bowl performance, especially as the left side of his offensive line operated like one of those rotating doors at a fancy hotel all night. But Maye also carried an underwhelming cast of targets to that point — give him a true star WR1 like Brown, plus free agent addition Romeo Doubs as a solid No. 2 on top of the returning group (less Stefan Diggs) and it could be a different challenge for the Seahawks’ “Dark Side Defense” this time.
Or not.
The Patriots already carry the curse of the Super Bowl loser into the season — just ask the 2025 Chiefs how that worked out — and now have the dark cloud of the Mike Vrabel/Dianna Russini scandal hanging over everything.
A year after everything broke the Patriots’ way in their totally unexpected run to the Super Bowl, the opposite could be in store. Only one way to find out!
As for the Seahawks, they lost some key pieces (like Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs) but mostly filled the holes well.
Seattle is going to be a top contender for years to come and has a very real chance to repeat as champion — as rare as that has become in the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams in Australia, Thursday, Sept. 10 (8:35 p.m. ET/ Netflix)
We picked the Rams No. 1 in our “Way Too Early NFL Power Rankings” because they return arguably the league’s best offense and an upgraded defense after acquiring both former Chiefs standout cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (via trade) and Jaylen Watson (free agent).
Reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford knows his window to add a second championship to his Hall of Fame resume is limited, so this is a Super Bowl or Bust season for Stafford, coach Sean McVay, wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum and so on.
But the challenge doesn’t get any easier in the NFC West this year.
The Rams were arguably the second-best team in the entire NFL last season and still finished tied for second in their own division.
The NFC West should again be the best division in football (with the NFC North and AFC West close behind), and that battle begins immediately with this Thursday night showdown halfway across the world in the first NFL game ever played in Australia.
The 49ers won 12 games last season and reached the divisional round of the playoffs and should be even better in 2026 by merely getting back key injured players like edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker/defensive leader Fred Warner.
Add in the hope of having QB Brock Purdy healthy for the full season, the addition of free agent WR Mike Evans, the potential of third-year WR Ricky Pearsall to finally have a healthy/true breakout season and do-it-all RB Christian McCaffrey adding to his future Hall of Fame resume and the Niners should be one of the few teams truly equipped to match up toe-to-toe with the Rams offensively.
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, Monday, Sept. 14 (8:15 p.m. ET/ESPN, ABC)
Speaking of stacked divisions …
The AFC West race begins immediately with the reigning division champion Broncos visiting Kansas City to face a Chiefs team looking to reactivate its “dynasty” after sustaining its first losing season in 13 years under coach Andy Reid while snapping streaks of three straight Super Bowl appearances, seven straight AFC championship game appearances and 10 straight playoff appearances.
Two-time NFL MVP/three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is intent on being ready for the start of the season after tearing his ACL and LCL in mid-December.
Future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce is back for at least one more ride, and the Chiefs overhauled their stuck-in-sludge rushing attack by splurging in free agency for Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III (and drafting Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson).
Denver was one of the best defensive teams in the NFL last season, though, and largely returns that unit intact minus standout defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers (signed with the Titans).
The real X-factor is whether the Broncos can elevate their offense after trading a bounty to the Dolphins for speedy wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to form a dynamic tandem with Courtland Sutton.
Third-year QB Bo Nix is coming back from his fractured ankle and may not be the same dual-threat he was in key moments last year, but if running back J.K. Dobbins can stay healthy after missing the second half of last season (Lisfranc foot injury) then the potential remains high for the Broncos to be a more consistent offensive team.
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 13 (1 p.m. ET/CBS)
Two more legitimate Super Bowl contenders — Nos. 3 and 8 on our power rankings — get an immediate test and measuring stick matchup.
The Texans won 10 straight games before losing to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs and return arguably the NFL’s best defense. It’s hard to slight the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, but objectively the Texans have the most enviable defensive roster in the league and gave up the fewest yards (and second-fewest points behind Seattle) last season.
But has quarterback C.J. Stroud shaken the ghosts of his disastrous playoff appearance that cost Houston a chance to potentially reach the Super Bowl?
The Texans invested in free agency and the draft in upgrading three spots on their offensive line (the weakness of the team by far in 2025) and traded for veteran running back David Montgomery to take some pressure off Stroud and the passing attack.
It’s very possible we put the Texans too low in our power rankings — they have as high a ceiling as any team in the league, truly.
But so do the Bills.
Buffalo fired longtime head coach Sean McDermott because he had done everything but get the Bills to the Super Bowl, and team ownership didn’t want to squander any more years of QB Josh Allen’s prime.
Joe Brady was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach and could open the offense up even more without the ultra-conservative McDermott having the final say now. Also, Allen has perhaps the best group of pass-catchers he’s ever had after the trade to acquire former Bears WR D.J. Moore and a great value pick of UConn WR Skyler Bell in the fourth round to pair with slot maven Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and the dynamic tight end tandem of Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.
Oh, and NFL rushing leader James Cook is back too!
Could this finally be the year for Josh Allen and the Bills? Besting the Texans defense in Week 1 would be a strong statement toward that potential.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Sept. 13 (4:25 p.m. ET/CBS)
As noted, the NFC North is loaded with contenders. It honestly wouldn’t be a surprise to see any of the Bears, Packers, Lions or Vikings win the division and make a deep playoff run.
And if anyone thinks that’s a bold commentary, they simply watched too much J.J. McCarthy last season.
Let’s not forget the Vikings won 14 games in 2024 with Sam Darnold at QB before the disastrous move to let him walk and turn the reins over the McCarthy. Even while getting some of the worst quarterback play in the league (with a helping hand from undrafted rookie Max Brosmer!), Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell still got his team to 9-8.
It was the most underrated coaching job in the league last year.
The Vikings were truly missing just one piece — the biggest piece of all — and addressed that by signing Kyler Murray after the Cardinals released him this offseason.
Murray isn’t a perfect NFL QB, but goodness, he’s immeasurably better than McCarthy/Brosmer/Carson Wentz.
And Minnesota has one of the best WR corps in the league now with former 49ers playmaker Jauan Jennings joining elite WR1 Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Minnesota can absolutely win this stacked division.
But the Packers enter 2026 with immense pressure and everything to prove — specifically, coach Matt LaFleur and QB Jordan Love — after a 9-7-1 finish last season and wildcard loss to the rival Bears.
Every NFC North clash is going to carry major weight in 2026 — starting immediately with this one.
Honorable Mentions
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, Sept. 13 | 4:25 p.m. ET/FOX)
Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday Sept. 13 | 1 p.m. ET/FOX)
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts (Sunday Sept. 13 | 1 p.m. ET/CBS)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday Sept. 13 | 1 p.m. ET/FOX)
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (Sunday Sept. 13 | 8:20 p.m. ET/NBC)
