NFL releases 2026 preseason schedule with 5 nationally televised video games

It’s been 115 days for the reason that Seattle Seahawks had been topped Super Bowl champions. The look ahead to the subsequent NFL matchup isn’t practically as lengthy, because the league introduced sport occasions and dates for the 2026 preseason on Tuesday.

The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers are set to play within the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6, with the Cardinals because the designated dwelling workforce. The sport will likely be nationally televised on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.

Retired Cardinals huge receiver Larry Fitzgerald will likely be inducted into the Hall of Fame that weekend, with former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly becoming a member of him as a part of a five-player Hall of Fame class.

The preseason slate goes into full swing the next week, with six video games on Thursday, Aug. 13. Fernando Mendoza — the 2026 NFL Draft’s No. 1 choose — may make his NFL debut that night time, when his Las Vegas Raiders host the Cardinals. The first week of the preseason will wrap up with three video games on Friday, Aug. 14, and 7 on Saturday, Aug. 15.

None of the preseason Week 1 video games will likely be nationally televised. Weeks 2 and three will every have two nationally televised video games.

Week 2 begins Aug. 20, with the Raiders touring to Houston in a sport that would once more characteristic Mendoza (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET). The different nationally televised Week 2 sport will characteristic the Seahawks on Sunday, Aug. 23, because the reigning Super Bowl champions face the Tennessee Titans, led by new head coach Robert Saleh (Fox, 8 p.m. ET).

The last week of the preseason begins Thursday, Aug. 27, when the defending AFC champion New England Patriots go to Cleveland in a sport that would characteristic some mixture of Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson vying for the Browns’ beginning quarterback position (Prime Video, 8 p.m. ET). The following day, the Cincinnati Bengals play the Philadelphia Eagles (CBS, 8 p.m. ET).

The preseason wraps up with two video games on Saturday, Aug. 29.

Teams can have much less time than common after the preseason this yr to trim their rosters to 53 gamers. The league moved the deadline up from the usual Tuesday after the preseason concludes to Sunday, Aug. 30, to accommodate the worldwide schedule in Week 1 of the common season. Teams should submit their waiver claims by 1 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 31.

The common season begins Sept. 9 with a Super Bowl rematch between the Patriots and Seahawks. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play Sept. 10 in Melbourne, Australia.

Full schedules for preseason Weeks 1, 2 and three are under. All occasions in ET.