Drew Brees on his kids watching his Hall of Fame career
Chris Bumbaca asks 2026 Hall of Fame inductee Drew Brees about his son now being a high school senior, and how his kids watched his NFL career.
Sports Seriously
NFL fans got their first taste of action ahead of the 2026 season when the Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game.
The contest was an exciting one and came down to the final play, as Haynes King scrambled for a game-winning touchdown as time expired. That taste of high-end competition will leave fans eager to see more preseason action.
However, NFL fans will have to wait a while before they can see the rest of the NFL’s 32 teams in action. Here’s what to know about the 2026 preseason schedule.
Are there NFL games today?
No, there will not be any NFL preseason games played on Saturday, Aug. 8. While the Pro Football Hall of Fame game kickstarted the preseason on Thursday, Aug. 6, there won’t be another preseason contest played until Thursday, Aug. 13.
The main event on the NFL calendar will be the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony. Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri will all be immortalized while the league’s 32 teams will continue with their training camps ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Full NFL preseason schedule for 2026
Hall of Fame Game
Thursday, Aug. 6
Preseason Week 1
Thursday, Aug. 13
Friday, Aug. 14
Saturday, Aug. 15
Preseason Week 2
Thursday, Aug. 20
- Houston Texans vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Los Angeles Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers, 10 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 21
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets, 7 p.m. ET
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers, 9 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 22
- Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders, noon ET
- Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET
- Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET
- Los Angeles Rams vs. New Orleans Saints, 4 p.m. ET
- Miami Dolphins vs. New York Giants, 4 p.m. ET
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears, 7 p.m. ET
- New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 7 p.m. ET
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys, 10 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 23
- Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks, 8 p.m. ET, Fox
Preseason Week 3
Thursday, Aug. 27
- Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 7 p.m. ET
- Cleveland Browns vs. New England Patriots, 8 p.m. ET, Prime Video
- Las Vegas Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers, 8 p.m. ET
- Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams, 10 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 28
- Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons, 7 p.m. ET
- Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans, 7 p.m. ET
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Washington Commanders, 7 p.m. ET
- New York Jets vs. New York Giants, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints, 8 p.m. ET
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks, 8 p.m. ET
- Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8 p.m. ET, CBS
- Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET
- Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings, 9 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 29
- Indianapolis Colts vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
- Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears, 6 p.m. ET
When does the NFL season start?
- Date: Wednesday, Sept. 9
- Matchup: Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
The NFL season will begin on a Wednesday in 2026, marking the first time that has happened since 2012. The Seahawks and Patriots are set to face off to start the 2026 NFL season in a Super Bowl 60 rematch.