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
Just a handful of Sundays separate NFL fans from the start of the 2026 NFL season, and only a few of them will be without any type of football.
The 2026 NFL preseason will soon be kicking into full swing, so football fans will have plenty of opportunities to watch their favorite teams tune up before the start of the season.
Football fans got their first taste of NFL action during the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame preseason game. The Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in that contest, a surprising offensive explosion during which rookie quarterbacks Carson Beck and Haynes King showed well and made the ACC proud.
How much longer will NFL fans have to wait to see another preseason game? 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 Sunday, Aug. 9. There won’t be another exhibition contest played until Thursday, Aug. 13, when the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers games kick off a slate of four preseason contests.
The NFL spent this past weekend celebrating the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2026. Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri were all enshrined in Canton on Saturday, Aug. 7.
Full NFL preseason schedule for 2026
Hall of Fame Game
Thursday, Aug. 6
Preseason Week 1
Thursday, Aug. 13
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Detroit Lions, 7 p.m. ET
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers, 7 p.m. ET
- New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m. ET
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.