NFL Releases Full 2026 Schedule: Patriots Open with Super Bowl Rematch
The New England Patriots' 2026 schedule features a season-opening rematch of Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks, five primetime games, and an international game in Munich, Germany.
Season Overview
The Patriots will kick off their season on Wednesday, September 9, against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Their home opener follows in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. The regular season concludes at home against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.
Key Schedule Details
Primetime Games
The Patriots are scheduled for five primetime games:
- Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks (Wednesday)
- Week 7: at Chicago Bears (Thursday Night Football)
- Week 12: at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday Night Football)
- Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Thursday Night Football)
- Week 15: at Kansas City Chiefs (Monday Night Football)
The Week 17 game against the Denver Broncos is noted as a possible flex candidate.
International Game
The Patriots will face the Detroit Lions in Munich, Germany, during Week 10. This marks the team's third international game in four years.
Bye Week
The team's bye week is scheduled for Week 11, following the game in Germany.
Travel
The Patriots are scheduled to travel a total of 27,590 air miles, the fifth-highest total in the NFL.
Week-by-Week Predictions (from one source)
One source provided week-by-week predictions for the Patriots' 2026 season:
Week Opponent Result Prediction Record 1 at Seattle Seahawks Loss 0-1 2 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Win 1-1 3 at Jacksonville Jaguars Win 2-1 4 at Buffalo Bills Loss 2-2 5 vs. Las Vegas Raiders Win 3-2 6 vs. New York Jets Win 4-2 7 at Chicago Bears (TNF) Loss 4-3 8 at Miami Dolphins Win 5-3 9 vs. Green Bay Packers Loss 5-4 10 vs. Detroit Lions (Germany) Win 6-4 11 Bye 12 at Los Angeles Chargers (SNF) Loss 6-5 13 vs. Buffalo Bills Win 7-5 14 vs. Minnesota Vikings (TNF) Win 8-5 15 at Kansas City Chiefs (MNF) Win 9-5 16 at New York Jets Win 10-5 17 vs. Denver Broncos Win 11-5 18 vs. Miami Dolphins Not providedTeam and Schedule Factors
Schedule Rhythm
The Patriots are scheduled to play on Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, and Monday during the season. The team begins with three road games in the first four weeks and six road games in the first ten weeks. They have no scheduled games on major holidays.
Opponent Considerations
The Patriots' 2026 schedule includes quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, Malik Willis, Geno Smith, and rookie Fernando Mendoza. The team's pass defense was noted as a factor in one source's analysis.
Rest Differential
One source reported that the team has a favorable rest differential compared to their opponents, despite having two Thursday games.
Previous Performance
According to one source, the Patriots were undefeated on the road in the 2025 season, including playoffs, with a 9-0 record.