If the NFL is trying to increase its status as America's most popular sport, it certainly did that with the upcoming 2026 schedule. The regular season slate is filled with marquee matchups between some of the league's best teams and players.
The league took full advantage of the holiday season with one game before Thanksgiving, three games on Turkey Day, a Black Friday game, a Christmas Eve game, a triple-header on Christmas and even a New York Eve bash. As you can imagine, each holiday game is a can't-miss.
The schedule also includes several possible conference championship and Super Bowl previews. Not surprisingly, a good portion of those games include the Rams, the team widely considered the front-runner to win the Super Bowl. Before it can do that, however, Los Angeles will have to endure a challenging regular-season slate that will undoubtedly test its championship mettle.
Three Rams contests were included in the following list of games that will define the 2026 NFL regular season. Among the notable contests that missed the cut were Eagles at Bears (Week 3), Broncos at 49ers (Week 4), Rams at Eagles (Week 4), Cowboys at Packers (Week 6), Patriots at Bears (Week 7), Bears at Seahawks (Week 8), Chiefs at Rams (Week 13), Bears at Rams (Week 15), and Broncos at Patriots (Week 17).
Week 1: Patriots at Seahawks
- Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m.
For the first time, the NFL's regular season will start on a Wednesday night. Fittingly, this historic occasion will feature the two teams that played in last year's Super Bowl.
Rest assured that Lumen Field will be rocking as the Seahawks officially begin their title defense. The Patriots, however, will surely be determined not to give the 12s much to cheer about once the ball is kicked off.
This game could go a long way in shaping how the season plays out for both teams. Specifically, it'll be interesting to see how Seattle's offense and running game fare with rookie Jadarian Price starting in place of Kenneth Walker III, the MVP of Seattle's 29-13 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Walker III signed with Kansas City during free agency. For the Patriots, the focus will undoubtedly be protecting Drake Maye, who was under siege throughout New England's Super Bowl loss to Seattle.
Week 3: Rams at Broncos
- Sunday, Sept. 27 at 8:20 p.m.
A prime-time showdown between the two teams that were a game away from playing in last year's Super Bowl. The Rams' special teams unit was a major reason they fell short last year, while Bo Nix's season-ending injury during Denver's divisional round playoff win over Buffalo essentially ended the Broncos' championship aspirations.
This game will feature two of the league's top quarterbacks in Nix and reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford. It will also be a showcase of the NFL's best defenses, led by the last two Defensive Player of the Year recipients, Myles Garrett and Patrick Surtain II, in addition to three-time DPOY winner Aaron Donald.
Teams will undoubtedly be watching to see how disruptive the duo of Garrett and Donald is against the Broncos and Nix, who has a new weapon this year in veteran wideout Jaylen Waddle.
Week 6: Seahawks at Broncos
- Thursday, October 15 at 8:15 p.m.
This is a showdown between two teams that probably would have played in last year's Super Bowl had Nix not sustained his injury. While he can't do anything about last season now, Nix will nonetheless get his chance to test his mettle against Seattle's formidable defense with the whole nation watching.
This game will be a measuring stick of sorts for the Broncos, who undoubtedly feel they were the AFC's best team a year ago. It'll be interesting to see how Nix fares against Seattle's defense eight months after the Seahawks devoured Maye in the Super Bowl.
For Seattle, this game is another opportunity for Sam Darnold to continue developing as a franchise quarterback. Darnold answered most of the questions about his ability last season, but he can further cement his status as one of the league's premier quarterbacks if he is able to play big in big moments this season.
Week 12: Chiefs at Bills (Thanksgiving)
- Thursday, Nov. 26 at 8:20 p.m.
The NFL's Thanksgiving triple-header will conclude with the latest chapter in the Josh Allen-Patrick Mahomes rivalry. If this game mirrors recent Bills-Chiefs showdowns, leftover pumpkin pie won't be the only treat NFL fans will be enjoying that evening.
Like a well-crafted Thanksgiving feast, this showdown will have all the fixings. From a narrative standpoint, it's another chance for Allen and Mahomes—two of the three best quarterbacks of this era—to match wits. Like Troy Aikman-Steve Young in the 1990s and Peyton Manning-Tom Brady in the 2000s/2010s, Allen-Mahomes is the preeminent QB rivalry of the 2020s. That alone makes this one of the most defining games of the season.
From a team standpoint, this game will surely have playoff implications. For the Bills, this game is a chance to reinforce their status as one of the AFC's best teams. For the Chiefs, it's a chance to show that they are still a team to be reckoned with following last year's 6-11 slog. It'll also be another chance to showcase their new running back, Walker.
This game will also feature Travis Kelce, the Chiefs' future Hall of Fame tight end who may possibly be in the midst of his final season. Kelce's rather famous significant other may be in the audience as well.
Week 15: Seahawks at Eagles
- Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8:20 p.m.
The second game of a Saturday double-header will feature the last two Super Bowl champions. Along with facing the Eagles, Seattle will have the unenviable task of playing in front of one of the rowdiest fan bases in all of sports. Weather may also play a factor at this point in the season.
This game will matter for both teams, but it's safe to say it'll mean a little more for an Eagles team coming off a disappointing defense of their Super Bowl title. Specifically, the Eagles' offense—especially Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley—is surely motivated to show they are still a group capable of scoring against any defense, even one as good as Seattle's.
We'd be remiss not to mention the potential for a classic defensive stalemate. In the last two Super Bowls, the Eagles and Seahawks' defensive units combined to allow just 35 points (with most of those points coming in garbage time) while recording 12 sacks and forcing six turnovers.
Week 16: Packers at Bears (Christmas)
- Friday, Dec. 25 at 1 p.m.
The 2025 season was partly defined by Green Bay's and Chicago's epic three games, including the Bears' thrilling, come-from-behind win over the Packers in the NFC Wild Card round. Last year's games showed that the NFL's oldest rivalry is alive and well once again.
Future games between these teams will also help define the careers of coaches Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur, as well as quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jordan Love. Williams' theatrics during Chicago's playoff win over Green Bay capped off what was a breakout season for both Williams and Johnson. Conversely, the game was another setback for both Love and LaFleur, who together have a 1-3 record in the postseason.
Both teams—and their respective coaches and quarterbacks—are again under the microscope this season. On Christmas Day, both sides will try to get a much-needed win while giving their fans a holiday gift.
Week 16: Bills vs. Broncos (Christmas)
- Friday, Dec. 25 at 4:30 p.m.
The second game of the Christmas Day tripleheader is a rematch of Denver's thrilling divisional round playoff win over Buffalo. The win propelled Denver to its first AFC Championship game appearance in a decade while also adding to Buffalo's playoff heartache.
Buffalo's loss also led to the firing of Sean McDermott and the promotion of offensive coordinator Joe Brady from to head coach. Brady was elevated to win games like this one.
Beyond the playoff and seeding implications, this is a showdown between a former league MVP in Allen and an aspiring MVP in Nix, who outplayed Allen in Denver's 33-30 win back in January. Allen out-gained Nix that day, but his four turnovers proved costly.
Will Will Allen get the better of Nix this time around, or will turnovers continue to be his and the Bills' Achilles' heel?
Week 16: Rams at Seahawks (Christmas)
- Friday, Dec. 25 at 8:15 p.m.
The Christmas tripleheader concludes with a showdown between arguably the NFL's two best teams.
The Rams looked like the NFL's best team for parts of the 2025 season and had a stranglehold on the NFC's No. 1 spot in Week 16 after taking a 30-14 lead in Seattle at the start of the fourth quarter. But they were unable to hold it, and that ultimately contributed to their season-ending loss in Seattle, a game shy of the Super Bowl.
As the 49ers did 32 years ago following devastating losses to the Cowboys, the Rams loaded their roster up this summer to ensure that history won't repeat itself. The 49ers dethroned the Cowboys and won that year's Super Bowl, and the Rams are hoping to write a similar story. A Christmas win against Seattle would go a long way toward that objective.
On the other side of the coin, a Seahawks win would reinforce their status as the superior team.
Week 17: Ravens at Bengals
- Thursday, Dec. 31 at 8:15 p.m.
The league couldn't have picked a better game to show on New Year's Eve. It's a showdown between division rivals whose games against each other always seem to go down to the wire.
This game will not only have high stakes, but it will also feature some of the NFL's best offensive players in Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Derrick Henry and Ja'Marr Chase. With that level of star power, Cincinnati's Paycor Stadium might shoot off more fireworks than Times Square.
In addition to playoff positioning and the potential for a shootout, this game could also very well play a role in the MVP race. Jackson has his sights set on a third league MVP, while Burrow—if healthy—has a good chance to join Ken Anderson (back in 1981) as the only Bengals player to win the NFL's most prestigious individual honor.
Week 18: Steelers at Ravens
The 2025 season ended with the Steelers advancing to the playoffs after the Ravens missed a game-winning field goal as time expired. Considering the history of this rivalry, don't be surprised if this game is just as dramatic.
Last year's game determined which team made the playoffs and which one watched the postseason from the couch. While that could once again be the scenario in this game, we already know that this will be the final regular-season game in the career of Aaron Rodgers, one of the most accomplished players the sport has ever seen.
We've seen this movie before. In Week 18 of the 2021 season, Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to an overtime win in Baltimore that ended his regular-season career on a high note while extending his final season another week. Rodgers would certainly love to repeat history in Week 18.
