Detroit Lions Schedule 2026: Full Slate, Dates, Times and TV

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The Lions get nine home games in 2026, and one of them is in Germany. Detroit is the designated home team against New England at Allianz Arena in Munich in Week 10, a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff on FOX.

The other landmark date is the usual one: Chicago at Ford Field on Thanksgiving. Dan Campbell’s sixth season starts after a 9-8 finish that left Detroit fourth in the NFC North despite a fourth straight winning record.

2026 Team Schedule
Detroit Lions Schedule
NFC North · Ford Field · Dan Campbell (6th year)
9
Home Games
6
Bye Week
Sept 13
Opener vs Saints
Nov 15
Circle It: Munich
Week Date Opponent Time (ET) / TV Result
1 Sun, Sept 13 vs New Orleans Saints 1:00 PM · FOX —
2 Thu, Sept 17 at Buffalo Bills 8:15 PM · Prime —
3 Sun, Sept 27 vs New York Jets 1:00 PM · FOX —
4 Sun, Oct 4 at Carolina Panthers 8:20 PM · NBC —
5 Sun, Oct 11 at Arizona Cardinals 4:25 PM · FOX —
6 — BYE WEEK — —
7 Sun, Oct 25 vs Green Bay Packers 4:25 PM · FOX —
8 Sun, Nov 1 vs Minnesota Vikings 1:00 PM · FOX —
9 Sun, Nov 8 at Miami Dolphins 1:00 PM · FOX —
10 Sun, Nov 15 vs New England Patriots (Munich) 9:30 AM · FOX —
11 Sun, Nov 22 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 PM · CBS —
12 Thu, Nov 26 vs Chicago Bears (Thanksgiving) 1:00 PM · CBS —
13 Sun, Dec 6 at Atlanta Falcons 1:00 PM · CBS —
14 Sun, Dec 13 vs Tennessee Titans 1:00 PM · FOX —
15 Sun, Dec 20 at Minnesota Vikings 8:20 PM · NBC —
16 Mon, Dec 28 vs New York Giants 8:15 PM · ESPN —
17 Sun, Jan 3 at Chicago Bears 4:25 PM · FOX —
18 TBD at Green Bay Packers TBD —
Week 18 dates, times and networks are announced only after Week 17 concludes. Prime-time games in Weeks 5-17 can move under flexible scheduling.

Games That Will Define the Lions’ Season

Wk 10 vs Patriots Munich, 9:30 a.m. ET on FOX, with Detroit as the designated home team. It counts as one of the nine home dates even though it is played in Germany.
Wk 12 vs Bears Thanksgiving at Ford Field, the tradition Detroit has hosted almost every year since 1934, and this time against the team that won the NFC North last season.
Wk 7-8 GB, MIN Green Bay and Minnesota at home in back-to-back weeks straight out of the bye. Two division games that set the tone for the second half.
Wk 15-18 Minnesota on Sunday night, the Giants on Monday night, then Chicago and Green Bay on the road. Three of the last four are division games, all away from Ford Field except the Giants.
Nine Home Dates
Eight at Ford Field plus Munich. Detroit hosts all three NFC North rivals at some point, with Chicago on Thanksgiving.
An Early Bye
Week 6 is the break, which means eleven straight games after it, including the Munich trip and the short week into Thanksgiving.
Fourth-Place Draw
Detroit finished fourth in the NFC North last season, so its three placement games are the Giants, Cardinals and Titans, three of the softer spots on the calendar.

How the Schedule Sets Up

The first five weeks are wide open: New Orleans and the Jets at home, a Thursday nighter in Buffalo, then Sunday night in Carolina and a trip to Arizona. Detroit should know quickly whether the 9-8 finish was the floor or the ceiling.

The middle is the crowded part. Two division home games out of the bye, Miami on the road, Munich, Tampa Bay, then Thanksgiving on a short week. December ends with three division games in the last four. For the other side of the Week 7 and Week 18 matchups, see our Green Bay Packers schedule page. Full league schedules and flexible-scheduling rules are published by the NFL.

The Bottom Line

Nine home dates including Munich, an early Week 6 bye, Thanksgiving against Chicago, and a finish that runs Minnesota, the Giants, Chicago and Green Bay. The Lions get a manageable start and a division-heavy December. Bookmark this page; results and Week 18 details are updated throughout the season.