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