This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see 2026 National Football League (Ireland).
The 2026 NFL season is scheduled to be the 107th season of the National Football League (NFL). The regular season is scheduled to begin on September 9,[1] 2026, and will end on January 10, 2027. The playoffs are then set to begin on January 16 and will conclude with Super Bowl LXI, the league's championship game, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on February 14, making it the NFL's latest date to end the season.
The 2026 NFL league year and trading period is scheduled to begin on March 11. On March 9, teams will be allowed to exercise options for 2026 on players with option clauses in their contracts, submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents, and submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2025 contracts and fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit. Teams were required to be under the salary cap using the "top 51" definition (in which the 51 highest paid-players on the team's payroll must have a combined salary cap). On March 11, clubs will be allowed to contact and begin contract negotiations with players whose contracts had expired and thus became unrestricted free agents.[2]
This season's salary cap was set to a new high of $301.2 million per team, a $22 million per team increase from the previous season.[3]
Free agency is scheduled to begin on March 11, 2026.[2]
Trades
The following notable trades were made during the 2026 league year:
Retirements
Notable retirements
CB Xavien Howard – Four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro (one first-team, one second-team). Played for Miami and Indianapolis during his nine-year career.[4]
Jurgensen played 18 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983. He was a four-time All-Pro (two first-team, two second-team), five-time Pro Bowler, and won the 1960 NFL Championship with the Eagles. He died February 6, age 91.[20]
The amount of time allowed to select a draft pick in the first round of the NFL draft will be reduced from 10 to 8 minutes beginning with the 2026 NFL draft.[22]
The season is planned to be played over an 18-week schedule, beginning on September 9. This would be the first time since 2012 that the season will start on a Wednesday.[1] Each of the league's 32 teams plays 17 games, with one bye week. The regular season is then scheduled to end on January 10, 2027; all games during the final weekend will be intra-division games, as it has been since 2010.
Each team plays the other three teams in its own division twice, one game against each of the four teams from a division in its own conference, one game against each of the four teams from a division in the other conference, one game against each of the remaining two teams in its conference that finished in the same position in their respective divisions the previous season (e.g., the team that finished fourth in its division would play all three other teams in its conference that also finished fourth in their divisions), and one game against a team in another division in the other conference that also finished in the same position in their respective division the previous season.[24]
The division pairings for 2026 are as follows:[24]
The first regular-season game in France is also planned to be held this season with New Orleans as the designated home team at the Stade de France in Paris.[27]
Thanksgiving: Three Thanksgiving Day games are planned to be held on November 26, with Detroit and Dallas expected to host their traditional afternoon doubleheaders, and a primetime game between opponents that have yet to be announced. Another game will be scheduled on the Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving.[34]
Christmas: Christmas Day, December 25, lands on a Friday. When this happened the last time in 2020, that week's Thursday Night Football was played on Christmas Day instead of Christmas Eve.
The 2026 playoffs are scheduled to begin with the Wild Card Round from January 16–18, 2027, with three games played in each conference. In the Divisional Round, scheduled for January 23–24, the top seed in the conference will play the lowest remaining seed and the other two remaining teams play each other. The winners of those games advance to the Conference Championship games scheduled for January 31. Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Gannon was fired on January 5, after three seasons with a 15–36 (.294) record (3–14 in 2025) and no playoff appearances as the Cardinals' head coach.[38]
LaFleur was hired on February 1. Previously he was the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams from 2023 to 2025. This is his first head coaching job at any level.[39]
Morris was fired on January 4, after two seasons with a 16–18 (.471) record (8–9 in 2025) and no playoff appearances as a full time head coach.[40]
Stefanski was hired on January 17. Previously he was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2020 to 2025 with a 45–56 (.446) record and two playoff appearances.[41]
Harbaugh was fired on January 6, after 18 seasons with the Ravens. During his tenure, the team had a 180–113 (.614) record (8–9 in 2025), with the Super Bowl XLVII championship, six AFC North division titles in 12 overall playoff appearances, and a playoff record of 13–11 (.542).[42]
Minter was hired on January 22, after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 and 2025. He was the interim head coach for Michigan during their first game in 2023 when Jim Harbaugh was suspended for recruiting violations.[43]
McDermott was fired on January 19, after nine seasons with a 98–50 (.662) record (12–5 in 2025) and eight playoff appearances as the Bills' head coach.[44]
Brady, the team's offensive coordinator from 2023 to 2025, was promoted to head coach on January 27. This is his first head coaching job at any level.[45]
Stefanski was fired on January 5, after six seasons with the team. During his tenure, the Browns had a 45–56 (.446) record (5–12 in 2025), with two playoff appearances.[46]
Monken was hired on January 28. He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens from 2023 to 2025 and was the head coach at Southern Miss from 2013 to 2015 with a 13–25 (.342) record.[47]
Carroll was fired on January 5, with a 3–14 (.176) record after being hired in 2025, with no playoff appearances.[48]
On February 8, after winning Super Bowl LX, Kubiak confirmed that he would be the head coach for the Raiders. He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks during the 2025 season. This is his first head coaching job at any level.[49]
McDaniel was fired on January 8, with a 35–33 (.515) record (7–10 in 2025) after being hired in 2022 and appearing in the playoffs twice in 2022 and 2023, with no playoff wins in four full seasons as coach.[50]
Hafley was hired on January 19. He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers from 2024 to 2025 and was the head coach at Boston College from 2020 to 2023 with a 22–26 (.458) record.[51]
Daboll was fired as head coach on November 10, 2025, with a 20–40–1 (.336) record (2–8 in 2025) after being hired in 2022 and appearing in the playoffs once in 2022.[52]
Kafka, the team's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, took over as interim coach. This was his first head coaching position at any level. He finished the season with a 2–5 (.286) record.[53]
Harbaugh was hired on January 17. Previously he was the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens from 2008 to 2025 with a 180–113 (.614) record, 12 playoff appearances, and the Super Bowl XLVII championship.[54]
Tomlin resigned on January 13. During his 19-season tenure, the Steelers had a 193–114–2 (.628) record (10–7 in 2025), winning Super Bowl XLIII and eight AFC North titles in 13 overall playoff appearances, with an 8–12 (.400) playoff record.[55]
McCarthy was hired on January 24. Previously he was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018 and the Dallas Cowboys from 2020 to 2024 with a combined record of 174–112–2 (.608), winning Super Bowl XLV, and making multiple playoff appearances.[56]
Callahan was fired as head coach on October 13, 2025, with a 4–19 (.174) record (1–5 in 2025) after being hired in 2024.[57]
McCoy, the team's senior offensive assistant, took over as interim coach. This was his second NFL head coaching position, having previously been the head coach of the San Diego Chargers from 2013 to 2016, with a record of 27–37 (.422) and one playoff appearance. He finished the season with a 2–9 (.182) record.[58]
Saleh was hired on January 22. He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 and was the head coach of the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024, with a 20–36 (.357) record and no playoff appearances.[59]
Grier and the Dolphins mutually agreed to part ways on October 31, 2025, after almost ten seasons as Dolphins' GM with a 77–80 (.490) record and three play-off appearances.
Kelly, the team's senior personnel executive, was named interim GM. Previously, he was the interim general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.[61]
Sullivan was hired on January 9. He previously served for the Green Bay Packers from 2003 to 2025 in various executive roles and in the final four years as the vice president of player personnel.[62]
Adofo-Mensah was fired on January 30, 2026, after four seasons as Vikings' GM and two playoff appearances.[63]
Stadiums
This is planned to be the first season that the Buffalo Bills will play at the new Highmark Stadium. The team had played at the previously-named Highmark Stadium (known without its naming rights sponsorship as Ralph Wilson Stadium) since 1973.[64]
This is scheduled to be the final season in which the Tennessee Titans will play their home games at their current Nissan Stadium. The new stadium, also to be called Nissan Stadium, is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2027 season.[65]
Uniforms
Rivalries series
AFC South and NFC North teams are scheduled to unveil their "rivalries" uniforms in 2026, designed to be worn at one home divisional game per season.[66]
Uniform changes
Atlanta filed for uniform changes for the 2026 season. The team teased a uniform update in January with an April 2026 announcement date.[67]
Baltimore has apparently filed for jersey changes for the 2026 season. In November 2025, reports indicated that Baltimore had filed for new uniform designs for the upcoming season, suggesting that changes are in development. The team has already taken steps toward potential updates according to sources.[68] The Ravens are expected to have a new primary look, but will have the fewest changes among the teams requesting changes to their uniforms. They are also looking at 2 new "alternate" uniforms.[69]
The Los Angeles Rams will also change their uniforms and primary logo, along with a brand-new secondary insignia. Unlike Tennessee, though, the Rams will not be getting an entirely new primary logo, as their new one will be pure gold/yellow, moving away from the gradient that they've sported since the opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020.[70] Overall, the Rams will move away from gradients entirely and incorporate more of their old-school looks heading into the 2026 season.
Tennessee will debut a redesigned logo and new jerseys.[71]
Washington is reported to be replacing their current set with new uniforms templated after the alternate "Super Bowl Era" uniforms introduced the previous season, a uniform based off the look introduced by the franchise in 1979 and used in various forms until the rebranding to "Commanders" in 2022.[72]
Media
National
Linear television
Under an agreement first announced on August 5, 2025, and approved by government regulators on January 31, 2026, ESPN acquired NFL Network, television distribution rights to NFL RedZone and the RedZone brand, and the NFL's official fantasy football service. In exchange, the league received a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN. The NFL's existing deal with ESPN remained unaffected.[73][74][75][76]
This will also be the fourth year of the existing 11-year U.S. media deals with CBS, Fox, and NBC, along with its Spanish counterparts Fox Deportes, and Telemundo Deportes.[77]
Sunday regional afternoon games will continue to be split between CBS and Fox, with the two networks carrying the AFC and NFC packages, respectively. When the initial schedule is created, CBS and Fox will be able to specify a limited amount of games involving teams from their respective conference that they want to air, but otherwise the league is free to schedule games regardless of conference.[78] Each network is scheduled to produce ten Sunday doubleheaders (with games at 1:00 and 4:25 p.m. ET), and eight singleheaders (each media market airs either a 1:00 or 4:05 p.m. ET game). During most Sundays, one network will have the doubleheader and the other network will have the singleheader; both networks will air doubleheaders in Weeks 15 and 18. On select Sundays, the doubleheader network will have a single, nationally televised game at 4:25 p.m. ET instead of producing two or more regional ones in that time slot. On Thanksgiving, CBS and Fox will nationally televise the 1:00 pm ET Detroit game and the 4:30 pm ET Dallas game, respectively. Fox also has the option to nationally televise a Christmas Day game at its discretion.[77]
ESPN will continue to produce Monday Night Football games, the doubleheader on the last Saturday of the season, ABC simulcasting select MNF games and the last Saturday doubleheader, and ESPN2 featuring the alternative Manningcast on select games.[77] ESPN will also take over production of the NFL Network Exclusive Game Series.[79] The league will no longer schedule Monday night doubleheaders (whether traditional doubleheaders on ESPN and/or ABC, or "split doubleheaders" in which ESPN and ABC air separate games simultaneously). Instead, ABC will have three additional MNF simulcasts for a total of at least six,[79] ESPN's rights to the four games lost by the removal of the MNF doubleheaders will move to NFL Network,[80] and NFL Network's rights to four International Series games will be resold to other interested broadcasters.[80]
Like in previous seasons, any additional one-year modifications or separate deals to these linear TV rights are expected to be announced with the 2026 season schedule.
Streaming
This will be the fifth year of a 12-year deal with Amazon Prime Video and Twitch to exclusively stream Thursday Night Football games, and the fourth season that they will also stream the game on the Friday after Thanksgiving under the title Black Friday Football.[81]
ESPN DTC will simulcast all ESPN-produced games (including any alternate telecasts) and have a live stream of NFL Network. ESPN+ will no longer have an exclusive game.[80]
Fox One will simulcast in market and national Fox games.[82][83]
Paramount+ will simulcast in market and national CBS games.[77]
Peacock will simulcast NBC's games.[77] This will also be the fourth season in a six-year deal that the platform will exclusively stream one regular season game.[81]
This will be the third and final year of the deal with Netflix to exclusively stream select Christmas Day games.[84][85]
This will be the fourth year of a seven-year deal with YouTube to stream NFL Sunday Ticket, the package showing out-of-market CBS and Fox's Sunday afternoon games, either bundled with YouTube TV or as a standalone subscription on YouTube's Primetime Channels service.[86]
The league will still own and operate NFL+,[80] which will continue to live stream in-market and national preseason, regular season and postseason games on mobile devices only, radio broadcasts for all games, most out-of-market preseason games and a live stream of NFL Network on its base tier, and replays of games along with a live stream of NFL RedZone on its premium tier.[87]
Like in previous seasons, any additional one-year modifications or separate deals to these streaming rights are expected to be announced with the 2026 season schedule.
Postseason
During the Wild Card round, CBS and Fox will air an AFC and NFC Wild Card game, respectively. NBC will air the Sunday night game under the sixth year of its seven-year deal.[88][89][90] ESPN/ABC will broadcast a Wild Card game on a date to-be-determined, as its previous deal to air the Monday night Wild Card game expired after the previous postseason.[91] NBC will air a second Wild Card game this season as part of the rotation with Fox and CBS. This will also be the third postseason under a multi-year deal that Amazon Prime Video will exclusively stream a Wild Card playoff game.[92][93]
This will be the fourth season that all four broadcast television partners air one divisional playoff game per season (ESPN/ABC, Fox, CBS, and NBC).[94]
Under the annual rotation of Super Bowl broadcasters, Super Bowl LXI will be the first time that the game will be an ESPN/ABC simulcast,[95] the first time ABC will have aired the Super Bowl since 2005's Super Bowl XL, the first time ever that ESPN will air a live Super Bowl and the first time since the 2013 season that both the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl will be airing on the same network.[85][96]
Radio
Westwood One has rights to air all games televised by the national partners (including streaming).[97]
This is the fifth and final season of the league's five-year deal with SiriusXM to simulcast all 32 teams' local regular season and postseason broadcasts, including a wraparound show called SiriusXM NFL Sunday Drive.[100]
International
ESPN will air its slate of games in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and the Netherlands; and through Disney+ in select markets in Asia and Europe.[94]
In the UK and Ireland:
This will the second year of a three-year deal that Sky Sports will broadcast select games on either their dedicated Sky Sports NFL Channel or through their Sky Sports+ channels.[101]
This will the second year of a multi-year deal that the free-to-air Channel 5 will broadcast games through their main channel as well as 5Action.[102]
This will be the fourth year of a ten-year deal that DAZN will distribute NFL Game Pass International.[103]
↑Karp, Austin (February 6, 2025). "Prime gets Wild Card game for duration of NFL deal". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved February 7, 2025. The Wild Card deal, which was originally reported as a one-year pact this time last year, will run through the 2032 season ... Amazon reportedly paid around $150 million to stream the game in 2024, but it is not known what the escalators are for the subsequent seven years.
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