The Detroit Lions will have to wait a little longer for their season opener.
After the NFL preseason wrapped up and rosters were trimmed to 53 players, it might have felt like kickoff was right around the corner. But the Lions, along with the rest of the league, are off this weekend before Week 1 officially gets underway Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Detroit’s first game comes Sunday, Sept. 13, when the Lions host the New Orleans Saints at Ford Field. The Week 1 matchup is set for a 1 p.m.
ET start and will air on Fox. Fans can also stream it on Fubo and the Fox One app, with radio coverage on WXYT-FM.
97.1.
The NFL’s opening week actually starts four days earlier with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks meeting Wednesday at Lumen Field in Seattle. That game is scheduled for 8:20 p.m.
ET and will be shown on NBC, with streaming on Fubo and Peacock. The following night’s Thursday Night Football game sends the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams to East Melbourne, Australia, for an 8:35 p.m.
ET kickoff at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Netflix.
Detroit heads into 2026 trying to bounce back from a 9-8 season in 2025 that left the team tied for last in the NFC North and out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2022 season.
The Lions’ early schedule features a quick turnaround after Week 1, with a Thursday night trip to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 on Sept. 17 at 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video. They return home for the New York Jets in Week 3, then go to Carolina in Week 4 and Arizona in Week 5 before the bye in Week 6.
Here’s the full Lions schedule for 2026, with all times Eastern:
Week 1, Sunday, Sept. 13: vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., Fox.
Week 2, Thursday, Sept. 17: at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m. Prime Video.
Week 3, Sunday, Sept. 27: vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m., Fox.
Week 4, Sunday, Oct. 4: at Carolina Panthers, 8:20 p.m., NBC.
Week 5, Sunday, Oct. 11: at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., Fox.
Week 6, Sunday, Oct. 18: BYE.
Week 7, Sunday, Oct. 25: vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m., Fox.
Week 8, Sunday, Nov. 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., Fox.
Week 9, Sunday, Nov. 8: at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., Fox.
Week 10, Sunday, Nov. 15: vs.
New England Patriots in Germany, 9:30 a.m., Fox.
Week 11, Sunday, Nov. 22: vs.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., CBS.
Week 12, Thursday, Nov. 26: vs.
Chicago Bears, 1 p.m., CBS.
Week 13, Sunday, Dec. 6: at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.
CBS.
Week 14, Sunday, Dec. 13: vs.
Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., Fox.
Week 15, Sunday, Dec. 20: at Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m., NBC.
Week 16, Monday, Dec. 28: vs. New York Giants, 8:15 p.m., ESPN.
Week 17, Sunday, Jan. 3: at Chicago Bears, 4:25 p.m., Fox.
Week 18, TBD: at Green Bay Packers, TBD.
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