The new england patriots schedule 2026 features an 18-game regular season filled with AFC East rivalry games, prime-time appearances, road challenges and an international matchup in Germany. New England opens the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks on September 9 and currently has its Week 17 and Week 18 opponents confirmed, although the exact dates and kickoff times for those two games remain unsettled.
The Patriots have nine scheduled home games and nine road games. Their 2026 slate also includes a trip to Munich, Germany, to play the Detroit Lions during Week 10.
The team will then have its bye week before beginning the final portion of the regular season.
2026 Patriots Regular-Season Schedule
Here is the current game-by-game schedule for New England:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Kickoff | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 9 | Seattle Seahawks | Seattle | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 2 | Sept. 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | New England | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Jacksonville | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 4 | Oct. 4 | Buffalo Bills | Buffalo | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 11 | Las Vegas Raiders | New England | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 6 | Oct. 18 | New York Jets | New England | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 22 | Chicago Bears | Chicago | 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video |
| 8 | Nov. 1 | Miami Dolphins | Miami | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 9 | Nov. 8 | Green Bay Packers | New England | 4:25 p.m. ET | FOX |
| 10 | Nov. 15 | Detroit Lions | Munich, Germany | 9:30 a.m. ET | FOX |
| 11 | Nov. 22 | BYE | — | — | — |
| 12 | Nov. 29 | Los Angeles Chargers | Los Angeles | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 13 | Dec. 6 | Buffalo Bills | New England | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 14 | Dec. 10 | Minnesota Vikings | New England | 8:15 p.m. ET | Prime Video |
| 15 | Dec. 21 | Kansas City Chiefs | Kansas City | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 16 | Dec. 27 | New York Jets | New York | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | TBD | Denver Broncos | New England | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | TBD | Miami Dolphins | New England | TBD | TBD |
The first 16 games have announced dates and kickoff times. The NFL will determine the final details for the Week 17 and Week 18 games later.
Seattle Hosts the Patriots in the Season Opener
New England begins its 2026 regular-season campaign on the road.
The Patriots will visit the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9. The scheduled kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET, and NBC will carry the game nationally.
A Wednesday season opener is unusual for the NFL. It gives this matchup immediate attention as New England begins its campaign away from Gillette Stadium.
Seattle also represents a significant opening opponent because the Seahawks faced New England in Super Bowl LX.
Pittsburgh Comes to Foxborough in Week 2
The Patriots’ home opener arrives in Week 2.
New England will welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to Gillette Stadium on Sunday, September 20. The game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
Following the unusual Wednesday opener, the Patriots will have additional time before returning to action against Pittsburgh.
The Steelers game is the first of nine scheduled home contests for New England during the regular season.
Jacksonville Awaits in Week 3
New England goes back on the road in Week 3.
The Patriots visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 27. The game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on CBS.
The matchup gives New England another road assignment before its first divisional meeting of the year.
Buffalo Trip Comes in Week 4
The Patriots’ first AFC East matchup arrives in Week 4.
New England travels to Buffalo on October 4 to play the Bills.
The game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, with CBS carrying the broadcast.
It is the first of two scheduled meetings between New England and Buffalo in 2026.
The return matchup will take place at Gillette Stadium in December.
Two Home Games Follow
New England gets a two-game home stretch in Weeks 5 and 6.
The Las Vegas Raiders visit Gillette Stadium on October 11. The scheduled kickoff is 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
The Patriots then host the New York Jets on October 18.
That AFC East matchup also begins at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by CBS.
The two games give New England consecutive opportunities to play in front of its home crowd.
Thursday Night Football Takes New England to Chicago
The Patriots return to the road for Week 7.
New England travels to Chicago to face the Bears on Thursday, October 22.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, with Prime Video carrying the national broadcast.
The Thursday night assignment creates a compressed preparation window following the previous Sunday’s game against the Jets.
It is also the first of two Thursday Night Football appearances currently listed on New England’s schedule.
Miami Hosts New England in Week 8
The Patriots return to the AFC East in Week 8.
New England visits the Miami Dolphins on November 1.
The game has a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff and will air on CBS.
The Patriots and Dolphins will meet twice during the 2026 regular season. Their second matchup comes in Week 18, when Miami is scheduled to visit New England.
Green Bay Visits Gillette Stadium
The Green Bay Packers are New England’s Week 9 opponent.
The teams will meet on November 8 at Gillette Stadium. The scheduled kickoff is 4:25 p.m. ET, with FOX carrying the game.
This contest serves as New England’s final home game before its international trip.
The Patriots then travel overseas for their Week 10 matchup.
Detroit Matchup Moves to Munich
Week 10 brings the most unusual location on the Patriots’ 2026 schedule.
New England will face the Detroit Lions in Munich, Germany, on November 15.
The game is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET and will be televised by FOX.
The matchup will take place at FC Bayern Munich Stadium.
New England has previous international experience, including its 2023 game in Frankfurt, Germany. The 2026 contest provides the Patriots with another regular-season game outside the United States.
The Munich trip also comes with an important scheduling feature: the Patriots’ bye follows immediately afterward.
Week 11 Gives New England Its Bye
There will be no Patriots game on November 22.
That date represents New England’s Week 11 bye.
The bye follows the Munich game against Detroit, creating a break after the team’s international travel.
New England then returns to regular-season action on November 29.
Chargers Game Headlines Week 12
The Patriots’ return from the bye comes in prime time.
New England travels to Los Angeles to face the Chargers on Sunday, November 29.
The scheduled kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET, with NBC televising the game.
The Chargers are also one of the opponents New England faced during the 2025 postseason.
That makes the Week 12 contest another important rematch on the Patriots’ schedule.
Buffalo Returns in December
The Bills travel to New England for the second meeting between the AFC East rivals.
The game is scheduled for December 6 at 4:25 p.m. ET.
CBS will broadcast the matchup.
The two Buffalo games are separated by more than two months, with the first contest taking place in Buffalo during Week 4.
The December meeting gives the Patriots their second scheduled home game against the Bills.
Minnesota Visits on Thursday Night
New England has another prime-time home game in Week 14.
The Minnesota Vikings visit Gillette Stadium on Thursday, December 10.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, with Prime Video carrying the game.
The Vikings matchup comes only four days after New England’s scheduled Sunday game against Buffalo.
This is the Patriots’ second Thursday Night Football contest of the regular season.
Kansas City Hosts New England
The Patriots hit the road again for Week 15.
New England travels to Kansas City to face the Chiefs on Monday, December 21.
The game begins at 8:15 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally by ESPN.
The Monday night matchup gives the Patriots another late-season prime-time road game.
It also comes during a crucial portion of the schedule, with the regular season approaching its conclusion.
Week 16 Sends New England to the Jets
The Patriots’ second game against the New York Jets comes on December 27.
New England will travel to New York for the Week 16 matchup.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, with CBS carrying the game.
The Patriots host the Jets earlier in the season during Week 6, making this the second divisional meeting between the clubs.
Denver Game Remains Unscheduled
New England’s Week 17 opponent is the Denver Broncos.
The game will be played at Gillette Stadium, but the NFL has not yet assigned a final date and kickoff time.
The Denver matchup is another rematch involving an opponent New England faced during the 2025 postseason.
Late-season NFL scheduling can change based on playoff races and television considerations, so the Week 17 details will be confirmed later.
Miami Returns for Week 18
The Patriots are scheduled to close their regular season against the Miami Dolphins.
Miami will travel to New England for the Week 18 game.
The exact date and kickoff time remain TBD.
The NFL generally finalizes Week 18 scheduling after the previous week’s games because the league needs the standings and playoff implications to determine appropriate kickoff windows.
Therefore, the Week 18 entry should not be treated as having a finalized kickoff time yet.
Six Nationally Televised Games
The initial Patriots schedule includes six nationally televised regular-season contests.
Those games are:
- Seattle Seahawks — NBC
- Chicago Bears — Prime Video
- Detroit Lions — FOX
- Los Angeles Chargers — NBC
- Minnesota Vikings — Prime Video
- Kansas City Chiefs — ESPN
The league can also use flexible scheduling during the season. As a result, additional games could receive prominent television windows if circumstances warrant a change.
Patriots Face AFC East Rivals Six Times
The 2026 schedule includes six games against New England’s AFC East opponents.
The Patriots play Buffalo, Miami and the New York Jets twice each.
| Rival | First Meeting | Second Meeting |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | Oct. 4 at Buffalo | Dec. 6 at New England |
| Miami Dolphins | Nov. 1 at Miami | Week 18 at New England |
| New York Jets | Oct. 18 at New England | Dec. 27 at New York |
The divisional matchups are spread across the schedule.
Buffalo appears early and late. The Jets meet New England in October and December. Miami appears once before Thanksgiving and again in the final week.
The Munich Game Comes Before the Bye
One of the clearest scheduling features is the placement of the international game.
New England travels to Munich for the Detroit matchup on November 15.
The Patriots then receive their Week 11 bye on November 22.
That sequence gives the team a full bye week following the international trip.
New England therefore does not immediately return to another regular-season game after traveling back from Germany.
2026 Patriots Preseason Schedule
New England also has a three-game preseason schedule.
The Patriots opened against the Indianapolis Colts on August 13 at Gillette Stadium. That game finished in a 13-13 tie.
Philadelphia then visited New England on August 22. The Patriots won that contest 24-21.
The final preseason game was scheduled for August 27 against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland.
Patriots Preseason Schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Location | Result/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug. 13 | Indianapolis Colts | Home | 13-13 tie |
| 2 | Aug. 22 | Philadelphia Eagles | Home | New England won 24-21 |
| 3 | Aug. 27 | Cleveland Browns | Away | Scheduled final preseason game |
The preseason concludes shortly before the regular season begins.
When Does New England’s Regular Season Start?
The Patriots begin their 2026 regular season on September 9.
Their opponent is the Seattle Seahawks.
The game takes place in Seattle and is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
NBC will broadcast the season opener nationally.
The Wednesday kickoff makes the opening game particularly unusual compared with the standard Thursday start used by the NFL in recent seasons.
When Is the Patriots’ 2026 Bye?
New England’s bye week is Week 11.
It falls on November 22, one week after the Patriots’ Munich game against Detroit.
The timing provides a break between the international contest and the team’s final stretch of regular-season games.
Which Games Are Still TBD?
Two regular-season games currently lack finalized scheduling information.
They are:
- Week 17: Denver Broncos at New England
- Week 18: Miami Dolphins at New England
Both opponents and locations are confirmed.
However, the exact dates and kickoff times remain undecided.
The NFL will announce the final scheduling information when the league’s late-season scheduling process determines the appropriate windows.
A Look at the Overall 2026 Schedule
The Patriots’ 2026 schedule is divided into several distinct stretches.
The season begins with three road games among the first four weeks. New England then gets consecutive home games against Las Vegas and the Jets.
Chicago follows with Thursday Night Football before the Patriots travel to Miami.
Green Bay visits Foxborough in Week 9, followed by the trip to Munich for the Detroit game.
After the bye, the Patriots enter a late-season stretch featuring the Chargers, Bills, Vikings, Chiefs and Jets.
The final two games will be played at home against Denver and Miami, although their exact scheduling details remain open.
Eight teams on the Patriots’ schedule reached the 2025 postseason, while five were division champions. New England also faces Seattle, Los Angeles and Denver after meeting those teams during the 2025 postseason.
For fans following the new england patriots schedule 2026, the key dates are already established for most of the season. The primary remaining schedule questions concern the final two regular-season games.
Which Patriots game stands out most on the 2026 schedule? Share your pick and keep checking for the latest confirmed schedule updates.