NFL preseason Week 1 schedule 2026: Check dates, live streaming details and more
Set your reminders, grab a seat, and enjoy the first full weekend of NFL action in 2026. The real games are still a few weeks away, but the dress rehearsal is already delivering plenty of storylines.
Football fans finally have something real to look forward to. The NFL preseason is here, and Week 1 brings a full slate of games starting August 13. After the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers opened things up with the Hall of Fame Game on August 6, the rest of the league is ready to take the field.
Thursday night alone features six games. Viewers will get early looks at stars like Jordan Love, Aaron Rodgers, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Burrow. Las Vegas Raiders fans also get their first chance to see No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in an actual NFL game.
NFL games, today – Thursday, August 13
Here is the complete list of Thursday’s matchups with start times:
Cincinnati Bengals vs Detroit Lions, 7 PM ET
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Green Bay Packers, 7 PM ET (NFL Network)
New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts, 7:30 PM ET
Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Chargers, 8 PM ET
Las Vegas Raiders vs Arizona Cardinals, 8 PM ET
San Francisco 49ers vs Tennessee Titans, 9 PM ET (NFL Network)
The Steelers-Packers game stands out because it pairs Aaron Rodgers against Jordan Love on the same national broadcast. Over in Arizona, Mendoza is expected to take snaps in his first taste of pro football. These games give coaches a chance to evaluate depth and give rookies meaningful reps before the regular season arrives.
Full NFL preseason Week 1 schedule
The weekend stays busy with more action on Friday and Saturday.
Friday, August 14
Atlanta Falcons vs Denver Broncos, 7 PM ET
New York Jets vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 PM ET
Washington Commanders vs Miami Dolphins, 7 PM ET
Saturday, August 15
Chicago Bears vs Cleveland Browns, 1 PM ET
Buffalo Bills vs Carolina Panthers, 1 PM ET
New York Giants vs Minnesota Vikings, 1 PM ET
Kansas City Chiefs vs Los Angeles Rams, 4 PM ET
New Orleans Saints vs Jacksonville Jaguars, 4 PM ET
Baltimore Ravens vs Philadelphia Eagles, 7 PM ET
Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas Cowboys, 8 PM ET
Most starters will play limited snaps this week. The real value comes from watching how the backups and younger players perform under game pressure. Coaches use these contests to settle roster battles and test new schemes before the games start counting in September.
How to watch NFL preseason games
National games will air on NFL Network. Local markets will carry many of the remaining contests on regional network stations.
For those who cut the cord, NFL+ Premium streams every preseason game. ESPN+ Unlimited and Fubo also pick up several of the nationally televised matchups.
Preseason football is imperfect by design. The scores rarely matter, but the film does. Fans get an early window into which rookies are ready, which veterans still have something left, and which teams look sharp heading into the regular season.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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