The NFL has released its full 2026 regular season schedule, giving fans the complete "Sunday Night Football" slate. In all, there will be 18 games in the primetime window that will cap off Sundays throughout the fall.
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
The schedule kicks off with an NFC East matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in Week 1. The Cowboys will be a popular staple in this window, as they are slated to appear on Sunday night three times, tying them with the Kansas City Chiefs for the most in the NFL.
International Game: Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers
The NFL also heads abroad during this window, with the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers squaring off in Mexico City in Week 11.
Sunday Night Football Matchup Rankings
Below is the entire "Sunday Night Football" slate ranked from least compelling to most compelling.
17. Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers (Week 4)
Two NFC playoff hopefuls wrap up the first month of the regular season. The Panthers are coming off an NFC South-winning season in 2025, and they'll look to carry that momentum into this season as they continue to build around Bryce Young.
The Lions will be looking to get back on track after being on the outside looking in on the postseason a year ago. There will be star power at the skill positions with Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Tetairoa McMillan on the field.
16. Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons (Week 5)
Whenever you get Lamar Jackson under the "Sunday Night Football" lights, it's going to draw eyeballs. The questions come from the home team with the Atlanta Falcons.
How their quarterback battle shakes out between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. will determine whether or not this game remains at the bottom tier or vaults higher. If either takes the job and runs with it, the Falcons suddenly have a quarterback who can maximize their loaded talent at the skill positions.
This game features Kevin Stefanski squaring off against a Baltimore team he's familiar with after coaching in the AFC North, along with a top-tier running back bout between Derrick Henry and Bijan Robinson.
15. Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 13)
This is a playoff rematch from Wild Card Weekend, but that game was hardly entertaining. Back in January, the Texans demolished the Steelers to the tune of a 30-6 win in Pittsburgh.
On paper, this should be a late-season matchup between two playoff hopefuls in the AFC. However, we currently don't know if Aaron Rodgers will even be Pittsburgh's quarterback as he's still unsigned.
If Rodgers doesn't sign, we're looking at Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, or rookie Drew Allar as the Steelers options. Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud struggled mightily during the playoffs last season, and if those issues rear their head in 2026, Houston's season could be upside down by then.