With the NFL's release of the full 2026 regular season schedule, the complete "Sunday Night Football" slate is now known. There will be 18 games in the primetime window that'll cap off Sundays throughout the fall.
Week 1 kicks off with an NFC East matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Cowboys will appear on Sunday night three times, tying them with the Kansas City Chiefs for the most in the NFL.
The league also heads abroad during this window, with the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers Squaring off in Mexico City in Week 11.
Below is the entire "Sunday Night Football" slate ranked from least compelling to most compelling (Week 18 is to be determined).
2026 Sunday Night Football Schedule Rankings
17. Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers (Week 4)
Two NFC playoff hopefuls wrapping up the first month of the regular season. The Panthers are coming off an NFC South-winning season in 2025, building around Bryce Young. The Lions will look to get back on track after missing the postseason a year ago. Star power at the skill positions includes Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Tetairoa McMillan.
16. Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons (Week 5)
Lamar Jackson under the Sunday Night Football lights draws eyeballs. The home team questions come from the Atlanta Falcons quarterback battle between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. If either takes the job and runs with it, the Falcons have a quarterback who can maximize their loaded talent at the skill positions. Kevin Stefanski (former head coach of the Browns) squares 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. In January, the Texans demolished the Steelers 30-6 in Pittsburgh, dropping 23 points in the fourth quarter to advance to the divisional round. The question is whether Aaron Rodgers will even be Pittsburgh's quarterback as he's still unsigned. If not, the options are Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, or rookie Drew Allar. Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud struggled mightily during the playoffs last season.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (Week 10)
This game is a must-see matchup on paper. The Steelers and Bengals rivalry continues with playoff implications in the AFC North.