Who’s ready for prime time?
The full 2026 NFL schedule — aka the most this-could-have-been-an-email event of the offseason — will be revealed on Thursday, and one of the more interesting things for media nerds like us is seeing which games get placed where (and when). Below, we look at five games we want to see in prime time.
This is looking more and more like the regular-season opener — which will be on Wednesday, Sept. 9 — as other strong candidates for the high-profile game have already been announced as playing elsewhere in Week 1. And for good reason.
The Bears were one of the league’s most exciting teams a season ago, with prime-time thrillers against the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers etched in our memories as instant regular-season classics.
Chicago’s also an ascending team entering Year 2 under head coach Ben Johnson, one of the game’s top offensive play-callers. The matching of wits between him and Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, who calls defensive plays, would be a thoroughly compelling chess match.
We’d also get an early glimpse at whether second-year Bears wideout Luther Burden III can experience a breakout akin to Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba a season ago. The 2025 Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year benefited from an increase in targets after Seattle traded DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason, and former Bears receiver DJ Moore’s departure may have a similar effect on Burden.
Since Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow entered the league in 2020, Cincinnati and Kansas City have played four times in the regular season, and none outside of the afternoon window. The teams have split the four meetings, with the games decided by a combined 15 points, including three by a field goal or less. If any game deserves to be in prime time, it’s this.
The tricky part is figuring out when to schedule it. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (torn ACL) is uncertain for the start of the regular season, so NBC (“Sunday Night Football”) or ESPN (“Monday Night Football”) would probably want this later in the season.
With Burrow missing substantial time in two of the past three seasons, his availability could be a concern, not to mention Cincinnati’s relevance to the playoff picture. It’s a roll of the dice for the league and networks, but one that could hit big.
We already know the Cowboys will be shoved down our throats, so the league may as well give us a game that could turn into a shootout. Dallas and Los Angeles ranked first and second in total offense in 2025, and both units should be just as explosive this season.
It would also be a valuable test for the Cowboys defense, which underwent a major overhaul during free agency — including adding former Rams defensive backs Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick — and the draft after ranking No. 32 in scoring defense (30.1 points allowed per game) last year.
These teams kicked off “SNF” a season ago with a 41-40 barnburner Bills comeback victory, and the sequel could be just as captivating. Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are at the top of their game, and the matchup has the added stakes of being one of the biggest in Year 1 for first-year head coaches Joe Brady (Buffalo) and Jesse Minter (Baltimore).
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels won two of the past three AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards, and both are looking to recapture that former glory in 2026. The two promising young quarterbacks are coming off disappointing years.
The last time we saw Stroud, he threw four interceptions in a 28-16 AFC divisional-round loss to the New England Patriots. Daniels’ season was cut short by 10 games due to multiple injuries, including a sprained knee, strained hamstring and dislocated elbow that ultimately ended his season in Week 14.
Stroud and Daniels need strong seasons to wash the taste of those shortcomings, making this an important game for both. Only one will win, while the other will open the door for further scrutiny.
