NFL Releases Full 2026 Preseason Schedule and Key Dates With Hall of Fame Game in Canton

It has been 115 days since the Seattle Seahawks captured the Super Bowl title. Fortunately for football fans, the wait for the next NFL action will be much shorter, as the league unveiled the dates and kickoff times for the 2026 preseason on Tuesday.

The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers will meet in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 6, with Arizona serving as the designated home team. The matchup will air nationally on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.

Former Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is scheduled to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame that weekend. Joining him in the five-member Hall of Fame class will be former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly.

The preseason schedule shifts into full gear the following week, beginning with six games on Thursday, Aug. 13. Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, could make his professional debut that evening when the Las Vegas Raiders host the Cardinals. The opening week of preseason action will conclude with three games on Friday, Aug. 14, followed by seven contests on Saturday, Aug. 15.

None of the Week 1 preseason matchups will receive national television coverage. However, both Weeks 2 and 3 will feature two nationally televised games.

Week 2 gets underway on Aug. 20, when the Raiders travel to Houston for a matchup that may once again showcase Mendoza (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET). The second nationally televised game of Week 2 will take place on Sunday, Aug. 23, as the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks take on the Tennessee Titans, now guided by new head coach Robert Saleh (Fox, 8 p.m. ET).

The final week of the preseason begins Thursday, Aug. 27, with the defending AFC champion New England Patriots visiting Cleveland. The contest could feature a quarterback competition involving Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson as the Browns continue evaluating their options for the starting role (Prime Video, 8 p.m. ET). The following night, the Cincinnati Bengals will face the Philadelphia Eagles (CBS, 8 p.m. ET).

The preseason schedule concludes with two games on Saturday, Aug. 29.

Teams will have a shorter turnaround than usual to reduce their rosters to 53 players. The NFL moved the roster cutdown deadline from its traditional date of Tuesday following the preseason to Sunday, Aug. 30, due to the international games scheduled during Week 1 of the regular season. Clubs must submit waiver claims by 1 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 31.

The regular season officially begins Sept. 9 with a Super Bowl rematch featuring the Patriots and Seahawks. One day later, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are set to meet in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10.

Complete schedules for preseason Weeks 1, 2, and 3 are listed below. All times are ET.

Hall of Fame Game

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3