With the 2026 NFL schedule officially revealed, here are five of the best matchups that will be in primetime this season. Whether it’s on Netflix, Sunday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, or Monday Night Football, there are some exciting primetime matchups that will be in the spotlight.
Best Primetime Matchups From the 2026 NFL Schedule Release
5. Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, Week 13 MNF
America’s team against the defending Super Bowl champions. This game could certainly feature the best offense and defense in the NFL. Despite a terrible defense last season, the Cowboys ranked among the best offenses in the league behind the trio of Dak Prescott, George Pickens, and CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys are built in a way that they could make a run to the NFC Championship game this season.
4. New England Patriots at Chicago Bears, Week 7 TNF
This game will feature the No. 1 and No. 3 picks from the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will face off for the first time since being drafted, and this game will definitely be for bragging rights. Even though Williams was the top pick in the draft, Maye has had the most statistical success among his fellow draft mates in 2024. Maye reached the Super Bowl with the Patriots in the 2025 season and just barely missed out on the MVP award.
Williams will for sure take this as an opportunity to prove he is indeed the best quarterback from his class.
3. Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos, Week 3 SNF
Even though this matchup is happening early in this season in September, we could very well see this matchup again in February of 2027. Both teams are viewed as Super Bowl contenders in 2026, and this game on Sunday Night Football could be an early preview of the Super Bowl. Both teams were featured in their respective conference championships in the 2025 season, and had it not been for quarterback Bo Nix suffering a broken ankle in the playoffs, Denver could have very well made the Super Bowl last season.
During the offseason, Denver made moves around the margins to solidify their roster and made a big trade for receiver Jaylen Waddle to try to push them over the top. The Rams did the same thing as well, trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson in free agency. It’s clear that both teams see themselves as Super Bowl contenders this season, and they’ll approach this game as a measuring stick.
2. Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, Week 16 (Christmas Night)
These two teams met three times last year, playing twice in the regular season and meeting in the NFC Championship game. Simply put, each game outdid the one before, and it’s hard not to see these two teams not carrying over the battles they had in 2025 into 2026. Sean McVay and Mike Macdonald are two of the best coaches in the NFL, and they coach two of the best teams in the NFL, both of which play in the same division. NFL fans will be in for a treat on Christmas night as these teams won’t disappoint.
1. Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills, Week 12 SNF
The matchup between the Bills and Chiefs has become an annual thing. Whether in KC or Buffalo, this matchup continues to provide fireworks in the regular season, regardless of each team’s status. Last season, Buffalo defeated KC in a thriller despite the Chiefs having a down season. Any game featuring Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes will be must-see TV, and with Mahomes coming off a season-ending injury last season, it’s good that this game falls on week 12 of the NFL calendar, where Mahomes will likely be back to his normal self by then and will have shaken off any rust.
Main Image: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
