Samwise NFL Newsletter
Saturday, May 16, 2026
NFL Sets Record With Nine International Games in 2026, Spanning Seven Countries
The NFL unveiled its 2026 regular-season schedule on Thursday, May 14, featuring a record nine international games played across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums. The slate includes first-ever regular-season stops in Melbourne, Australia; Paris, France; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, joining established markets in London, Munich, Madrid and Mexico City. The Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne on September 10, marking the first NFL game played in the Southern Hemisphere. The Baltimore Ravens visit Dallas in Rio de Janeiro during Week 4. The historic global slate reflects the league’s ongoing international expansion strategy.
Sources: NFL.com
Seattle Seahawks to Host Patriots in Super Bowl LX Rematch for Rare Wednesday Season Opener
For the first time since 2012, the NFL will open its regular season on a Wednesday. The defending Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots on September 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, a rematch of February’s championship game that Seattle won 29–13. It marks only the second time in history the Super Bowl participants have met in the following season’s opener — the first came in 2016 when Denver faced Carolina. The earlier kickoff accommodates the league’s first regular-season game in Australia, which tips off the following evening in Melbourne.
Sources: ESPN
Chiefs Land MNF Season Premiere vs. Broncos as Mahomes Targets Full Week 1 Return From Torn ACL
Kansas City will host Denver in the Monday Night Football season premiere on September 14, six months after Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. Coach Andy Reid said the Chiefs’ schedule placement is “no hint” on Mahomes’ health, while GM Brett Veach confirmed the quarterback reports to the facility daily and is ahead in his rehabilitation. Mahomes is expected to participate in Kansas City’s first organized team activities on May 26–28, and has set a goal of being available for Week 1 with no restrictions. The Chiefs open against AFC West champion Denver in prime time.
Sources: NFL.com
New England Patriots Draw NFL’s Toughest Opening Four-Game Stretch in Nearly 40 Years
Despite winning the AFC title in the 2025 season, the New England Patriots have drawn the NFL’s toughest early-season schedule in nearly 40 years. Their first four opponents carry a combined strength-of-schedule rating of .721 — the highest any team has faced in an opening four-game stretch since 1986. Three of those four games are on the road. New England opens at defending champion Seattle on Wednesday night, then faces two more division champions before a road trip to another playoff team in Week 4. Second-year head coach Jerod Mayo faces an immediate and steep test right from opening night.
Sources: CBS Sports
New York Giants Host Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 Sunday Night Football in John Harbaugh’s Coaching Debut
The New York Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys in the first Sunday Night Football game of the 2026 season on September 13, a marquee NFC East rivalry matchup featuring John Harbaugh in his debut as Giants head coach on NBC. The game pits Dak Prescott and an explosive Cowboys offense against New York’s rebuilt defense. Wide receiver Malik Nabers’ status for Week 1 remains uncertain following offseason injury concerns. The Cowboys–Giants rivalry produced multiple dramatic finishes in 2025, giving NBC an opening night attraction with built-in storylines. Both clubs enter 2026 as legitimate NFC East contenders.
Sources: NFL.com
NFL Thanksgiving Week 2026 Spans Five Days, Headlined by First-Ever Wednesday Night Game on Netflix
The 2026 NFL Thanksgiving holiday schedule spans five consecutive days for the first time. On Wednesday, November 25, the Green Bay Packers visit the Los Angeles Rams in the league’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, airing at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix. Thanksgiving Day on November 26 features three games: Bears at Lions at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, Eagles at Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox, and Chiefs at Bills in the nightcap at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. Black Friday, November 27 closes the stretch with Broncos at Steelers at 3 p.m. ET on Amazon, completing an unprecedented five-day holiday football marathon.
Sources: NFL.com
San Francisco 49ers Face NFL-Record 38,100 Miles of Travel in 2026 Season
The San Francisco 49ers face an unprecedented travel burden in 2026, projected to log more than 38,100 miles of air travel — the most in NFL history for a single season. The team opens in Melbourne, Australia against the Rams on September 10, then plays in Mexico City against Minnesota in Week 11. Between those international trips, San Francisco plays multiple cross-country road games against East Coast opponents. CBS Sports schedule analysis identified the 49ers as traveling the second-most miles per game of any team in the league. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has spoken about the cumulative rest and recovery disadvantages the schedule creates.
Sources: CBS Sports
NFL Christmas 2026 Triple-Header on Netflix Features Three 2025 Playoff Rematches
The NFL’s Christmas Day 2026 triple-header features three rematches from the 2025 postseason, all airing on Netflix. At 1 p.m. ET, the Green Bay Packers visit the Chicago Bears in an NFC North rematch with playoff seeding implications. At 4:30 p.m. ET, the Buffalo Bills travel to face the Denver Broncos, who held the AFC’s top seed in 2025. At 8:15 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Rams visit the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in an NFC West showdown. The three-game Christmas slate gives Netflix its most significant NFL programming since the streaming service acquired rights to holiday games.
Sources: NFL.com
American Conference Divisions
AFC East
1. New England Patriots — 13–4–0
2. Buffalo Bills — 13–4–0
3. Miami Dolphins — 6–11–0
4. New York Jets — 5–12–0
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers — 10–7–0
2. Baltimore Ravens — 9–8–0
3. Cincinnati Bengals — 5–12–0
4. Cleveland Browns — 4–13–0
AFC South
1. Jacksonville Jaguars — 11–6–0
2. Houston Texans — 11–6–0
3. Indianapolis Colts — 8–9–0
4. Tennessee Titans — 3–14–0
AFC West
1. Denver Broncos — 15–2–0
2. Los Angeles Chargers — 10–7–0
3. Kansas City Chiefs — 6–11–0
4. Las Vegas Raiders — 2–15–0
National Conference Divisions
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles — 12–5–0
2. Washington Commanders — 8–9–0
3. Dallas Cowboys — 7–10–0
4. New York Giants — 3–14–0
NFC North
1. Chicago Bears — 12–5–0
2. Green Bay Packers — 9–8–0
3. Detroit Lions — 9–8–0
4. Minnesota Vikings — 7–10–0
NFC South
1. Carolina Panthers — 8–9–0
2. Atlanta Falcons — 7–10–0
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 7–10–0
4. New Orleans Saints — 6–11–0
NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks — 14–3–0
2. Los Angeles Rams — 12–5–0
3. San Francisco 49ers — 12–5–0
4. Arizona Cardinals — 8–9–0
Final 2025 regular season standings
Curated by JD · samwise.agency