MANCHESTER, N.H. —
The New England Patriots officially released their 2026 schedule Thursday night.
According to the metrics, the Patriots have the sixth-most difficult schedule in the NFL and will play five primetime games.
The team will open the 2026 season Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Lumen Field against the Seattle Seahawks, their Super Bowl 60 opponent, at 8:20 p.m. It will be the first Super Bowl rematch in a season opener since 2016, when the Denver Broncos hosted the Carolina Panthers.
New England’s first home game is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m.
The Patriots will play three preseason games: Thursday, Aug. 13, against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22, against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium at 7 p.m., and Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Cleveland Browns at 8 p.m.
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New England finished last season 14-3 and first in the AFC East.
News 9 spoke with fans about the schedule.
“Seattle Seahawks are a great game! It’s just interesting how they would put the Patriots, a Super Bowl rematch in the first game of the season on prime time. That’s pretty crazy, but I love it. Start off strong,” said Rob Hermann, a 22-year season ticket holder.
“It’s going to be tough to bounce back. A lot of teams have a hard time bouncing back from the Super Bowl, so I bet they might come out and sneak a win in the first week. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened,” said Nick Makris of Manchester.
Full schedule:
Week 1: Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9 away at 8:20 p.m.Week 2: Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 20 at home at 1 p.m.Week 3: Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 27 away at 1 p.m.Week 4: Buffalo Bills on Oct. 4 away at 1 p.m.Week 5: Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 11 away at 1 p.m.Week 6: New York Jets on Oct. 18 at home at 1 p.m.Week 7: Chicago Bears on Oct. 22 away at 8:15 p.m.Week 8: Miami Dolphins on Nov. 1 away at 4:25 p.m.Week 9: Green Bay Packers on Nov. 8 at home at 4:25 p.m.Week 10: Detroit Lions on Nov. 15 away at 9:30 a.m.Week 11: BYE WEEKWeek 12: Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 29 away at 8:20 p.m.Week 13: Buffalo Bills on Dec. 6 at home at 4:25 p.m.Week 14: Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 10 at home at 8:15 p.m.Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 21 away at 8:15 p.m.Week 16: New York Jets on Dec. 27 away at 1 p.m.Week 17: Denver Broncos at home, date and time TBDWeek 18: Miami Dolphins at home, date and time TBD