FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots' 2026 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday.
One obvious place to start ... is the start.
In a rematch of Super Bowl LX, the Patriots' first game is on the road against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL's primetime opener Wednesday, Sept. 9. That has traditionally been one of the toughest challenges for teams in the Patriots' position. Consider that since 2004, there have been 21 defending Super Bowl champions playing in the first game to open the NFL season -- and they have gone 16-5.
In all, the Patriots have five primetime games, reflecting how quarterback Drake Maye and the team are a compelling national draw.
Here's what's in store for the Patriots:
Patriots 2026 regular-season schedule
Week 1: Sept. 9 at Seattle Seahawks (Wednesday)
Week 2: Sept. 20 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 3: Sept. 27 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 4: Oct. 4 at Buffalo Bills
Week 5: Oct. 11 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Week 6: Oct. 18 vs. New York Jets
Week 7: Oct. 22 at Chicago Bears (TNF)
Week 8: Nov. 1 at Miami Dolphins
Week 9: Nov. 8 vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 10: Nov. 15 at Detroit Lions (Munich)
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: Nov. 29 at Los Angeles Chargers (SNF)
Week 13: Dec. 6 vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 14: Dec. 10 vs. Minnesota Vikings (TNF)
Week 15: Dec. 21 at Kansas City Chiefs (MNF)
Week 16: Dec. 27 at New York Jets
Week 17: TBD vs. Denver Broncos*
Week 18: TBD vs. Miami Dolphins*
*Dates and times for Weeks 17 and 18 are to be determined.
Strength of schedule: The Patriots have the sixth-hardest schedule in the league (opponents had a .531 winning percentage in 2025).
DraftKings over/under win total: 9.5
ESPN analyst Mike Clay's projected win total: 9.9
Biggest takeaway
The Patriots were "road warriors" last season as the only team to win every game away from home, and the NFL amped up the challenge for them to duplicate that feat in 2026 with the team having seven of its first 11 games on the road. Three of the first four games are away from home (all against playoff teams from last season). And of the Patriots' five primetime games, four are on the road.
Circle these dates
Nov. 15 (at Lions in Munich), bye week, Nov. 29 (at Chargers). This stretch comes in the middle of the season, with two of the team's longest trips sandwiched around a well-placed Week 11 bye. Though they are technically road games, they have a chance to be filled with Patriots fans based on the team's strong presence in Germany (2023 in Frankfurt seemed like a home game) and Los Angeles, giving the matchups a chance to be a catalyst to a strong finish to the year.
Bold prediction
Unlike Super Bowl LX, when the Patriots were handled with relative ease, the opener against the Seahawks will come down to the end of the fourth quarter with New England pulling off the upset ... and the winning touchdown scored by a wide receiver not currently on the roster.
What could be a hidden key for Maye based on the schedule?
Of the weeks in which the Patriots have extra time to prepare for a game because they are playing previously on Wednesday or Thursday, they face some of the NFL's most respected defensive-minded coaches in Patrick Graham (Steelers coordinator), Jeff Hafley (Dolphins head coach) and Steve Spagnuolo (Chiefs coordinator), whose schemes can put added stress on quarterbacks.
That could help Maye, who enters his third NFL season and was the MVP runner-up in 2025.
