Early 2026 Bills NFL Schedule Thoughts

[corta765]

The Super Bowl is this week and I do not care I am already onto 2026 lol. As the schedule dude and specialist I have started looking at 2026 already and how things could/may shake down for the Bills and NFL in general. Here are my early thoughts and updates on some things for yall to prepare and get ready for.

 

NFL Schedule Tidbits

• The 2026 season it is the NFCs turn to host 9 home games and the AFC is home for 8 by comparison so don't get mad when we the Bills have less home games it is just our turn.
• The league is sticking with 17 games and 1 bye still with the season opening late as Labor Day is not until September 7th so opening night will not be until Thursday the 10th
• Last year the NFL opened with Dallas at Philly, then had the Brazil Friday game with the Chargers at Chiefs, before a regular Sunday slate of games, and one Monday night game. I would expect a similar layout this year again with one Monday night game with the doubleheader being the week after and a game Friday but not in Brazil because..
• The NFL is going to Australia for better or probably worse. The Rams will be the home team and from what I have read the NFL plans on doing the game week 1 so teams travel and rest is not nearly as impacted as doing it during a normal week. The rumor is the NFL plans on using a team from the NFC West as it will limit the travel component, but that is not set in stone. The Rams non NFC West schedule includes hosting Green Bay, LA Chargers, & Buffalo. I doubt the Bills get this game (famous last words right) as the league typically tries to be somewhat respectful from throwing new coaches in the fire that fast and the preference is west coast.. but who knows.
• Speaking of international games the NFL is up to 9 for next season with one game in Australia, one game in Paris for the first time between the Saints & Browns (Cleveland is home, lucky French people), three games in in England split between Wembley Stadium & Tottenham Stadium in England, one game in Brazil again, one game in Germany again, one game in Spain, and one game in Mexico. This would mean that there are 17 spots open for NFL teams as the Jags play two games a year in London. The NFL has not so quietly made it a goal to eventually have every team play an overseas game each year and they are at the point of getting half the league to do so.
• Either Seattle or New England will open the NFL season so there is absolutely a chance if the Patriots win the Bills could play on opening night. Even if the Patriots lose the Super Bowl there is a solid chance they play on Friday, Sunday, or Monday as the last two seasons the Super Bowl loser has played in Brazil and it is very common the runner up plays in a primetime game. 
• Adding a little more fuel to the fire Seattle host New England next season so that is another fun subplot in the making. Additionally the Seahawks will obviously rematch the Rams home and away, but the Patriots host the Broncos in a rematch of the AFC title.
• The NFL schedule was released last year on May 14 as the league unfortunately pushed it back further compared to their prior end of April/start of May window. I would guess they probably do similar this year, but leaks will come & the international opponents usually come out much earlier throughout Spring.
• Finally Christmas is on a Friday this year which means Christmas eve is on a Thursday which means I would prepare for game from Thursday all the way through Monday with one to two on Saturday. The NFL has been during a three pack on Christmas Day but I could see the NFL spreading out their inventory to maximize each game and day. If I was  a betting man I would say one game Christmas Eve, two games Christmas Day, and two games Saturday 12/26. That still leaves 10 games you can spread out on Sunday with one game saved for Monday night football.

 

Bills Schedule Tidbits

• First off whatever we have come use to in terms of how the Bills had schedule games is gone. Typically the Bills usually had a schedule that was front loaded at home, road in the middle, before the last 5-6 weeks having 3-4 home games to finish strong. Coaches have a larger say in the teams wishlist for how the schedule is created and McD certainly had his preference which you could see over his time here.
• The Bills under McD also did not mind back to back games at night on the road with short turn around time or doing the Sunday night game with a Thursday night game following. The league in the end does what it wants, but McD typically was ok with this otherwise you would've seen that change year over year.
• So will Bradys first game be at home or on the road? The Bills have opened at home the last two years and the league does try to flip flop opening home and away year by year. That is not a hard set rule by the league and the Bills have been at home to open the last two years. BUT the prior two times the Bills opened at home in back to back years (07 DEN/08 SEA & 2020 NYJ /21 PIT) they went on the road the following year (09 at NE & at 22 LAR). My guess is the Bills are on the road but in a 1pm slot against someone like the Jets
• So when is the first home game in the new stadium? The NFL considers new NFL stadium opening to be a major event and they make sure it is a primetime game. Opening week 2 on SNF or MNF allows the Bills a little extra time to prepare for the first game while still giving a major tent pole game for the team and networks. Matchup wise the Bills host plenty of attractive teams such as the Patriots, Ravens, Chiefs, Bears, and Lions.
• If the Patriots win the Super Bowl the Bills will certainly be considered as one of the teams for the opener, but I do think with the NFL wanting to give the Bills a game at primetime for the new stadium & the list of Patriot opponents (Broncos, Packers, Steelers) that easily can be a nice draw the odds of the Bills are probably lower then most years. Still it would be on brand for the NFL to force the Bills in New England opening night only to then go home week 2 for another night game against the Ravens or Chiefs.
• Speaking of primetime I would buckle up for another Fall of long nights as the Bills play the following playoff teams from 2025: Patriots, Broncos, Bears, Chargers, Rams, Texans, & Packers. Additionally the Chiefs, Ravens, & Lions are also on docket who will all be looking to rebound after disappointing 2025 seasons. The league says a team can be in 6 primetime games (overseas does count as primetime as does holiday games) plus a flex week 18 for the final week. I would expect quite a few 4 pm games again, 4-5 night games, probably a game overseas, and a game in some holiday window. My only wish is not having four of our first six games on primetime and the schedule having primetime games spaced out a bit more. One can dream right?
• How Bills or McD or Beane or all of them managed to keep the Bills out of playing on Christmas or Thanksgiving the last few years is kind of wild considering the NFL puts all of its premier draws in those windows. The last time the Bills played on in a holiday window was Detroit on Thanksgiving in 2022. Expect one of your holidays this season to have the Bills playing, pray it isn't both which the NFL has done to many teams.
• Bills in Germany? On December 12th the NFL Operations crew tweeted the league is coming back to Munich in 2026 & 2028. The helmet posted next to the NFL picture? The Bills with a Germany logo on the back. Take that for what it is worth but I would expect the Bills to be overseas this year as a road team (they do not give up a home game as they only have 8 and teams give up a home game only when they have 9).
• International wise it feels like the Bills have avoided that headache for the last two years but it feels like this year they will end up back across the pond whether it is Germany or elsewhere. With 17 spots available and the Bills having Josh Allen it would be surprising to see them not get a game after not being there since 2023 which was Josh's only game overseas. The Bills in general have been abroad just twice since the international games started (2015 ugh & 2023 major ugh) and as the NFL increases the amount of games abroad there will be no running for cover. Europe would be far better then Brazil or Australia though.
• Finally the Bills will have two home preseason games this year because they have 8 home games in the regular season meanining Bills Mafia will get two opportunities to check out the new digs before the actual first home game of the regular season. I expect both games to border on sellout and prices to be the highest any preseason game will ever see.

 

[boco357]

I definitely think the Bills will open at home with new stadium on Sunday Night Football.

 

 

[DJB]

Edited February 4 by DJB

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

If we play, I'd definitely go to any of the European cities or Australia.  Not so much Rio or Mexico City.

[Kincaid Kool-Aid]

1 minute ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

If we play, I'd definitely go to any of the European cities or Australia.  Not so much Rio or Mexico City.

Mexico City is incredible. I’d absolutely go back if they played there.

[416BillsFan]

There won't be a Friday game in week 1 this year. The Sports Broadcasting Act states that they can only do a Friday game if it's the first week of September.

[Gregg]

I want the first home game in the new place to be against the Jets. This way the Bills have an excellent chance to start off with a win at the new Highmark.

[corta765]

6 minutes ago, 416BillsFan said:

There won't be a Friday game in week 1 this year. The Sports Broadcasting Act states that they can only do a Friday game if it's the first week of September.

Watch them use the loophole of the game is not in the US. Also with Australia and the time difference I could see the game played Saturday when it is Sunday in Australia.

[SoonerBillsFan]

I don't want the Bills overseas period, but Goddell is hell bent on that BS.  That said, I predicted a losing record when the schedule was first finalized because of the road schedule and McDermotts record on the road.

 

Now?  

 

I say to every one of the 31 other teams...

 

[US Egg]

Quite the opus magnum for a Bills schedule.

[BuffaloBillyG]

I know it's not their turn in the rotation, but the Bills playing the Patriots in the final week would make a ton of sense. 

[Metal Man]

Just hope the @Vegas game doesn't get chosen as an international candidate.

 

I imagine a lot of Bills fans are marking that one as a potential road trip and would love to see Bills mafia taking over the strip.

[corta765]

21 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

I know it's not their turn in the rotation, but the Bills playing the Patriots in the final week would make a ton of sense. 

I fully expect we are either in NE or home week 18 as it could be a game for the division.

 

The NFL always guesses who they think for the week 18 divisional matchups will be the best chance for a division show down unless they think one team will runaway with it (which is why we got the jets last year not NE week 18. Same happened in 2021 where we played NE a few weeks earlier for the division, but in 2022 then week 18 was in Buffalo vs NE).

[SoonerBillsFan]

7 minutes ago, corta765 said:

I fully expect we are either in NE or home week 18 as it could be a game for the division.

 

The NFL always guesses who they think for the week 18 divisional matchups will be the best chance for a division show down unless they think one team will runaway with it (which is why we got the jets last year not NE week 18. Same happened in 2021 where we played NE a few weeks earlier for the division, but in 2022 then week 18 was in Buffalo vs NE).

Agreed and it should be at our place this time

[Breakout Squad]

I don’t worry about the opponents other than wanting ‘tougher’ teams at home. The way the schedule is made you pretty much know your opponents years in advance minus the division winners. It’ll be alright 😎

[Kirby Jackson]

2 hours ago, boco357 said:

I definitely think the Bills will open at home with new stadium on Sunday Night Football.

 

 

Vs. Pats

[TheFunPolice]

Nobody wants to hear it but CIN and KC will be back with a vengeance. 

 

Burrow was 5-3 as a starter even with a down year this season, and one of those 3 losses only came because he threw those INTs against us because we could not stop them all day. If he can stay healthy they will be a problem, especially given that division which is a tire fire. They have the 10th overall pick. 

 

KC will be right back to being KC. 9th overall pick in the draft to get roster help, Bienemy back to play the bad cop to Reid's good cop, and just the reality that Mahomes is not just not going to be good at football anymore because he had 1 bad year and got hurt. He'll be back and that team will be revamped. 

 

Almost every 2026 game is against a team that should be very good. Should prepare us well for the playoffs though! I'm looking forward to it. 

 

[Kirby Jackson]

2 hours ago, Metal Man said:

Just hope the @Vegas game doesn't get chosen as an international candidate.

 

I imagine a lot of Bills fans are marking that one as a potential road trip and would love to see Bills mafia taking over the strip.

I tossed it out to “the guys” fully expecting it to be embraced like we were 27. It went like this, “we should do a guy’s trip to Vegas for the game next year. We’ll play golf, party, etc…” The immediate, and  somewhat unexpected response, “bro, we are dads in our 40’s. I don’t think we’re made for Vegas anymore. Maybe we get a house in Green Bay instead?” That’s the oldest I’ve felt in a long time.

[Bills Fan in MD]

The bright side of the Bills having a tough schedule next year is that the Patriots' schedule will be a little harder.  If they're not already exposed as frauds on Sunday next year will be a rude awakening for that fan base.

[Mike in Horseheads]

3 hours ago, 416BillsFan said:

There won't be a Friday game in week 1 this year. The Sports Broadcasting Act states that they can only do a Friday game if it's the first week of September.

Nobody follows any laws anymore.