The 2026 NFL schedule will be released in full on Thursday, May 14 around 8 p.m. ET. We’ve already seen the Lions awarded the Munich, Germany game in Week 10, and a “Thursday Night Football” trip to Buffalo in Week 2. But what more awaits the Lions’ 2026 schedule?
On this week’s PODcast, we make predictions about what we may seen, give our hopes and dreams for which games are in primetime and who Detroit plays on Thanksgiving. We also discuss whether we believe the Lions will actually have the easiest
schedule in the NFL.
But let’s back up to the Germany game for a second. Earlier this week, it was leaked that the date of the Detroit Lions’ game in Munich is set for November 15—just a mere 11 days before Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day matchup. Earlier this offseason, Lions team president Rod Wood said it was unlikely the team was going to get a bye week after their international game, which means Detroit is likely headed for three games in 11 days. While that isn’t all that uncommon for the Lions during this stretch, having an international game in the midst of that gauntlet is certainly new for them.
At the time of Wood’s statement, it wasn’t clear why the Lions wouldn’t be getting a normally customary bye week following their international game. But with the specific date now set, it’s a little less surprising. The NFL wouldn’t likely give Detroit a 10-day break between games only to have them face off against a Thanksgiving opponent who only had three days’ rest.
That said, it’s not set in stone that the Lions won’t get that Week 11 bye. If, for example, their Thanksgiving opponent also had a Week 11 bye, that would seemingly get rid of the disadvantage for each team while giving Detroit the rest they deserve after an international trip.
On the PODcast, we discuss whether the Lions are getting screwed, where we’d prefer the team’s bye to land, and close out the show with a complete shift in topic. Our final segment overlooks all of the team’s offseason moves on defense and grades how Brad Holmes and company did at each position.
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