Here's who Detroit Lions will play in 2026: Full opponents list

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We now know the Detroit Lions' 2026 opponents, thanks to the Minnesota Vikings' 16-3 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Jan. 4.

The Lions, who are currently playing the Chicago Bears in their Week 18 regular-season finale, are locked into last place in the NFC North, which finalizes their 17 NFL opponents for the 2026 schedule.

The Lions' 2026 schedule shapes up far easier than it did for 2025 − though the NFL proves yearly it's a league of parity, where teams jump from worst to first or fall from the top spot to the surprise of experts.

The NFL uses a rotation system to make sure each team plays one another at least once every four years, which means the Lions and the rest of the NFC North will face the NFC South and AFC East in crossover games in 2026.

FOLLOW ALONG: Lions vs Bears score today in Week 18

The Lions will visit QB Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the 2026 season.

The Lions get an advantage in their 2026 schedule because the league uses the final regular-season standings to determine three games for each team: Due to the Lions finishing in fourth place in the division, they will face three other teams to also finish last in their respective division.

The Lions, and all NFC teams, will also benefit from nine home games against eight road games in 2026, though the Lions will only have eight at Ford Field: One Lions "home game" will be played internationally.

Here's a look at the Lions' 2026 opponents. The NFL schedule is typically released in May.

Detroit Lions 2026 opponents

2025 record in parenthesis; will be updated.

*Team currently in the NFL playoffs.

Lions home games:

*Chicago Bears (11-5)
*Green Bay Packers (9-7-1)
Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
New Orleans Saints (6-10)
*New England Patriots (14-3)
New York Jets (3-13)
New York Giants (3-13)
Tennessee Titans (3-14)

Lions away games:

*Chicago Bears (11-5)
*Green Bay Packers (9-7-1)
Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
*Carolina Panthers (8-9)
*Buffalo Bills (11-5)
Miami Dolphins (7-9)
Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

Lions 2026 schedule reaction

The Lions' schedule for 2026 should not be as hard as it was in 2025, when they played three extra teams that also finished in first place in their divisions. The Lions this season had 11 games against 2024 playoff teams, with seven coming on the road.

In 2026, the Lions play just seven games against teams that made the playoffs in 2025.

Drake Maye of the New England Patriots scrambles out of the pocket against Matthew Judon of the Miami Dolphins during the second half in the game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The Lions finishing in fourth place in the division means will play three extra fourth-place teams: at the Arizona Cardinals (fourth in NFC West), home against the New York Giants (fourth in NFC East) and home against the Tennessee Titans (fourth in AFC South).

The NFC North plays the AFC East in 2026, meaning the Lions will have games against two AFC Super Bowl contenders with MVP candidate Drake Maye and the New England Patriots visiting Ford Field, and the Lions traveling to play at Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. (The Lions last played in Buffalo in December 2018, a 14-13 Bills win.)

The NFC North also plays the NFC South, the league's worst division with every team finishing below .500. The Lions will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a fourth straight season at Ford Field; they are 2-1 against the Bucs in those games, including a 24-9 win Oct. 20 and a win in the 2023 playoffs.

NFL schedule methodology

Here’s a breakdown of how each team’s opponents are set, per the NFL:

Six games against divisional opponents — two games per team, one at home and one on the road.
Four games against teams from a division within its conference — two games at home and two on the road.
Four games against teams from a division in the other conference — two games at home and two on the road.
Two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference — one game at home and one on the road. Matchups based on division ranking from the previous season.
One game against a nonconference opponent from a division that the team is not scheduled to play. Matchup based on division ranking from the previous season.