Football
Fans will have to wait a few more months to watch Chris Stapleton perform his cover of “In the Air Tonight” during ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” games.
The NFL regular season doesn’t begin until Sept. 9, but at least the league’s official schedule release on Thursday night gave fans a taste of what’s to come.
With that in mind, here are the top five “MNF” games for the upcoming season. The list is in chronological order.
Before perusing the list, take a gander at the “MNF” slate below. All games listed are scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
Football Week 1: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (Sept. 14)
The Broncos snapped the Chiefs’ streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles last season, going 14-3 and reaching the AFC Championship Game. New England beat Denver 10-7 in that contest after quarterback Bo Nix broke his right ankle in a 33-30 divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills.
Kansas City will aim to recapture its crown after reloading its offense in free agency. The Chiefs signed running back Kenneth Walker III to a three-year, $43.05M deal this offseason after he won Super Bowl LX MVP with the Seattle Seahawks last season. The RB rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries in Seattle’s 29-13 victory over the Patriots.
The Chiefs don’t need to worry about their passing attack with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion, at the helm. Despite tearing his ACL in December, signs are pointing toward him being ready for Week 1.
Nix underwent a second surgery on his ankle in April, which isn’t ideal, but he’s expected to be ready for the regular season. If he’s 100 percent by Week 1, the QB and new wide receiver Jaylen Waddle could form a dynamic tandem. The WR never finished with fewer than 744 receiving yards in five seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
Perhaps Nix and Mahomes will produce some offensive fireworks to kick off the season.
Football Week 5: Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams (Oct. 12)
Speaking of fireworks, you’re almost always poised to see some when the previous two league MVP winners square off. Bills QB Josh Allen captured MVP during the 2024 season, while Rams QB Matthew Stafford was awarded it during the 2025 season.
Stafford should remain in league MVP conversations after tossing a league-leading 46 touchdown passes last season. WRs Puka Nacua and Davante Adams remain on the roster, giving him a chance to lead the passing category again.
The Bills still lack a bona fide No. 1 WR, despite acquiring WR DJ Moore in a trade with the Chicago Bears this offseason. Moore recorded a career-low 682 receiving yards in 17 games last season.
Allen, however, could continue to carry the Bills offense without elite options in the passing game. The QB had 39 total TDs last season (25 passing, 14 rushing).
Football Week 7: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (Oct. 26)
The Cowboys have missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. However, it appears they may be ready to reignite their NFC East rivalry with Philadelphia after upgrading their 32nd-ranked scoring defense (30.1 points per game) this offseason.
Dallas selected Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs — a potential generational prospect — with pick No. 11 in the 2026 NFL Draft. They also acquired one-time Pro Bowl defensive end Rashan Gary (a former Green Bay Packer) and linebacker Dee Winters (a former San Francisco 49er) to shore up their defensive line and linebacking corps.
Pro Football Reference credited Gary with 31 pressures last season, the second-most in his seven-year career. Winters, meanwhile, logged a career-high 101 tackles (67 solo and 34 assists).
The Eagles remain one of the top teams in the NFC after winning consecutive division titles, but their offense could be in for a downturn. Philadelphia reportedly plans to trade three-time Pro Bowl WR A.J. Brown to the Patriots on or after June 1. It hopes rookie wideout Makai Lemon (pick No. 20) is a suitable replacement, but that’s a big ask for the former USC Trojan.
Football Week 8: Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks (Nov. 2)
The Bears hope third-year QB Caleb Williams takes another step after leading the team to its first playoff win since the 2010 season last season. He threw for 361 yards and two TD passes in a 31-27 NFC wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers. Piloting Chicago to a road win over the defending Super Bowl champions would certainly help.
Although Seattle lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak (now HC of the Las Vegas Raiders), it should remain in championship contention next season. As of Thursday night, FanDuel Sportsbook gives the Seahawks +1000 Super Bowl LXI odds, tied for the second best with the Baltimore Ravens, behind the Rams (+700).
Who could blame the oddsmakers for liking the Seahawks and their stingy defense, headlined by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, LB Ernest Jones IV and safety Nick Emmanwori? The Seahawks ranked No. 1 in the league in points allowed last season (16.9 PPG).
Williams could struggle in this matchup; the QB could also make a statement if he shreds the elite unit.
Football Week 10: Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens (Nov. 16)
This game features two of the best QBs in the NFL and two under the most pressure heading into the 2026 season.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, who is entering his ninth season with the team, still hasn’t reached a Super Bowl. Last season, the two-time league MVP went 6-7 in 13 starts and failed to lead a talented Baltimore team to the playoffs. The club hopes he and the team will return to elite form under new head coach Jesse Minter, a former Chargers defensive coordinator.
At least Jackson (3-5 in the playoffs) has won a postseason game. Chargers QB Justin Herbert, who’s entering his seventh season in L.A., is 0-3 in the playoffs. Two of those losses have come in the past two seasons under HC Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh hired former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel as OC this offseason. McDaniel has said it’s his goal for Herbert to “own the position in a way he never has.” We should see if he is by this point in the season.
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