The wait to find out when the Las Vegas Raiders will play each of their 2026 opponents is almost over.
While the National Football League has not officially announced a release date yet, all signs point to the full 2026 schedule being unveiled in mid-May — continuing a recent trend across the league.
When will the 2026 NFL schedule be released?
Based on recent years and multiple reports, the NFL is expected to release the 2026 regular-season schedule sometime between Tuesday, May 12, and Thursday, May 14.
League insiders have suggested fans should “circle” that window, with the announcement typically coming shortly after the NFL draft concludes.
In 2025, the league revealed its schedule on May 14, continuing a streak of mid-May releases.
Why the date isn’t official yet
The NFL usually finalizes and announces the exact release date during or shortly after draft week. That process allows the league to finalize:
- Prime-time matchups.
- International games.
- Holiday games (Thanksgiving, Christmas).
- Broadcast windows and TV partners.
This season there also is expected to be a pre-Thanksgiving Wednesday night game.
Even though each team’s opponents are already known, the schedule release fills in the details — dates, kickoff times, TV network and marquee matchups.
What Raiders fans already know
The Raiders’ 2026 opponents have been set based on the NFL’s scheduling formula, but the order of games — including home openers, division showdowns and potential prime-time appearances — won’t be revealed until the full schedule drops in May.
We do expect the Raiders to play one international game, possibly vs. the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City, this season.
The 2026 season itself is expected to kick off in early September, with Las Vegas playing its Week 1 game that opening weekend.
Who are the Raiders’ 2026 opponents?
Home (8):
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans
Away (9):
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers
Cleveland Browns
New Orleans Saints
What to expect on release day
Schedule release day has become one of the NFL offseason’s biggest events, often featuring:
- Full broadcast schedule reveals.
- Team-produced social media videos.
- Ticket sale announcements.
- Early betting lines and win totals.
For Raiders fans, it will also provide the first real look at how the team’s 2026 season — and the debut year of its No. 1 overall pick quarterback — will unfold week by week.
Check back in mid-May, when the Raiders’ path through the 2026 season officially becomes clear.
This content was produced with the help of artificial intelligence and edited by Review-Journal staff.
