Commanders to feature in four prime-time games, open 2026 season against rival Eagles

By Liam Griffin - The Washington Times - Thursday, May 14, 2026

The Washington Commanders’ last two seasons ended in Philadelphia against the Eagles, with the 2024 NFC championship game and an uneventful regular-season finale last year.

This year, Washington will open the season on the road in Philadelphia at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13.

The upcoming season marks the first since 2020 that the Commanders play their season opener against the Eagles. Six years ago, Washington overcame a 17-0 deficit against Philadelphia to secure their first win under the temporary “Washington Football Team” moniker.

The NFL released the full 2026 plan on Thursday night as the league looks to build momentum toward its strangest schedule yet. The path to the Super Bowl begins on Wednesday, Sept. 9, as the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of last season’s championship.

The 2026 season will feature games on six of the seven days of the week, including the league’s first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game between the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers on Nov. 25.

Washington’s schedule features seven “standalone” games — four prime-time matchups, a 9:30 a.m. kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and two Saturday games late in the year.

The 2026 schedule features a grueling opening stretch for the Commanders, with road games against the rival Eagles and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 1 and 2 before hosting the defending champion Seattle Seahawks at home in Week 3.

This year, national audiences will see the Commanders for the first time in Week 4, when quarterback Jayden Daniels and a revamped roster take on the Colts in London Oct. 4.

Four of Washington’s next five games will be in primetime, starting with the Week 6 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in the Oct. 19 edition of “Monday Night Football.”

The Commanders will have a bye week in Week 7, their earliest midseason break since 2018.

Washington returns to the 8:20 p.m. window after the week off, taking on the Eagles on Nov. 1 for Week 8’s “Sunday Night Football.”

Following a 1 p.m. kickoff when they host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9, the Commanders return to national television for Weeks 10 and 11. Washington visits the New York Giants for “Thursday Night Football” on Nov. 12 before hosting the Cincinnati Bengals for “Monday Night Football” on Nov. 23.

Last season, NFL officials backloaded the Commanders’ schedule with divisional matchups in each of their final four games. They reversed the pattern in 2026.

Washington opens with an NFC East-heavy slate. The Commanders travel to face the Cowboys in Dallas on Sept. 20, host the Giants for a Week 5 matchup on Oct. 11 and finish their season series against the Eagles in Week 8. Five of the Commanders’ first nine games feature their divisional rivals.

Washington will head west to face the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 29, hitting the road again to square off with the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 6. The Commanders will then host back-to-back home games with a Week 14 game against the Houston Texans on Dec. 13 and a visit from the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 20.

The Commanders then hit the road for a pair of Saturday games: one against the Vikings in Minnesota on Dec. 26 and another against the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Jan. 2.

Washington ends the season at home against the rival Cowboys. The NFL has not provided exact dates or times for the Week 18 matchups, allowing scheduling flexibility to maximize the drama for games with playoff implications on Jan. 9 and 10.

Here is the full 2026 schedule for the Commanders:

Sept. 13 @Eagles, 4:25 p.m.

Sept. 20 @Cowboys, 4:25 p.m.

Sept. 27 Seahawks, 1 p.m.

Oct. 4 Colts, 9:30 a.m. in London

Oct. 11 Giants, 1 p.m.

Oct. 19 @49ers, 8:15 p.m.

Oct. 25 BYE WEEK

Nov. 1 Eagles, 8:20 p.m.

Nov. 8 Rams, 1 p.m.

Nov. 12 @Giants, 8:15 p.m.

Nov. 23 Bengals, 8:15 p.m.