Schedule rumors: Lions add at least 3 more primetime games
· Yahoo Sports
Three more leaks have been reported regarding the 2026 Detroit Lions schedule.
First, it appears the Lions will host the New York Giants on “Monday Night Football” in Week 16, per several Giants sources—Art Stapleton appeared to be first. That game will be on Monday, December 28 at Ford Field. The Giants are starting anew after firing Brian Daboll last year. With former Ravens coach John Harbaugh now running the show, there is certainly some optimism in New York. Last year, the Giants and Lions faced off in an overtime thriller that Detroit ended up winning, 34-27. In their historic series, the Lions hold a 26-21-1 edge over the Giants over 48 games played between the two teams.
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Moving to the NFC North, it’s also rumored that Detroit will head to Minnesota for a “Sunday Night Football” matchup with the Vikings in Week 15, per LionsRoyalty. It will be interesting to see how competitive the Vikings are with Kyler Murray now added to their quarterback room to compete with J.J. McCarthy. While Minnesota had a tough season last year, they took care of business against the Lions, sweeping Detroit in 2025.
The other rumored Lions primetime game will be on the road. The Carolina Panthers will reportedly host the Lions in Week 4 for a “Sunday Night Football” matchup, as reported first by Twitter user LionsRoyalty. Notable about this game is that it will be the first primetime home game for the Panthers since 2023, and their first appearance on “Sunday Night Football” since 2016. They’re a team that appears to be on the rise after breaking their seven-year playoff drought last season with a Wild Card appearance.
The good news for the Lions here is that this will be a road, outdoor game scheduled for October 4. As you may remember the last time the Lions faced the Panthers on the road, the weather was an entire thing. Back on Christmas Eve of 2022, it was unusually cold in Charlotte and the turf conditions were terrible, leading the NFLPA to field a grievance against the league for forcing both teams to play in unsafe conditions. But, hopefully, in early October, the conditions won’t be as bad.
Too long; didn’t read:
- Lions at Panthers — Week 4, Sunday Night Football
- Lions at Vikings — Week 15, Sunday Night Football
- Lions vs. Giants — Week 16, Monday Night Football
This is all in addition to the already-confirmed “Thursday Night Football” game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.
Check out all of the latest 2026 Detroit Lions schedule leaks, rumors and news here.