Nfl Schedule Release: Seahawks, Chiefs Lead Top 10 Games

NFL.com put the nfl schedule release spotlight on its top 10 games of the 2026 season before the order is revealed next Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. The list is built around repeat headliners: the Seahawks and the Patriots each show up three times, while the Rams, Chiefs, Ravens and Bills appear twice.

Seahawks-Rams In Seattle

The Seahawks-Rams meeting in Seattle drew the top billing, and the choice starts with what happened there last season. Two of the teams’ three epic meetings were played in Seattle, including the Week 16 battle at Lumen Field that NFL Media ranked No. 1 on its 2025 Game of the Year list.

That game went to overtime, and Seattle finished it on its third two-point conversion in the final 15 minutes. The win gave the Seahawks a major edge in the race for the NFC’s top seed, while the Rams dropped to the fifth seed after the loss.

The rematch came down to the final play, and Seattle won again before advancing to Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks then won the title handily, which is why the next meeting lands on the short list before the schedule is even ordered.

Chiefs-Bills At New Highmark

The Chiefs-Bills matchup carries a different weight. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are again at the center of it, and the game is being framed as one of the showcase battles at new Highmark Stadium.

Kansas City enters with extra pressure after Mahomes’ torn ACL and the Chiefs missing the playoffs, while Travis Kelce is heading into what could be his final NFL season. Buffalo also arrives with its own edge after losing the division last season and failing to cash in on a wide-open AFC playoff field.

The rivalry has stayed tight over the long term and lopsided in the games that matter most. The Chiefs and Bills have met 10 times in the 2020s, split those games 5-5, but Buffalo owns a 5-1 regular-season series edge while Kansas City is 4-0 in playoff matchups.

Patriots And The Rest

The Patriots’ three appearances keep them in the same tier as Seattle on this list, which is why the opening ranking feels less like a teaser and more like a preview of the season’s biggest stages. The Rams, Chiefs, Ravens and Bills each landed twice, and six more teams were included once.

Fans will not get the full game order until next Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, when the schedule release airs on NFL Network, ESPN2, the App and NFL+. Until then, the list already points to the matchups the league expects to carry the most weight before the first kickoff is even set.