NFL 2026 schedule offers up these 'Thursday Night Football' gems worth watching

• The 2026 Thursday Night Football schedule begins in Week 2 with the Lions visiting the Bills.
• Thanksgiving Thursday will feature a rivalry game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
• Several key matchups, including Ravens vs. Bengals and Chiefs vs. Rams, highlight the season's Thursday night slate.

It’s always good to have some NFL action on Thursday night to help jumpstart the weekend ahead.

Thursday Night Football's 2026 schedule begins in Week 2 this year when the Detroit Lions travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills at their new Highmark Stadium.

Thanksgiving Thursday features three NFL games including an NFC East rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.

The two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens battle Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Cincinnati on Thursday night in Week 17.

Which Thursday night games are the best during the 2026 regular season? USA TODAY Sports explores the top Thursday night games this year after the NFL's full schedule release:

Top Thursday Night Football games of NFL 2026 schedule

Week 2 (Sept. 17): Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills

The Bills will showcase their new home, Highmark Stadium, in Week 2 against the Lions. The game will be the 2026 season opener for Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" series.

Buffalo’s new Highmark Stadium is a $2.1 billion open-air venue that features a roof canopy that covers more than 60% of attendees. The Bills are also switching from turf to grass, which can be heated.

The Bills had played in their last stadium since 1973.

The new stadium will garner plenty of attention, but the action on the field shouldn’t be a secondary attraction. The Bills and Lions are two contenders in their respective conferences. The last time we saw Josh Allen he was visibly emotional following a tough playoff defeat. Meanwhile, Detroit is looking to rebuild from a disappointing 2025 campaign that had them on vacation during the postseason.

Get every 'Thursday Night Football' game of 2026 with Amazon Prime

Week 12 (Nov. 26): Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

Thanksgiving evening we all get to feast on an NFC East rivalry matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys – two teams worthy of primetime billing.

Late November is when teams start to gear toward the playoffs. Will the Eagles win their third straight division title? Can the Cowboys earn a playoff berth after a two-year hiatus? This Thanksgiving tilt could go a long way in answering both questions. The Eagles have won three of their past four games against Dallas. However, the Cowboys rallied back to defeat Philly in their last meeting. Each game last season was decided by one score.

The Cowboys traded up to draft safety Caleb Downs to aid what was the NFL’s worst pass defense a year ago. The Eagles hired offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to innovate an archaic offense from last year. It’s going to be fascinating to see how these two NFC East rivals fare leading up to this Thanksgiving clash.

Week 13 (Dec. 3): Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams

This game is another sneaky Super Bowl preview.

Week 13 is part of a daunting six-game stretch for the Chiefs. They face the Buffalo Bills, Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers all within the six-week span. The month and a half could determine Kansas City’s playoff fate.

The Rams upgraded their weakest area by adding two former Kansas City cornerbacks in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. McDuffie and Watson’s impact versus their former team is certainly something to watch.

Week 15 (Dec. 17): San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Chargers

A classic Bay vs. L.A. battle.

Jim Harbaugh going against a 49ers franchise he coached to an NFC title and Super Bowl appearance will get plenty of pregame attention. Chargers offense coordinator Mike McDaniel will also face a 49ers organization where he coached under Kyle Shanahan from 2017–2021.

Justin Herbert lost his only career game against San Francisco.

The 49ers have a veteran-laden team that got even better this offseason with the additions of wide receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, as well as linebacker Dre Greenlaw's return.

Health is always a major factor with these two teams as both battled a plethora of roster-altering injuries last year. Hopefully both teams can have good injury luck in 2026.

Week 17 (Dec. 31): Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Bring in the new year with some AFC North football.

The Ravens and Bengals split the season series last year. The Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow rivalry has been one-sided in recent years as Jackson is 11-2 as a starter against the Bengals in his career. Jackson’s compiled 2,868 passing yards and 24 career touchdowns against the Bengals, the most against any opponent.

Cincinnati made a concerted effort to fortify its defense this offseason by trading for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and adding edge Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook as free agent acquisitions. The Bengals have had a difficult time containing Jackson throughout his career.

This game falls on the penultimate week of the regular season, which means there could be division title implications attached.

Full 2026 Thursday Night Football schedule

All games listed will air on Amazon Prime Video. The Week 12 game will take place on Black Friday instead of Thursday to make room for NBC's primetime Thanksgiving game.

• Week 2 – Sept. 17: Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
• Week 3 – Sept. 24: Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons
• Week 4 – Oct. 1: Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 5 – Oct. 8: Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 6 – Oct. 15: Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Week 7 – Oct. 22: Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots
• Week 8 – Oct. 29: Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers
• Week 9 – Nov. 5: Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 10 – Nov. 12: New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders
• Week 11 – Nov. 19: Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
• Week 12 – Nov. 27 (Black Friday): Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos
• Week 13 – Dec. 3: Los Angeles Rams vs. Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 14 – Dec. 10: New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings
• Week 15 – Dec. 17: Los Angeles Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers
• Week 16 – Dec. 24: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Houston Texans
• Week 17 – Dec. 31: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.