With the NFL's 2026 schedule release in the books, let's have a little fun and look at the Detroit Lions schedule by the numbers.
2: The number of times Detroit has opened the season against an NFC South opponent. Both times vs. New Orleans (2000 & 2009).
3: This season will mark the third time the Lions have played an international series regular season contest. Detroit will host New England Nov. 15 in Munich, Germany. Detroit previously played Atlanta in London in 2014 and Kansas City in London in 2015.
4: Primetime games currently on the 2026 schedule – Week 2 at Buffalo (Thursday night), Week 4 at Carolina (Sunday night), Week 15 at Minnesota (Sunday night), Week 16 vs. New York Giants (Monday night).
View photos from offseason workouts on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Detroit Lions defensive back Avonte Maddox (29) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Detroit Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (23) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Christian Izien (27) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jimmy Rolder (41) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard (50) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Payton Turner (92) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein (99) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Keith Abney II (28) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed (4) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyre West (52) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jackson Meeks (13) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Thomas Gordon (82) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (10) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors (25) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Miles Kitselman (84) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy (85) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 18, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
4: Times since the 2000 season the Lions have had a Week 6 bye week. Detroit's been giving a bye week on or before Week 6 on 13 occasions since 2000.
7: Games on this year's schedule against opponents who qualified for the 2025 playoffs: Chicago (2), Green Bay (2), Buffalo, New England, Carolina.
12: The Lions and Panthers have played just 12 times total with Carolina holding an 8-4 advantage in the all-time series. It's the fewest games played against any of Detroit's 2026 opponents.
21: 2026 will mark the 21st time the Lions will play Chicago on Thanksgiving. That's second most behind Green Bay (24) as the most popular Thanksgiving Day opponent for Detroit. The Lions are 9-11 against the Bears all-time on Thanksgiving.
194 & 195: This season will mark the 194th and 195th meetings against the Green Bay Packers. It will be the most games played against a single opponent in franchise history.
.467: Winning percentage of Detroit's 2026 opponents in 2025. Detroit owns the sixth-easiest schedule in 2026 based on opponent winning percentage last season. They trail only Cleveland (.429), New Orleans (.434), Cincinnati (.450), Atlanta (.465) and Indianapolis (.465).
View photos from offseason workouts on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Detroit Lions safety Dan Jackson (17) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Keith Abney II (28) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed (4) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (23) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes (55) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyler Lacy (93) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard (50) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions safety Loren Strickland (24) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive back Aamaris Brown (42) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Eric O'Neill (66) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jimmy Rolder (41) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Payton Turner (92) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein (99) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions edge rusher Derrick Moore (9) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors (25) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Dominic Lovett (19) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (10) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy (85) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Malik Cunningham (15) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Kendrick Law (88) during offseason workouts at the Meijer Performance Center on May 19, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
8,636: Miles the Lions will travel by air from Detroit to Munich and back to Detroit for their Week 10 matchup against New England at FC Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.
19,095: Estimated total miles, per Sports Illustrated, to be traveled for regular season road games by the Lions in 2026, which ranks 16th in the NFL. San Francisco (47,862) is slated to travel the most miles with Carolina (8,641) the fewest. Detroit's longest road trip is Munich (8,636) and their shortest is Buffalo (442).
