The 5 most intriguing matchups on the Eagles 2026 schedule
Thursday evening, we learned the the dates, time and location of all 17 Eagles games in the 2026 season.
In some senses, the NFL schedule release is a genius marketing ploy, one that’s indicative of how strong of a grip the league has on the United States. We’ve known the 17 opponents the Eagles are going to play for months now — all we’ve learned this week is when each matchup will take place.
On the other hand, some matchups take on a greater importance given what time of the year they are played at and whether they are standalone national broadcasts, as opposed to being clustered into the 1 p.m. ET Sunday window.
With that acknowledged, here are the five most intriguing tilts on the 2026 schedule for Nick Sirianni’s squad.
Week 3 @ Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football on Sept. 28 at 8:15 ET
Last season, the Bears came into Philadelphia on Black Friday and upset the Eagles 24-15, a defining win for the former and a deflating loss for the latter.
Part of you thinks that the Bears had so many games break their way late last season that they are going to be a regression candidate in 2026. Then again, Ben Johnson is one of the best offensive minds in the sport, and Caleb Williams only seemed to scratching the surface of his potential last year. After going 11-6 and reaching the Divisional Round a year ago, the Bears are going to be a trendy Super Bowl pick, so this will be an interesting measuring stick for both teams.
Additionally, with talk of the Bears moving to a new stadium, this will likely be one of the final trips the Eagles ever make to the legendary Soldier Field, which opened in 1924.
Week 4 vs. Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4 at 1:00 ET
The second matchup in what will be a telling three-game stretch for the Eagles will see them host Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams, who lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship a year ago and were widely viewed as the second-best team in the sport.
Given that Matthew Stafford is 38 years old, there’s always a chance that he hits a wall this year. But he’s coming off of an MVP season in which he led the NFL in both passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46). At his disposal, he has arguably the best receiver in the NFL in Puka Nacua, along with future Hall of Famer Davante Adams and Kyren Williams, one of the better running backs in the league. Plus, the Rams swung one of the offseason’s biggest trades, acquiring cornerback Trent McDuffie in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. McDuffie will join a defense that also includes Jared Verse, Kobie Turner and Byron Young.
Even though this is an early-season matchup, it could go a long way in determining NFC playoff positioning down the stretch. For what it’s worth, McVay is 1-6 against the Eagles in the regular season in his career.
Week 5 @ Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET
Just because the Eagles are headed to London for the first time since defeating the Jaguars across the pond in October of 2018, this will be a popular destination for fans. Even if you went to the original Eagles London game, this will be at a different location, as the first one was at Wembley Stadium and this time the two squads will meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Even once you get beyond all the pomp and circumstance, this is a great matchup. Liam Coen led the Jaguars to a 13-4 record and AFC South title a year ago, before the Jaguars lost 27-24 to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the postseason. Like the Bears, the Jags are probably going to be a popular dark horse Super Bowl pick.
Also, there needs to be a sequel to this incredible jacket:
Week 15 vs. Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 5:00 ET
They’re the defending Super Bowl Champions. Not much more really needs to be said.
It’s always possible that by this point in the season — particularly given how tough the NFC West is — that the Seahawks have taken a step back and this game isn’t as interesting as it appears now. Although Mike Macdonald seems to have built a great program around the tremendous talent that general manager John Schneider seems to always provide, so don’t count on that.
If anything, this game might decide who the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs is. At least for the Eagles, the game isn’t at Lumen Field.
Week 16 vs. Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football on Christmas Eve at 8:15 ET
This is a matchup of two quarterbacks hoping for rebound seasons, with C.J. Stroud coming off of an even more frustrating season than Jalen Hurts. By this juncture in the season, we’ll have a pretty clear idea of whether either or both has returned to their peak form.
At the very least, you can count on great defense being played in the Christmas Eve matchup at Lincoln Financial Field. Will Anderson was a First-Team All-Pro a year ago, finishing with 12 sacks for the No. 2 rated defense during the regular season.
Hopefully your family doesn’t normally watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Christmas Vacation” on Christmas Eve, or you might be booted to a smaller TV for this Thursday Night Football matchup.
