Detroit Lions set 2026 preseason dates

The Detroit Lions set the dates, kickoff times and television assignments for their 2026 preseason schedule on May 20, filling in the last missing details from the NFL’s broader schedule release. Detroit will play three exhibition games — two on the road and one at Ford Field — before opening the regular season on Sept. 13 against New Orleans. Lions Wire first reported the finalized preseason slate on Wednesday, and the team’s official schedule page now lists the same dates and broadcast information. The schedule gives Detroit a Thursday opener, a Saturday home game and a Saturday road finale. All three preseason games are listed on the Lions TV Network, according to the team’s official schedule. ### Which teams will Detroit face in the 2026 preseason? Detroit will open the preseason on Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Cincinnati Bengals at 7 p.m. EDT at Paycor Stadium. (lionswire.usatoday.com) The Lions then host the Washington Commanders on Saturday, Aug. 22, at noon EDT at Ford Field. The preseason closes on Saturday, Aug. 29, when Detroit visits the Indianapolis Colts for a 1 p.m. EDT kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium. (detroitlions.com) Lions Wire said the team had already revealed its preseason opponents during the NFL schedule release before announcing the exact dates and kickoff times on May 20. The finalized release turned those matchups into a complete exhibition calendar. ### What changed on May 20? (detroitlions.com) May 20 was the date Detroit attached exact kickoff times and TV information to each preseason game. Lions Wire reported that the Lions “shared finalized dates and kickoff times” for the 2026 preseason schedule after the opponents were already known. The club’s official site also surfaced a “Lions announce 2026 preseason schedule” item and now shows the completed preseason slate on its schedule page. (lionswire.usatoday.com) The official Detroit Lions schedule page lists each preseason game with venue, start time and network. That page places the Bengals game in Week 1, the Commanders game in Week 2 and the Colts game in Week 3 of the preseason. ### Where will the games air? All three Detroit preseason games are listed on the Lions TV Network. The Lions’ official 2026 schedule page shows that designation next to the Aug. 13 game at Cincinnati, the Aug. 22 home game against Washington and the Aug. 29 game at Indianapolis. (lionswire.usatoday.com) The Lions’ site also maintains a separate radio and TV network section for team programming and broadcasts. (detroitlions.com) The preseason schedule itself, though, is where the team has posted the specific network assignment for each exhibition game. ### How does the preseason line up with the regular season opener? Sept. 13 is the date of Detroit’s regular-season opener, with the Lions scheduled to host the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. (detroitlions.com) EDT at Ford Field. That leaves a two-week gap between Detroit’s final preseason game at Indianapolis on Aug. 29 and the start of the regular season. The 2026 schedule also includes Detroit’s Nov. 15 game against the New England Patriots in Munich, Germany, and eight nationally televised regular-season games, according to the team’s May 14 schedule release. (detroitlions.com) ### Where can fans check for updates? Detroit’s official 2026 schedule page is the team’s live schedule hub and now includes the full preseason and regular-season calendar. (detroitlions.com) Lions Wire’s May 20 report also published the complete preseason slate with dates, times and TV details. Aug. 13 is the next preseason date on the calendar, when Detroit opens exhibition play at Cincinnati before returning to Ford Field on Aug. 22 to face Washington. (detroitlions.com 1) (detroitlions.com 2)