Detroit Lions get sixth-easiest 2026 schedule

Sports Illustrated said on May 23 that the Detroit Lions will face the NFL’s sixth-easiest 2026 schedule, based on the combined 2025 records of their opponents. The outlet put Detroit’s opponent winning percentage at.467, a figure it used to rank schedule difficulty after the league released the full 2026 slate. The NFL said the regular-season schedule was released on May 14, giving teams and fans the finalized week-by-week path to September. Detroit’s own schedule announcement shows a season that opens at home against New Orleans on Sept. 13 and includes eight nationally televised games plus a home game in Munich. ### Where does the “sixth-easiest” label come from? Sports Illustrated based the ranking on opponents’ prior-year records, a standard early strength-of-schedule measure used across the NFL after the schedule release. In Detroit’s case, the outlet said the Lions’ 2026 opponents posted a combined.467 winning percentage in 2025. That placed the Lions sixth on the favorable end of the leaguewide rankings, according to the report. (si.com) The.467 figure is a snapshot, not a forecast. Prior-year record rankings are commonly published immediately after the schedule release because they can be calculated before training camp, injuries, roster cuts and in-season changes reshape teams. Sports Illustrated’s Lions coverage repeated that same.467 mark in separate schedule-related pieces published in May. (si.com) ### Why did Detroit draw a lighter slate on paper? The Lions finished 9-8 in 2025 and ended last in the NFC North, according to Sports Illustrated’s team coverage. That matters because the NFL’s formula gives teams same-place games against clubs that finished in the same divisional position in other conferences. Sports Illustrated said Detroit is playing a fourth-place schedule in 2026 because of that finish. (si.com) Detroit still plays its six division games, plus the full NFC South and AFC East rotations, as part of the league’s scheduling formula. Sports Illustrated said the Lions will face seven teams that made the playoffs last season and eight teams that finished with winning records in 2025, even with the lower overall opponent winning percentage. ### What does the actual schedule look like? (si.com) The Detroit Lions said on May 14 that their 2026 regular-season schedule opens Sunday, Sept. 13, against the New Orleans Saints at Ford Field. Week 2 sends Detroit to Buffalo for a Thursday night game on Sept. 17, and the club said the full slate includes eight nationally televised games. The team also said it will play a home game in Munich, Germany, its first international appearance since 2015. (si.com) NFL Football Operations said the full 2026 regular-season schedule was released on May 14 and that Week 18 kickoff times will be set after Week 17. ESPN and NFL.com both carry the Lions’ full 17-game schedule, with dates, opponents and television information. ### How much should fans read into a May strength-of-schedule ranking? The NFL schedule formula is fixed, but opponent quality changes before the season starts. (detroitlions.com) Sports Illustrated’s ranking is tied to 2025 results, not to current rosters or health. That means the “sixth-easiest” label describes how Detroit’s schedule looks on paper in late May, after the schedule release and before preseason changes. (operations.nfl.com) For Detroit, the immediate next milestones are already on the calendar. The Lions open the regular season on Sept. 13 against New Orleans at Ford Field, and Week 18 details will be announced by the NFL after the conclusion of Week 17. (detroitlions.com) (si.com)