The Carolina Panthers, coming off a NFC South division title, will play at least three primetime games during the 2026 season, according to the NFL schedule released Thursday night. It is the franchise's most primetime games in a single season since 2016.

Carolina will open the 2026 season against the Chicago Bears, another playoff team in 2025. The Panthers face the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 3 in Charlotte.

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The Panthers will take on Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 4 (Week 4) on Sunday Night Football. That game will be on WRAL.

Carolina's other primetime games are in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football and in Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

The Panthers play two games against fellow NFC South members Atlanta, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. Carolina plays all four teams from the NFC North (Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota) and the AFC North (Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh). The Panthers will play the other two first-place finishers in the NFC (Philadelphia and Seattle) and the first-place finisher in the AFC West (Denver) for its 17 games.

Carolina has nine home games and eight road games. It doesn't play an international contest.

Carolina went 8-9 in 2025. The Panthers lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the playoffs. 

2026 Preseason

Hall of Fame Game: Thursday, Aug. 6 vs. Arizona in Canton, Ohio at 8 p.m. 

Preseason: Saturday, Aug. 15, at Buffalo at 1 p.m.

Preseason: Friday, Aug. 21, at Jacksonville at 7:30 p.m. 

Preseason: Friday, Aug. 28 vs. Houston at 7 p.m.

2026 Regular Season

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 13 vs. Chicago at 1 p.m. 

  • Lea: Bryce Young vs Caleb Williams! Two number one overall picks duking it out at Bank of America Stadium. That will be a huge game for the Panthers and it could be a great coming out moment for Bryce Young who's pro career hasn't been as heralded as Williams' career.
    • Fernandez: A tight connection with Chicago in this one. In 2023, the Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers. Carolina used it to get quarterback Bryce Young, in turning giving Chicago the 2024 first-round pick, which turned into No. 1 overall and quarterback Caleb Williams.

      Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 20, at Atlanta at 1 p.m. 

      • Lea: Big test on the road early on with the Panthers taking on a divisional rival in Week 2. A great chance for the team to steal an early road win and start to establish dominance in the NFC South.
        • Fernandez: A start to divisional play with a home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta has the worst odds in the NFC South, so if preseason prognosticators are right, Carolina could start 1-0 in the NFC South. Who is starting at QB for Atlanta: Michael Penix or former Miami Dolphin Tua Tagovailoa?

          Week 3: Sunday, Sept 27, at Cleveland at 1 p.m. 

          • Lea: The Browns have been down the last few seasons but have the makings of a team that could pull off an upset. The Panthers should try to take care of business and steal another win on the road.
            • Fernandez: Another early season game, another team with quarterback questions. Did Shedeur Sanders do enough in his rookie starts to grab hold of the reins in Cleveland? Is Deshaun Watson healthy enough (and good enough) to be the signal caller for the Browns? This team's starting to build up some young talent with rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and second-year tight end/playmaker Harold Fannin Jr.

              Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 4 vs. Detroit at 8:20 p.m. (WRAL)

              • Lea: Sunday Night Football on WRAL! Doesn't get any better than this. Great opportunity for the Panthers to show that they've arrived by playing a team who's been hot the last few seasons, even though the Lions had a down year last season. If you get a big win in Prime Time, that really changes the national narrative around this team.
                • Fernandez: The Detroit Lions were a significantly better team (on paper) than their 9-8 record would indicate. This will be the first national exposure of the season for the Panthers, do they play better than their only primetime game in the regular season last year - a 20-9 Monday Night Football loss to the San Francisco 49ers? This will be a barometer game for Carolina in the NFC.

                  Week 5: Bye Week 

                  • Lea: I don't like how early the Bye is, but take the rest!
                    • Fernandez: Very early in the season! Could be frustrating if late-season injuries start to bite.

                      Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 18, at Philadelphia at 1 p.m. 

                      • Lea: It starts to become a tough stretch here. The Panthers take on a tough Philly team on the road as the Eagles try to get back to Super Bowl contention. Showing up in this game could do wonders for the Panthers season outlook.
                        • Fernandez: The few weeks after the bye are when we will really find out if this Panthers team is taking strides. The last time the Philadelphia Eagles finished with less than double-digit wins was 2021. The last time the Carolina Panthers had double-digit wins was 2017. The Eagles have been THE TEAM in the NFC for the past few years. This game will test the additions to Carolina's trenches.

                          Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 25 vs. Tampa Bay at 1 p.m. 

                          • Lea: Coming back home to take on a divisional foe will be huge in this spot. The Panthers were able to beat the Bucs at home in 2025 and it should be a priority in 2026 as they try to continue to establish dominance in the Division.
                            • Fernandez: Carolina split the season series with Tampa Bay, ultimately needing the help of the New Orleans Saints to edge the Buccaneers out of the NFC South title. No more Mike Evans at wide receiver for Tampa, but Emeka Egbuka could take a huge leap in his second season. The Bucs are the odds-on favorite to win the division.

                              Week 8: Thursday, Oct. 29, at Green Bay at 8:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime)

                              • Lea: Short turn around but another opportunity to show the nation is this team is truly legit in Prime Time. Last year the Panthers stole a game at Green Bay and they can try to do that again in 2026.
                                • Fernandez: This ends a brutal three-game stretch, heading north on a quick turnaround to face the Packers. Last year, the Panthers pulled a late-season upset against Green Bay at Lambeau Field, winning 16-13. Running back Rico Dowdle, who's now with the Steelers, ran for 130 yards and two scores.

                                  Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 8 vs. Denver at 1 p.m. 

                                  • Lea: Tough match up against a legit Super Bowl contender here at home. The Denver Broncos led by Sean Payton will be a tough out, but this game will be a measuring stick for the Panthers to see if they can contend with one of the NFL's best.
                                    • Fernandez: The Panthers get a mini-bye and then have to host a team that was probably a healthy quarterback away from the Super Bowl. The addition of former Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in the offseason makes this team DANGEROUS. It's at this point in the year when you really start to feel the weight of this first-place schedule. Hosting a west-coast team is nice at least.

                                      Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 15, at New Orleans at 1 p.m. 

                                      • Lea: The Panthers traditionally aren't very good on the road at New Orleans and they dropped both games against the Saints last season. If they have established dominance and won their first two Division games of the season and can come into the Big Easy and get a win in Week 10, the Panthers will for sure be atop of the NFC South at this point in the season.
                                        • Fernandez: The Panthers lost both games to the Saints, scoring a combined 24 points in the two contests, and last year's Saints team was not very good. You'll hear a lot of talking heads say this Saints team is a sleeper for the season, especially with the weapons they're putting around second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. 

                                          Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 22 vs Baltimore at 1 p.m. 

                                          • Lea: Lamar Jackson and the Ravens should be in a groove with their new head coach and offensive coordinator at this point of the season. Can the Panthers contain their running attack with Derrick Henry? Can they keep Lamar Jackson from dicing up their defense on his feet? A huge 'prove it' game for Carolina here.
                                            • Fernandez: Will the Ravens be healthy by the time this one rolls around? If Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are playing like themselves, this defense will be tested. Speaking of defense, first-year head coach Jesse Minter could be the best new coach out of the bunch. Speaking of new coaches, the Panthers play the entire AFC North this year, three of the four teams in that division have new coaches. Advantage, Carolina?

                                              Week 12: Monday, Nov. 30, at Tampa Bay at 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)

                                              • Lea: Back against a Divisional rival and back on prime time TV. Great opportunity for the Panthers to once again have a great showing as they lost on MNF last season versus the 49ers.
                                                • Fernandez: Game 2 against Tampa, and this time it's Monday Night Football on the road. If things go Carolina's way, this could be the game to take a late lead in the division.

                                                  Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 6, at Minnesota at 4:25 p.m. 

                                                  • Lea: Potentially one of the more winnable road games for the Panthers this season with the Vikings trying to come back from a tough outing in 2025. However Minnesota should be much improved. This may come down to the Panthers secondary (Jaycee Horn) versus Justin Jefferson, one of the best wide receivers in the league.
                                                    • Fernandez: After a phenomenal 2024 regular season (14-3) the Vikings started off 4-8 last season before rattling off five wins in a row. Quarterback play really dragged them down at times, is it Kyler Murray's turn to get a career rejuvenation with Kevin O'Connell?

                                                      Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 13 vs New Orleans at 1 p.m. 

                                                      • Lea: Back at home against the Saints which was one of the disappointing home losses in 2025. Back to the theme from earlier: "Establish Dominance in the division."
                                                        • Fernandez: Game 2 against the Saints. You have to imagine the division as a whole improves. This could decide postseason fates.

                                                          Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20 vs Cincinnati at 1 p.m. 

                                                          • Lea: Great opportunity to see how much the Panthers defense has improved versus one of the best quarterbacks and wide receiving corps in the NFL. If Carolina can contain Joe Burrow and crew and defend home turf, this could be a big momentum win late in the season.
                                                            • Fernandez: Just like with the Baltimore game, is the quarterback (Joe Burrow) healthy? If he is and this defense is just league average, this could be a game the Panthers will need Bryce Young to show he can compete with the top tier signal callers.

                                                              Week 16: TBD at Pittsburgh 

                                                              • Lea: Last road game of the season and one where the defense needs to step up. Former Panther Rico Dowdle wanted the big contract and role to stay with the Panthers, but they let him walk instead. Now that he's with the Steelers, will he unleash on his former team? We saw how he unleashed versus Dallas last season with the Panthers. Carolina can not afford to let him run loose.
                                                                • Fernandez: The Steelers started to show their age last season at this time of the year, but does new weapons and a Aaron Rodgers/Mike McCarthy reunion cure things? Don't forget - potential Rico Dowdle revenge game. Important note - this is the only road game the Panthers have in the final five games of the season. If you're competing for a playoff spot, that will be a HUGE help.

                                                                  Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 3 vs Seattle at 1 p.m. 

                                                                  • Lea: The Super Bowl Champs come to town once again. Huge litmus test for the Panthers late in the season as teams are trying to solidify their spots in the playoffs. Can you prove you're among the best in the league, especially the defending champs?
                                                                    • Fernandez: A January matchup against the Super Bowl champions is a thrilling way to start wrapping up the season. Carolina was in a defensive fist fight in the first half against Seattle when they played late last year. Then the Seahawks outscored the Panthers 24-7 in the second half. Seattle's team-building model is what Carolina needs to follow to have success.

                                                                      Week 18: TBD vs Atlanta 

                                                                      • Lea: Once again, establish dominance versus the division. Potentially a 'win and you're in' division scenario for the Playoffs for the Panthers here. It's to their advantage that it will be at Bank of America Stadium.
                                                                        • Fernandez: A division matchup to end the season. Are the Falcons sneaky good? Or are they competing for a top-five pick in the draft?