London game? When’s the Nashville weekend? Biggest remaining questions ahead of the Eagles schedule release
The Eagles already know their opponents, and know they'll play the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. The timing of the other matchups — and the site of one potential road trip — will be revealed Thursday.
The release of the NFL schedule has become a major annual event on the league calendar, with a primetime show (Thursday, 8 p.m., NFL Network and ESPN2), sometimes humorous team-created videos and the subsequent depth of analysis that has become the rule rather than the exception in the nation’s most popular sport.
It can all be a little bit of sensory overload, so The Inquirer’s Eagles team of Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg and Ryan Novozinsky are sending you into Thursday’s announcement with a handy guide for what to be on the lookout for:
Are the Eagles going to get an international game?
The guess here is yes. There’s a pretty good chance the Eagles end up playing the Jacksonville Jaguars at either Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Wembley Stadium (and a little bit less of a chance they play at Hotspur Stadium vs. Washington).
There’s also a chance they get sent to Mexico City for their road game vs. San Francisco. Those two cities are the only possible international destinations for the Eagles this season.
» READ MORE: 2026 NFL schedule: Cowboys at Giants is Week 1 Sunday night game
Why is London most likely? Besides the obvious of there being three games against the Eagles’ road opponents there, vs. one in Mexico City, history suggests the Jaguars aren’t likely to face one of their AFC South opponents in the United Kingdom. Only eight of the 55 international games have been between divisional opponents. The Jaguars have faced an AFC South foe just twice during their 12-season run of playing games in their second city. That’s not to say that number won’t reach three in 13. The NFL already has a divisional game on the international calendar this year in Australia between the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.
But if the Jags aren’t going to play a divisional team, that eliminates three of their eight home opponents for 2026. Washington, one of the remaining five opponents, already has a London game on the calendar as a host team. That leaves the Eagles, with Cleveland, New England, and Pittsburgh as Jacksonville’s four other “home” opponents.
The Eagles, of course, could end up in Mexico City. It would be a marquee matchup against a playoff rival. Or they could end up with no international games at all. But keep an eye on London and get ready for fish and chips. — Jeff Neiburg
Any chance of another holiday game? What are the other 2026 possibilities?
For the first time since 2015, the Eagles will play a game on Thanksgiving. Fox announced on Monday that the Cowboys will host the Eagles on their network at 4:30 p.m. that day.
» READ MORE: Eagles to play the Cowboys on Thanksgiving this season on Fox
This will be the Eagles’ first Thanksgiving matchup against the Cowboys since 2014, a game Philadelphia won, 33-10. The Eagles also shut out the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in 1989, 27-0, in a game dubbed the “Bounty Bowl.”
The Eagles have played seven times on Thanksgiving since 1939, boasting a 6-1 record. Their lone loss was also their most recent Thanksgiving game in 2015 against the Detroit Lions, 45-14.
With the Eagles set to play on Thanksgiving in Week 12, they are ruled out from playing on what the NFL defines as two other holidays — Black Friday and Thanksgiving Eve. This year, Black Friday could possibly expand from one to two games, Roger Goodell said in December. Additionally, a Thanksgiving Eve game could be introduced in 2026, according to Puck News, with Netflix as the potential streamer.
» READ MORE: How Eagles rookie Uar Bernard prepared for the NFL before playing a down of football
Could Christmas still be in play for the Eagles? It’s possible. Last year, the Cowboys, the Chiefs, and the Lions each played on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It’s also worth noting that last year, four of the six teams that played on Christmas were coming off 2024 playoff seasons (Commanders, Lions, Vikings, and Chiefs). All three games were division rivalry games — Cowboys-Commanders, Lions-Vikings, and Broncos-Chiefs.
Based on that criteria, the Eagles could be a candidate to play on Christmas, especially considering the national appeal of their NFC East rivals (John Harbaugh’s first season with the Giants; former Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker’s first season as defensive coordinator of the Cowboys). History has been kind to the Eagles on Christmas, as the team has won all three of its contests on the holiday. — Olivia Reiner
How many primetime games should we expect for the Birds?
We already know the Eagles will have a national network audience for their Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys, and it’s safe to assume we’ll see them frequently on national TV beyond that matchup.
Matchups with the Commanders and Cowboys are always strong primetime contenders . The Harbaugh-led Giants are expected to take a massive step forward this season too, so one of those matchups will almost surely take place on Thursday, Sunday or Monday night.
Philadelphia’s non-division opponents are easy primetime picks too, as they’re set to face eight playoff teams from 2025, including the Rams, Seahawks, Texans, 49ers, Steelers, Jaguars, Panthers and Bears. As Jeff mentioned, the 49ers game could take place in Mexico City, which would already give them one Monday Night Football game.
In all, I see the Eagles playing five primetime games this season — at the Cowboys, vs. the Rams, vs. the Giants, vs. the Seahawks and at the Bears. — Ryan Novozinsky
Why is that matchup with the Titans important for Eagles fans?
I played in a charity golf outing on Friday, and two of my playing partners — both men in their 60s — asked if I had any insight on the Nashville trip. I don’t, but I do know Eagles fans are really excited for this road trip. You have to imagine there will be some bachelor and bachelorette parties built around this one.
The Eagles haven’t played in Nashville since 2018, and the city’s famous Broadway strip might feel more like Broad Street than Honkytonk, just like Bourbon Street morphs into South Street lite every time the Eagles are in New Orleans.
Besides finding out if they need to get their passports ready, there probably isn’t a road game that has the attention of Eagles fans like the short flight to Nashville does. — Neiburg
What about the 49ers game?
The Eagles will hit the road for a wild-card rematch against the San Francisco 49ers, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year with a 23-19 defeat. But their rivalry transcends that single contest. Ever since the Eagles beat the 49ers in the NFC championship game during the 2022 season, the games between the teams have become highly anticipated.
Where will the game be held this season? The 49ers could host the Eagles at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., or at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City as part of the league’s multi-year commitment to playing games there in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
» READ MORE: How tragedy, near-music stardom, and his beloved hometown helped shape new Eagle Jonathan Greenard
The Eagles haven’t played the 49ers on the road since 2020. They’ve never played in Mexico City, which hosted its first NFL game in 2016.
International marketing rights through the global markets program are not the sole deciding factor on whether a team will play a game in that country. The Eagles, for example, had not yet been awarded the marketing rights to Brazil at the time of their São Paulo game in 2024. Still, both teams that last played in Mexico City in 2022, the 49ers and the Cardinals, counted Mexico among their international home marketing areas when the initiative was launched that year.
Five of the 49ers’ nine home opponents this season have marketing rights in Mexico — the Cardinals, the Rams, the Broncos, the Raiders, and the Dolphins. Could the NFL opt for one of those opponents to play in Mexico City over the Eagles? — Reiner
How many short weeks are the Eagles going to get and how much should it matter?
Nick Sirianni is at his best when he has little time to prepare. Since 2021, the Eagles head coach has an 11-7 record in short weeks. He went 2-2 in 2025, 2-0 in 2024 and 3-1 in both 2023 and 2022. The one blight on his resume is 2021, when the Eagles went 1-3 on short weeks.
All of this is to say: It doesn’t matter how many short weeks the Eagles get in 2026. Sirianni is going to have his club ready to play.
But let’s answer the question anyway. I’m guessing that three of the Eagles’ matchups this season will come on short weeks — one at the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, one vs. the Giants and one at the Bears. Sirianni and Co. will win every game but the Thanksgiving brawl at Jerryworld. — Novozinsky
The Eagles held a rookie minicamp over the weekend, which means that, for the first time this offseason, there are actual on-field football things to talk about. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner were on hand, and share what they learned from practice observations and locker room conversations. Plus, Jeff gives context to the recent departures of two key members of general manager Howie Roseman’s front office staff. Listen here.
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