CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Carolina Panthers) - The NFL took notice of the Panthers last year.
And now national television audiences will get a chance to as well.
The Panthers have three prime-time games among the schedule released by the league Thursday night, and will open and close the season at home — a rarity in recent years.
Playing three night games (not including the TBDs in Week 16 and 18) marks their most prime time appearances since they had five in 2016 — the year following their 15-1 Super Bowl run.
They’ll host the Lions on Sunday Night Football in Week 4, travel to Green Bay for a Thursday Night Football game in Week 8, and play at Tampa Bay on Monday Night Football in Week 12.
The Panthers had just one prime time game last year (the MNF appearance at San Francisco), and had none in 2024. They had a pair in Bryce Young’s rookie year of 2023, and single games in 2022 and 2021.
It’s also their first appearance on Sunday Night Football since 2016.
Complete 2026 Panthers schedule
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_All times Eastern_
Week
Date
Opponent
Time
TV
HOF Game
Thursday, Aug. 6
Arizona (in Canton, Ohio)
8 p.m.
NBC
Pre 1
Saturday, Aug. 15
at Buffalo
1 p.m.
Panthers TV Network
Pre 2
Friday, Aug. 21
at Jacksonville
7:30 p.m.
Panthers TV Network
Pre 3
Friday, Aug. 28
Houston
7 p.m.
Panthers TV Network
Week 1
Sunday, Sept. 13
Chicago
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 2
Sunday, Sept. 20
at Atlanta
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 3
Sunday, Sept. 27
at Cleveland
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 4
Sunday, Oct. 4
Detroit
8:20 p.m.
NBC
Week 5
BYE WEEK
Week 6
Sunday, Oct. 18
at Philadelphia
1 p.m.
CBS
Week 7
Sunday, Oct. 25
Tampa Bay
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 8
Thursday, Oct. 29
at Green Bay
8:15 p.m.
Amazon
Week 9
Sunday, Nov. 8
Denver
1 p.m.
CBS
Week 10
Sunday, Nov. 15
at New Orleans
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 11
Sunday, Nov. 22
Baltimore
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 12
Monday, Nov. 30
at Tampa Bay
8:15 p.m.
ESPN
Week 13
Sunday, Dec. 6
at Minnesota
4:25 p.m.
CBS
Week 14
Sunday, Dec. 13
New Orleans
1 p.m.
CBS
Week 15
Sunday, Dec. 20
Cincinnati
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 16
TBD
at Pittsburgh
TBD
TBD
Week 17
Sunday, Jan. 3
Seattle
1 p.m.
Fox
Week 18
TBD
Atlanta
TBD
TBD
The schedule also includes a Week 1 opener at Bank of America Stadium against the Bears, and a Week 18 finale against the Falcons at home, which is part of four of their last five games being played here.
They don’t play more than two games in a row at home or on the road at any point in the season.
They also have a Week 5 bye, which is far earlier than in years, when they didn’t get breaks until late November or later. They’ve only had a bye earlier than Week 11 once in the last six seasons.
While Week 5 might be considered early in the context of an 18-week regular season, the Panthers also have an extended preseason to consider.
By virtue of playing in the Hall of Fame Game — coinciding with Luke Kuechly’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — the Panthers get an extra preseason game. That means the bye hits in Week 10 of 23 if you consider the whole time they’re playing games, meaning the break is closer to the middle.
By virtue of winning the NFC South last year, the Panthers play a “first-place schedule,” though only three games are different than the rest of their division foes.
And with those three games by seed against other division winners (Broncos, Seahawks, Eagles), the Panthers play a total of six games against 2025 playoff teams (along with the Bears, Packers, and Steelers, and those three will all play the rest of the NFC South).
While at least three prime time games are on the schedule now, that could change (\*) as the season develops.
After the Hall of Fame Game, the Panthers play their remaining three preseason games against playoff teams from last year.
They play at Buffalo and Jacksonville in the first two weeks of the normal preseason (meaning they’ll play in the first game in the Bills’ new stadium), before closing the preseason at home against Houston.
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