Monday Night Football 2026: Schedule, Dates, Times, TV Channels & Season Preview

Monday Night Football returns on September 14, 2026, when the Denver Broncos travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC West opener carrying real injury intrigue. Both starting quarterbacks-Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix-are working back from significant injuries, giving the first Monday Night Football broadcast of the season genuine stakes beyond the usual primetime hype. Across the next 17 weeks, Monday Night Football delivers a mix of marquee quarterback duels, division rematches, and a reigning Super Bowl champion hosting twice. Below is the full schedule, broadcast breakdown, biggest games, team appearance data, fantasy and betting angles, and a complete FAQ section-everything needed in one place without bouncing between five different sites.

When Does Monday Night Football Start in 2026?

Monday Night Football starts on September 14, 2026, with the Denver Broncos visiting the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, airing on both ESPN and ABC. There is no preseason edition of Monday Night Football-the slot stays dark until the regular season begins, and this AFC West opener carries extra weight given that both starting quarterbacks are working back from major injuries heading into the year.

The absence of a preseason MNF game surprises some fans who assume the primetime brand runs year-round. It doesn’t. Preseason exhibition games are scheduled across other days of the week specifically because the league reserves the Monday Night Football platform exclusively for games that count toward playoff seeding, keeping its national audience focused on meaningful football rather than roster-evaluation exhibitions.

Monday Night Football 2026 Full Schedule

Monday Night Football features 17 regular-season games in 2026, running from the September 14 opener through the January 4, 2027 finale. Every week features a single standalone matchup rather than the doubleheader format the league experimented with in past seasons-a structural change that concentrates the full national audience on one broadcast each week instead of splitting attention across two simultaneous games.

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Week	Date	Matchup	Kickoff (ET)	Stadium
1	Sept. 14	Broncos at Chiefs	8:15 PM	Arrowhead Stadium
2	Sept. 21	Giants at Rams	8:15 PM	SoFi Stadium
3	Sept. 28	Eagles at Bears	8:15 PM	Soldier Field
4	Oct. 5	Falcons at Saints	8:15 PM	Caesars Superdome
5	Oct. 12	Bills at Rams	8:15 PM	SoFi Stadium
6	Oct. 19	Commanders at 49ers	8:15 PM	Levi’s Stadium
7	Oct. 26	Cowboys at Eagles	8:15 PM	Lincoln Financial Field
8	Nov. 2	Bears at Seahawks	8:15 PM	Lumen Field
9	Nov. 9	Bills at Vikings	8:15 PM	U.S. Bank Stadium
10	Nov. 16	Chargers at Ravens	8:15 PM	M&T Bank Stadium
11	Nov. 23	Bengals at Commanders	8:15 PM	Northwest Stadium
12	Nov. 30	Panthers at Buccaneers	8:15 PM	Raymond James Stadium
13	Dec. 7	Cowboys at Seahawks	8:15 PM	Lumen Field
14	Dec. 14	Steelers at Jaguars	8:15 PM	EverBank Stadium
15	Dec. 21	Patriots at Chiefs	8:15 PM	Arrowhead Stadium
16	Dec. 28	Giants at Lions	8:15 PM	Ford Field
17	Jan. 4	Texans at Packers	8:15 PM	Lambeau Field

Weeks 12–17 are subject to NFL flex scheduling, so kickoff times, matchups, or networks may change closer to those dates.

Monday Night Football Kickoff Times by Time Zone

Every 2026 Monday Night Football game kicks off at the same national window, which converts differently depending on where you’re watching from:

Time Zone	Kickoff Time
Eastern (ET)	8:15 PM
Central (CT)	7:15 PM
Mountain (MT)	6:15 PM
Pacific (PT)	5:15 PM

How to Watch Monday Night Football in 2026

Every Monday Night Football game airs nationally on ESPN, with select games also simulcast on ABC.

• ESPN broadcasts all 17 Monday Night Football games this season.
• ABC simulcasts a subset of games alongside ESPN-see the full breakdown below.
• Streaming: Availability depends on the current ESPN/ABC distribution and the viewer’s provider or eligible subscription. The ESPN App, ABC’s live stream in eligible markets, and NFL.com/the NFL app (with a connected TV or streaming provider) all offer access to live MNF broadcasts.
• Spanish-language coverage: Simulcasts are typically available through ESPN Deportes for major ESPN-carried NFL games.

Which Monday Night Football Games Are on ABC?

ABC is scheduled to simulcast 10 of the 17 Monday Night Football games this season. Eight are currently identified in ABC’s published schedule, while the remaining two can be updated as the season progresses. Here’s the full week-by-week breakdown:

Week	Matchup	ESPN	ABC Simulcast
1	Broncos at Chiefs	Yes	Confirmed
2	Giants at Rams	Yes	Confirmed
3	Eagles at Bears	Yes	Confirmed
4	Falcons at Saints	Yes	No
5	Bills at Rams	Yes	Confirmed
6	Commanders at 49ers	Yes	Confirmed
7	Cowboys at Eagles	Yes	Pending (flex week)
8	Bears at Seahawks	Yes	No
9	Bills at Vikings	Yes	Confirmed
10	Chargers at Ravens	Yes	No
11	Bengals at Commanders	Yes	No
12	Panthers at Buccaneers	Yes	Pending (flex week)
13	Cowboys at Seahawks	Yes	Confirmed
14	Steelers at Jaguars	Yes	Pending (flex week)
15	Patriots at Chiefs	Yes	Confirmed
16	Giants at Lions	Yes	Pending (flex week)
17	Texans at Packers	Yes	Pending (flex week)

Eight games are firmly confirmed for ABC. The remaining two simulcasts that would bring the season total to 10 are expected to be assigned from the flex-eligible weeks (12 through 17), based on which late-season matchups carry the most playoff relevance once the schedule firms up.

Biggest Monday Night Football Games of 2026

Among the most anticipated MNF games in 2026 are Bills at Rams (Week 5), Cowboys at Eagles (Week 7), and Patriots at Chiefs (Week 15)-all built around elite quarterback matchups and potential playoff implications.

Bills at Rams-Week 5

Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford give this game elite quarterback star power, while both teams enter with deep skill-position rosters-Puka Nacua and Davante Adams for LA, a deep Buffalo skill-position group. Both offenses ranked among the league’s most productive in recent seasons, and neither defense has fully solved the other in their last several meetings, which sets up a matchup where the team that controls tempo early likely dictates the result.

Cowboys at Eagles-Week 7

An NFC East rivalry with a genuinely contentious recent history between these rosters. This year’s matchup is a direct test of whether Dallas’ offense has closed the gap on Philadelphia in a fixture the Eagles have generally controlled. Division familiarity tends to produce tighter, more physical football than interconference matchups, and this game carries early-season implications for the NFC East race.

Patriots at Chiefs-Week 15

Kansas City’s second MNF home date of the year, and the first career meeting between Drake Maye and Patrick Mahomes. Coming this late in December, it carries potential playoff-seeding implications for both teams, and it lands in exactly the kind of window the NFL’s flex-scheduling system is designed to protect for maximum competitive relevance.

Broncos at Chiefs-Week 1

A loaded AFC West opener with a genuine injury subplot-Mahomes and Bo Nix are both working back from significant injuries, and neither team’s ceiling this season is fully knowable until their availability and effectiveness are confirmed in-game. Denver enters the year hoping to build on a genuinely competitive divisional race, while Kansas City remains the standard the rest of the AFC West has to clear.

Chargers at Ravens-Week 10

Justin Herbert against Lamar Jackson is one of the more talent-dense quarterback matchups on the MNF slate, pairing two franchises built around elite passing offenses. Both teams have invested heavily in offensive talent in recent seasons, and this matchup often serves as an early gauge of playoff seeding in a crowded AFC field.

Cowboys at Seahawks-Week 13

Seattle hosts as the reigning Super Bowl champion, and Dallas’ Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens face the defense that carried Seattle through its title run-a real measuring-stick game for Dallas’ passing attack against a defense that has already proven it can win at the highest level.

Bears at Seahawks-Week 8

Caleb Williams and Sam Darnold headline a matchup between two teams with contrasting coaching identities-Ben Johnson leading Chicago’s offense, Mike Macdonald overseeing Seattle’s defense. Both quarterbacks enter pivotal stretches in their development, making this an interesting evaluation game for two franchises still building around young rosters.

MVP-Caliber Quarterbacks Featured Early in the Season

Five different Monday Night Football games in the first ten weeks of 2026 feature quarterbacks who collectively represent the NFL’s four most recent MVP winners:

Week	Matchup	Featured MVP-Caliber QBs
1	Broncos at Chiefs	Patrick Mahomes
2	Giants at Rams	Matthew Stafford
5	Bills at Rams	Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford
10	Chargers at Ravens	Lamar Jackson
15	Patriots at Chiefs	Patrick Mahomes

Teams With Multiple Monday Night Football Games in 2026

Nine teams appear twice on the 2026 Monday Night Football schedule, typically a reflection of recent success, roster star power, or market appeal.

Team	MNF Appearances	Weeks
Chiefs	2	Week 1, Week 15
Giants	2	Week 2, Week 16
Rams	2	Week 2, Week 5
Eagles	2	Week 3, Week 7
Bears	2	Week 3, Week 8
Bills	2	Week 5, Week 9
Commanders	2	Week 6, Week 11
Cowboys	2	Week 7, Week 13
Seahawks	2	Week 8, Week 13

Teams Without a Monday Night Football Game in 2026

Seven teams did not draw a Monday night slot for the 2026 season:

Team	Conference
Arizona Cardinals	NFC
Cleveland Browns	AFC
Indianapolis Colts	AFC
Las Vegas Raiders	AFC
Miami Dolphins	AFC
New York Jets	AFC
Tennessee Titans	AFC

Fantasy Football Players to Watch on MNF

Player	Team	MNF Weeks	Why It Matters
Josh Allen	Bills	5, 9	Two high-profile spots to track Buffalo’s passing and rushing usage against the Rams and Vikings
Patrick Mahomes	Chiefs	1, 15	Working back from a torn ACL-monitor practice reports before Week 1
Bo Nix	Broncos	1	Working back from a fractured ankle-track mobility rather than assuming full health
Matthew Stafford	Rams	2, 5	Both Rams MNF games fall in the season’s first five weeks, useful for early passing-volume reads
Puka Nacua	Rams	2, 5	Same early-season sample size as Stafford, high target-share role
Davante Adams	Rams	2, 5	Veteran red-zone threat in both early Rams MNF appearances
Dak Prescott	Cowboys	7, 13	Faces Philadelphia and Seattle, including a Week 13 test against the reigning champions
CeeDee Lamb	Cowboys	7, 13	Primary target in both Cowboys MNF appearances
Justin Herbert	Chargers	10	Talent-rich matchup against Lamar Jackson worth roster attention

Betting Angles to Monitor for Monday Night Football

Factor	Weeks Affected	What to Watch
Injury status	Week 1	Mahomes’ and Bo Nix’s practice participation is one of the most important early variables before the opening line settles
Divisional rematches	Weeks 1, 7, 12	Broncos-Chiefs, Cowboys-Eagles, and Panthers-Buccaneers carry line movement tied to injury reports and recent form
Flex-scheduled uncertainty	Weeks 12–17	Matchup details and network assignments can still shift, affecting preparation and market analysis
Weather risk	Week 17	Texans at Packers in Green Bay carries cold-weather risk worth factoring into totals

Key 2026 Monday Night Football Storylines

• Mahomes and Bo Nix injury returns: Both quarterbacks are targeting Week 1 after major injuries-Mahomes’ torn ACL and Nix’s fractured ankle-making the opener as much a health story as a rivalry game. Confirm final injury designations before kickoff.
• No MNF doubleheaders in 2026: Every week features one standalone Monday night game, simplifying the broadcast structure after the league’s earlier doubleheader experiment.
• Seahawks host two marquee MNF games: Against the Bears (Week 8) and Cowboys (Week 13), as reigning Super Bowl champions.
• Deep quarterback talent on the early slate: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Mahomes, and Stafford-the NFL’s four most recent MVP winners-all appear across the season’s first ten weeks of Monday night games.
• Flex scheduling reshapes the back half: Weeks 12 through 17 remain partially undetermined, meaning the final stretch of the MNF calendar will sharpen as playoff races take shape.

Frequently Asked Questions