The New England Patriots will open their 2026 regular season on the road, then come home in Week 2 for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Gillette Stadium. Podcaster Kirk Minihane was first to report the matchup.
The Patriots enter that game coming off a mini-bye, while Pittsburgh will have played the previous Sunday. New England opens the season on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the NFL season opener against the defending world champion Seattle Seahawks, and the Steelers begin their year at home against Atlanta on Sunday, Sept. 13. That means the Patriots will have 10 days of rest before facing a Pittsburgh team that will have only a week between games.
The Week 2 meeting carries real weight because these teams know each other well. The Patriots and Steelers have crossed paths nine times in the last 10 seasons, and their last matchup came in Week 3 of last season, when Pittsburgh beat New England 21-14 at Gillette Stadium. That loss dropped the Patriots to 1-2 and snapped a three-game win streak against Pittsburgh.
The schedule release adds another layer of anticipation because New England’s full 2026 slate will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the opponents are already finalized. The Patriots also are set to play their first international game since 2024 this season and later in 2026 will take on the Lions in November, along with their sixth international game. A closer look at the broader 2026 picture, including prime-time spots for the Bills, Cowboys and Seahawks, is available in Patriots Schedule 2026: Bills, Cowboys and Seahawks land prime-time spots.
For New England, the early part of the season now has a clear shape: a road start, a national spotlight in Week 1, and then an immediate test at home against a divisional and playoff-caliber opponent. Thursday night will fill in the rest.
