The Philadelphia Eagles will open their season on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Washington Commanders, giving fans a clear answer to when does the NFL season start for this team. Before that happens, they still have one last tuneup this weekend: a preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
That date matters because the regular season has not started yet, and the Eagles are now only two weeks from kickoff. Sumner Spence put the point plainly: “The Eagles start their season Sunday, Sept. 13. against the Washington Commanders.” For readers wondering whether that is the league-wide opening day, the schedule here is specific to the Eagles, not the whole NFL, and it follows the final preseason game on the calendar.
Spence used the same note to pivot to a broader complaint about the league. “The NFL has finally come to their senses and gotten rid of the Pro Bowl,” he wrote, adding that the event had been altered in the last two or three years with flag football and dodgeball as part of the celebration. That change, he suggested, made the old game feel less like a showcase and more like something the league had already moved past.
The timing is what gives the schedule line its weight. The Eagles are finishing exhibition play now, then turning straight into a regular season that opens against a division opponent. That is the difference between a warm-up and something that counts, and it is why the date is the one readers will remember. If they want the larger calendar around that start, the team and league are both already moving toward the full season, with more on the schedule in this related look at When Does The Nfl Season Start? 2026 bye weeks begin in Week 5.
For the Eagles, there is no mystery left about the first game. The last preseason test is this weekend, then the season begins on Sept. 13. What remains is the only question that matters now: whether the team can carry the feel of September into the games that count.
