The NFL is set to release the 2026 schedule on Thursday, May 14, at 8 p.m. Here are 26 things to know about the Washington Commanders' slate of games.

• According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Commanders rank 16th in strength of schedule for 2026, which is slightly more difficult than the 14th spot they held in 2025.
• The Commanders will play all four teams in the NFC West and AFC South, including two home matchups against the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
• Since the Commanders (5-12) finished third in the NFC East, they will also play the third-place teams in the NFC South, AFC North and NFC North.
• The Commanders will host the Atlanta Falcons this season, marking the sixth consecutive time the two teams will play each other. The Commanders are 4-1 in the previous five matchups dating back to 2021, but the margin of victory has been six points.
• The Commanders will host the Cincinnati Bengals in a rematch of the Monday Night Football game the two teams played in 2024. During that game, Jayden Daniels completed 21 of his 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-sealing 27-yard score to Terry McLaurin.
• The Commanders will play in an international game for the second straight season and will travel to London this year. The last time Washington played in London came on Oct. 30, 2016, when they played the Bengals in a 27-27 tie at Wembley Stadium.

• The Commanders will play each team in the AFC South this season and host the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. Of the active NFL teams, the Texans are the Commanders' least common opponent. The two teams have only played six times, the most recent meeting coming in 2022. Washington has not hosted the Texans at home since the 2018 season.
• Washington's best win-loss percentage is against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who they have beaten seven out of eight matchups. Their last loss to the Jaguars came in 2002 on the road, but since then, the Commanders have managed to pull out victories.
• As it currently stands, only three of the Commanders' games will be played outside of the central or eastern time zone. The only exceptions are the road matchups against the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers as well as the matchup in London.
• The Cardinals are the Commanders' most common non-division opponent with 128 matchups over the course of the two teams' histories. Over the last decade, the Commanders have a 4-1 advantage over the Cardinals, with the most recent matchup being a 42-14 blowout victory on the road.
• The Commanders' road matchup against the Tennessee Titans should be something of a homecoming for several players on the roster. Many of them were either drafted or played for the Titans at some point, including Marcus Mariota, Chig Okonkwo, Jeremy McNichols, Van Jefferson and Treylon Burks.
• The Commanders will have several tests ahead of them in the 2026 season. Seven of their opponents were in the playoffs last season, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Texans, 49ers and Jaguars as well as the Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks. The good news is that Washington will see four of those opponents at home.

• There was massive turnover among offensive coordinators across the league with 21 teams hiring new play callers for 2026. The Commanders, who were among that list of teams, will face seven teams with new coordinators, including two within the division with the Giants hiring Matt Nagy and the Eagles promoting Sean Mannion. The list of teams with new coordinators also includes the Titans, who hired former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and the Rams, who promoted Nathan Scheelhaase.
• Daniels will face six quarterbacks who were either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick in their respective drafts. The list includes Matt Stafford, C.J. Stroud, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence and Cam Ward. It seems like Kyler Murray will be the starter for the Minnesota Vikings, but he will be in a competition with J.J. McCarthy.
• The Commanders will play the Minnesota Vikings this season by virtue of them finishing in third place in their respective divisions. The Commanders and Vikings have met 24 times since 1968, including five times in the playoffs. The Commanders will look to get their first win over Minnesota on the road since 2007.
• The Falcons will travel to Northwest Stadium for the first time since the 2024 season, when they suffered a 30-24 overtime loss to the Commanders to get into the playoffs. Daniels led the Commanders on a game-winning drive that culminated with him completing a two-yard pass to Zach Ertz in the end zone.
• The Commanders will travel to play the 49ers for the second time since 2020, which also happens to be the last time Washington beat the NFC West team when they were known as the Washington Football Team. Washington's defense scored two defensive touchdowns in the 23-15 win.
• The Rams will return to Northwest Stadium for the first time since 2020, when quarterback Alex Smith made his return to the field two years after suffering a gruesome leg injury that nearly required amputation. Smith and Washington lost the matchup, 30-10, but it was the start of Smith's return to football that many thought would never happen.

• Washington's next matchup against the Giants will be the first time that Daniels and fellow quarterback Jaxon Dart face off against each other as starters. Russell Wilson was the Giants' starter during the teams' Week 1 matchup last year, and Daniels was effectively shut down for the season during the Giants' second matchup.
• Washington is currently on a four-game win streak against the Giants -- tied for the third-longest in the franchise's history against the NFC East opponent.
• The Commanders will play the Seahawks in back-to-back regular season games for the first time since 2003. Washington has not beaten the Seahawks since 2021, but their most recent victory came on Monday Night Football at home, when Washington's defense prevented a two-point conversion that would have tied the score with 15 seconds left.
• The Commanders have not hosted the Colts at Northwest Stadium since 2018. Their last win over the Colts came in 2022, when Taylor Heinicke scored a game-winning touchdown to go up 17-16 with 22 seconds left in regulation.
• Washington has not beaten the Titans on the road since 2010, when kickers Graham Gano and Rob Bironas combined for seven field goals. Washington scored the only offensive touchdown of the game -- a five-yard pass from Donovan McNabb to Santana Moss -- and Gano hit the game-winning 48-yard field goal in overtime.
• Despite this being his third season, Daniels has only played against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott one time, and he had to leave the game early because of a hamstring issue. He was also pulled during the Commanders' 23-19 win against Dallas at the end of the 2024 season, but Prescott was not active for that matchup.
• Washington will try to get its first home win over the Texans since the 2002 season, when Patrick Ramsey led Washington to a 26-10 win with two passing touchdowns.
• Washington has 90 wins in 183 games against the Philadelphia Eagles -- the most wins the franchise has against any single opponent in its history.