The NFL’s annual schedule release has become one of the league’s biggest offseason events, and for the Baltimore Ravens, anticipation is especially high entering the 2026 season. The NFL officially announced that the full 2026 schedule will be revealed on Thursday, May 14 at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network, ESPN2, and NFL+.
While exact dates and kickoff times remain unknown until release night, Baltimore’s opponents have already been finalized through the NFL’s rotating scheduling formula. The Ravens are set to face the AFC South and NFC South divisions, along with second-place matchups against the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Dallas Cowboys.
Baltimore’s 2026 home opponents include the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Chargers. Road games will feature trips to division rivals along with matchups against the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Bills, and Cowboys.
The Ravens are also already tied to one confirmed marquee event. Baltimore is scheduled to face Dallas on Sept. 27 in an international showcase at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, according to early schedule data that surfaced ahead of the official release.
From a national perspective, Baltimore appears likely to receive multiple prime-time games thanks to its star power and rivalries. Matchups against Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati all project as strong candidates for Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football slots. Games involving quarterback Lamar Jackson routinely draw large television audiences, making the Ravens one of the league’s most marketable franchises.
A projected Ravens schedule could open with an AFC North matchup before transitioning into a difficult early-season stretch featuring Buffalo, Dallas, and Houston. The middle of the season may provide relief with games against rebuilding teams such as Carolina and Tennessee, while December could feature critical divisional clashes against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh with playoff implications.
Here is my prediction of what the Ravens’ 2026 schedule could look like:
- Week 1: vs. Cincinnati
- Week 2: at Indianapolis
- Week 3: at Dallas (Rio de Janeiro)
- Week 4: vs. Tampa Bay
- Week 5: vs. Tennessee
- Week 6: at Buffalo
- Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh
- Week 8: at Carolina
- Week 9: vs. Jacksonville
- Week 10: at Cleveland
- Week 11: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 12: at Houston
- Week 13: Bye Week
- Week 14: vs. New Orleans
- Week 15: at Cincinnati
- Week 16: vs. Cleveland
- Week 17: at Pittsburgh
- Week 18: at Atlanta
If the Ravens stay healthy, the schedule projects as difficult but manageable. The AFC North remains one of football’s toughest divisions, but Baltimore’s home slate allows the team
to build momentum late in the season. A realistic expectation would place the Ravens in the 10-to-12-win range and firmly in the AFC playoff picture.
The full official schedule will be released Thursday night, when Baltimore — and the rest of the NFL — finally learns the road map for the 2026 season.
