Commanders 2026 NFL Schedule Released for Jayden Daniels, Dan Quinn's 3rd Season

The Washington Commanders are eager to bounce back from a disappointing 5-12 finish to the 2025 campaign.

The Commanders learned their path ahead for the 2026 season on Thursday after the NFL released the full schedules for all 32 teams. Washington will face the Philadelphia Eagles.

Full schedule information available on the team's official website.

Analysis

The Commanders' hopes of building off the surprising success of their 2024 season took a hit when star quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered his first injury of the 2025 campaign in Week 2 and was eventually limited to just seven games on the year.

Luckily for Washington, the 2026 slate doesn't appear to be too bad at first glance. The Commanders have the 16th-hardest schedule in the NFL based on their opponents' winning percentage from last season.

There will be some familiar faces on the 2026 schedule for Washington, giving the team multiple opportunities for revenge. The Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks all kicked the Commanders while they were down last season, so they should be motivated to right those wrongs this year.

Washington added some reinforcements on both sides of the ball that should help the team improve from last year's lackluster finish. The Commanders added prized edge rusher Odafe Oweh and brought in another weapon for Daniels by signing tight end Chig Okonkwo.

Pivotal Matchups

The Commanders reside in the NFC East, which has historically been one of the league's most competitive divisions. It's safe to say that their success against their in-house foes would go a long way toward determining how well the season plays out.

The Philadelphia Eagles have made headlines this offseason mostly for the wrong reasons, such as trade rumors surrounding star receiver A.J. Brown and in-house strife caused by star quarterback Jalen Hurts.

The Dallas Cowboys have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons but still boast one of the most lethal passing attacks in the league, led by quarterback Dak Prescott and receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

The New York Giants are entering a new era under new head coach John Harbaugh, who is taking over the development of talented second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.

With the division influx, the time is now for the Commanders to strike and re-establish themselves as playoff contenders. There will also be some easy non-divisional matchups like the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals, though games against the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams could present more of a challenge.

Washington will be hoping to get a healthy season from Daniels as the team navigates what could be a tricky schedule.