Matt Citak

With only 17 matchups on the schedule, every game is a big one.

But of course, some games carry a little bit more intrigue than others. From going up against the reigning Super Bowl champions and last year's league MVP to facing former Giants coaches and players, this year's schedule has a little bit of everything.

Here are five games to circle on the Giants' 2026 schedule.

Giants vs. Cowboys, Week 1

The writing was on the wall for the Giants to open up the season against the Cowboys considering the division rivals haven't met in Week 1 since 2023. Add in the fact that it is John Harbaugh's debut as head coach of the Giants, and of course this game was destined for primetime. The Giants will look to get their season off to a strong start as they take on their NFC East foe that has given them trouble in recent years, especially in the season opener. This will be the first time we see Jaxson Dart take the field as he enters the pivotal Year 2 in the NFL, and of course, the first opportunity to watch the team's new-look offense and defense in action. Following a 7-9-1 season, the Cowboys are going to come out of the gates swinging, as well. This will certainly be one entertaining Sunday Night Football matchup.

Giants at Rams, Week 2

How about two primetime games to kick things off? The Giants will embark on their first cross-country trip of the season when they face off against the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Week 2. The Rams are coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which they made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champions in Seattle. While he will enter this season at 38 years old, quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off his first league MVP campaign, one that saw him lead the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. The Rams also boosted their defense with the addition of cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. These teams last faced off towards the end of the 2023 season, where the Giants came up just short, falling 26-25 at MetLife Stadium.

Giants vs. Titans, Week 3

Where do we begin? Let's start with the obvious. The Week 3 matchup at MetLife Stadium will serve as the first time the Giants face off against former head coach Brian Daboll, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Titans. Of course, Tennessee's head coach is Robert Saleh, who also called East Rutherford home for four seasons when he was the head coach of the Jets. In addition to bringing in Daboll to run the offense, the Titans also signed several former Giants in free agency, including Wan'Dale Robinson, Cor'Dale Flott, Daniel Bellinger and Austin Schlottmann. As if all of that wasn't enough, this game will also be the first time that Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward match up against each other after they were the first two quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. This game will have as much intrigue as a 1 p.m. Sunday game can possibly have.

Giants at Seahawks, Week 14

The Giants' second and final trip across the country will come in Week 14 when they head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Traveling to the West Coast to go up against the reigning Super Bowl champions would be hard enough, but the hostile environment of Lumen Field makes this matchup even more interesting. Despite some of the team's overall struggles in recent years, the Giants have found success playing in Seattle. Of the last three matchups between the two teams out west, the Giants have emerged victorious in two of them, including the most recent game in 2024 (29-20). Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald also served under John Harbaugh in Baltimore from 2014-2020 before returning as the defensive coordinator from 2022-2023. These two coaching staffs have plenty of familiarity with each other, which adds another layer to this already interesting matchup.

Giants at Lions, Week 16

The Giants wrap up their four-game primetime schedule with a trip to the Motor City in Week 16 for Monday Night Football. Last year's matchup between these two teams was electric, as the Lions needed overtime in order to defeat the Giants, 34-27. Both offenses combined for over 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in addition to the 61 total points. While the Giants underwent significant changes during the offseason on both the coaching staff and roster, the Lions are set to return mostly the same team from last year. Detroit replaced a couple of veterans on the offensive line, along with swapping David Montgomery for Isiah Pacheco, but their defense will look very similar (minus the subtractions of Alex Anzalone and DJ Reader, the latter of which will face off against his former team). This primetime matchup lands right in the middle of the Giants' difficult final stretch of the season, a six-game span where they will take on the 49ers, Seahawks, Lions, Cowboys and Eagles with a home game against the Browns mixed in.