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| Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (#5) stands on the field during a 2025 NFL game vs. the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) |
| ⏵ Tuesday, September 8, 2026 (Press Release):
🟒 Highlights:
- Fox Sports is ready to raise the curtain on the 2026 NFL regular season with a Sunday doubleheader on Fox!
- Six games are part of Fox’s coverage this week, including Falcons vs. Steelers at 1:00 PM ET and Commanders vs. Eagles at 4:25 PM ET.
- Fox NFL Kickoff (11:00 AM ET) and Fox NFL Sunday (12:00 PM ET) once again lead into game coverage as Fox’s two-hour pregame block. Following America’s Game of the Week (Commanders-Eagles or Dolphins-Raiders), The OT wraps up Sunday’s afternoon slate of games (7:30 PM ET).
- Falcons, Steelers Meet In Steel City: Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons open up their season in Pittsburgh against Jaquan Brisker and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 PM ET on Fox and Fox One.
- Commanders/Eagles Throwdown In Philly: In a highly anticipated NFC East season-opening battle, Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders visit Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles in the season debut of America’s Game of the Week on Sunday, September 13 at 4:25 PM ET on Fox and Fox One.
Hi everyone! Welcome back 🥹 to the third season of NFL on Fox: Field Pass! The NFL is starting again this weekend, and we’re excited! I’ll be publishing weekly articles throughout the season to help you prepare for NFL on Fox. Thank you for your interest, and I genuinely hope you find these articles very helpful.
Fox is celebrating the start of its 33rd NFL season with a Week 1 doubleheader, featuring a classic NFC East rivalry in the late afternoon slot: Washington at Philadelphia. On Sunday, September 13, Fox Sports will broadcast six NFL regional games across two time slots.
In the 1:00 PM ET window, you can expect to see the following matchups: Falcons vs. Steelers, Bears vs. Panthers, Saints vs. Lions, and Buccaneers vs. Bengals. Then, in America’s Game of the Week at 4:25 PM ET, the featured games will be Commanders vs. Eagles and Dolphins vs. Raiders. Which games will be available in your area to kick off the season on Sunday, and which broadcast team will you be tuning in to? Read on for more information.
Here is your preview of the Week #1 NFL on Fox Schedule (subject to change):
🞽 Pregame: Fox NFL Kickoff — 11:00 AM ET/8:00 AM PT:
Start your football Sunday with “Fox NFL Kickoff”, the start of Fox’s weekly two-hour pregame block, at 11:00 AM ET/8:00 PM PT. Live from Los Angeles, veteran host Charissa Thompson takes the reins, with Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson and three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman joining her as studio analysts. Insider Jay Glazer provides viewers with critical information about Sunday’s matchups. Contributors Colin Cowherd and Cooper Manning regularly join the show with feature segments. Fox NFL Kickoff provides the first word on Sunday’s games, live reports from NFL game venues, breaking news, interviews with NFL newsmakers, and much more.
🞽 Pregame: Fox NFL Sunday — 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT:
The legendary Sunday pregame staple, Fox NFL Sunday, now in its 33rd season, airs for one hour at 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT, live from Fox’s Los Angeles studios. Curt Menefee and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw co-host the show, alongside Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, fellow Hall of Famer Howie Long, and four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski. Longtime NFL on Fox insider Jay Glazer joins the cast to provide news and information from around the league before kickoff. Fox NFL Sunday gives viewers pregame predictions, interviews, feature stories, analysis, and the very latest breaking news.
🞽 Doubleheader | Game 1 (Falcons at Steelers, Bears at Panthers, Saints at Lions, Buccaneers at Bengals) — 1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT:
Sunday’s game coverage begins with the first game of the doubleheader at 1:00 PM ET on Fox (and streaming on Fox One). Most of the country will see an interconference game as Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons square off against Patrick Queen and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other early games include Bears-Panthers from Charlotte, Saints-Lions from Detroit, and Buccaneers-Bengals in Cincinnati. Keep reading for game capsules that preview each matchup in depth.
➨ Falcons vs. Steelers — Sunday, 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One:
Rico Dowdle and the host Pittsburgh Steelers host Drake London and the Atlanta Falcons for a Week 1 NFL game from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One. The Steelers finished 2025 with a 10-7 record and an AFC North championship (Pittsburgh would be crushed 30-6 by Houston in the Wild Card Round). Atlanta settled for a third-place finish in the NFC South last year with an 8-9 record.
Joe Davis (play-by-play), three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen (analyst) & veteran reporter Pam Oliver (sidelines) will cover Sunday’s Falcons-Steelers matchup on-site in Pittsburgh.
➨ Bears vs. Panthers — Sunday, 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One:
This Week 1 matchup is spotlighted by two former No. 1 overall picks as 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams (USC) and the Chicago Bears line up against 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young (Alabama) and the Carolina Panthers in the opening game for both squads on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One. Both the Bears (11-6, NFC North) & Panthers (8-9, NFC South) claimed division titles last season, after finishing last or tied for last in their respective divisions the season prior (2024).
Adam Amin (play-by-play) will call play-by-play for Bears-Panthers, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Brees (analyst) & Kristina Pink (field reporter).
Bears QB Caleb Williams set new career-highs last year with 3,942 passing yards & 27 TD passes. Bears DL Montez Sweat recorded 53 tackles, 10 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles & a forced fumble in 2025.
Reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan burst on the scene in 2025, as the Panthers wideout accumulated 1,014 yards (leading all rookies) and caught 7 touchdown passes. Following a season split between Philadelphia and Miami in 2025, Panthers LB Jaelan Phillips is expected to play for the first time as a Carolina Panther on Sunday. Last season, Phillips put up 28 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery & four tackles for loss.
➨ Saints vs. Lions — Sunday, 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One:
The 60th season of New Orleans Saints football begins in Motown, as Justin Reid and the Saints travel to Ford Field to face Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Detroit Lions on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One. The Saints finished last in the NFC South with a 6-11 record last year. As for the Lions, a solid 9-8 record wasn’t enough for Detroit to crack the NFC postseason field in 2025.
Kenny Albert (play-by-play) [the last original NFL on Fox play-by-play commentator from the network’s inaugural 1994 season], Super Bowl champion Jonathan Vilma (analyst) & Megan Olivi (field reporter) will be on the call for Fox’s Sunday Saints-Lions contest.
New Orleans is led on offense by QB Tyler Shough and WR Chris Olave, the latter of whom signed a contract extension. The Saints’ defense is led by two-time Super Bowl champion Justin Reid, along with Carl Granderson, Chase Young, and Cameron Jordan.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell starts his sixth season with the franchise in 2026. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs accounted for 243 rushes, 1,223 yards, and 13 rushing touchdowns last season.
➨ Buccaneers vs. Bengals — Sunday, 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One:
Fresh off receiving a new three-year extension, Buccaneers QB1 Baker Mayfield leads the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they oppose Bryan Cook and the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 PM ET on Fox & Fox One. Tampa Bay didn’t make the postseason last year, despite being tied for first place in the NFC South with an 8-9 mark. After a hot start, Cincinnati faltered and ultimately went 6-11 in 2025, well short of expectations.
Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) & three-time Super Bowl champion Daryl “Moose” Johnston call Buccaneers-Bengals from the booth, joined by Allison Williams (reporter) down on the field.
Since becoming the Buccaneers’ quarterback in 2023, Baker Mayfield is undefeated in three Week 1 games (3-0). Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield Jr., a two-time Pro Bowl safety, needs just one interception to reach 10 for his career.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase starts his sixth NFL season after being selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first five. Sunday could mark the debut of newly signed Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence, coming over from the Giants during the offseason.
🞽 Doubleheader | Game 2 (America’s Game of the Week: Commanders at Eagles, Dolphins at Raiders) — 4:25 PM ET/3:25 PM CT:
The Week 1 NFL on Fox doubleheader kicks off with the season debut of America’s Game of the Week, beginning at 4:25 PM ET on Fox and Fox One. This week’s featured games include Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders facing Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jeff Hafley’s NFL head-coaching debut as the Miami Dolphins go up against first-time NFL head coach Klint Kubiak and the Las Vegas Raiders. Read on for game summaries of #WSHvsPHI and #MIAvsLV.
➨ Commanders vs. Eagles — Sunday, 4:25 PM ET on Fox & Fox One:
Jalen Hurts and the defending two-time NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles host Stefon Diggs and the Washington Commanders in Week 1 NFL action from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, September 13 at 4:25 PM ET on Fox & Fox One. The teams split their 2025 regular season matchups. Washington crashed down following an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2024, going 5-12 in 2025. Philadelphia qualified for the postseason as NFC East champions in 2025, going 11-6 before losing in a shocking Wild Card Round loss to the 49ers.
Beginning their third year together, Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play), Tom Brady (analyst), Erin Andrews (sideline reporter) & Tom Rinaldi (reporter) provide commentary for the Commanders-Eagles game.
➨ Dolphins vs. Raiders — Sunday, 4:25 PM ET (1:25 PM PT) on Fox & Fox One:
Jordyn Brooks and the Miami Dolphins visit Ashton Jeanty and the Las Vegas Raiders in the season opener for both teams on Sunday, September 13 at 4:25 PM ET (1:25 PM PT) on Fox & Fox One. The Dolphins posted a 7-10 record in 2025, while the Raiders finished tied for the AFC’s worst record at 3-14 last season.
Chris Myers (play-by-play), three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth (analyst) & Jen Hale (reporter) team up to call the late-afternoon matchup from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dolphins QB (and Titans and Packers QB) Malik Willis is set to make his debut in Miami on Sunday, having accumulated 846 passing yards and seven total touchdowns — four rushing and three passing — over six career starts. He aims to achieve his third consecutive start with over 200 passing yards, a touchdown pass, a rushing touchdown, and a quarterback rating exceeding 120. Dolphins DL Zach Sieler recorded 47 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection in 2025. He has recorded tackles for loss in five of his last six games and contributed four tackles and a sack in their most recent encounter.
Since getting drafted in 2019, Raiders DE Maxx Crosby ranks first in tackles for loss (133), third in tackles (437), fourth in sacks (69.5), fourth in sacks (69.5) and fourth in quarterback hits (165). Raiders QB Kirk Cousins, who is set to start this game, has completed 66.7% of his passes during his 14-year NFL career.
🞽 Postgame: The OT — 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT:
Following America’s Game of the Week, stay tuned for a half-hour postgame show called “The OT”, starting at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT, on Fox. Co-hosts Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw are joined by analysts Michael Strahan, Howie Long & Rob Gronkowski to discuss what happened in the early and late-afternoon Sunday matchups.
Throughout the season, I will share links to additional information and resources related to the NFL on Fox, including Field Pass articles. These resources will include the 2026 NFL on Fox Schedule, the lineup of 2026 NFL on Fox Announcers, and the weekly 506 Sports maps, which form the foundation of the distribution aspect of these articles. To access this information, please navigate to the “links mentioned” section below and select the links that best meet your needs.
Links Mentioned:
● 2026 NFL on Fox Schedule: https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2026/05/2026-nfl-on-fox-schedule.html
● 2026 NFL on Fox Announcers: https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2026/08/2026-nfl-on-fox-game-and-studio.html
● 506 Sports Maps (Week #1, 2026): https://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2026&wk=1
The NFL on Fox broadcast schedule and commentator pairings for the opening week of the 2026 NFL season are posted below 👇.
- NFL on Fox: Field Pass | 2026 NFL Regular Season — Week #1 | Sunday, September 13, 2026 (Fox Doubleheader) | All Times Eastern and Subject to Change:
■ 11:00 AM ET/10:00 AM CT (Pregame):
. Fox NFL Kickoff presented by Little Caesars - Charissa Thompson, Julian Edelman, Charles Woodson, Jay Glazer; Colin Cowherd (contributor), Cooper Manning (contributor) - Fox, Fox One
■ 12:00 PM ET/11:00 AM CT (Pregame):
. Fox NFL Sunday presented by GMC - Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Rob Gronkowski - Fox, Fox One
■ 1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT (Doubleheader — Game #1):
🆚
⮞ 🔴 Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers — Joe Davis, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver — Fox, Fox One
- ● Distribution: Primary (Most Stations) — including 🔴 Alaska & 🔴 Hawaii
- ● 59% of Markets Include: Albany, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Bakersfield, Baltimore, Bangor, Birmingham, Boise, Boston, Buffalo, Charleston, Chico, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Denver, Erie, Eugene, Flint, Fresno, Hartford, Knoxville, Lansing, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Lubbock, Medford, Memphis, Miami, Montgomery, Nashville, New York City, Norfolk, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Reno, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Scranton, Seattle, Spokane, Syracuse, Tucson, Washington D.C., West Palm Beach, Wheeling & Wichita Falls & Youngstown
🆚
⮞ 🔵 Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers — Adam Amin, Drew Brees, Kristina Pink — Fox, Fox One
- ● Distribution: Regional (Select Markets)
- ● 20% of Markets Include: Bismarck, Charlotte, Chicago, Des Moines, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Myrtle Beach, Omaha, Raleigh, Rapid City, Roanoke, South Bend, Springfield, St. Louis, Terre Haute & Wichita
🆚
⮞ 🟢 New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions — Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Megan Olivi — Fox, Fox One
- ● Distribution: Regional (Select Markets)
- ● 12% of Markets Include: Austin, Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Houston, Mobile, New Orleans & San Antonio & Shreveport
🆚
⮞ 🟡 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals — Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston, Allison Williams — Fox, Fox One
- ● Distribution: Regional (Select Markets)
- ● 9% of Markets Include: Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Lexington, Louisville, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Panama City, Tallahassee, Tampa & Tulsa
UPDATES:
● San Antonio and Austin, TX: ATL-PIT to NO-DET (Fri.)
● Fargo, ND; Duluth, MN: CHI-CAR to NO-DET (Thu.)
■ 4:25 PM ET/3:25 PM CT (Doubleheader — Game #2):
🆚
⮞ 🔴 Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles — Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi — Fox, Fox One
- ● Distribution: Primary (Most Stations) — including 🔴 Alaska & 🔴 Hawaii
- ● 93% of Markets Include: Albany, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Bakersfield, Baltimore, Bangor, Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Birmingham, Bismarck, Boise, Boston, Buffalo, Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago, Chico, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Dayton, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Erie, Eugene, Flint, Fresno, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lansing, Lexington, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisville, Lubbock, Medford, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Mobile, Montgomery, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Panama City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Rapid City, Richmond, Roanoke, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Scranton, Seattle, Shreveport, South Bend, Spokane, Springfield, St. Louis, Syracuse, Tallahassee, Tampa, Terre Haute, Tucson, Tulsa, Washington D.C., Wheeling, Wichita, Wichita Falls & Youngstown
🆚
⮞ 🔵 Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders — Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth, Jen Hale — Fox, Fox One
- ● Distribution: Regional (Select Markets)
- ● 7% of Markets Include: Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Miami, Palm Springs, Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco & West Palm Beach
UPDATES:
● Palm Springs, Chico & Eureka, CA; Pocatello, ID: WSH-PHI to MIA-LV (Fri.)
■ 7:30 PM ET/6:30 PM CT (Postgame):
. The OT presented by Ford - Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Rob Gronkowski - Fox
- 🞷 Note 🗒: This week’s “NFL on Fox” broadcast schedule & commentator lineup is subject to change without notice.
|| ⤏ 🛈 Sources: SportsLogos.Net & 506 Sports ⤎ ||
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