Week 1 kickoff times, matchups, TV, live streaming, plus rest of slate

The 2026 NFL season is finally here! In just a few days, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will face the defending AFC champs, the New England Patriots, to kick off the 2026 season, in a rematch of the big game played in February. That’s just for starters; the schedule, as always, is full of some very interesting matchups.

The league will also have a record nine international games, with contests being held in Australia, Brazil, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.

Go ahead and cancel those holiday plans because this season will also feature a game on Thanksgiving Eve, a game on Christmas Eve, and a tripleheader on Christmas.

Here is the complete week-by-week 2026 NFL schedule (all games on CBS will be streaming on Paramount+, NFL Network, Fox, NBC, ABC, and ESPN will be streaming on fubo:

Week 1
Wednesday, Sept. 9

Patriots at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Thursday, Sept. 10

49ers vs. Rams, 8:35 p.m. ET (Netflix) — Melbourne, Australia
Sunday, Sept. 13

Bears at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bills at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Falcons at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Browns at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cardinals at Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Packers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Raiders, 4:25 p.m ET (Fox)
Commanders at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cowboys at Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 14

Broncos at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 2
Thursday, Sept. 17

Lions at Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Sept. 20

Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Eagles at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at NY Jets, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Panthers at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Steelers at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Washington at Dallas, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seattle at Arizona, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Miami at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Colts at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 21

Giants at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 3
Thursday, Sept. 24

Falcons at Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Sept. 27

Chiefs at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Titans at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Patriots at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Panthers at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seahawks at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Vikings at Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Cardinals at 49ers, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Ravens vs. Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+) — Rio De Janeiro
Raiders at Saints, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Rams at Broncos, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Sept. 28

Eagles at Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 4
Thursday, Oct. 1

Steelers at Browns, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 4

Colts vs. Commanders, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — London
Titans at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cardinals at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Patriots at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cowboys at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Dolphins at Vikings, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Broncos at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chargers at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chiefs at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Lions at Panthers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 5

Falcons at Saints, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 5
Thursday, Oct. 8

Buccaneers at Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 11

Eagles vs. Jaguars, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — London
Raiders at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Vikings at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Broncos at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bears at Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Lions at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
49ers at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Falcons, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 12

Bills at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Carolina, Kansas City

Week 6
Thursday, Oct. 15

Seahawks at Broncos, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 18

Texans vs. Jaguars, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — London
Jets at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Steelers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Panthers at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bears at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cardinals at Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bills at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cowboys at Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 19

Commanders at 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami, Minnesota

Week 7
Thursday, Oct. 22

Patriots at Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Oct. 25

Steelers vs. Saints, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — Paris
Browns at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Giants at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
49ers at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Broncos at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Rams at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Lions, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chiefs at Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Oct. 26

Cowboys at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Buffalo, Jacksonville, LA Chargers, Washington

Week 8
Thursday, Oct. 29

Panthers at Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 1

Titans at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Ravens at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Falcons at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Vikings at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cardinals at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chiefs at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Patirots at Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Eagles at Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 2

Bears at Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Houston, New Orleans, NY Giants, San Francisco

Week 9
Thursday, Nov. 5

Jaguars at Ravens, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 8

Bengals vs. Falcons, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) — Madrid
Jets at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Broncos at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cowboys at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Lions at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Cardinals at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Bears, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 9

Bills at Vikings, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Pittsburgh, Tennessee

Week 10
Thursday, Nov. 12

Commanders at Giants, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 15

Patriots vs. Lions, 9:30 a.m. ET (Fox) — Munich, Germany
Bills at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chiefs at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Vikings at Packers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jaguars at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Texans at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Panthers at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Seahawks at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
49ers at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Steelers at Bengals, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 16

Chargers at Ravens, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay

Week 11
Thursday, Nov. 19

Colts at Texans, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 22

Cardinals at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Buccaneers at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Ravens at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Steelers at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Raiders at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Vikings vs. 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC) — Mexico City
Monday, Nov. 23

Bengals at Commanders, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Atlanta, Cleveland, Green Bay, LA Rams, New England, Seattle

Week 12
Wednesday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Eve)

Packers at Rams, 8 p.m. ET (Netflix)
Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving)

Bears at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
Eagles at Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chiefs at Bills, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Friday, Nov. 27 (Black Friday)

Broncos at Steelers, 3 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Nov. 29

Ravens at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jets at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Falcons at Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Jaguars, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Commanders at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seahawks at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Patriots at Chargers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Nov. 30

Panthers at Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 13
Thursday, Dec. 3

Chiefs at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Dec. 6

Lions at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chargers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Commanders at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bengals at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
49ers at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Packers at Saints, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jaguars at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Eagles at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Dolphins at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Panthers at Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bills at Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Steelers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 7

Cowboys at Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Ravens, Colts, Raiders, Jets

Week 14
Thursday, Dec. 10

Vikings at Patriots, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Sunday, Dec. 13

Broncos at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Falcons at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Bears at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Texans at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Buccaneers at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Titans at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Chargers at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chiefs at Bengals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Rams at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Bills at Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 14

Steelers at Jaguars, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BYES: Arizona, Dallas

Week 15
Thursday, Dec. 17

49ers at Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Saturday, Dec. 19

Seahawks at Eagles, 5 p.m. ET (Fox)
Bears at Bills, 8:20 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
Sunday, Dec. 20

Jaguars at Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Ravens at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Colts at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Dolphins at Packers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saints at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Bengals at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Falcons at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Jets at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cowboys at Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Broncos at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Lions at Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 21

Patriots at Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 16
Thursday, Dec. 24

Texans at Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Friday, Dec. 25

Packers at Bears, 1 p.m. ET (Netflix)
Bills at Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET (Netflix)
Rams at Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET (Fox)
Saturday, Dec. 26

TBD, 4:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
TBD, 8 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Sunday, Dec. 27

Buccaneers at Falcons, TBD
Commanders at Vikings, TBD
Panthers at Steelers, TBD
Bengals at Colts, TBD
Patriots at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Browns at Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chargers at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Cardinals at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
49ers at Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 28

Giants at Lions, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Week 17
Thursday, Dec. 31

Ravens at Bengals, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
Saturday, Jan. 2

TBA at TBA, 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
TBA at TBA, 8 p.m. ET (Peacock exclusive)
Sunday, Jan. 3

Rams at Buccaneers, TBD
Broncos at Patriots, TBD
Chiefs at Chargers, TBD
Commanders at Jaguars, TBD
Bills at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Steelers at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Vikings at Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Saints at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Seahawks at Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Colts at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Giants at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Raiders at Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Lions at Bears, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Eagles at 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Jan. 4

Texans at Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Week 18
Saturday, Jan. 9

TBA at TBA, 1 p.m. ET (Netflix)
TBA at TBA, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC)
TBA at TBA, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC)
Sunday, Jan. 10

NY Jets at Bills, TBD
Jaguars at Colts, TBD
Raiders at Chiefs, TBD
Titans at Texans, TBD
Chargers at Broncos, TBD
Dolphins at Patriots, TBD
Browns at Bengals, TBD
Steelers at Ravens, TBD
Bears at Vikings, TBD
Lions at Packers, TBD
Cowboys at Commanders, TBD
Buccaneers at Saints, TBD
Eagles at Giants, TBD
Seahawks at Rams, TBD
Falcons at Panthers, TBD
49ers at Cardinals, TBD
TBA at TBA, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Note: The teams playing in the Saturday tripleheader and the Sunday primetime game in Week 18 won’t be announced until January.

Cowboys three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Smith to undergo thumb surgery, out 4-6 weeks

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will be without three-time Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith for the next four to six weeks. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced on Monday that Smith will undergo surgery on his left thumb on Tuesday, which will result in his placement on injured reserve, designated to return. That comes with a four- to six-week return period. Dr. Steven Shin will perform Smith’s surgery.

“At the end of the day, I felt like he couldn’t do the things that he had to do at a high level,” Schottenheimer said Monday. “This is a long season, and it’s unfortunate. But that’s why we coveted T.J. Bass. … I think he’s played a lot of really good football for us, and we expect he’ll continue to do so.”

Schottenheimer said the left thumb had been bothering Smith all of training camp, but he couldn’t pinpoint a specific moment where the injury occurred.

“It’s just one of those deals that at the end of the day, we made the decision that we all did, that the best thing is to get in front of this thing. It’s a long season, let’s go get it fixed,” Schottenheimer said. “I think at the end of the day, you always see if you can play through these things. He’s done things like that, like a lot of guys out there do. Unfortunately, when you’re an offensive lineman, grip strength and things like that are really important. We know he’s a quick healer, and we want to get it fixed. He’ll be back before too long.”

Smith will be replaced by fourth-year, undrafted veteran T.J. Bass, 27 years old, as the starting left guard. Bass has played in 48 games since 2023 with 10 starts, 5 of which came in 2025. Dallas valued him so highly that they placed a second-round tender on him in restricted free agency. He’s allowed just two sacks and 15 quarterback pressures on 568 career pass-blocking snaps.

“Ton of confidence. Tyler Smith is a great player, but we feel really confident in T.J.,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s put great film on here. He’s played next to [center] Cooper Beebe, played next to [left tackle Tyler] Guyton. That’s nothing new, the communication and all that stuff. We tendered him because we trust this guy as a football player, and he’s a damn good football player.”

Depending on how quickly Smith heals from his left thumb surgical procedure on Tuesday, he could return for “Thursday Night Football” against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 or at the Green Bay Packers on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 6.

Possible landing spots for veteran receiver

In a surprising move, the New York Giants have released veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton less than a week before their season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

Slayton, 29, was the Giants’ longest-tenured player and was slated to make $13 million this season. A fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Slayton caught 296 of 522 targets for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns during his time with Big Blue.

While he never became a star in New York, Slayton was nonetheless a solid and consistent player, especially for a former late-round pick. He’s had four seasons with at least 700 receiving yards and averaged an impressive 15 yards per catch during his time in New York.

Slayton is coming off his least productive season to date. In 14 games, he caught 37 of 63 targets for 538 yards and a score. He had just one game with over 50 receiving yards during his final six games of the 2025 season.

Despite last year’s numbers, Slayton will probably be picked up by another NFL team sooner rather than later. A former team captain, Slayton has a proven track record and, over the years, has displayed the ability to execute his role as a complementary player without needing more of the spotlight.

Here’s a rundown of some of Slayton’s possible landing spots.

team logo
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were the first team that came to mind following the news of Slayton’s release. The Colts still have Alec Pierce, but they lost Michael Pittman when they traded him to the Steelers during the offseason. The Colts recently signed veteran Keenan Allen, who was arrested late last month for suspected DUI.

At the least, signing Slayton would give the Colts some added depth at receiver, which is something they desperately need.

team logo
New York Jets
The Big Apple’s other team also quickly came to mind upon hearing the news of Slayton’s release. Like the Colts, the Jets could also use some added depth at receiver to help complement their top receiver, Garrett Wilson.

Signing Slayton would also potentially take some of the pressure off of Omar Cooper Jr., the 30th overall pick in April’s draft. Slayton’s veteran leadership and experience could aid Cooper as he transitions from college to the NFL.

team logo
New Orleans Saints
The Saints’ receiving corps recently took a hit when rookie first-round pick Jordyn Tyson was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a right hamstring injury during a joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tyson is expected to be out for about two months.

With Tyson out, rookie fourth-round pick Bryce Lance is slated to start alongside veteran Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele. While Slayton probably wouldn’t take his spot (at least right away), he could nonetheless take some of the pressure off of Lance while giving second-year quarterback Tyler Shough another viable option in the passing game.

team logo
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers signed Buccaneers legend Mike Evans and re-signed Deebo Samuel after losing Jauan Jennings to the Vikings in free agency and amid the continuous absence of Brandon Aiyuk, who appears to have played his final down with San Francisco, if not in the NFL.

San Francisco could still use some reinforcements at the position after former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. Slayton would give the 49ers much-needed depth while complementing the rest of the team’s skill players.

team logo
New England Patriots
The defending AFC champions make sense for multiple reasons, starting with Mike Vrabel’s recent acknowledgment that his team isn’t very deep. Signing Slayton would help the Patriots make up for the recent departure of Kayshon Boutte, who was traded to the Houston Texans. Slayton could also help take some of the attention off of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs while giving Drake Maye another proven pass-catcher.

team logo
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys already have CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but another proven receiver would likely be welcome in Dallas’ pass-heavy offense. The Cowboys — who play the Giants in Week 1 — could also sign Slayton for intel purposes. Slayton could give Dallas some insight into new Giants coach John Harbaugh’s offense.

team logo
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee makes sense for two reasons. The Titans need some help at receiver, and, in Nashville, Slayton would be reunited with Tennessee offensive coordinator and former Giants coach Brian Daboll. Two of Slayton’s best seasons were during Daboll’s time as Giants coach.