Schedule Sneak Preview: What Dolphins Game Could Get Prime-Time Treatment?

With mid-May around the corner, the NFL soon will unveil its full 2026 schedule. We already know the list of opponents that the Miami Dolphins will play, and some matchups could be solid options for prime-time football on Thursday, Sunday, or Monday night.

Obvious factors are playing into why Miami could be sidelined for multiple night games in 2026, including a subpar 7-10 season in 2025 (in which they had four prime-time games and went 1-3) and a new-look coaching staff and roster.

In 2019, under first-year head coach Brian Flores, Miami received one prime-time game - Monday Night Football against Pittsburgh. After a 5-11 record that year, they only got two night games in 2020.

Conversely, in 2022 and 2023, Mike McDaniel’s first two years as head coach, they got four prime-time games each season.

If Miami were to receive one or two night games, what would be the best matchups to choose from?

When Exactly Will We Find Out?

The NFL has been vague about the specific release date, hyping it up as “coming soon” during the NFL draft. Last season, it was on Wednesday, May 14 with leaks being dropped ahead of time.

According to PFT, the schedule could be pushed back to the week of May 18-24. There are several potential reasons, including the various streaming services bidding for a package of games, NFL draft results, and even Aaron Rodgers deciding if he’ll return to Pittsburgh this season.

Keep in mind that if the Dolphins don’t receive many prime-time matchups now, that could change later on. Depending on how they perform, games could be flexed to Sunday Night as early as Week 5, and Weeks 12 and 13 for Monday and Thursday night, respectively.

Honorable Mentions

New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium - Out of all the opponents heading to Hard Rock Stadium this season, one that sticks out is the Patriots.

Aside from hosting the 2025 AFC champions, this could continue the NFL “Rivalries” program, pitting divisional opponents against each other with unique uniforms — for Miami, their all-black look that they wore on Monday Night against the New York Jets last season.

Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium - In a cruel twist of fate for Miami Hurricanes fans, this is an ironic matchup.

Las Vegas, now led by Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, takes on the Dolphins, who play in the same stadium where Mendoza just won the CFP against the Canes. This would be more than an honorable mention if the game actually were played at Hard Rock Stadium.

Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High - In a cruel twist of fate for Miami Dolphins fans, this would appeal to comparisons between both franchises. The last time these teams played was a historic 70-20 win for Miami in 2023 — an all-time high and low for both teams.

Since then, the outlook of both franchises has changed. Denver drafted Bo Nix in 2024, and he led the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, including the AFC Championship Game in 2025. Miami would proceed to have first-round exits in 2023 and 2024, missing the playoffs in 2025.

3 - Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium

The NFL will likely want one of its earlier prime-time slots in Week 1 or Week 2 to be at the new Highmark Stadium, especially considering the three prime-time games at Ralph Wilson Stadium during its final season last year.

A likely candidate could be against Miami, considering the history both franchises have had as divisional rivals. However, this already was a Thursday Night Football game last season in Buffalo, with the Bills winning 31-21.

Perhaps the unexpected 30-13 win for Miami against Buffalo a few weeks later gives the matchup enough pull to disregard the 2025 TNF game. In addition, the NFL could make this a matchup in the “Rivalries” program, as mentioned earlier.

2 - Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field

This feels like the most no-brainer matchup to make a night game. The number of former Packers who are now members of the Dolphins who will be returning to Lambeau Field is staggering — Jeff Hafley, Jon-Eric Sullivan, Sean Duggan, Wendel Davis, Ryan Downard, Malik Willis and Zayne Anderson.

The biggest reason the NFL would look away from this game could be that the past two matchups between Miami and Green Bay were nationally televised — a 26-20 win for the Packers on Christmas Day in 2022, and a 30-17 win for Green Bay on Thanksgiving night in 2024.

Still, the storylines for this game outweigh the past matchups, especially because there was no Miami-Green Bay game last season. It could even be a test to see if the Dolphins can perform in the cold, one of the team’s biggest gripes in seasons past, according to the national media.

1 - San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte

This matchup hinges on whether Miami is chosen as San Francisco’s opponent for the Mexico City game, part of the NFL’s International Series.

We already know the 49ers will be hosting, but back in late March, NBC Sports Bay Area reported that Miami is expected to be the opponent. Their last meeting was in December 2024, an unremarkable 29-17 win for the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

If the 49ers play someone else in Mexico City, a night game between San Francisco and Miami at Levi's Stadium is unlikely, hence why this is an honorable mention.

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