Predicting Every Jaguars Primetime Game and Opponent

Who do we think the Jacksonville Jaguars will face off against in primetime in 2026?

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter during a Monday Night NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug EngleFlorida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have quietly been featured on primetime football more and more in recent years, and we will soon know what that looks like for the 2026 squad.

The Jaguars hosted the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football last season, played on Monday Night Football in 2024, and were on both Monday and Sunday Night Football in 2023. After the stellar year the Jaguars had last year, this week's schedule release should look to reward them with some primetime slots.

Oct 6, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) scores a touchdown during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It is worth noting that the Jaguars' primetime slate could be potentially impacted by the renovations underway at EverBank Stadium. With that said, the Jaguars' slate of scheduled opponents features plenty of teams that are worthy of consideration as primetime opponents.

So, which ones do we predict will be announced on Thursday? We break it down below.

Monday Night Football: @ Chicago Bears

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) in the second half during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This one feels like it just has to happen, right? There are no shortage of storylines, two teams coming off memorable playoff runs, and this could be a potential sleeper Super Bowl pick for some people entering the season. The Bears were more or less the NFC's Jaguars last year, with their first-year head coach Ben Johnson getting the absolute most out of former No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and overhauling their offense.

Johnson, who interviewed once with the Jaguars during the 2025 offseason, is now tasked with the same hurdle facing Liam Coen and the Jaguars: making sure they are not one-hit wonders. And much like the Jaguars have done this offseason, a lot of the Bears' hopes are hinging on internal developments. The fact that Coen and Johnson are each two of the best new head coaches in the NFL and seen as offensive masterminds only adds more layers to the game.

There is also round two of Williams vs. Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence and the Jaguars might have had better luck during the first matchup back in 2024 if Gabe Davis did not have several critical drops in the end-zone. Williams and Lawrence each entered the NFL with similar hype coming out of school, and each has faced similar criticism at the NFL level after initially being surrounded with improper infrastructuere. There are a lot of reasons why the NFL needs to put this game on primetime for the 2026 season, and Monday Night Football would be a great stage for it.

Thursday Night Football: @ New York Giants

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) walks to greet New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8), not shown, after the game of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The New York Giants defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki 102322 Giants Jags Cp 30 | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK

With John Harbaugh heading to the Big Apple to lead the New York Giants into the final year of the Joe Schoen error, the Giants certainly have some shine back on their franchise. Harbaugh is one of the most-respected and successful head coaches in the NFL for a reason, and the widely-held belief is that he will be a massive upgrade over former Giants head coach Brian Daboll. The Jaguars will be one of those teams that gets a chance to see just how much the Giants have improved coming out of the gate.

The Giants get a ton of primetime games even when they are bound to stink, so adding one of the NFL's top head coaches to the mix should keep them in consideration for more primetime games. This would make a lot of sense as a rare Thursday Night Matchup between two franchises that do not share the field very often.

There is also the Lawrence vs. Jaxson Dart factor. Lawrence is a bonafide franchise quarterback, while the Giants are clearly hoping that Dart can develop into that. Dart did make plenty of exciting plays as a rookie, though, and he seems to have the full support of the Giants' base and staff as he enters a critical second year. Lawrence took a big leap in his own second year, and now he will be the old head at quarterback for once.