Washington Commanders Finalize 2026 Preseason Schedule

Details surrounding the 2026 preseason slate for the Washington Commanders have trickled in over the last week, yet maybe the final piece materialized on Tuesday afternoon with the complete schedule officially announced.

The team announced that the Commanders' week two game against the Detroit Lions will kick off at 12 PM on Saturday, Aug. 22, becoming the third and final game to be finalized. It will also mark the first road game during the preseason slate.

It will also mark a chance for offensive coordinator David Blough to get a glimpse at the team that showed interest in him as an offensive coordinator this offseason, a move that accelerated the Commanders' timeline before naming the former quarterbacks coach to the position just days after Dan Quinn made the decision to part ways with Kliff Kingsbury.

The Commanders will kickoff the preseason slate in mid-August by hosting a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, Aug. 12 ahead of the preseason opener set for Friday, Aug. 14.

Washington will then face the Detroit Lions the following week before closing out the slate against the Baltimore Ravens with kickoff set for 7 PM on Friday, Aug. 18. Details broke on Monday regarding news that the Commanders and Ravens will also host a joint practice on Wednesday, Aug. 16 before the preseason finale, giving head coach Dan Quinn a chance for both of his new coordinators to get comfortable ahead of the start of the regular season.

While details of the week two matchup is set, it also marks the only game that the Commanders will not face a first-year coaching staff during the preseason slate given Jeff Hafley was announced as the new head coach of the Dolphins along with Jesse Minter named the head coach of the Ravens.

The NFL previously announced the full regular season schedule for the Commanders with a pair of divisional games on the road marking the start of what is viewed to be a tough stretch to open year three of the Dan Quinn era. Washington will also face the Colts in London before hosting the New York Giants in week five, marking the fifth divisional matchup within the first five weeks.

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