Lions vs Saints Week 1 2026: Date, Time, TV, Injuries & Everything You Need to Know

After a 9-8 finish that fell short of the franchise's own expectations, the Detroit Lions open the 2026 season at home. Here's everything you need to know ahead of kickoff.

When and where

• Date: Sunday, 13 September 2026
• Kickoff: 1:00 PM ET (6:00 PM UK time)
• Venue: Ford Field, Detroit
• TV: Fox (US), with streaming via Fubo and the Fox One app
• Opponent: New Orleans Saints

Ford Field is a dome, so weather won't be a factor in how this one plays out — no wind, no rain, no cold to worry about for either offense.

The line

Detroit opens as a comfortable home favourite. As of this week, the Lions are sitting at around -7 on the spread with a total in the 48-49 point range, among the largest spreads of the opening Sunday slate. Expect that number to move a little between now and kickoff as injury news firms up on both sides, but it reflects a fairly wide gap between the two rosters heading into Week 1.

Detroit's offseason, in brief

This isn't the same team that limped to a 9-8 finish last year. The Lions went through real change over the offseason:

• New offensive coordinator. John Morton was let go early in the offseason and replaced by Drew Petzing, who arrives with Mike Kafka added as passing game coordinator (formerly of the Giants, including a stint as their interim head coach).
• A new-look offensive line. Longtime left tackle Taylor Decker requested and was granted his release in March after the two sides couldn't agree on a pay cut, ending his ten-year run with the team. Penei Sewell has slid over to left tackle, with first-round rookie Blake Miller — a four-year starter at Clemson — expected to take over at right tackle.
• Turnover at cornerback. Terrion Arnold, the Lions' 2024 first-round pick, was released in the summer following his arrest on felony charges. Veteran Rock Ya-Sin is the favourite to start opposite D.J. Reed, with rookie Keith Abney also in the mix.
• A draft class being trusted early. Beyond Miller, Detroit is leaning on this rookie class more than most of Brad Holmes' previous groups — second-round edge rusher Derrick Moore is competing for a starting job, and running back depth behind Jahmyr Gibbs is thinner than usual after Isiah Pacheco went on injured reserve.

Injuries to watch

Detroit:

• Safeties Brian Branch (Achilles) and Kerby Joseph (knee) both start the season on the reserve/PUP list and are out for a minimum of four weeks. GM Brad Holmes has expressed confidence both will return, but no firm timeline has been given.
• Isiah Pacheco (running back) is on injured reserve, leaving Gibbs as the clear lead back with an inexperienced group — Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki — behind him.
• Backup quarterback duties go to Joshua Dobbs, who beat out Luke Altmyer for the No. 2 job behind Jared Goff.

New Orleans: The Saints arrive with a notably banged-up roster:

• Alvin Kamara (running back) is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain, hasn't practised since 18 August, and is officially questionable — expect New Orleans to be cautious given they also signed Travis Etienne this offseason.
• Jordyn Tyson, the Saints' first-round rookie receiver (8th overall), is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and is guaranteed to miss this one.
• Bryan Bresee, expected to start at defensive tackle, tore his ACL on the first day of training camp and is out for the season.
• Linebacker Jaylan Ford and safety Lorenzo Styles are both on injured reserve.
• Defensive end Cameron Jordan is also dealing with a hamstring issue and is questionable.

Taken together, the Saints are missing pieces on both sides of the ball — which is a large part of why the spread has moved as far as it has in Detroit's favour.

The basics on New Orleans

Under head coach Kellen Moore, the Saints are coming off back-to-back losing seasons and were one of the league's worst offensive units in 2025 by points and yardage. Tyler Shough remains the starting quarterback, with Etienne now sharing (or potentially leading) the backfield work if Kamara sits out.

What's next

Check back for our second piece on this matchup, where we break down the actual on-field matchups — where Detroit's advantages lie, which rookies could make an early impact, and our score prediction for the opener.