The lineup for the 2026 London games has been unveiled with two contests at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and another at Wembley Stadium.
The Washington Commanders will kick proceedings off at Tottenham as they take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday October 4. A week later, the Jacksonville Jaguars will play the first of two London games this year when they meet the Philadelphia Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Jags will then round out the UK contests when they return to their spiritual London home of Wembley Stadium to face off against the Houston Texans on Sunday October 18.
Here is an alphabetical look at the big games heading to our shores.
A is for… Azeez Al-Shaair
Azeez Al-Shaair is one of the NFL’s feel-good stories. After growing up homeless as a high school student-athlete in Tampa, Florida, Al-Shaair has battled to become one of the NFL’s best defenders and a key performer on Houston’s top-ranked defense. But there is very little that is warm and fuzzy about facing Al-Shaair on Sundays. The linebacker runs and hits like a runaway freight train and did so to the tune of a team-leading 103 tackles in 2025.
B is for… Big Dom!
The NFL’s most famous security guard is heading to London. Dom DiSandro – better known as Big Dom – is the long-time senior advisor to the general manager and chief of security for the Philadelphia Eagles. If you’re looking to spot one of Philadelphia’s biggest cult heroes, he will never be too far away from Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And no one will be misbehaving in his vicinity!
C is for… Close games
The regular season contests played in London in recent seasons have certainly kept fans on the edge of their seats, whether it be late game-winning touchdown excitement of 2025 or the double-doink field goal drama of 2022. Of the last 14 regular season games played in London, 10 have been decided by one score; including two in 2026 (Vikings-Browns and Broncos-Jets).
D is for… Defense
The Houston Texans fielded the league’s top-ranked defense in 2025, allowing an average of just 277 yards per game. The Texans held 14 regular-season opponents to 21 or fewer points and were strong at all three levels. They held opposing quarterbacks to a combined passer rating of just 76.2. Trevor Lawrence, you have been warned! One of the league’s most intimidating groups will be waiting for you at Wembley!
E is for… Explosive receiver
The Indianapolis Colts’ passing attack will feature game-breaking wide receiver Alec Pierce, who has led the NFL in yards-per-catch in each of the past two seasons. Pierce averaged 22.3 yards per reception in 2024 and 21.3 yards per catch in 2025. His reward was an offseason contract extension with the Colts worth $114 million.
F is for… First win
Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence returns to the site of his first regular season win as an NFL quarterback. Lawrence – who will be looking to build off a strong 2025 campaign – secured his first career victory in London against Miami in 2021. Lawrence has a 4-3 record in London and will look to add to that win total against Philadelphia and Houston.
G is for… Getting back out there
Two high-profile players will be keen to prove their worth throughout the 2026 season in Jacksonville wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Indianapolis cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner. The Jags gave up first-, second- and fourth-round picks last year and a first-rounder this year to acquire the two-way “unicorn.” Hunter played in just seven games before tearing knee ligaments, recording 28 catches, scoring one touchdown and recording 15 tackles and no interceptions. Perennial Pro Bowler Gardner was supposed to be the missing piece in the Colts’ Super Bowl puzzle. Indy gave up first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 and then saw Gardner go down with a calf injury after just three games. His return to form will be critical.
H is for… Hurts
One of the league’s most talked-about and most productive quarterbacks is heading to London as Jalen Hurts leads the Philadelphia Eagles against the Jaguars. Hurts has led Philadelphia to two of the last four Super Bowls. In defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 at the end of the 2024 season, Hurts was named the game’s Most Valuable Player; forever writing his name in NFL history. The dual-threat star has accounted for 103 touchdowns over the past three regular seasons (66 passing, 37 rushing).
I is for… International talent
The 2026 London games will feature some of the finest international talent in the game. The left side of the Philadelphia Eagles’ line is anchored by outstanding Australian tackle Jordan Mailata, who came through the league’s International Player Pathway program. Also graduating from IPP is explosive Nigerian defensive tackle Uar Bernard, who was chosen by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Austria’s Bernhard Raimann is the starting left tackle for the Indianapolis Colts.
J is for… Jayden
The Washington Commanders will be led by one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the NFL today in Jayden Daniels. As a rookie in 2024, Daniels shone brightly as he delivered multiple big wins to power Washington to the NFC Championship Game a year after they won just four contests. After an injury-hit 2025 campaign, the dual-threat quarterback will be keen to announce himself on the global stage with a big showing in London.
K is for… Knuckles!
When in Detroit, David Montgomery was one half of the ‘Sonic and Knuckles’ backfield; providing the down-to-down power while Jahmyr Gibbs (Sonic) was hitting the home runs. Montgomery has been a very reliable back throughout his NFL career, rushing for at least 700 yards in each of his seven seasons in the league. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher will now lead a Houston ground attack that ranked 22nd in the NFL a year ago.
L is for… Lemon
Philadelphia fans love their sporting heroes to be tough, edgy and to play with a chip on their shoulder. For those reasons alone, Eagles fans should love rookie first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon. The 2025 Biletnikoff winner – awarded to the best receiver in college football – is a tough and productive performer who keeps the chains moving. Lemon backs down from no defender and has drawn lofty comparisons to Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown.
M is for… McLaurin
One of the league’s most talented and productive wide receivers will be key to the Washington Commanders’ attack when they take on the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Terry McLaurin is a two-time Pro Bowler who has topped 1,000 receiving yards in five of his seven NFL seasons to date. His 2025 campaign was limited to just 10 games due to a quad injury, but McLaurin should be back to his very best in 2026.
N is for… Nico
The Houston Texans also boast a game-breaking wide receiver in Nico Collins, who has grown to become one of the league’s more dangerous aerial targets. After gaining 927 combined receiving yards across his first two NFL seasons, Collins has reeled off three straight 1,000-yard campaigns. He is one of the league’s premier deep threats averaging 16.2 yards per catch in 2023. 14.8 in 2024 and 15.7 in 2025.
O is for… On-the-rise tight ends
The passing attacks in London will not focus solely on wide receivers. There will be a couple of intriguing, on-the-rise tight ends in action for the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tyler Warren was the Colts’ first-round selection in 2025 and he enjoyed a promising rookie campaign, catching 76 passes for 817 yards and four touchdowns to rank second in Indianapolis. Brenton Strange ranked third for the Jaguars, reeling in 46 passes for 540 yards and three scores.
P is for… Pass-rush pairings
Not all of the star quarterbacks heading to London are going to feel entirely comfortable. Some teams specialise in rushing the passer and doing it with multiple players. Over the past two seasons, Houston’s defensive duo of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson have combined for 50 sacks. Over a similar two-year period across 2023 and 2024, Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker teamed up to register 46 sacks.
Q is for… Quarterback redemption story
By the end of November 2024, Daniel Jones was benched and then cut by the New York Giants. He was on the NFL quarterback scrapheap. By the middle of the 2025 season, Jones was a genuine NFL Most Valuable Player candidate in leading the Indianapolis Colts to an 8-2 record. But as the season started to get away from the Colts, the star quarterback suffered a torn Achilles in December. Jones’ efforts were rewarded by Indianapolis as he signed a two-year contract worth up to $100 million. If Jones can replicate his early-season form of 2025, he will be worth every penny of that new deal.
R is for… Rushing champs
Two elite running backs who have previously been crowned the league’s rushing champion will be heading to London in 2026. Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor led the NFL in rushing yards in 2021 when he gained 1,811 yards on the ground and scored 18 rushing touchdowns. Saquon Barkley led the Eagles with 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024. He added 499 rushing yards in the playoffs for the greatest single-season (including playoffs) in NFL history; gaining 2,504 rushing yards.
S is for… Stroud
In each of his three seasons in the NFL, CJ Stroud has guided the Houston Texans to the AFC playoffs and they have been one of the league’s final eight teams in the Divisional Round on each occasion. Stroud – the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft – burst onto the NFL scene by throwing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns as a rookie. He will have much to prove this season as his 2025 campaign ended with four interceptions in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots.
T is for… Tackling machine linebacker
When the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Houston Texans in London, keep an eye out for one of the NFL’s most productive yet underrated defenders. When the stadium announcer details a tackle that has just been made, there is a good chance you will hear Foye Oluokun’s name called. Oluokun led Jacksonville with 143 tackles in 2025 – his sixth straight year recording at least 100 tackles. During that six-year span, Oluokun has racked up an incredible 917 stops.
U is for… Undefeated in London
The Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans are undefeated in the United Kingdom. Both enjoyed victories against the team they will face in 2026, the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Eagles played at Wembley Stadium as the defending Super Bowl champions in 2018 and enjoyed a 24-18 win. Houston beat the Jags 26-3 in the same stadium a year later.
V is for… Visiting fans
The London games are always played in an incredible in-stadium atmosphere as fans make the pilgrimage from all over the United Kingdom to Tottenham and Wembley. Supporters from across Europe also make the trip and the atmosphere goes up several levels once our passionate friends from the United States enter proceedings.
W is for… Wembley Stadium
Home of the very first NFL regular season game played in London in 2007 (when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in the pouring rain), Wembley Stadium will host a contest for a record 28th time when the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Houston Texans on Sunday October 18. The Jaguars have played 11 games at Wembley and have a 5-6 record.
X is for… X players
Okay, you’re going to have to work with me on the title. How many subjects can realistically begin with the letter ‘X’? I cannot go with X receiver for the third year in a row! There are former players leading the London-bound teams in 2026. DeMeco Ryans was a Pro Bowl linebacker for the team he now coaches, the Houston Texans. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen was a quarterback at UMass, Indianapolis’ Shane Steichen played the same position at UNLV and Nick Sirianni, of the Eagles, was a wide receiver at D3 Mount Union. Washington’s Dan Quinn played linebacker and defensive line at Salisbury University.
Y is for… You think he can make it from there?
Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little may cut a relatively slight figure and look like he is just out of high school, but he boasts the most potent leg in the NFL. That point was emphatically proven in 2025. Little kicked a 70-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason, meaning it could not be an official record. On November 2, he took the NFL record away from Justin Tucker (66 yards) when he landed a 68-yard field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders. And in Week 18, Little converted a 67-yard field goal in Jacksonville against the Tennessee Titans. That was the longest outdoor field goal in NFL history and the second-longest conversion of all time.
Z is for… Zippy
Oh, how I wish Zaire Franklin was still playing linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts (he joined the Green Bay Packers this offseason). That would have been an easy fix for this final offering. Instead, I will end by highlighting Philadelphia wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who has shown some impressive speed while registering more than 1,000 receiving yards in three of his past four seasons. In fact, you could say he is pretty zippy! Work with me here, people, this one is not easy! With AJ Brown likely heading out the door in June, Smith should be WR1 for the Eagles by the time they land in London.