Washington Commanders announce full 2026 Preseason Schedule with two joint practices
The Washington Commanders need to start the season strong with a tough gauntlet of a schedule, which adds even more importance to their preseason schedule this year.
Last year, the preseason results seemed to foreshadow a disastrous season for the Washington Commanders. This year, the Commanders have a tougher schedule, which adds importance to a fast start.
We’ve already seen the full slate for the Commanders’ 2026 schedule, and now we have their preseason games with joint practice announcements.
Washington Commanders 2026 Preseason Schedule:
Week 1: Miami Dolphins vs Washington Commanders
The Commanders kick off the preseason with a home game on Friday, August 14th at 7 p.m. ET against the Miami Dolphins. This should be a solid warm-up game against a Dolphins team that’s not expected to be that good this season.
Nicki Jhabvala with The Athletic also reported that the Commanders will have a joint practice with the Dolphins in Ashburn, so they’re not wasting any time practicing against another team. The joint practice will allow them to open up the scheme a little bit and actually test their progress.
The next two weeks of the preseason were surprising to me, though, especially with the start of the regular season.
Week 2: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions
After playing at home, the Commanders hit the road to face the Lions in Week 2 of the preseason. We all remember what happened last time these two teams met, and things got chippy. Unfortunately, there’s no joint practice with the Lions, so we will have to wait until the actual game.
The Commanders announced the game is set for Saturday, August 22nd at Noon ET. The starters should get playing time in this matchup before potentially resting for the final week.
Week 3: Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens
Before going on the road for two straight weeks to start the season, the Commanders have to hit the road twice to finish the preseason. Luckily, they don’t have to go far with the Baltimore Ravens as their third and final preseason opponent.
The game is scheduled for Friday, August 28th, at 7 p.m. ET, which gives them a 16-day break before they kick off the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Ravens also announced on social media that they’ll be hosting a joint practice with the Commanders on Wednesday, August 26th, unless they cancel again.
The joint practice against the Ravens might be the last time we see the starters until Week 1, and the final preseason game is a great opportunity for players on the roster bubble to fight for a spot.
People don’t usually put much weight on the preseason, but I’ll absolutely be watching the games and joint practices closely to see how strong the team comes out after a lot of changes.
