Cleveland Browns Release 2026 Preseason Schedule Featuring Three Playoff Teams

The Cleveland Browns have officially announced their 2026 preseason schedule, which presents a challenging lineup featuring three teams that qualified for the playoffs in the previous season. The schedule includes one away game and two home contests at Huntington Bank Field. The preseason campaign begins with a road trip to Illinois to face the Chicago Bears, although the specific date and time for this matchup remain to be determined. Following this, the Browns will host the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, August 22, at 1 PM. Just five days later, the team will welcome the New England Patriots to Cleveland on Thursday, August 27, at 8 PM, resulting in a relatively short turnaround between home games. While fans had hoped for a larger number of early home games, the released schedule offers a mix of tough competition and logistical considerations. This announcement allows stakeholders to analyze the potential positives and negatives of the setup as the team prepares for the upcoming regular season. The inclusion of strong opponents like the Bills and Patriots provides significant testing opportunities for the roster before the official start of the NFL season.