What do the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Raiders have in common?
They’re the five NFL teams that don’t currently have a primetime game in the 2026 NFL season.
That’s the luck of the draw, or misfortune as it were, as NFL scheduling is very much a merit-based system. When you’re good, or perceived to be good, you get more high-profile spots and national access.
It might seem surprising to some that the Raiders have been left out, given all the hype around No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza. However, much like Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans last year, the unknowns heading into the season make it hard to count on them as a worthwhile team to showcase. It also doesn’t help that the Raiders’ plans for Mendoza remain unclear.
On a Friday conference call, NFL VP of broadcasting planning Mike North was asked whether that uncertainty was factored into why Las Vegas was left out of the primetime opportunities, and he offered some insight into the decision-making process.
“As far as the Raiders go, I mean, nobody knows if or when Mendoza might play,” North said. “It would certainly be great if we knew. We don’t. But they went out and signed a very competent veteran quarterback, and if they find themselves, you know, hovering around .500 and playoff-relevant in the middle of the season, they might be a little more reluctant to pull the trigger and move to the rookie. And if they are playoff-relevant, they will find themselves flexed into bigger national television windows, whether it’s Sunday night, Monday night, or just a bigger footprint on a Sunday afternoon.
“Not to point fingers, but I think the best comp is probably Tennessee from last year. They drafted No. 1 overall, took a quarterback who looks like he can play in this league, [and] they didn’t happen to get a national television appearance last year, either. … We don’t draft our way into primetime. We play our way into primetime.”
The Raiders likely aren’t too concerned about whether or not they show up on Sunday Night Football this season as they get Mendoza used to NFL gameplay and figure out if he or Kirk Cousins will be the signal-caller for the season.
It’s entirely possible that one or more of the above teams will get flexed into primetime, but that’s mostly up to them from here on out.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.