After weeks of speculation, the NFL announced that it will drop the schedule for the 2026 season on May 14. However, the league will announce the international games one day before. The Jacksonville Jaguars already know that they'll play two games in London, but they may find out who their opponent will be after a rumored leak.
The Jags' first game in London will be at Tottenham Hotspur in Week 5. The next one will be at Wembley. Based on the leak, they're going to face a dreaded divisional foe.
The Jaguars will tentatively face the Texans at Wembley in Week 6
The NFL Nerd posted on Twitter that the Jaguars will face Houston in Week 6, adding that kickoff will be at 9:30 ET. Again, this is just a rumor, but NFL Nerd has a good track record of unveiling schedule scoops.
It's worth noting that this will count as a home game for Jacksonville. And because the bout will take place relatively early in the season, this will likely be the first game of the division series against the Texans.
Either way, the Jaguars will be looking to set the tone and get an early lead in the race for the AFC South title. Last year, they won the first game but suffered a total meltdown in the second one and ended up splitting the series.
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Why the Jaguars want to beat the Texans at Wembley
Winning in the NFL isn't easy, but some matchups are most definitely more manageable. For instance, the Jaguars are slated to face the Pittsburgh Steelers next season. Because they'll probably face an aging Aaron Rodgers, Jacksonville has better odds of coming out on top. The same cannot be said about the Texans.
While the Jaguars won the division in 2025, the Texans advanced further in the NFL playoffs despite the fact that quarterback C.J. Stroud left much to be desired. Imagine how much better they'll be if he bounces back? Working in the Jags' favor is that they have the firepower to take care of their division foe.
Trevor Lawrence is coming off a banner season, and so is an arsenal of weapons that includes the receiving trio of Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Parker Washington. Moreover, Jacksonville got tougher in the trenches when they drafted Nate Boerkircher, who'll allow the coaching staff to deploy him alongside the ascending Brenton Strange in two tight-end sets.
Granted, the Houston defense is one of the best in the league, but the Jags beat them once and came close to sweeping them. Sure, they didn't finish the job, but that should be a wake-up call not to take their division rival lightly
There's no doubt that the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans should be better next season, but the only legitimate threat to dethrone the Jaguars in the AFC South is the Texans. That's why making a statement at Wembley in Week 6 would be huge.
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