Puppy Bowl 2026: Meet the Paw-some Pups Playing in the Competition

These furry football players are ready to have a ball!

February 8th isn’t the date for the 2026 Super Bowl between the Patriots and Seahawks. Before the big game, some adorable canine athletes will be playing instead!

Get ready for the 22nd Puppy Bowl! This year, 150 adorable dogs from 72 shelters will compete for the famous “Lombarky” Trophy. You can watch all the puppy fun on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max, and discovery+ starting at 2 p.m. Eastern Time/11 a.m. Pacific Time. It’s going to be three full hours of heartwarming puppy moments!

I’m so excited for the competition! Team Fluff is looking strong with Benito, that amazing Husky-Chihuahua mix, and Showgirl, a beautiful Chow Chow-Rottweiler, leading the way as the current champions. But don’t count Team Ruff out! Lobster Roll, a Bulldog-Border Collie, Brûlée, a Boston Terrier-French Bulldog, and Miso, an American Cattle Dog-Beagle, are determined to win and take home the title. It’s going to be a great showdown!

According to Joseph Boyle, Head of Content at Discovery Channel, Puppy Bowl XXII is a celebration of resilience and heartwarming adoption stories, all wrapped up in the fun of a sporting event, as stated in a press release.

He explained that by adding new features, like a segment focusing on senior athletes, and improving popular parts of the show, they’re aiming to build a stronger relationship with viewers and provide the most exciting sports experience on TV.

For the first time, the halftime show will feature senior dogs! Two teams – Team Oldies and Team Goldies – will compete in a special exhibition game during the Pro-Dog Halftime Showdown.

This year’s game will feature commentary from Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks, and will continue the popular tradition of showcasing adorable puppies who are looking for loving homes. Throughout the broadcast, viewers will also hear heartwarming stories, including one from Buffalo Bills player Khalil Shakir. Shakir, a pet adoption advocate, will be training a dog named Buttons for the event, and Buttons is also from New York.

To show that anything is possible, fifteen of the game’s players are dogs with special needs, like Wynonna, a three-legged dog from Kentucky, and Teigan, a puppy from Connecticut who uses a wheelchair. These determined dogs clearly demonstrate that their disabilities don’t limit them.

Keep reading to see some of the adorable pooches taking the field on the biggest day in football.