The NFL has not yet announced the official release date for the 2026 regular‑season schedule, but all indicators point to an early‑to‑mid May unveiling. In 2025, the league released its full schedule on Wednesday, May 14, marking the sixth straight year the announcement arrived in May following the NFL Draft. Prior to 2020, the schedule had traditionally been revealed in mid‑to‑late April.
Based on recent trends, the 2026 NFL Schedule is expected to be released on either Wednesday, May 13 or Thursday, May 14. Below are the NFL schedule release dates for the past 12 seasons:
- 2025 – Wednesday, May 14
- 2024 – Wednesday, May 15
- 2023 – Thursday, May 11
- 2022 – Thursday, May 12
- 2021 – Wednesday, May 12
- 2020 – Thursday, May 7
- 2019 – Wednesday, April 17
- 2018 – Thursday, April 19
- 2017 – Thursday, April 20
- 2016 – Thursday, April 14
- 2015 – Tuesday, April 21
- 2014 – Wednesday, April 23
The 2026 regular season is slated to kick off on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting an opponent yet to be announced.
The league has also confirmed details for one International Series matchup. The Los Angeles Rams will host the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.
The NFL Playoff Schedule will begin on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027, with the Wild Card Round. Divisional Round games are scheduled for the weekend of Jan. 23-24, followed by the AFC and NFC Championship Games on Sunday, Jan. 31.
Super Bowl LXI is set for Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, with coverage on ESPN and ABC.
The NFL Preseason Schedule will open with the annual Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday, Aug. 6. This year’s matchup features the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, with kickoff at 8:00pm. ET.
Below are links to the 2026 NFL schedules for all 32 teams. Opponents for each team are set, while exact dates will be announced in May.
AFC East
- 2026 Buffalo Bills Schedule
- 2026 Miami Dolphins Schedule
- 2026 New England Patriots Schedule
- 2026 New York Jets Schedule
AFC North
- 2026 Baltimore Ravens Schedule
- 2026 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule
- 2026 Cleveland Browns Schedule
- 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule
AFC South
- 2026 Houston Texans Schedule
- 2026 Indianapolis Colts Schedule
- 2026 Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule
- 2026 Tennessee Titans Schedule
AFC West
- 2026 Denver Broncos Schedule
- 2026 Kansas City Chiefs Schedule
- 2026 Las Vegas Raiders Schedule
- 2026 Los Angeles Chargers Schedule
NFC East
- 2026 Dallas Cowboys Schedule
- 2026 New York Giants Schedule
- 2026 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule
- 2026 Washington Commanders Schedule
NFC North
- 2026 Chicago Bears Schedule
- 2026 Detroit Lions Schedule
- 2026 Green Bay Packers Schedule
- 2026 Minnesota Vikings Schedule
NFC South
- 2026 Atlanta Falcons Schedule
- 2026 Carolina Panthers Schedule
- 2026 New Orleans Saints Schedule
- 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule
NFC West
