When will the NFL release the 2026-27 schedule? Here’s what we know
The NFL Draft is coming up later this month, which means we will soon be able to mark our calendars with the full schedule for the upcoming season.
We’re still a long way from the 2026 NFL season, but we have a few things left to look forward to in the offseason, starting with the upcoming NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23. It won’t be long after that when we can finally start the official countdown, once the 2026-27 regular-season schedule drops.
NFL 2026-27 schedule release date
The NFL typically unveils the complete schedule shortly after the draft in mid-May, often on a Wednesday or Thursday. While the league hasn’t officially confirmed a date yet for 2026, experts predict the announcement could come around Wednesday, May 13.
Until the full schedule is released, only certain details are confirmed:
- 17-game opponents for all 32 teams are already set.
- 9 international games are finalized, including matchups in London, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid, Paris, Melbourne, and Mexico City.
Key Dates for the 2026-27 Season
Even before the full schedule drops, several major dates are locked in:
- Regular Season Opener: Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in Seattle
- Super Bowl LXI: Sunday, February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
The NFL announced that the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks will host the first game of the 2026 season on Wednesday, September 9 🏆
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 25, 2026
Seattle's Week 1 opponent will be announced when the full regular season schedule is released later this spring. pic.twitter.com/Cn4JZ0lAFz
What to expect from the NFL schedule release
Once the NFL releases the full schedule, it will include:
- Exact dates and kickoff times for all 272 regular-season games.
- National TV matchups for Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football.
- Any changes to the recent experiment of multiple Monday Night Football games on the same night.
The NFL will no longer have multiple Monday Night Football games at the same time after experimenting with that in recent years, per NFL executive Hans Schroeder.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 31, 2026
Those extra games will be placed elsewhere on the schedule, including a potential Thanksgiving Eve game. pic.twitter.com/plfGlSGvcR
With the draft coming up and training camps set for July, fans will finally be able to plan their NFL viewing schedules, travel to games, and mark their calendars for key matchups.
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