The NFL schedule release 2026 is expected to occur on Wednesday, May 13 or Thursday, May 14, according to a report from Alex Sherman of CNBC.
Per @sherman4949 of CNBC, the NFL Schedule Release is expected to take place next Wednesday or Thursday (May 13 or 14).
Ahead of the full release, ESPN and other broadcast partners are expected to announce select games during their Upfront presentations as they did last year. pic.twitter.com/KDP0VbNAGG
— Ozzy (@OzzyNFL) May 7, 2026
Last year, 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.
If the 2026 NFL schedule is in fact released Wednesday, May 13 or Thursday, May 14, it would fall in line with recent trends. 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 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 begins 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
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West