🏈 When is the NFL Schedule Released? Looking at Key Dates for the 2026-27 NFL Season

There has been plenty of time without football already, so it's time to scope out when that's set to end and what your favorite team's path to glory will be next year. With the NFL offseason heating up, the next question is: When is the NFL schedule released?

We'll dig into key dates on the horizon for you to circle on your calendar ahead of the start of the 2026-27 NFL season.

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📅 When is the NFL schedule released? 

The league has yet to announce when the 2026-27 NFL schedule will be released, but historical trends point to a mid-May reveal. The full 272-game schedule is generally released on the second or third Thursday of the month. For the 2026-27 NFL season, the schedule release date will likely be around Thursday, May 14, 2026. 

While not as exciting as who you team is picks after scoping out the NFL Draft odds or who your team will sign once NFL free agency starts, it's a big deal for lots of fans. 

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🕵️ Leaked details

We have some limited data about a variety of key schedule dates for the 2026-27 NFL season, even though the full schedule hasn't been released. 

International series

There will be nine international games in the upcoming season, the most the league has ever put off. 

• Australia will host its first game at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne; the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will meet on Sept. 9 or 10
• It will be quite the look for fans in Australia, who get to see the Super Bowl odds favorite Rams
• The first regular-season game in France is set for Stade de France in Paris; the New Orleans Saints will be the designated home team
• Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host a Dallas Cowboys home game
• Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will host a San Francisco 49ers home game
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London will host two games
• Wembley Stadium in London will host a Jacksonville Jaguars home game
• Allianz Arena in Munich will host a game; the Detroit Lions will play in that game
• Bernabeu in Madrid will host a game

Holiday games

There will be three Thanksgiving games on Nov. 26. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys are expected to host in the afternoon as per tradition, while a prime-time game for the evening has not yet been set. 

Details of a possible Christmas game(s) have not yet been revealed. 

Prime-time games and flexible rules

There will again be prime-time games including Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football. 

The league will again allow for a flexible scheduling that could result in games being moved in or out of prime-time slots. 

1️⃣ Opening night Down Under?

Reports have circulated that the NFL won't have a Friday game in Week 1, and that the exact date for the Melbourne game has yet to be determined. The season's opening game could, theoretically, be the 49ers-Rams in Melbourne instead of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

It looks like the lead is set to start with games on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, with the order yet to be determined. 

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🏈 Regular season details

The regular season will again be played over an 18-week schedule, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week. The season is set to start on Sept. 9 or Sept. 10.

The season will end on Jan. 10, 2027.

The 17 games each team plays are made up of:

- One home game and one road game against each of the other three teams in its division (six games) 
- One game against each of the four teams from another division in its conference (four games) 
- One game against each of the four teams from a division in the other conference (four games)
- One game against each of the remaining two teams in its conference that finished in the same position in its division (two games) 
- One game against a team from the other conference that finished in the same position in its division (one game)

Divisional pairings

While the dates aren't set for any of these games, we do know some of the divisional pairing for the upcoming year. 

Four intra-conference games:

• AFC East vs. AFC West
• AFC North vs. AFC South
• NFC East vs. NFC West
• NFC North vs. NFC South

Four interconference games:

• AFC East vs. NFC North
• AFC North vs. NFC South
• AFC South vs. NFC East
• AFC West vs. NFC West

Interconference games by 2025 position: 

• AFC East vs. NFC West
• AFC North vs. NFC East
• AFC South vs. NFC North
• AFC West vs. NFC South

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📌 Key dates for the 2026-27 NFL season

Here is a look at the upcoming key dates for the 2026-27 NFL season.

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❓ NFL schedule FAQs

When is the NFL schedule released?

The NFL has not yet set a date for the release of the 2026-27 NFL schedule, but historically it has been in mid-May.

When is the first game of the 2026-27 NFL season?

The kickoff game for the 2026-27 NFL season is set for Sept. 9 or Sept. 10, 2026.

When is the 2026-27 Super Bowl?

Super Bowl LXI from SoFi Stadium is set for Feb. 14, 2027. This will be the latest Super Bowl game in NFL history.

Where are the international games during the 2026-27 NFL season?

The NFL will hold international games in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Mexico City, London (3), Munich, and Madrid