The 2026 NFL Schedule is expected to be officially released on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Historically, the NFL releases the full 272-game slate the second week of May at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network and ESPN. The 2026 season will feature a historic season-opener in Melbourne, Australia, marking the league’s first-ever game in the Oceania region.
When is the 2026 NFL Schedule Release?
So, when you ask when is the 2026 NFL Schedule release? We expect the release to be in mid-May 2026. Based on trends since 2020, it will fall on a Thursday between May 11 and May 15. The league announced the 2025 release during the NFL Draft in late April. A similar timeline applies for 2026.
The announcement comes about three weeks after the 2026 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This gap allows time to adjust for draft trades and team changes. The full schedule will drop at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network, ESPN2, and NFL+. Leaks often start days before, with prime-time games and international matchups revealed first by the NFL Operations department.
Past NFL Schedule Release Dates
The table below lists release dates from 2016 to 2025. Dates shifted from April to May starting in 2020. This change gives the league more time after the draft.
| Year | Release Date |
| 2016 | April 14 |
| 2017 | April 20 |
| 2018 | April 19 |
| 2019 | April 17 |
| 2020 | May 7 |
| 2021 | May 12 |
| 2022 | May 12 |
| 2023 | May 11 |
| 2024 | May 15 |
| 2025 | May 14 |
What Happens During the NFL Schedule Release
The NFL schedule release includes all 272 regular season games. Opponents are known months earlier, based on division play and rotation formulas. We have all of those included in our notional 2026 NFL Week 1 schedule for you here. Dates, times, and networks fill in the details.
Key highlights:
- Season Opener: Normally a Thursday night game, often featuring the Super Bowl winner (but we could see this change up with the LA Rams playing in Melbourne, Australia in the 2026 season, possibly on Wednesday night). We have confirmation it will be a Wednesday start this season with the Seahawks hosting the first game of the year now.
- Prime-Time Games: Slots on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday nights.
- International Games: Up to eight in 2026, including Australia, London and Brazil.
- Flexible Scheduling: Weeks 12-17 can shift for better matchups.
Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles often get early slots. Fans check for rivalries, like Steelers vs. Ravens, on holidays.
How to Follow the 2026 Release on SportsBrackets.net
If you are inpatient, bookmark and check out our 2026-27 NFL schedule page. As we get information on the schedules and NFL plans, we update you there. We build printables with the known (14 of 17) opponents for each team as well. Once the release happens, we update every team for you to include the confirmed TV broadcasts. You can also check out the 2027 NFL Playoff and Super Bowl schedule here too.
2026 NFL Calendar: Key Dates
| Event | Date |
| 2026 NFL Draft (Pittsburgh) | April 23–25, 2026 |
| Official Schedule Release | May 13, 2026 (Projected) |
| NFL Training Camps Open | Mid-July 2026 |
| Hall of Fame Game (Canton) | August 6, 2026 |
| 2026 NFL Season Opener | September 10, 2026 |
| NFL Melbourne Debut (Australia) | October 2026 (TBD) |
2026 NFL Schedule FAQ
When will the 2026 NFL season start? The 2026 NFL regular season is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday, September 9th, 2026, featuring the Super Bowl LX champion hosting the season opener.
Which teams are playing in Australia in 2026? While the exact matchup will be announced during the May schedule release, the Los Angeles Rams are the designated home team for the historic game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
How many international games are in the 2026 NFL schedule? The NFL has authorized up to nine international games for the 2026 season. Expected locations include London (UK), Munich (Germany), Madrid (Spain), and the debut in Melbourne (Australia).
Are 2026 NFL opponents already finalized? Yes. While the dates and times won’t be known until May, every team’s opponents are determined by the previous season’s standings.
2026 NFL Regular Season Schedules (By Team)
We have printables for all teams with their confirmed opponents for the 2026-27 NFL regular season for you below. Bookmark this page: We will have individual 2026 Team Schedule PDFs (Printable) for all 32 teams updated shortly after the release for you.
