The official 2026 NFL schedule is expected to be released in mid-May 2026. While the specific dates and times for all 272 games are not yet finalized, the NFL has officially confirmed the home and away opponents for every team. The 2026 season will kick off on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The first Wednesday start since 2012 to accommodate a historic opening game in Australia. This season features an 18-week schedule with 17 regular-season games and one bye week per team.

2026 NFL International Games: Record 9 Matchups

The NFL is expanding its global footprint in 2026 with a record nine international games across four continents.

Why the NFL is Starting on a Wednesday in 2026

The NFL is moving its 2026 season opener to Wednesday, September 9, to facilitate a historic matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. This marks the first time since 2012 (and only the second time in 75 years) that the league has scheduled a Wednesday kickoff. The shift is primarily driven by the extreme logistics of a 14-to-17-hour time difference and a 15-hour flight from the U.S. West Coast. By playing on Wednesday, the NFL ensures the Rams and 49ers have a “standard” recovery window before their Week 2 games, avoiding a short-week disadvantage. This unique Wednesday slot also allows the league to keep the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in their traditional Thursday night primetime window without forcing fans to choose between two blockbuster games.

When does the 2026 NFL Preseason Start?

The 2026 NFL Preseason schedule starts with the annual NFL Hall of Fame Game. Canton, Ohio is the host site for the matchup that occurs on Thursday, August 6th, 2026. The remaining preseason games will be scheduled following this game. Each team will play a total of three games again this season like in 2025. 

Flex Scheduling for the 2026 NFL Schedule

Another year of flex scheduling for the 2026 NFL schedule. During weeks it can be used, you will need to check the schedules for the games closer to game day to ensure you don’t miss anything. Between NFL weeks 5 through 10 the league can implement changes twice. From weeks 11 through 17 they can modify the schedules to maximize good matchups in prime time as many times as they deem fit. Similarly discretion applies for Monday Night Football between weeks 12 through 17. If we see any big changes in policy for the 2026-27 NFL regular season, we’ll keep you updated here. 

Key 2026 NFL Schedule Dates

The following are the key dates for the 2026 NFL schedule leading up to the first game of the season. These dates are notional and based off of the 2025 NFL schedule and traditional timeframes the league has used for the milestones. As these dates are confirmed by the league, we’ll keep you updated here. 

• Franchise Tag Window Opens: Tuesday, February 17, 2026  
• NFL Combine: Monday, February 23 to Sunday, March 1, 2026  
• Franchise Tag Window Closes: Tuesday, March 3, 2026  
• NFL Legal Tampering Begins: Monday, March 9, 2026  
• NFL Free Agency, New League Year: Wednesday, March 11, 2026  
• NFL League Meetings: Sunday, March 29 to Wednesday, April 1, 2026  
• Offseason Workouts Begin (for Teams with New Head Coaches): Monday, April 6, 2026  
• Restricted Free Agent Offer Sheet Deadline: Friday, April 17, 2026  
• Offseason Workouts Begin (for Teams with Returning Head Coaches): Monday, April 20, 2026  
• NFL Draft: Thursday, April 23 to Saturday, April 25, 2026  
• Fifth-Year Option Deadline for 2022 First-Round Picks: Monday, May 4, 2026  
• Rookie Minicamps: Friday, May 1 to Monday, May 4 or Friday, May 8 to Monday, May 11, 2026  
• NFL Schedule Release: Wednesday, May 13, Thursday, May 14, or Friday, May 15, 2026  
• Spring League Meeting: Monday, May 18 to Tuesday, May 19, 2026  
• June 1 Cuts: Monday, June 1, 2026  
• Franchise Tag Extension Deadline: Wednesday, July 15, 2026  
• Training Camp Opens: Tuesday, July 21 or Wednesday, July 22, 2026  
• NFL Preseason Begins: Thursday, August 6, 2026  
• NFL Roster Cutdown: Tuesday, August 25, 2026  
• Opening Night of the 2026 NFL Regular Season: Thursday, September 10, 2026

When is the 2026 NFL Schedule Release?

A question that comes up a lot is when is the 2026 NFL schedule release? The league has not officially confirmed the date yet. They will typically not interfere with the NFL Draft and all of the press that goes with the teams and the players being drafted. We expect the 2026 NFL schedule release to occur on either Wednesday, May 13, Thursday, May 14, or Friday, May 15, 2026, based on the NFL’s typical pattern of releasing the full regular-season schedule in mid-May, usually on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Exact dates are confirmed closer to the event, so we’ll keep you posted here. 

2026-26 NFL TV Schedule

If you want to see the complete 2026-26 NFL TV schedule, we will post that for you as soon as it is available. We can expect to see the streaming footprint of games continue to expand as NFL+ matures and more. 

2026 NFL Schedule by Team (Future Schedules)

The 2026 NFL schedule by team are posted below as we have them available. We know 14 of the opponents that each team will play already. The other three slots the conference and division of the opponent is already known. The schedules can be printed to PDF format, and we’ll keep you updated as the schedules are confirmed. Here is the complete list of the opponents that are known for the 2026-27 NFL Regular season for you.

Printable 2026 NFL Schedule – By Team

NFL Schedule by Week 2026 (with Pick Em Sheets

While we’re building out the printables for each week, you can checkout the complete NFL schedule by week here once it’s available. We will be doing weekly schedules and printable pick-em sheets in PDF format for you again this season. Enjoy! 

NFL Schedule by Week

2026 NFL Schedule By Day / Preseason / Postseason

2026 NFL Preseason Schedules

2026 NFL Daily/Other Schedules (Printable)

Additional NFL Articles of Interest: 

Fun Super Bowl Prop Bets

Non-Football Prop Bets for the Super Bowl

What Teams Haven’t Played in a Super Bowl? 

Where and when are the Future Super Bowls? 

Super Bowl Squares Template

Super Bowl Wins by Team

Past Super Bowl Scores

Where do the Chiefs Play Football?

Most Touchdowns in a Season – NFL

Will Lewis Editor, Author

Will Lewis has covered sports for over 18 years, specializing in bracketology, tournament predictions, and in-depth analysis across college hoops, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and more. March Madness is his favorite season, fueling his quest for perfect brackets before diving into pro playoffs. A lifelong Kentucky Wildcats fan, Bengals supporter since the Joe Montana era, and now a Padres devotee, Will delivers reliable, fan-first insights at Sports Brackets. Connect on X or comment. He loves talking brackets and more.

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