Austin Konenski
The 2026 NFL schedule is expected to be one of the best in recent memory. The NFL will start the regular season on Wednesday, September 9, as the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks kick off the action. It won’t be on Thursday night to accommodate the sport’s first regular-season game in Australia. However, when will the sport release the rest of the schedule?
This year’s NFL schedule release date could be sometime between Tuesday, May 12, and Thursday, May 14, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In 2025, the NFL released the schedule on Wednesday, May 14, at 8 p.m. ET. The 2025 schedule was released on Wednesday, May 15.
If the pattern from the last two years continues into 2026, the schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 13. However, Schefter said to “circle” the week of May 11, especially Tuesday to Thursday. Either way, it is expected to be a major day within the NFL offseason.
NFL teams have made the schedule release a big event each offseason, even though their opponents are already known. It reveals which week teams are playing their opponents, the kickoff time, and when they have primetime games. Plus, the NFL reveals the Thanksgiving and Christmas games, which are high-profile days in the sport.
The Seahawks and New England Patriots figure to have several primetime slots after making the Super Bowl in February. In fact, there is a possibility that Seattle and New England play each other on Wednesday, September 9, to open the 2026-27 NFL season.
The sport will reveal the 2026 schedule in about one month, and an official release date could be announced at the NFL Draft. For now, circle Tuesday, May 12, to Thursday, May 14.
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