It is Saturday, January 17, 2026. Right now, the sports world is buzzing because the NFL playoffs are in full swing. If you are a Buffalo Bills fan, you are probably pacing your living room because they are taking on the Denver Broncos today at 4:30 PM ET. But even while the postseason drama unfolds, everyone starts asking the same question around this time: when do we get the next nfl football season schedule?
It’s a funny thing. Most people think the schedule is just a random collection of games dropped on a random Thursday in May. It’s not. It’s a 272-game jigsaw puzzle that takes thousands of cloud-based computers to solve.
The Chaos Behind the NFL Football Season Schedule
Honestly, the schedule is basically a math problem that would make a NASA engineer sweat. The NFL doesn't just pick dates out of a hat. There is a rigid formula. Every single team plays six games against their own division—home and away, obviously. Then they play four games against a division in their own conference and four games against a division in the other conference.
Those divisions rotate every year.
For the upcoming 2026 season, we already know the matchups even if we don't know the dates yet. For example, the AFC East will be squaring off against the AFC West and the NFC North. That means we’re getting some massive games, like the Dolphins versus the Chiefs or the Jets taking on the Lions.
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The 17th game—that relatively new addition—is based on where teams finished in the standings the year before. So, if you win your division, your 17th game is going to be a tough one against a first-place team from a non-rotating conference. It's designed to keep the league balanced, or "parity," as the suits in New York like to call it.
Why the Release Date Is Such a Huge Deal
Mark your calendars for mid-May. Specifically, look toward May 14, 2026. This is usually when the league office finally hits "send" on the full calendar.
Why May? Because they have to wait for the Draft to finish. They want to see where the superstar quarterbacks like those drafted in Pittsburgh this April end up. If a team lands a generational talent, the NFL is going to flex them into a Prime Time slot.
You've probably noticed that the schedule feels more fluid lately. That's because of "flexible scheduling." The league can now move games from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night, and even Monday and Thursday night games can be swapped if the original matchup turns out to be a dud. It’s great for TV ratings, but kinda sucks for fans who already booked flights and hotels.
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International Games and Holiday Madness
The 2026 season is going to be historic for one big reason: Australia. The NFL is planning its first-ever regular-season game in Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Los Angeles Rams are the designated home team for that one.
The international footprint is expanding fast. You can expect more games in:
- London (Tottenham Hotspur and Wembley)
- Madrid (the Bernabéu is becoming a regular stop)
- Germany (Berlin is the latest hub)
And then there are the holidays. Thanksgiving is the traditional triple-header with Detroit and Dallas hosting their afternoon games. But keep an eye on Christmas 2026. Since Christmas falls on a Friday this year, the league is expected to lean heavily into that window, likely putting a massive doubleheader or even a tripleheader on the schedule to compete with the NBA’s traditional Christmas slate.
Key Dates for the 2026-2027 Cycle
If you are trying to plan your life, here is the rough timeline based on the league's operating procedures:
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- March 11, 2026: The New League Year begins. This is when the "legal tampering" ends and free agents start signing. This reshapes which teams are actually worth watching in primetime.
- April 23-25, 2026: The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. This is the final piece of the puzzle for the schedule makers.
- May 14, 2026: The official nfl football season schedule release.
- September 10, 2026: The regular season kicks off. Usually, this is the Super Bowl champion (whoever wins LX on February 8 at Levi's Stadium) hosting a home game on Thursday night.
- January 10, 2027: The regular season ends with an all-divisional Week 18.
- February 14, 2027: Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Schedule
A common misconception is that the "strength of schedule" you see in May actually matters. It doesn't. That metric is based on how teams performed last year. In the NFL, teams go from worst to first every single season. A "soft" schedule in May often turns into a "gauntlet" by October because of injuries or breakout stars.
Another thing: the bye weeks. Schedule makers like Howard Katz and Michael North try to make it fair, but someone always gets the short straw. Teams generally want a bye week in the middle of the season (Week 9 or 10). If you get a Week 5 bye, your players are going to be exhausted by December. If you get a Week 14 bye, you might be too banged up to even make it that far.
Actionable Steps for Planning Your Season
If you are planning to attend a game in 2026, don't wait until August to look at tickets.
- Check the Opponents Now: The 2026 opponents are already set based on the rotation. You can see right now if your team is playing away at a stadium you’ve always wanted to visit.
- Wait for the May Release for Flights: Do not book non-refundable travel until the specific dates and times are confirmed in mid-May. Flexible scheduling means a Sunday game could theoretically move, but the location won't change.
- Watch the International Tickets: These sell out in minutes. If you want to see the Rams in Melbourne or a game in London, you need to register for the NFL's international ticket interest list by March.
- The "Double Header" Trick: Look for weeks where two teams in close proximity (like the Jets and Giants or Rams and Chargers) are both at home on the same weekend. It’s the best way to see two stadiums in one trip.
The 2026 nfl football season schedule is more than just a list of games; it’s the roadmap for the next year of American sports culture. Keep your eyes on that mid-May window for the final reveal.
Next Steps:
You can now start tracking the 2026 free agency moves starting March 11 to see which teams are loading up for a primetime run. I can also help you look up specific 2026 home/away opponents for your favorite team so you can begin narrowing down potential travel dates.