NFL schedule release set for May 14

The NFL is set to publish its full 2026 regular-season schedule at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, capping a week of controlled announcements, broadcaster exclusives and media leaks. The league announced the release time on May 8 and said live schedule coverage would air on NFL Network, ESPN2, the ESPN App and NFL+. Wednesday’s disclosures filled in several of the highest-profile pieces before the complete slate became official. NFL.com said the league will stage a record nine international games in 2026 across four continents and seven countries, while league and team announcements confirmed a Nov. 25 Thanksgiving Eve game between the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams. (nfl.com) CBS Sports also published a running list of reported games ahead of the release, reflecting the now-routine drip of schedule information before the league’s primetime reveal. By Thursday morning, the Week 1 Sunday Night Football opener had also been announced: the New York Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium. (media.nfl.com) ### When exactly does the full schedule come out? The NFL said the full 2026 schedule will be released on Thursday, May 14, at 8 p.m. ET. The league repeated that timing on NFL.com, in a media release and on its football operations site. NFL Network, ESPN2, the ESPN App and NFL+ are scheduled to carry live coverage and analysis of the release, according to the league’s announcement. (cbssports.com) NFL.com’s schedule-release page says the full list of dates, primetime matchups and opponents will be available once the reveal begins. ### Which games has the league already confirmed? (nfl.com) The NFL’s football operations page said the Dallas Cowboys will open the season on Sunday Night Football against the Giants on Sept. 13 at 8:20 p.m. ET in East Rutherford, New Jersey. That was one of the first officially posted regular-season matchups ahead of the full release. Green Bay announced on Wednesday that the Packers will visit the Rams at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 25 in the league’s first Thanksgiving Eve game. (media.nfl.com) USA Today reported the game is set for 7 p.m. local time and will stream on Netflix. NFL.com also listed a Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys matchup on Thanksgiving among the early reveals tied to the holiday schedule rollout. (operations.nfl.com) The league has used broadcast partners in recent years to unveil select holiday and primetime games before the complete schedule goes live. ### What stands out in the international schedule? (usatoday.com) NFL Media said on May 13 that 2026 will feature nine international games, the most in league history. The games are scheduled across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums, with first-time regular-season stops in Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Paris. (nfl.com) The announced host markets include London, Madrid, Munich, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Paris and Melbourne. NFL.com said the international matchups were revealed a day before the full domestic schedule, extending the league’s pattern of releasing marquee inventory in stages. ### Why are there so many leaks before the official reveal? (media.nfl.com) CBS Sports published a live tracker of reported games on Thursday, and the NFL’s own operations page said broadcast partners would announce select matchups during the week leading up to the release. That combination has made the annual schedule launch less of a single drop and more of a staggered rollout. (media.nfl.com) The league has not presented that staggered approach as a change in policy, but its published materials show that partner reveals are built into the release process. NFL.com’s schedule page says updates would be listed before the full schedule became official on May 14. ### Where will the final schedule be posted tonight? NFL.com’s schedule-release page says the full 2026 schedule will be available on May 14 at 8 p.m. (cbssports.com) ET, and the league’s media release points viewers to NFL Network, ESPN2, the ESPN App and NFL+ for the live rollout. CBS Sports is also maintaining a live tracker of confirmed games and reports as the final announcements arrive. (operations.nfl.com) Thursday night’s release will set the dates for all 272 regular-season games, including the remaining holiday windows, primetime packages and the rest of the international slate. The next concrete milestone is the 8 p.m. ET publication on May 14, when the league says the full schedule will go live on its official platforms. (nfl.com 1) (nfl.com 2)