There are a lot of questions about the 2024 NFL schedule. The first one being: When will it be released?
Here's a look at what we know about the NFL schedule for 2024, including leaks, reports, rumors, speculation, educated guesses and more about the games and the release of the 2024 schedule.
Keep coming back for updates to the schedule for the 2024 NFL season.
The complete 2023 NFL schedule was released on May 11 last year, with select game information released earlier (Black Friday and Christmas Day games), meaning we could start getting more leaks and updates to the 2024 NFL schedule at any time.
Read more:NFL announces Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week 1 game in Brazil
Full NFL schedule release set for May 15, according to report
Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal posted on X: "NEWS: The full NFL schedule is currently slated to be released at 8pm ET on May 15, per memo to teams this afternoon from exec Hans Schroeder. Teams had been expecting this week, Thursday. Reason for delay not mentioned in memo."
Which NFL teams will have toughest schedules in 2024?
We don't know when teams will play their opponents in the 2024 NFL season, but we do know who they will play.
Which teams will have the most difficult schedules in 2024, based on last season's records?
According to NFL Research, the Cleveland Browns will have the toughest 2024 NFL schedule. The Browns' opponents in the upcoming season had a .547 win percentage last season.
The Baltimore Ravens are next, with a .536 opponent win percentage from last season, while the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 opponents had a .533 win percentage last season.
The Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers round out the Top 5 most-difficult NFL schedules in 2024, with opponents of both of those teams having a .526 win percentage last season.
Which NFL teams will have easiest schedules in 2024?
The 2024 NFL schedule for some teams will be easier than others, based on win percentages from last season.
The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints' opponents both had a .453 win percentage last season, while opponents of the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears were .467.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers' opponents in 2024 had a .478 win percentage in 2023.
Could NFL go to an 18-game schedule?
Could the NFL move to an 18-game regular schedule soon?
The league will still have a 17-game regular season in 2024, but Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow addressed the potential of adding another regular season game in the future with reporters recently, bringing up the idea that players would need a second bye week with an additional regular season game.
"That's definitely something that we've thought about it; 18 games is definitely a big ask," Burrow told reporters. That's not easy adding that extra game. Obviously, it would be great for revenue, but I feel like adding that bye week if you're going to have the 18-game schedule is pretty critical for our bodies. If you keep that first bye week, and some teams have the bye in Week 5, Week 6, and then you're going 12, 13 games in a row that's not easy. Probably a Thursday night game thrown in in there, too, so that's never easy. Those two byes are pretty critical.”
NFL schedule release could be next week according to 'signs'
The NFL schedule could be released at any time. History says that it could come this week, based on previous schedules released, but Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio recently reported that it will probably come next week.
He wrote: "Will it be this week? As best we can tell, no, it won’t be. How about next week? That’s currently looking more likely. Especially since next week is a big week for the TV industry, with the “upfront” presentations in New York. Given that the league now authorizes each of the networks to announce a game or two in the days preceding the full release, it makes sense for the networks to generate maximum buzz by sharing a taste of the schedule on the day they unveil their full fall lineups. If not next week, the next week is the week preceding Memorial Day weekend. That’s not the week for getting the most possible attention for the coming schedule."
Kansas City Chiefs to host NFL kickoff game
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to host the first game of the 2024 NFL season, the NFL kickoff game, on Thursday, Sept. 5.
We just don't know who the two-time defending Super Bowl champions will play in that game.
USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz ranked eight candidates to face the Chiefs in that game, from worst to best.
He ranked the Baltimore Ravens as the best possible matchup in the game, which will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
NFL schedule's best grudge games:Who has something to settle in 2024?
Philadelphia Eagles to face Green Bay Packers in NFL Week 1
The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at Corinthians Arena, home to Brazilian soccer team SC Corinthians.
The Eagles-Packers game will be the first NFL regular season game in Brazil.
Peaco*ck (NBCUniversal) will exclusively stream the Week 1 game in São Paulo, Brazil. The game will also be available on free, over-the-air broadcast television in the local markets of the competing teams as well as on mobile devices with NFL+.
Designated home teams announced for NFL International Games in 2024
The Eagles are the host team for the game in Brazil in NFL Week 1, but that isn't the NFL's only international game this season.
Four other regular season games will be played as part of the 2024 NFL International Games and while we don't know the dates or complete matchups for those games, we do know the home teams for the European slate of international contests.
The Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings will all host games in London, while the Carolina Panthers will host a game in Munich, Germany.
NFL schedule release 2024:When is it? What to know ahead of full release this month
There could be two NFL games on Christmas Day in 2024
Ready for some Wednesday NFL football?
Dec. 25, 2024, is on a Wednesday and the NFL is reportedly set to have two games that day, according to CBS Sports.
The ratings are just too good for the league to not have games that day, evidently. CBS Sports reported that the games will be put up for bid between the league's broadcast partners.
New NFL rule could impact short-week games in 2024
NFL owners approved a rule in March allowing teams to play two games on short rest during the season, meaning a team could potentially play on Sunday and then Thursday Night Football, twice, in an attempt to have better games that night.
So, that could mean we see the better teams in primetime more often this season, and it could mean less rest for some of those teams. The NFL previously only allowed teams to play on a short week once per season.
Who will face Chiefs in season opener?Ranking eight candidates from worst to best
Jacksonville Jaguars could play two games in London in 2024
Jacksonville.com wrote: "It’s not exactly a highly-guarded secret among league insiders, but when the NFL schedule is released sometime in May, the Jaguars are expected to return for another London doubleheader in 2024, according to a league source."
According to the report, the team would host one game and be the visiting team against the Bears in the other.
Jim Irsay says 2024 NFL schedule coming out 'soon'
No one seems to be quite sure when the 2024 NFL schedule is coming out, but Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay might have left a clue when he posted a message on social media Tuesday.
"I smell a 2024 SCHEDULE coming out soon," he posted on X.
Does "soon" mean this week? Does it mean next? It looks like we'll just have to wait to find out.
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Reach Jeremy Cluffatjeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com.Follow him on X, formerly Twitter@Jeremy_Cluff.
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