The NFL “seems to be targeting a date between May 12 and 14” for the league’s schedule release, but that is “not set in stone yet,” according to John Breech of CBSSPORTS.com. NFL VP/Broadcast Planning Mike North revealed that the release “could potentially be pushed to the following week.” North said on the “It’s Always Game Day in Buffalo” podcast, “Is there any magic to May 12, 13, 14? No. Is there any real downside to [May] 19, 20 or 21? No.” The NFL dropped several promos about the 2026 schedule release during the draft, but the league “didn’t offer a specific date for when the schedule might come out.” The schedule came out on the third Wednesday of May in 2024, and that May 15 date is still the latest that the schedule has ever been released. There are “multiple things that can slow down the schedule-making process,” and this year, one of those things is that the NFL is “trying to sell a five-game package.” The new package would “include the Australia game in Week 1 (49ers-Rams), a potential Thanksgiving eve game, a second Black Friday game, a Christmas Eve game and one other game” (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/1).
NFL targeting mid-May schedule release, date not finalized
