Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When Does the 2025 NFL Schedule Come Out? 2025–26 NFL Schedule Release Date for Pre-Season, Regular Season and More

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2025-2026 NFL Season is poised to deliver another thrilling chapter of football, with fans eager to see how the reigning defending champs, the Eagles, navigate through a stacked schedule, with blockbuster matchups and rivalries set to unfold. Apart from the Eagles, we are also keen on seeing how the newest members of the NFL, drafted from the 2025 NFL Draft, will play in their rookie seasons. Some of the notable players include RB Ashton Jeanty, who was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders, QB Cam Ward, the No.1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, taken by the Tennessee Titans, and even the likes of Shedeur Sanders, who slipped to the fifth round and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns as the 144th overall pick.

There is no doubt, that the offseason has been very interesting so far, and there have been a ton of changes around the league, roster wise. Then there are players like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who both signed huge contracts with the Bengals, or how about Sam Darnold joining the Seattle Seahawks to play alongside Cooper Kupp. Most teams have gotten a lot better in the offseason already, and there is a lot of time left for the season to start. So today we’ll look at when the schedule release date is, the dates for start of pre-season, and regular season, and more. Let’s dive deeper.

Also Read: Kelce Brothers Gave Their Take on Shedeur Sanders Sliding to the 5th Round of the 2025 NFL Draft

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NFL 2025-26 Season Schedule Release Date

The 2025-26 NFL schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. ET. It will air live on NFL Network and ESPN2, which will feature all regular season game dates, times, and locations. The season kicks off on September 4, 2025, with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the NFL kickoff game. However, we do not know who the reigning champs will take on for the season opener yet. It will be followed by international games in London, Berlin, Madrid, San Paulo, and Dublin.

We interrupt this Draft for an important announcement:

2025 NFL Schedule Release. Wednesday May 14. pic.twitter.com/CNcgWg3NdU
— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2025

When Will NFL Pre-Season Start?

The 2025 NFL preseason is expected to start on Thursday, July 31, 2025, with Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, featuring the Detroit Lions against the Los Angeles Chargers at 8:00 p.m. ET. The full preseason schedule, typically spanning three weeks in August, will be confirmed when the NFL releases the complete schedule on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

As per latest reports by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Dallas Cowboys to open the 2025 NFL regular season at 8:20PM ET on September 4, 2025.

A backstory to the Cowboys-Eagles regular-season opener: Since 2004, 20 defending Super Bowl champions have played in the first game to open the season. Those teams have gone 15-5 in those games, including the Chiefs’ 27-20 win over the Ravens in last season’s opener. pic.twitter.com/C3x0q7d6Dd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2025

How Many Games Will There Be in the NFL 2025–26 Regular Season?

The 2025-2026 NFL regular season will feature 272 total games. Each of the 32 total teams plays 17 games over an 18-week period, with on bye-week. resulting in a total of 272 regular-season games across the league.

Also Read: Would Aaron Rodgers Prefer This Team Over the Steelers? Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger Backs Aaron Rodgers’ Arrival

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NFL Schedule 2025-2026

Eric Divakaran

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I cover the National Football League and things cannot get better than that. I always dreamed to play football or basketball professionally since I’m built like a Running Back. But now that I can’t, since I’m technically in the “Unc” age, I thought why not pick a career in sports industry? So here I am, doing what I love, and hoping that the Commanders win the Super Bowl. I give love to players when it’s due, but can be critical about their performances at the same time. Enough about me, now let my articles do all the talking.