The 2026 NFL schedule was officially released on Thursday night, exactly 118 days until the season kicks off with a Super Bowl rematch on Sept. 9.
With the dates of all of the upcoming matchups confirmed, everything is now in place for when football returns in September.
Key Takeaways
- NFL teams released videos promoting their upcoming schedules.
- The Los Angeles Chargers poked fun at a supposed affair involving an NFL coach and reporter.
- 1st-overall pick Fernando Mendoza starred in a play on the movie “Step Brothers.”
If the NFL schedule were a submarine, it would’ve been covered in screen doors.
Leaks throughout the day revealed what felt like half of the entire 2026 season, before the full schedules were released at 8 p.m. ET.
As is customary in the NFL, teams shared their upcoming opponents with in-house media designed to steal online attention. The Las Vegas Raiders succeeded in doing so with their reveal, which featured first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza bonding with his locker room mentor and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins.
You don't get it. It's the 2026 Schedule Release!
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) May 14, 2026
📰 https://t.co/CIxG8eTk9u pic.twitter.com/O4h2dbM5ZN
The Raiders faced stiff competition for the best schedule release in the AFC West, going up against the Los Angeles Chargers, who regularly produce the most-liked schedule release. They went digital with this year’s reveal, showcasing their opponents in the "Halo" video game.
should we REALLY make our schedule release video in halo?
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) May 14, 2026
yes yes yesyes
yesyes yes yes yes
yes yes yes yes yes
yes yesyes yes yes
yes yesye yes yes
yes yes yesyes pic.twitter.com/eusK9QmNGd
The Tennessee Titans paid homage to their 2023 reveal, which is regarded as one of the best ever.
This year’s Titans’ reveal played on the success of the 2023 video, but rather than having fans guess logos, the Titans’ cameraman tracked down individuals who looked like members of their upcoming opponents.
You never know who you'll see on the street @Shift4
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) May 14, 2026
NFL Schedule Release Show 5/14 on @nflnetwork at 7PM CT pic.twitter.com/uddftsZab2
Everybody loves to laugh. That's part of what made “The Simpsons” one of the most successful shows on television in its heyday.
The Indianapolis Colts, for their schedule reveal, created their own rendition of the cartoon's open. A quick three-and-a-half-minute cartoon with Bart Simpson and other popular characters revealed which teams the Colts would face during the upcoming season.
D’OH! another schedule release video! @TheSimpsons pic.twitter.com/7rc9zyo2pv
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 14, 2026
Matt Ryan, a former NFL MVP and the Atlanta Falcons’ current president of football, once yelled at a teammate to “Get f---ing set” during an NFL game in a legendary moment captured by the broadcasting network’s microphones.
The Falcons leaned into that joke and many others for their schedule release, which was filled with ESPN-style skits that aired in the early 2000s.
This is Falcons Football: 2026 Compilation pic.twitter.com/JWM7ip9xoW
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 14, 2026
One of the biggest storylines of the NFL offseason was the supposed affair that occurred between New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and former senior The Athletic reporter, Dianna Russini.
Reports on Thursday morning revealed that the NFL would not review teams’ schedule release videos for jokes about the Vrabel-Russini scandal.
NEW: The NFL will NOT review teams’ schedule release videos for jokes about Mike Vrabel and Diana Russini, leaving teams to use their own judgment on the content.
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) May 14, 2026
Things could get interesting tonight… 😳 pic.twitter.com/hFLDs4CHf8
The Chargers took advantage of that with an easter egg of a message from the New York Post, the outlet that published the photos of the pair kissing at a bar in 2020.
The Chargers dropping Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini hints in their schedule release 💀 pic.twitter.com/eTcXOXFbeV
— Underdog (@Underdog) May 15, 2026
Trevor Lawrence is on a short list of NFL players with the most identifiable hair. For his Jacksonville Jaguars’ schedule release, he took a trip to the barber shop for a trim.
The Cut 💈
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 14, 2026
@Kissimmee | 🎟️: https://t.co/EpEGvYmb92 pic.twitter.com/A6iDwbpMqW
The Denver Broncos recruited former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Peyton Manning for their video, which included “To Catch a Bandwagon Fan,” a spoof of Chris Hansen’s “To Catch a Predator.”
Let's see what's on TV! 📺 pic.twitter.com/JDPsnbupg4
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 14, 2026
Here’s a look at how the entire 2026 NFL schedule shapes up.
IN ALL ITS GLORY…
— NFL Nerd (@NerdingonNFL) May 14, 2026
Our completed Schedule Grid for 2026 pic.twitter.com/WGJ3kayzZj
Sportsbooks have already published NFL odds for Week 1 and future standout games, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
