2026 NFL Schedule Release: When Will Regular-Season Schedule Be Unveiled?

The NFL will release its complete regular-season schedule on Thursday. The announcement made Friday is in line with the past couple of years, when the schedule has been released during the second week of May. The league has already announced that the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will meet in Melbourne, Australia, in Week 1. The game will be aired in prime time in the United States at 8:35 p.m. ET/5:35 p.m. PT on Sept. 10. Melbourne is 14 hours ahead of New York and 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles and San Francisco, meaning the game will kick off at 10:35 a.m. the next day in Australia. The game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro will take place in Week 3 (Sept. 27). The other seven international matchups will be announced on Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET on "Good Morning Football" on NFL Network. Dates for other key games are expected to filter out during the week. Typically, networks announce one of their showcase games during so-called up-fronts to advertisers. The Seattle Seahawks will begin defense of their Super Bowl title in the kickoff game on Sept. 9. The opponent has not been announced. The NFL could opt for an immediate Super Bowl LX rematch since the New England Patriots are scheduled to visit the Seattle Seahawks. Last season, the Super Bowl LIX rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs took place in Week 2. Other likely possibilities include the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Chargers. Reporting by The Associated Press.