When is the 2024 NFL Schedule Release Date? | Lines.com
When will the 2024-25 NFL Schedule Be Released?
The NFL season start begins to come into a much sharper focus upon release of the season’s schedule. Teams have been preparing for the new year by adding and subtracting free agents, drafting talented rookies, signing undrafted players who may be able to contribute and going through some offseason practice sessions.
But it is the release of the NFL schedule in mid-May that allows coaches, players and fans to get a much better idea on how the season will play out. The 2024 schedule was released May 15, and it was a huge event for the league’s broadcast partners.
The NFL dominates the sporting world with many of its offseason events, and the schedule release is one of them. The NBA and NHL may be conducting their respective playoffs and the MLB season is in full swing, but the NFL still draws a majority of fans who want to get a roadmap of how the 2024 season will look.
2024 NFL schedule
Week 1 Schedule
- Thursday, Sept. 5
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs, 8 p.m. ET — NBC/Peacock
- Friday, Sept. 6
Green Bay Packers at. Philadelphia Eagles (from São Paulo, Brazil), 8:15 p.m. ET — Peacock
- Sunday, Sept. 8
Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET — Fox
Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET — CBS
Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET — Fox
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET — CBS
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET — CBS
Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET — CBS
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET — Fox
Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET — Fox
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET — CBS
Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET — CBS
Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. ET — Fox
Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns, 4:25 p.m. ET — Fox
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions, 8:20 p.m. ET — NBC/Peacock
- Monday, Sept. 9
New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers, 8:25 p.m. ET — ESPN
Get the latest NFL Defensive Power Rankings and NFL Offensive Power Rankings.
When can we expect the 2024 NFL schedule to be released?
The NFL schedule was released on May 15th with live coverage across multiple networks. This marks the latest schedule release date since 1990.
When does the NFL season start?
The season will kick off with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens in the Thursday night season opener Sept. 5. A day later, the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will play in Sao Paulo, Brazil, marking the first time the NFL has played in that city.
A full Sunday schedule follows, with the Detroit Lions hosting the Los Angeles Rams Sunday night, while the initial Monday night game of the season will see the New York Jets traveling cross-country to take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Get ready for the first NFL game by following all of Lines.com top NFL best bets for the entire 2024 slate.
Are there any significant changes expected in the 2024 NFL schedule?
NFL teams & Matchups
This year’s slate includes five international contests.
The first of those is the matchup of the Packers and Eagles from Sao Paulo, Brazil in Week 1.
The NFL will also play four Sunday international games, all kicking off at 9:30 a.m. ET. The New York Jets meet the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 6 in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Jacksonville Jaguars play the Chicago Bears on Oct. 13 in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the New England Patriots meet the Jaguars on Oct. 20 in London at venerable Wembley Stadium.
The New York Giants compete against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 10 in Munich at Allianz Arena. All those games will be broadcast on NFL Network.
2024 NFL season schedule
NBC will continue to broadcast Sunday Night Football. Some of their games include the NFL’s season opener and the prime-time Thanksgiving night game. The flexible scheduling system remains in place. It can be used twice by the network between Weeks 5-10, and at the NFL’s discretion during Weeks 11-17.
Monday Night Football continues on ESPN and ABC this year. There will also be four “Monday Night Football” double features on ESPN and ABC, with each network airing one game. The initial Monday night game of the season features Aaron Rodgers and will kick off with a Week 1 heavy hitter as Aaron Rodgers is scheduled to make his return from last season's torn Achilles in a Jets road game against the 49ers.
The initial Thursday night game of the season is the NBC opener between the Chiefs and Ravens. After that, the primary Thursday Night broadcasts will commence in Week 2 on Amazon Prime Video. The Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins will face off in that first “Thursday Night Football” game on Amazon.
2024 NFL Draft
The 2024 NFL Draft was a three-day event that began April 25 and concluded April 27. The league conducted the first round on the night of April 25, the second and third rounds on April 26 and the fourth through seventh rounds April 27.
This year’s draft was notable for the six quarterbacks that were selected within the first 12 selections of the first rounds:
- The Chicago Bears opened the NFL Draft by picking USC quarterback Caleb Williams first
- The Washington Commanders used the No. 2 pick to take Jayden Daniels of LSU
- The New England Patriots took Drake Maye of North Carolina with the No. 3 pick
- Michael Penix Jr. of Washington was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 8 pick
- J.J. McCarthy of Michigan went to the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 10 pick
- The Denver Broncos used the No. 12 pick on Bo Nix of Oregon
As a result, the 2024 Draft has been known as one of the best quarterback drafts in NFL history. The final status will be determined by the way those six quarterbacks play and execute in the NFL.
Related Read: Check out our list of the top 100 best NFL players in history.
How does the NFL schedule release impact the upcoming season?
Here’s a look at five of the top regular-season games coming up in the 2024 season. Each of these games have their own story line, and that will make them compelling for all football fans.
1. Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers, Week 7
This Super Bowl rematch is one that should not be missed. The Chiefs won last year's Super Bowl in overtime. Both teams have the majority of their stars back this season. This might be the best game that fans can watch this season.
2. Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys, Week 6
In addition to being a matchup of two of the best teams in the NFC, it also involves a rematch of a strange game in which the Lions had a two-point conversion wiped out because offensive tackle Tayler Decker did not report as eligible -- even though it looked like he did. As a result of that strange ruling, the Cowboys emerged with a 20-19 victory.
3. New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers, Week 1
Once again, Aaron Rodgers opens the Monday Night schedule with the Jets. This time, the Jets are hoping he can remain in the lineup for more than one series. He will face a major challenge from the defending NFC champions on the road. If Rodgers can find success on the road, it could set the tone for the Jets in the 2024 season.
4. Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, Week 5
The Texans are coming off a remarkable season that saw C.J. Stroud emerge as a legitimate star. The Texans added former Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs to anchor their receiving crew. The Bills have one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen. They still consider themselves a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl.
5. Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings, Week 14
This is the “Kirk Cousins Returns” bowl. The Vikings did not have any serious interest in bringing back Cousins and he signed with the Falcons in free agency. Cousins is sure to get a warm welcome back to U.S. Bank Stadium, but the Vikings will try to attack him and show off their rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The X-factor in this game could be Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was drafted early by Atlanta even though they gave Cousins a four-year, $180 million deal.
Will there be any special events or games in the 2024 NFL schedule?
The league will hold a Christmas Day doubleheader that will air on Netflix. Although Christmas is on a Wednesday, the NFL will be in action with matchups between the Chiefs and Steelers at 1 p.m. ET and the Ravens and Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET.
CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC/ESPN and Amazon Prime will broadcast playoff games this season. Fox and CBS will broadcast the NFC and AFC Championship Games. Fox will broadcast Super Bowl LIX from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025.
International Series
There are five international games scheduled in the 2024 NFL season. The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will meet in the opening week of the season when they play in Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil September 6.
One month later, the NFL will conduct its series of games in England. The New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings will meet October 6 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and that venue will host the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears a week later. The Jaguars will remain in England the next week and meet the New England Patriots at venerable Wembley Stadium in London October 20.
The international series will conclude November 10 when the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers will meet at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Thursday Night Matchups
The NFL will continue to present games on Thursday nights on Amazon Prime Video. Games will kickoff at 8:20 p.m. ET.
| Week | Date | Matchup |
| 2 | 9/12 | Bills at Dolphins |
| 3 | 9/19 | Patriots at Jets |
| 4 | 9/26 | Cowboys at Jets |
| 5 | 10/3 | Buccaneers at Falcons |
| 6 | 10/10 | 49ers at Seahawks |
| 7 | 10/17 | Broncos at Saints |
| 8 | 10/24 | Vikings at Rams |
| 9 | 10/31 | Texans at Jets |
| 10 | 11/7 | Bengals at Ravens |
| 11 | 11/14 | Commanders at Eagles |
| 12 | 11/21 | Steelers at Browns |
| 13 | 11/29 | Raiders at Chiefs (3 p.m. ET, Friday) |
| 14 | 12/5 | Packers at Lions |
| 15 | 12/12 | Rams at 49ers |
| 16 | 12/19 | Browns at Bengals |
| 17 | 12/26 | Seahawks at Bears |
Sunday Night Games
The Sunday night football schedule will begin with the NFL kickoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, September 5. All games will begin at 8:20 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBC. The games will also be streamed on NBCSports.com, Peacock and Fubo.
| Week | Date | Matchup |
| 1 | 9/5 | Ravens at Chiefs (Season opener) |
| 1 | 9/8 | Rams at Lions |
| 2 | 9/15 | Bears at Texans |
| 3 | 9/22 | Chiefs at Falcons |
| 4 | 9/29 | Bills at Ravens |
| 5 | 10/6 | Cowboys at Steelers |
| 6 | 10/13 | Bengals at Giants |
| 7 | 10/20 | Jets at Steelers |
| 8 | 10/27 | Cowboys at 49ers |
| 9 | 11/3 | Jaguars at Eagles |
| 10 | 11/10 | Lions at Texans |
| 11 | 11/17 | Colts at Jets |
| 12 | 11/24 | Eagles at Rams |
| 13 | 11/28 | Packers vs. Dolphins |
| 13 | 12/1 | 49ers at Bills (Thanksgiving) |
| 14 | 12/8 | Chargers at Chiefs |
| 15 | 12/15 | Packers at Seahawks |
| 16 | 12/22 | Buccaneers at Cowboys |
| 17 | 12/29 | Dolphins at Browns |
| 18 | 1/5 | TBD vs. TBD |
Thanksgiving Day Games
The NFL will present three games on Thanksgiving Day and one more on Black Friday.
Thanksgiving Day, November 28
Bears at Lions, 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Giants at Cowboys, 4:30 p.m., FOX
Dolphins at Packers, 8:30 p.m., NBC
Friday, November 29
Raiders at Chiefs, 3 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Christmas Day Games
The NFL will offer a doubleheader on Christmas Day, and one more game the day after Christmas.
Christmas Day, December 25
Chiefs at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET, Netflix
Ravens at Texans, 4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix
Thursday, December 26
Seahawks at Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime
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