It has only been a few months since Super Bowl 60 concluded and it seems like a lifetime ago that the Seattle Seahawks were hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Football-starved fans are left with a seven-month break between meaningful games, even though free agency and the draft are supposed to fill that void.
The 2026 NFL Draft is here, and it will be followed by a new schedule release in May before the summer kicks into high gear.
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Then it's the home stretch, when training camps begin and preseason action kicks off again. Week 1 will be here before you know it, so enjoy those free weekend schedules while you can. And don't forget to carve out more than a few weeknights, as the 2026 regular season schedule brings more than a few quirks.
Here's what to know about when the regular season starts and when you can expect the schedule to be released in 2026.
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OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)
CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)
RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)
WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)
1 / 42026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, tradesOT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)
OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)
CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)
RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)
WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)
The 2026 NFL regular season will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Continuing tradition, the Super Bowl champions will kick off the season as the Seahawks get one last moment in the spotlight before turning the page to 2026.
While the kickoff game is typically set for the Thursday night after Labor Day, this season's was moved to Wednesday to accommodate a new international game. The Los Angeles Rams will host the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, Sept. 10 in the league's first-ever Australia game.
That means that fans can expect games to take place on Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday in Week 1.
The NFL schedule is typically released in the spring. They haven't announced an exact date yet, but it is typically announced in May after the draft, and free agency gives some clarity on what the 32 rosters will look like.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL schedule release: When is Week 1 in 2026?