Founded in 1920, the NFL is the biggest and most famous American football competition in the world. Each year, millions of fans flock to see contests across the United States, while further afield, the league has become a global phenomenon, with multiple games held abroad annually. Here’s a closer look at this season’s NFL schedule:
- Number of Games in the 2026-27 NFL Season
- 2026-27 NFL Season Dates
- 2026-27 NFL Regular Season
- 2026 NFL International Series
- 2026-27 NFL Playoffs
- 2026-27 NFL Teams
- 2026 NFL Rule Changes
- 2027-28 NFL Schedule
Number of Games in the 2026-27 NFL Season
The NFL regular season contains 272 games in total. This works out as 17 games for each team.
Most regular season games take place in the USA, however 9 matchups will be held outside the United States in 2026 as part of NFL International Series.
You can view the full NFL schedule here.
2026-27 NFL Season Dates
The full 2026-27 NFL season, including the playoffs, will run between 9 September 2026 – 14 February 2027 when NFL's season finale, Super Bowl LXI, will bring the action to a close.
In recent years, the full NFL season, concluding with the Super Bowl, has been played over the following dates:
- 2025-26 · 4 September 2025 – 8 February 2026
- 2024-25 · 6 September 2024 – 9 February 2025
- 2023-24 · 7 September 2023 – 11 February 2024
- 2022-23 · 8 September 2022 – 12 February 2023
- 2021-22 · 9 September 2021 – 13 February 2022
- 2020-21 · 10 September 2020 – 7 February 2021
2026-27 NFL Regular Season
The upcoming NFL regular season is scheduled for 9 September 2026 – 10 January 2027.
All 32 NFL teams compete in the regular season. These teams are divided into 2 conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC). Within these conferences, teams are split into 4 geographical divisions, each containing 4 teams: AFC/NFC North, AFC/NFC South, AFC/NFC East, AFC/NFC West.
Since an extra game was added to the schedule in 2021, every NFL team now plays 17 games in the regular season. Teams play either 8 or 9 regular season home games, and this alternates between conferences each year – one conference hosts 9 regular season home games and one preseason home game, while the other conference hosts 8 regular season home games and 2 preseason home games. In 2026-27, NFC teams will host the extra regular season home game.
The structure of the regular season schedule for NFL teams is as follows:
- 6 games vs in-division opponents (e.g. NFC West vs NFC West)
- 4 games vs teams from a division in the same conference (e.g. NFC West vs NFC East)
- 4 games vs teams from a division in the opposite conference (e.g. NFC West vs AFC West)
- 2 games vs teams from the remaining divisions in the same conference (e.g. NFC West vs NFC North)
- 1 game vs an opponent from a designated division in the opposite conference that the team is not already scheduled to play (e.g. NFC West vs AFC East)
- Each team also receives a bye week, during which they do not play
Take a look at the full NFL regular season schedule here.
2026 NFL International Series
The NFL International Series is made up of a number of regular season games played outside the United States. In 2026, International Series games will be played between 11 September – 22 November. The International Series schedule is as follows:
- San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia · 11 September 2026 - Baltimore Ravens vs Dallas Cowboys
Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · 27 September 2026 - Indianapolis Colts vs Washington Commanders
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK · 4 October 2026 - Philadelphia Eagles vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK · 11 October 2026 - Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Wembley Stadium, London, UK · 18 October 2026 - Pittsburgh Steelers vs New Orleans Saints
Stade de France, Paris, France · 25 October 2026 - Cincinnati Bengals vs Atlanta Falcons
Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain · 8 November 2026 - New England Patriots vs Detroit Lions
FC Bayern Munich Arena, Munich, Germany · 15 November 2026 - Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers
Estadio Banorte, Mexico City, Mexico · 22 November 2026
2026-27 NFL Playoffs
This season’s NFL playoffs are set to take place between 16 January – 14 February 2027.
Since 2020, 14 teams qualify for the NFL playoffs each season: the league’s 8 division winners, plus the 3 remaining teams from each conference with the best overall record.
The NFL playoffs are a bracket-style elimination tournament, culminating in the Super Bowl – American football’s ultimate prize.
At the beginning of the playoffs, all teams are seeded in accordance with their finishing position. There are 4 rounds in total: the Wild Card Round (from which the top seed in each conference receives a bye), Divisional Round, Conference Round (which determines the AFC and NFC Champions), and finally the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl features the last remaining team from the AFC in a battle with the last remaining team from the NFC. The winner is awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy and earns the right to call themselves the best team in the NFL.
You can view the full NFL playoffs schedule here.
2026-27 NFL Teams
The NFL consists of 32 teams – 16 in the American Football Conference (AFC) and 16 in the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference features 4 geographical divisions containing 4 teams each: AFC/NFC North, AFC/NFC South, AFC/NFC East, and AFC/NFC West.
The Seattle Seahawks are reigning Super Bowl champions, having defeated the New England Patriots 29–13 in the 2026 Super Bowl. It was the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
The full lineup of NFL teams and venues for the 2026-27 season is as follows:
American Football Conference (AFC)
- Baltimore Ravens · M&T Bank Stadium
- Buffalo Bills · Highmark Stadium
- Cincinnati Bengals · Paycor Stadium
- Cleveland Browns · Huntington Bank Field
- Denver Broncos · Empower Field at Mile High
- Houston Texans · NRG Stadium
- Indianapolis Colts · Lucas Oil Stadium
- Jacksonville Jaguars · EverBank Stadium
- Kansas City Chiefs · GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
- Las Vegas Raiders · Allegiant Stadium
- Los Angeles Chargers · SoFi Stadium
- Miami Dolphins · Hard Rock Stadium
- New England Patriots · Gillette Stadium
- New York Jets · MetLife Stadium
- Pittsburgh Steelers · Acrisure Stadium
- Tennessee Titans · Nissan Stadium
National Football Conference (NFC)
- Arizona Cardinals · State Farm Stadium
- Atlanta Falcons · Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Carolina Panthers · Bank of America Stadium
- Chicago Bears · Soldier Field
- Dallas Cowboys · AT&T Stadium
- Detroit Lions · Ford Field
- Green Bay Packers · Lambeau Field
- Los Angeles Rams · SoFi Stadium
- Minnesota Vikings · US Bank Stadium
- New Orleans Saints · Caesars Superdome
- New York Giants · MetLife Stadium
- Philadelphia Eagles · Lincoln Financial Field
- San Francisco 49ers · Levi’s Stadium
- Seattle Seahawks · Lumen Field
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Raymond James Stadium
- Washington Commanders · Northwest Stadium
2026 NFL Rule Changes
A number of rule changes have been introduced for the 2026-27 NFL season. The major new rules are:
- Onside kick changes – teams are now permitted to declare an onside kick at any point during a game, rather than only in more limited situations. The change gives teams greater flexibility, particularly after penalties that affect kickoff position.
- Kick-off modifications – the NFL has adjusted parts of the dynamic kickoff format, including receiving-team alignment requirements and the spot for certain touchbacks or kicks out of bounds when the kickoff has been moved to the 50-yard line because of a penalty.
- Replay and officiating expansion – replay officials have been given greater ability to assist with player disqualifications for flagrant acts. A one-year provision also allows the NFL Officiating Department to correct clear and obvious errors in the event of a work stoppage involving game officials.
2027-28 NFL Schedule
The NFL generally releases the upcoming league schedule around 4 months before the season begins. For instance, in 2026, the schedule was released on 14 May.
American football fans can expect another mid-May schedule release in 2027.
To see the full NFL schedule, or to purchase NFL tickets, click here.