National Football League

2024 NFL Schedule Release: Date, when does the season start?

Updated Apr. 24, 2024 3:48 p.m. ET

The 2024 NFL offseason continues to chug right along. Up next is the 2024 NFL Draft and not shortly after that will be the NFL schedule release for 2024. Stay up to date with everything you need to know about the 2024 NFL Schedule release below:

When is the 2024 NFL Schedule Release?

We don't know exactly when the NFL will announce the 2024 regular season schedule yet, but we can make some educated guesses based on past releases.

Based on past release dates, NFL fans can expect to see 2024 NFL season dates in early May, typically on a Thursday. Perhaps Thursday, May 9 might be the best guess at the NFL Schedule Release date.

Past NFL Schedule Release Dates

2023 - May 11
2022 - May 12
2021 - May 12
2020 - May 7
2019 - April 17
2018 - April 19
2017 - April 20
2016 - April 14
2015 - April 21
2014 - April 23
2013 - April 18
2012 - April 17
2011 - April 19
2010 - April 20
2009 - April 14
2008 - April 15
2007 - April 11
2006 - April 6
2005 - April 13

When does the 2024 NFL Season start?

While we don't know much about the 2024 NFL season yet, we do know that the Week 1 opening game will feature the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs at home on Thursday, September 5.

Week 1 will also feature this season's first international game, as the Philadelphia Eagles will host a game against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, September 6.

How is the NFL schedule determined?

The NFL has detailed rules about how the schedule comes together. Check out the specifics below:

Each team plays 17 regular season games.
Each team receives a bye week.
Teams alternate seasons where they host nine regular season games and one preseason game or eight regular season games and two preseason games.
Each team has six games against divisional opponents - two against each team, one at home and one on the road.
Each team has four games against teams from a division within its conference - two games at home and two on the road.
Each team has four games against teams from a division in the other conference - two games at home and two on the road.
Each team has two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference - one game at home and one on the road. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.
The 17th game for each team is an additional game against a non-conference opponent from a division that the team is not scheduled to play. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.

2024 NFL Schedule Opponents

While NFL teams don't know the exact dates and times of their games yet, they do their opponents. Below is a list of who each team will be playing this season, home and away:

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Home: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, Chiefs, Cardinals, 49ers
Away: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Colts, Ravens, Rams, Seahawks, Lions

Miami Dolphins

Home: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals, 49ers
Away: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Texans, Colts, Browns, Rams, Seahawks, Packers

New England Patriots

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Colts, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Bengals, Titans, Jaguars, 49ers, Cardinals, Bears

New York Jets

Home: Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, Texans, Colts, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Patriots, Dolphins, Bills, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers, Cardinals, 49ers, Vikings

AFC South

Houston Texans

Home: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Bears, Lions
Away: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Home: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Dolphins, Bills, Steelers, Lions, Bears
Away: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Jets, Patriots, Broncos, Giants, Packers, Vikings

Jacksonville Jaguars

Home: Texans, Colts, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Packers, Vikings, Browns
Away: Texans, Colts, Titans, Dolphins, Raiders, Bills, Eagles, Bears, Lions

Tennessee Titans

Home: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Patriots, Jets, Bengals, Packers, Vikings
Away: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Dolphins, Bills, Chargers, Bears, Lions, Commanders

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Home: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Bills, Eagles, Commanders
Away: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Texans, Cowboys, Giants, Buccaneers

Cincinnati Bengals

Home: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Patriots, Eagles, Commanders
Away: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers, Titans, Cowboys, Giants, Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Home: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Giants
Away: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders, Jaguars, Eagles, Commanders, Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, Chargers, Jets, Giants, Cowboys
Away: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Raiders, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Home: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Colts, Falcons, Panthers
Away: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, Saints, Buccaneers, Seahawks

Las Vegas Raiders

Home: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Browns, Steelers, Jaguars, Falcons, Panthers
Away: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, Saints, Buccaneers, Rams

Los Angeles Chargers

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans
Away: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Patriots, Falcons, Panthers, Cardinals

Kansas City Chiefs

Home: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Ravens, Bengals, Texans, Saints, Buccaneers
Away: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Steelers, Browns, Bills, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Home: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Saints, Buccaneers, Lions, Ravens, Bengals, Texans
Away: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons, Panthers, 49ers, Browns, Steelers

New York Giants

Home: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Vikings, Ravens, Bengals, Colts
Away: Commanders, Cowboys, Eagles, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks, Steelers, Browns

Philadelphia Eagles

Home: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Panthers, Falcons, Packers, Steelers, Browns, Jaguars
Away: Giants, Cowboys, Commanders, Rams, Saints, Buccaneers, Bengals, Ravens

Washington Commanders

Home: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Panthers, Bears, Browns, Steelers, Titans
Away: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Bengals, Ravens

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Patriots
Away: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Commanders, Texans, Colts

Detroit Lions

Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans, Bills
Away: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Cowboys, Cardinals, 49ers, Texans, Colts

Green Bay Packers

Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Cardinals, 49ers, Saints, Colts, Texans, Dolphins
Away: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Eagles, Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Titans

Minnesota Vikings

Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cardinals, 49ers, Falcons, Texans, Colts, Jets
Away: Bears, Lions, Packers, Rams, Seahawks, Giants, Jaguars, Titans

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Home: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks, Chiefs, Chargers, Steelers
Away: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Commanders, Eagles, Vikings, Broncos, Raiders

Carolina Panthers

Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals, Chiefs, Chargers, Bengals
Away: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Commanders, Bears, Broncos, Raiders

New Orleans Saints

Home: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Eagles, Commanders, Rams, Broncos, Raiders, Browns
Away: Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers, Cowboys, Giants, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Eagles, 49ers, Commanders, Ravens, Broncos, Raiders
Away: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Cowboys, Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

Home: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Commanders, Patriots, Jets, Chargers
Away: 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Dolphins, Bills

Los Angeles Rams

Home: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Eagles, Bills, Dolphins, Raiders
Away: 49ers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Lions, Bears, Saints, Patriots, Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Home: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Lions, Cowboys, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs
Away: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, Dolphins, Bills

Seattle Seahawks

Home: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Packers, Vikings, Giants, Dolphins, Bills, Broncos
Away: Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Bears, Lions, Falcons, Patriots, Jets