NFL Season Schedule
2025-2026
Your complete guide to the 2025-2026 NFL season. Key dates from training camp through Super Bowl LX, plus everything you need to know about how the NFL calendar works.
How the NFL Season Works
The NFL season is one of the most carefully structured sporting calendars in professional sports. It runs from late summer through early February, with every week building toward the Super Bowl. Understanding the structure helps fans follow their teams through each phase of competition.
The 2025 NFL regular season runs from September through January with each team playing 17 games over 18 weeks — each team gets one bye week (week off) during the regular season. The schedule is designed to balance division games, conference games, and interconference matchups.
After the regular season, 14 teams advance to the playoffs — seven from the AFC and seven from the NFC. The playoff structure is single-elimination: lose once and your season is over. Four rounds of playoffs culminate in the Super Bowl, played in early February and one of the most-watched television events in the world.
2025-2026 NFL Season Key Dates
The annual draft where teams select college players
Organized team activities — voluntary offseason practices
Mandatory three-day minicamp for all 32 teams
All 32 teams begin full training camp preparations
Three preseason games for each team — evaluation and preparation
Week 1 of the 17-game regular season kicks off
NFL continues expanding with games in London and Frankfurt
Final day for teams to complete player trades
All bye weeks completed; playoff races intensify
Final week of regular season — playoff seeding determined
Six wild card games; top seeds in each conference receive byes
Eight teams reduced to four — top seeds enter the bracket
AFC and NFC champions determined
NFL Championship Game — AFC vs. NFC champion
Prospects evaluated ahead of the 2026 draft
New draft class selected; free agency reshapes rosters
The Regular Season Week by Week
Season opens with marquee matchups. Early standings form and first injury reports emerge. Teams typically play two home and two away games in the first four weeks.
Bye weeks begin rotating through the schedule. Teams get one week off during this stretch. Division races start taking shape and early contenders separate from rebuilding squads.
The playoff picture sharpens considerably. The trade deadline falls in Week 9 (November), so by this point rosters are set. Strong teams begin locking up division titles.
The final three weeks are among the most intense in sports. Playoff seeds are determined, division titles hang in the balance, and meaningful games occur virtually every Sunday.
The regular season concludes with every team playing simultaneously on the final Sunday. Wild card seedings are often determined in the final hours of the regular season.
How the NFL Schedule Is Built
Division Games (6)
Each team plays its three division rivals twice — once at home and once away. Division games are the most intense rivalries and directly determine who wins the division title.
Same-Conference Games (4)
Teams play one division from within their own conference on a rotating basis. These games count toward overall conference standing.
Cross-Conference Games (4)
Each team plays a full division from the other conference (AFC vs. NFC). The matchup rotates every three years, so every team faces every opponent over time.
Intra-Conference Flex (3)
The remaining games are scheduled based on prior-year records — teams with similar records from the previous season often play each other, rewarding strong finishes.
NFL Season Schedule FAQ
When does the 2025-2026 NFL season start?
The 2025 NFL regular season begins on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The traditional opening night game is played on Thursday in prime time, with the full schedule beginning that weekend.
How many games do NFL teams play in the regular season?
Each NFL team plays 17 regular season games over an 18-week period. Every team gets one bye week (week off) during the regular season.
When is the NFL trade deadline?
The 2025 NFL trade deadline is November 4, 2025. Teams can only trade players before this date during the regular season.
When is Super Bowl LX?
Super Bowl LX is scheduled for Sunday, February 8, 2026, and will be played in New Orleans, Louisiana. It will be broadcast on Fox.
How long is the NFL season including playoffs?
The full NFL season from the start of the regular season to the Super Bowl spans about five months — from early September through early February. Training camp and the preseason extend the football calendar back to late July.