The NFL offseason is heating up, and fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the 2026 regular-season schedule. Traditionally dropped during the second week of May, early reports pointed to a release date of May 13 or May 14. But hold your horses—there's a chance that timeline could shift by a week.

Mike North, the NFL's Vice President of Broadcast Planning, revealed on the "It's Always Game Day in Buffalo" podcast that the schedule might not arrive until the third week of May. "I don't think it's coming out in June," North clarified, "but that second week in May has been our target the last few years. I don't know that it's impossible to think about that third week in May."

So, what's causing the potential delay? It all comes down to a five-game broadcast package the league is currently negotiating with partners. North explained, "These five games that are out there as a package being negotiated right now—love to know when, where those games are going to be played so we can schedule them accordingly."

According to Pro Football Talk, the NFL and YouTube are closing in on a deal for this package, which includes some major highlights: the Week 1 game in Australia between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, a potential game the day before Thanksgiving, a second Black Friday game, a Christmas Eve clash, and one additional matchup. Getting these details locked in is crucial for the league to build a cohesive schedule.

For fans, the good news is that every team already knows their opponents for the season. The schedule release simply finalizes the order, reveals bye weeks, confirms prime-time slots, and gives everyone the green light to start planning travel for must-see games. Whether it drops next week or the week after, the wait won't be much longer—and the excitement is already building.