The NFL Just Broke a May Tradition and Nobody's Ready For It

Mark your calendars differently this year. The NFL schedule release, one of the offseason's most anticipated moments, is getting pushed back from its usual early May slot, and the league just confirmed it publicly.

For the last five or six years, fans have circled mid-May on their calendars. That's when the NFL drops the specific dates, times, and TV networks for all 272 games, turning the opponents determined back in January into an actual, locked-in schedule. It's the event that lets you book travel, plan around bye weeks, and argue about which division rival gets the prime slot. But not this year.

The Delay Is Real

Fans were expecting the release around Wednesday, May 13. That's not happening. Instead, NFL V.P. of broadcast planning Mike North confirmed the schedule could slip into the week of May 18 or beyond. Speaking on the It's Always Game Day in Buffalo podcast, North made it clear the league isn't locked into the traditional timeline anymore.

"Most fans know full well that the schedule comes out in mid-May now," North said. "That's what we've done the last five or six years. That's sort of our target. Is there any magic to May 12, 13, 14? No. Is there any real downside to [May] 19, 20, or 21? No."

He didn't rule out pushing into the third week of May, though he stopped short of letting it slip into June. The league still hasn't announced a specific date.

The NFL Draft Could Change Everything

Here's why the hold-up: five games are currently being negotiated as a package, and the league wants to lock in when and where those games land before finalizing the entire schedule. But there's more. North indicated that developments at the NFL Draft could force the league to pump the brakes and recalibrate.

"Maybe something happens in the draft that surprises us, somebody gets traded, a quarterback, a big name, something different at the top of the draft and we need an extra couple of days to adjust and react to it," North said.

In the end, it all comes down to the Commissioner deciding the schedule is ready to roll. Until then, we wait.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.