The NFL Just Killed Its Favorite May Tradition and Nobody's Happy About It

Here's what's supposed to happen every May: The NFL releases its schedule, fans lose their minds, teams drop hype videos, and everybody gets to plan their football year. It's the second week of May, every year, like clockwork. It's one of the best parts of the offseason.

Not this year.

The Schedule Is Coming Late, and the NFL Admits It

The 2026 NFL schedule release is not happening when it's supposed to. Most fans expected the big reveal around Wednesday, May 13. According to John Breech of CBS Sports, that's getting pushed back. NFL V.P. of broadcast planning Mike North told the It's Always Game Day in Buffalo podcast that the schedule could land sometime during the week of May 18 instead.

"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."

Translation: It's late, but don't freak out.

Why Is This Even Happening?

The NFL uses crazy computer modeling to build hundreds of thousands of schedule options, balancing travel, bye weeks, and fair matchups. It's actually complicated. But there's something else slowing things down this year: five games are still being negotiated as a package, and the league doesn't know where they'll land yet.

"These five games that are out there as a package that are being negotiated right now, love to know when, where those games are going to be played so we can schedule them accordingly," North explained.

North also mentioned that the NFL Draft could throw a wrench in the works. If a quarterback or big-name player gets traded or selected unexpectedly, the league might need extra time to adjust the schedule.

"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," he said.

When Will We Actually Get It?

The league hasn't announced a specific date. North said he doesn't think it's coming in June, but that third week of May is now on the table. In the end, it's up to the Commissioner to decide when the schedule is ready. So Seahawks fans, grab your patience. The wait is officially longer than usual.

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