The NFL Just Killed Its Most Reliable May Tradition and Nobody's Ready For It

Circle May 13 on your calendar? Scratch that. The NFL schedule release, one of the most locked-in traditions in all of sports, is getting pushed back this year, and fans across the league are going to have to pump the brakes on their planning.

For years, the second week of May has been sacred. That's when the league drops the full 272-game slate with specific dates, times, and TV networks. It's the moment when abstract opponents become concrete plans: when you book flights, plan vacation days, and figure out which games you're actually going to catch in person. But not this year.

The Delay Is Real

According to John Breech of CBS Sports, the 2026 schedule release is expected to slip into the week of May 18 instead of landing around May 13. That's a shift that breaks a pattern the league has leaned on for the last five or six years.

Mike North, the NFL's V.P. of broadcast planning, acknowledged the delay while appearing on the It's Always Game Day in Buffalo podcast. "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."

He pushed back on the idea that mid-May has some magical property. "Is there any magic to May 12, 13, 14? No. Is there any real downside to [May] 19, 20, or 21? No." North also left the door open for a third-week-of-May release, saying: "I don't think it's coming out in June, but that second week in May has been our target the last few years, but I don't know that it's impossible to think about that third week in May."

Why the Hold-Up?

The league is still negotiating five games as a package deal. "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 flagged the NFL Draft as a potential wildcard. "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.

The final call? That's on Commissioner Roger Goodell. The league hasn't announced a specific date yet, so for now, Seahawks fans and everyone else are just waiting.

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