Detroit Lions Schedule Release Date Could Be Pushed Back
The NFL schedule release may shift to the week of May 18.
Detroit Lions fans may want to pump the brakes on circling a date. According to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk , the NFL’s annual schedule release may not land during its usual window this year. While the league has built a recent pattern of unveiling the full slate in mid-May, that timeline is far from guaranteed in 2026.
NFL schedule release timeline no longer locked in For the past several years, the NFL has targeted the second week of May, often landing on a Wednesday around May 13. But that may not be the case this time around. Florio reported that NFL vice president of broadcast planning Mike North made it clear there is flexibility in the process.
“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?