Schedule leaks are more rampant than ever
More and more (and more) games are known before the official release happens.
Three weeks after draft picks were tipped throughout round one, another type of premature disclosure has reached a fever pitch. Reports regarding specific games on the 2026 regular-season schedule have been rampant in the days preceding the formal release of the full schedule, at 8:00 p. m.
ET tonight. Leaks are everywhere, and it's no surprise. All teams know their schedules; those release videos don't emerge spontaneously on Thursday night.
And with so many people at the teams aware of their slatea of games, it's low-hanging fruit for those who are inclined to let the cat out of the bag as to one or more of the 272 games. It's unclear whether the leaks bother the league. The NFL abhors the tipping of draft picks before the Commissioner can walk to the podium and announce them.
There's been no indication that the NFL doesn't like the leaking of games before the full schedule is officially unveiled. There's a good chance the league digs it. The unofficial drip-drip of dates and times for specific games keeps the NFL extremely relevant through what has morphed into schedule-release week.