NFL schedule 2025/26: Start, dates, playoffs and Super Bowl

The NFL begins a new season in September 2025. Thirty-two teams will compete in 17 regular-season games for a spot in the playoffs. Interest in the US football league has also been growing steadily in Germany year after year – at least since the NFL games in Munich and Frankfurt.

Here football fans will find the schedule with all the important dates from the start of the season , through the Christmas Games , to the Super Bowl 2026 .

The new season began on September 4, 2025, with the season opener of the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles . Each team will play 17 games in the regular season, which runs until early January 2026. The top teams from both conferences (AFC and NFC) will then compete in the playoffs for a spot in the finals.

The first week already offers some exciting matches. Of particular interest are the season opener between the Eagles and Cowboys , as well as the first international game in Brazil .

Here is an overview of all games in week 1 (German time):

• Friday, September 5, 2:20 a.m.: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys
• Saturday, September 6, 2:00 a.m.: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers (in São Paulo)
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 PM: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 p.m.: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 p.m.: Miami Dolphins vs. Indianapolis Colts
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 PM: Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 PM: Las Vegas Raiders vs. New England Patriots
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 p.m.: Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 PM: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets
• Sunday, September 7, 7:00 PM: New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders
• Sunday, September 7, 10:05 p.m.: Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos
• Sunday, September 7, 10:05 p.m.: San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Sunday, September 7, 10:25 p.m.: Detroit Lions – Green Bay Packers
• Sunday, September 7, 10:25 p.m.: Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Rams
• Monday, September 8, 2:20 a.m.: Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens
• Tuesday, September 9, 2:15 a.m.: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings

All other game days can be found on the official NFL website . You can always find the current week's games here.

Since 2021, the regular season has consisted of 18 game weeks instead of the previous 17. Each team will play 17 matches, spread over almost four months.

• Week 1: September 4–7, 2025
• Week 2: September 11–14, 2025
• Week 3: September 18–21, 2025
• Week 4: September 25–28, 2025
• Week 5: October 2–5, 2025
• Week 6: October 9–11, 2025
• Week 7: October 16–19, 2025
• Week 8: October 23–26, 2025
• Week 9: October 30–November 2, 2025
• Week 10: November 6–9, 2025
• Week 11: November 13–16, 2025
• Week 12: November 20–23, 2025
• Week 13: November 27–30, 2025
• Week 14: December 4–7, 2025
• Week 15: December 11–14, 2025
• Week 16: December 18–24, 2025
• Week 17: December 25–31, 2025
• Week 18: January 1–7, 2026

For the first time, seven matches will be played outside the USA – in Brazil , Great Britain , Germany , Ireland , and Spain . The matches at a glance:

• September 5 (Sao Paulo): LA Chargers – Kansas City Chiefs
• September 28 (Dublin): Pittsburgh Steelers - Minnesota Vikings
• October 5 (London): Cleveland Browns – Minnesota Vikings
• October 12 (London): New York Jets – Denver Broncos
• October 19 (London): Jacksonville Jaguars – LA Rams
• November 9th (Berlin): Indianapolis Colts – Atlanta Falcons
• November 16 (Madrid): Miami Dolphins – Washington Commanders

On November 27th there are the traditional Thanksgiving games, followed the next day by the now established Black Friday game :

• November 27th, 7:00 p.m.: Detroit Lions – Green Bay Packers
• November 27, 10:30 p.m.: Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs
• November 28, 2:20 a.m.: Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
• November 28th, 9 p.m.: Philadelphia Eagles – Chicago Bears (Black Friday)

On December 25, this year a Thursday, three Christmas games will take place for the first time – including two afternoon games and the regular Thursday Night Game, which takes place early Friday morning due to the time difference in Germany:

• December 25, 7:00 PM: Dallas Cowboys - Washington Commanders
• December 25, 10:30 p.m.: Detroit Lions - Minnesota Vikings
• December 26, 2:15 a.m.: Denver Broncos - Kansas City Chiefs

The playoffs begin on January 10, 2026, with the Wild Card Games. This is followed by the Divisional Round (January 17/18) and the two Conference Championships (January 25).

The 2026 Super Bowl will take place on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California , home of the San Francisco 49ers. The final game will be broadcast worldwide and is one of the biggest sporting events of the year.

Creating the NFL schedule is arguably one of the league's most complex tasks each year. Each of the 32 NFL teams plays 17 games in the regular season. The schedule follows a clear pattern:

Six games are against their own division opponents . Each division consists of four teams, each of which plays twice – once at home and once away. These games are especially important because the division winners automatically secure a spot in the playoffs.

In addition, the teams face other opponents from their own conference (AFC or NFC) as well as teams from the other conference. A fixed rotation principle is in place, ensuring that each team faces all franchises at least once over several years. This adds variety to the schedule while maintaining competitive balance.

In addition, the NFL also takes special rivalries into account when creating the tournament—such as the long-standing duel between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders—as well as the growing international marketing. Therefore, several games are now scheduled abroad each year, including the International Games in London and Berlin.

Another factor is TV broadcast times —both in the US and internationally. Games that promise a particularly large audience are preferred for primetime slots: Thursday, Sunday, and Monday evenings (US time).