How many games are in the 2023 NFL Season?

There will be 272 league games, with each of the NFL's 32 franchises playing 17 games during 18 weeks with one "bye" week off.

The season's first game will be hosted by defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and will be played on September 7, 2023. This will be the second time in the past five years that the Chiefs will be hosting this game, as they also lifted the prestigious Lombardi Trophy in 2019, thus hosting the opening game of the 2019 season.

Before the new season begins, all teams will have a much-needed off-season to recharge their batteries, select players at the draft, and sign players for the upcoming league season.

When Will the 2023 NFL Schedule Be Released?

The 2023 NFL schedule will likely be released on Thursday, May 11, 2023. With the Draft happening from April 27-29 in Kansas City, USA, those days are clearly not options. With April 29, 2023 being a Saturday, the league is unlikely to release the schedule on Wednesday or Thursday, this means the second week of May 2023 is a more likely target.

The release date of the 2023 NFL schedule is important, as this will give league enthusiasts a chance to plan for the games they could attend in person. It also gives coaches some breathing space to game plan for their opponents in the coming months.

One thing that casual fans should know is that each franchise plays the other three franchises in its own division twice, all four teams from a division in the AFC once, then all four teams from a single division in the NFC once, two additional intra-conference games, and one additional inter-conference game.

Highlights of the 2023 NFL Season

The 2023 NFL season has some major dates that football fans should circle on their calendars.

These dates are:

1. The Kickoff Game: The 2023 season will begin with a customary Kickoff Game on September 7, 2023. This game will be in primetime and hosted by the defending Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City against a yet-to-be-announced opponent.
2. NFL International Series: For the second year in a row under the three-year deal reached between the league and a London businessman. A set of annual games will be held at London's Wembley Stadium, with the Jacksonville Jaguars as the designated home team.
3. The Thanksgiving Day Games: As has been the case since 2006, three leaguegames are scheduled for Thursday, November 23, 2023. Two hosts are already known, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. These teams will host the traditional afternoon doubleheader games and another game in primetime. It is all a part of the new media agreement with Amazon Prime Video; this will be the first season that a game will be scheduled on the Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving.
4. The Christmas Line-up: The league could hold three games on Christmas Day, like in 2022. Fox will air games on Christmas Day as the schedule allows per the new media contracts. It's going to be an interesting holiday.