Football fans will need to wait a little longer than usual to see the upcoming NFL schedule this season. According to Sports Business Journal, the league isn’t expected to release its complete 2021 NFL schedule until the second week of May. From their report via Pro Football Talk.
“Last year, the NFL released the regular-season schedule on May 7. This year, it’ll happen even later than that.
Via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the NFL says that it currently is targeting the second week of May for the 2021 schedule release. As Fischer notes, that would make it the latest schedule release in league history.”
The reason for the wait is due to the likely 17-game season the NFL will play in 2021. Though not confirmed, most expect the additional game to be added beginning this season which creates at extra set of logistical hurdles for schedule-makers to deal with.
Steelers’ fans already know the teams they’ll play this year.
With the Tennessee Titans winning the AFC South in 2020, they will play the Steelers in 2021. Pittsburgh is also expected to play the Seattle Seahawks if the league does move to a 17-game season.
For reasons admittedly unknown to me, fans love the NFL schedule release date. For players, it’s a time to figure out when their divisional matchups are and more importantly, where their bye week falls. Let’s hope the Steelers actually get a bye week in 2021. They were essentially robbed of one last season after the league removed their scheduled bye week in order to reschedule their game against the Titans.
Unlike last year, fans are regularly expected to attend Heinz Field this fall after being permitted for just a few games this past season. Earlier this week, Pennsylvania announced fans would be allowed in limited numbers for sporting events, including Pirates and Penguins games. By the time September rolls around, the number of people allowed to gather will hopefully grow even larger.
