When Does the 2022 NFL Season Start?

Find out when the 2022 NFL season starts so you can plan your football-filled year accordingly.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world, the wealthiest professional sport league by revenue, and the sport league with the most valuable teams. The 2022 NFL season will be the 103rd season of the National Football League (NFL).

What Happened to the 2021 Season?

The NFL decided to push the start of the regular season back from September 9 to September 16 due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time since the league’s inception in 1920 that the season will not start on a Thursday.

The NFL also announced that it would be playing a 17-game regular season schedule in 2021, with each team playing one additional game against a division opponent. The league had originally considered expanding the regular season to 18 games, but ultimately decided against it.

The 2021 NFL Draft is currently scheduled to take place from April 29-May 1.

Why the Delay for the 2022 Season?

The main reason for the delay for the 2022 NFL season is that the league wants to have a full season before the 2028 Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has awarded the 2028 Summer Olympics to Los Angeles, and the NFL does not want its season to overlap with the Olympics.

In order to have a full season before the Olympics, the NFL will need to start its 2022 season in early August. This is about a month earlier than usual. The earliest possible date for the start of the 2022 NFL season is August 2, 2022.

The delay for the 2022 NFL season will also allow for a longer break between seasons. The 2021 season will end on February 6, 2022, and the 2022 season will not start until August 2, 2022. This will give players and teams a break of nearly six months between seasons.

How Will the New Schedule Affect the Teams?

The NFL released its 2022 regular season schedule on Wednesday, and there are a few changes to note. The biggest? The season will now start on Thursday, September 8th, one week earlier than it did in 2021.

The league also finalized its plans to visit Mexico City for a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, which was originally supposed to take place in 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic. And two more international games are set for London: the Jacksonville Jaguars will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Atlanta Falcons will take on the Arizona Cardinals.

Here’s a look at how the new schedule may affect each team:

AFC East:
-Buffalo Bills: The Bills will open their season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 12th. They’ll also host the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football in Week 11.
-Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins will open their season against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 12th. They’ll also have a Thursday night matchup against the Bears in Week 7.
-New England Patriots: The Patriots will open their season on Sunday, September 12th against the Houston Texans. They’ll also play host to division rivals Buffalo (Week 11) and Miami (Week 15) in primetime.
-New York Jets: The Jets will open their season against division rivals Buffalo on Sunday, September 12th. Then they’ll head to San Francisco for a matchup with the 49ers in Week 2.

What Are the Chances of a Full Season?

The 2022 NFL season is still more than a year away, but there’s already speculation about whether it will be able to start on time. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a major damper on the 2020 NFL season, and it’s possible that the 2021 season could be affected as well.

There are a number of factors that could impact the start of the 2022 NFL season. The most obvious is the status of the pandemic. If there is a significant increase in cases or a new wave of infections, it’s possible that the season could be delayed. Another factor is the status of the vaccine rollout. If the vaccine is not widely available by the start of the season, it’s possible that players and staff could be at risk for contracting the virus.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the 2022 NFL season will coincide withthe Winter Olympics. If the Olympics are delayed or canceled, it’s possible that the NFL could push back its schedule as well.

At this point, it’s impossible to say for sure whether or not the 2022 NFL season will be able to start on time. However, given all of the factors at play, it seems unlikely that everything will go smoothly and that we’ll see a full 16-game season.

Conclusion

The 2022 NFL season is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 8. However, the start of the season could be pushed back due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.