How Many Preseason Games Does the NFL Play?

The NFL preseason is a time for coaches to evaluate their talent and for players to prove themselves. But how many preseason games does the NFL actually play?

How Many Preseason Games are in the NFL?

4
The National Football League typically releases their regular season schedule in the middle of April. This leaves about five months between the end of the previous season and the start of the next. The NFL Draft is usually held in late April or early May, and free agency starts shortly thereafter. Once those things have wrapped up, teams can begin to focus on their preseason preparations.

How many preseason games does the NFL play? The answer is four. That may seem like a lot, but it’s actually two fewer than what teams used to play. The NFL Preseason used to be six games long, but it was shortened to four in 1978.

These four exhibition games are used to help coaches figure out which players will be the best fit for their regular season roster. A lot can change between the end of the offseason and the start of the regular season, so these games give coaches a chance to see how their team looks under game conditions.

The preseason also gives players a chance to knock off any rust that may have accumulated over the long layoff between seasons. For many players, especially those who are coming off of injuries, the preseason is an important step in getting back to full strength.

The NFL Preseason schedule is typically released in early August, about one month before the first game is played. The first games are typically played on Thursdays, with a few games sprinkled in on Fridays and Saturdays as well. The final preseason game is usually played on the Thursday before Labor Day weekend.

How Many Preseason Games are in the AFC?

AFC teams play four preseason games total. Each team plays two home games and two away games.

How Many Preseason Games are in the NFC?

The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFC consists of 16 teams, 13 located in the United States and three located in Canada.

How Many Preseason Games are in the NFL Preseason?

The National Football League (NFL) preseason is the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the regular season starts.

Preseason games are often played between cross-town or divisional rivals, and games between teams in different conferences are also common. Prior to 2002, intra-conference exhibition games were far less common, as most exhibition games were played between teams in different conferences. However, in recent years, the NFL has scheduled more inter-conference preseason games. The league began this practice in order to reduce the number of times each team appears on national television during the preseason, and also because of increased fan interest in seeing all of the league’s teams play each other at least once every four years.

The number of preseason games has varied through NFL history. In the early years of the League, as few as two exhibitions were played, but as many as eight have been scheduled by some teams at various points. From 1942 to 1964, the NFL usually staged six exhibition contests per team; this figure was reduced to four per team from 1965 until the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. Following the merged league’s 1971 inauguration, eight exhibitions per team became standard between 1971 and 1977. Between 1978 and 1983 (with 1981 having nine contests), most teams still played eight preseason affairs; however, several squads played only seven or even six times. From 1984 through 2011 (with 2010 having only four exhibitions for each club), 16 preseason encounters per club became almost entirely standard; however a few teams have occasionally scheduled 15 or 17 contests during particular summers.

The Chicago Bears have been particularly noted for their disdain for preseason play; from 1974 through 1977 they did not stage a single exhibition contest (aligning with George Halas’s longstanding preference for very short training camps). In 1978 they began a streak where they played four away exhibitions every summer until 2010 (when they began alternating two home and two away contests). Through 2001 and again since 2005, every team but Green Bay has staged at least one “international” game outside the United States during the preseason; moreover several squads have made multiple such appearances over these periods (notably San Francisco – who compiled an 8–1–1 record in ten such affairs from 1989 to 2005 – and Seattle).

How Many Preseason Games are in the NFL Regular Season?

for the most part, 4 preseason games.
The NFL Preseason is the time when all32 NFL teams play exhibition games. These are games that don’t count towards the regular season standings. Each team plays 4 preseason games. The NFL Preseason generally runs from early August to early September.

How Many Preseason Games are in the NFL Playoffs?

Preseason games are not included in the NFL playoffs.