When Does the 2021 NFL Season Start?

The 2021 NFL season is set to begin on September 9th. All 32 teams will be in action on opening weekend, with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

Introduction

The NFL regular season is set to begin on September 9th, 2021. All 32 teams will play 17 games during the season, which will conclude with the playoffs and Super Bowl LVI on February 13th, 2022.

What Happened in 2020?

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. The 2020 NFL season was the 101st season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 10, 2020, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Houston Texans 34–20 in the NFL Kickoff Game. The season ended with Super Bowl LV, the league’s championship game, on February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

The NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft was held on April 23–25, 2020. It took place in Paradise, Nevada at the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, who relocated from Oakland, California during the offseason. With the first overall selection, Cincinnati Bengals selected quarterback Joe Burrow from LSU.

Free Agency

The new NFL year began on March 18, 2020, which meant that free agency was open for business a few days later on March 22. So, who were the biggest winners and losers?

The biggest winner of NFL free agency has to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only did they manage to keep their own star wide receiver in Mike Evans, but they also managed to sign one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Tom Brady. The Bucs also added some other key pieces like offensive tackle Donovan Smith and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. All of these moves should make the Bucs a very dangerous team in 2020.

On the other hand, the biggest loser of NFL free agency has to be the New England Patriots. They lost Brady to the Bucs and they also lost some other key players like linebacker Kyle Van Noy and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon. The Pats did manage to add some nice pieces like running back Lamar Miller and tight end Matt LaCosse, but they definitely took a step back this offseason.

The 2021 Schedule

The NFL regular season is set to begin on September 9th, 2021 with a full slate of sixteen games. The defending Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will host the Dallas Cowboys on opening night.

Preseason

The 2021 NFL preseason is the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the actual “regular” season starts.

The first preseason game of 2021 is typically scheduled for early August, with the final preseason game usually taking place around late August.

Regular Season

The 2021 NFL regular season is scheduled to begin on September 9, 2021 and will end on January 9, 2022. The playoffs will then conclude with the Super Bowl on February 6, 2022 at a yet-to-be determined location.

Conclusion

The 2021 NFL season is scheduled to begin on September 9th. The regular season will end on January 9th, 2022, and the playoffs will follow suit.