Which NFL Games Are Canceled?

Get the latest information on which NFL games are canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Preseason

The National Football League (NFL) preseason is the exhibition season of the NFL, when teams play mostly reserve players. The preseason games are not counted in the standings of the regular season. Cancellations of preseason games are rare, but they do happen. In 2020, the NFL preseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canceled Games

The NFL has canceled all preseason games for the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

preseason games are typically used as a way for teams to test out new players and strategies, but with the pandemic still ongoing, the league felt it was best to cancel them.

The regular season is still scheduled to begin on September 10th.

Preseason Game Schedule

The National Football League preseason is the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the regular season. Begining with the Hall of Fame game on August 6, 2020, four weeks of exhibition games will be played in NFL stadiums around the country.

During the preseason, NFL teams can sign free agents to fill out their rosters, and they can also hold tryouts for players who were not selected in the NFL Draft. Rookies and first-year players are especially eager to participate in preseason games as they look to make an impression on coaches and earn a spot on the team’s 53-man regular season roster.

The NFL preseason schedule is typically released in April, and tickets for most games go on sale in May or June. Preseason game dates and times are subject to change, so it’s important to check back often for updates.

Regular Season

Check out the list of NFL regular season games that have been canceled below. If you had tickets to any of these games, you should contact the team for refund information.

Canceled Games

The NFL has canceled some games this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a list of the canceled games:

-Week 5: New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos
-Week 6: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns
-Week 7: New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills
-Week 8: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
-Week 9: Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens

Regular Season Game Schedule

The 2020 NFL regular season will begin on Thursday, September 10th and end on Sunday, January 3rd. All games will be broadcast on either CBS, NBC, FOX, or ESPN. The NFL playoffs will begin the following week.

The following is the schedule for all 256 regular season games:

Week 1
Thursday, September 10th – Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (NBC)
Sunday, September 13th – Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (FOX)
Sunday, September 13th – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (FOX)
Sunday, September 13th – San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (FOX)
Sunday, September 13th – Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS)
Sunday, September 13th – Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons (FOX)

Postseason

NFL games are not immune to postponement or cancellation, as has been seen in the past. In 2020, there have been several games that have been affected by postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a list of NFL games that have been affected by postponement this season.

Canceled Games

The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. While four teams qualify for the tournament each year, only two teams (the winners of each Conference’s Championship Game) advance to the Super Bowl, the league’s ultimate championship game.

During the 2020-2021 NFL season, five postseason games were canceled due to COVID-19 related rescheduling:

-The AFC Wild Card game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns originally scheduled for January 10th was rescheduled to January 11th.
-The NFC Wild Card game between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears originally scheduled for January 10th was rescheduled to January 11th.
-The AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills originally scheduled for January 16th was rescheduled to January 17th.
-The NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers originally scheduled for January 16th was rescheduled to January 17th.

Postseason Game Schedule

The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Seven teams from each conference (four division winners and three wild card teams) qualify for the playoffs. The four division winners are seeded 1–4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams are seeded 5–7. In the first round, dubbed the Wild Card playoffs or Wild Card weekend, the 5th seed hosts the 6th seed, and the 7th seed hosts the 4th seed, with both games played on Saturday. The 1st seed then hosts the lowest winning team from either of those two games (6th if 4th wins, or 4th if 6th wins) while the 2nd and 3rd seeds host each of the other two remaining teams (5th if 3rd wins, or 3rd if 5th wins) in games played on Sunday.