New on Sports Illustrated: NFL Schedule: Key Games, Dates for 2020 Season

Check out all the notable dates and games during the 2020 NFL season.

The NFL released the schedule for the 2020 season on Thursday night.

The season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 10 when Texans take on Chiefs on on NBC. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET.

This season ushers in a new phase for the Raiders, who moved to their new home in Las Vegas this offseason. The team will make their regular season Sin City home debut in Week 2 on Sept. 21, in a Monday Night Football matchup against the Saints.

However, the Raiders aren't the only team with a new venue. The Chargers and Rams will share SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles starting in 2020. The Rams open their season at home on Sunday Night Football on Sept. 1 against the Cowboys. The Chargers don't play a home regular season game until Week 3 in a matchup with the Raiders.

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers will make five primetime appearances in 2020, the maximum number of primetime games a team can play. They open their season at 4:25 p.m. ET at the New Orleans Saints. 

The New England Patriots will host the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 for their first game without Brady on their roster since they picked him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft.

Among other schedule notes, the NFL will play its first Friday game since 2009 this season when the Vikings travel to the Saints on Christmas Day. New Orleans has another four games scheduled for primetime.

The Thanksgiving Day triple-header features the Texans at the Lions, Washington at the Cowboys and the Ravens at the Steelers.

Playoffs:

Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, marks the final day of the regular season. The playoffs start on the weekend of Jan. 9-10 with the Wild Card Playoff Round. This year's playoffs will expand to 14 teams as part of the new collective bargaining agreement reached in March.

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl LV is currently scheduled for Feb. 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. That date—or any of the above dates—could change if the season has to be adjusted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

May 08, 2020 at 06:01AM
NFL Schedule: Key Games, Dates for 2020 Season