NFL VP Mike North shares simple explanation for teams without primetime games

Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

What do the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Las Vegas Raiders have in common?

They’re the five NFL teams that don’t currently have a primetime game in the 2026 NFL season.

That’s the luck of the draw, or misfortune as it were, as NFL scheduling is very much a merit-based system. When you’re good, or perceived to be good, you get more high-profile spots and national access.

It might seem surprising to some that the Raiders have been left out, given all the hype around No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza. However, much like Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans last year, the unknowns heading into the season make it hard to count on them as a worthwhile team to showcase. It also doesn’t help that the Raiders’ plans for Mendoza remain unclear.

On a Friday conference call, NFL VP of broadcasting planning Mike North was asked whether that uncertainty was factored into why Las Vegas was left out of the primetime opportunities, and he offered some insight into the decision-making process.

“As far as the Raiders go, I mean, nobody knows if or when Mendoza might play,” . “It would certainly be great if we knew. We don’t. But they went out and signed a very competent veteran quarterback, and if they find themselves, you know, hovering around .500 and playoff-relevant in the middle of the season, they might be a little more reluctant to pull the trigger and move to the rookie. And if they are playoff-relevant, they will find themselves flexed into bigger national television windows, whether it’s Sunday night, Monday night, or just a bigger footprint on a Sunday afternoon.