Schedule leaks are more rampant than ever

Three weeks after draft picks were tipped throughout round one, another type of premature disclosure has reached a fever pitch.

Reports regarding specific games on the 2026 regular-season schedule have been rampant in the days preceding the formal release of the full schedule, at 8:00 p.m. ET tonight.

Leaks are everywhere, and it's no surprise. All teams know their schedules; those release videos don't emerge spontaneously on Thursday night. And with so many people at the teams aware of their slatea of games, it's low-hanging fruit for those who are inclined to let the cat out of the bag as to one or more of the 272 games.

It's unclear whether the leaks bother the league. The NFL abhors the tipping of draft picks before the Commissioner can walk to the podium and announce them. There's been no indication that the NFL doesn't like the leaking of games before the full schedule is officially unveiled.

There's a good chance the league digs it. The unofficial drip-drip of dates and times for specific games keeps the NFL extremely relevant through what has morphed into schedule-release week. And even if it spoils things as to some of the games, the process of announcing the full schedule will prompt millions to dial up the info — either by watching one of the schedule-release shows or by logging onto the various websites that will provide the information.

The schedule-release videos add sizzle to the moment, too. Even if most of the games are leaked before the schedule is announced, a digital land rush will happen tonight, when the Chargers (the current kings of the release-video hill) and the other 31 teams publish their final products. (And, in at least one case last year, promptly delete it.)

Don't expect things to change in future years. The buzz starts on Monday morning and builds, with more bits and pieces emerging in advance of a crescendo fueled by the full release of the schedule and the launch of the many entertaining videos.