NFL
How Many Regular Season Games in the NFL? From Past to Present
For more than 43 years, since 1978 to 2021, the NFL had been operating on a 16-game schedule. However, an addition of one game on the slate, in the 2021 off-season, birthed a 17-game schedule.
Jacksonville Jaguars v Chicago Bears//Getty Images
Since the establishment of the NFL in 1920, a lot of developments and tremendous shifts have occurred. One of the most obvious changes is the NFL schedule, which dictates the total number of games played in a regular season.
Below is a representation of the evolution of the regular season games.
Regular Season Games in the NFL
| Season(s) | Regular Season Games |
| 1935-1936 | 12 games |
| 1937-1942 | 11 games |
| 1943-1945 | 10 games |
| 1946 | 11 games |
| 1947-1960 | 12 games |
| 1961-1977 | 14 games |
| 1978-2020 | 16 games |
| 2021-present | 17 games |
A 10-14 NFL Game Schedule
In the seasons between 1935 and 1977, regular NFL games oscillated between 10 and 14. During this period, the NFL preseason occurred in six gruelling weeks. The regular season began in the third week of September and ended in mid-December. The playoffs happened within two weeks, while Super Bowls were held on Sunday afternoon.
Transition from a 14-Game to 16-Game Schedule
QB Joe Montana Scores Touchdown In SuperBowl XIX//Getty Images
In 1978, the NFL made its first schedule expansion by moving from a 14-game schedule to a 16-game schedule. In the same year, the NFL added two games to the regular schedule, included two wild-cards, and an additional round to the playoffs. This schedule created room for a durable framework for the NFL to expand teams from 28 to 32. Also, the divisions changed from six to eight, while the number of playoff participants increased from 10 to 14.
The 16-game regular season created an ideal platter for scheduling. This is partly because the number 16 made it easier to sub-divide divisional games and inter-conference matchups into even numbers.
In 1990, the league added a bye week, which led to one-third occupancy of the calendar year by the 16-game schedule. Sunday and Thursday night television packages were brought to life, encouraging NFL fans to watch live coverage of off-season events like the draft and scouting combine.
The inception of the 16-game schedule introduced a well-manicured structure, with the changes making the NBA season feel comprehensive, brisk, and intense. Fans experienced transparency in knowing which opponents their favorite team would face in the upcoming season, even before the previous season ended.
NFL Adopts a 17-Game Schedule
In the 2021 offseason, the NFL expanded to a 17-game schedule. As a result, every team was slated to play 17 regular-season games and would have one bye-week. This new schedule further confirmed that teams would alternate seasons in hosting nine regular-season games and one preseason game, or eight regular-season games and two preseason games.
Additionally, under the 17 game-slate, all 32 teams are required to play at least one international game, once every eight years.
A majority of NFL games are played on Sundays and there is a Monday night game held at least once a week. Thursday night games occur on most weeks too. It is unlikely for NFL games to be played on Fridays or Saturdays, until late in the regular season. This is because it is against federal laws to have professional football leagues compete with college or high school football.
The only period when the NFL can hold Friday and Saturday games is in December, on the Friday before the third Saturday of this last month of the calendar.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.