Rumor points 2024 NFL regular-season schedule release being delayed

For those hoping to see the 2024 NFL schedule released this week, there's a chance you'll have to be a bit more patient.

Usually, the NFL announces its official regular-season schedule at some point in early May, often on a Thursday following the first Monday of the month.

For the 2024 regular-season schedule, that would lead one to believe that Thursday, May 9 would be the official date of the schedule release. After all, Thursdays are ideal for a primetime in-week announcement just before a weekend.

According to some recent speculation and analysis from Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, however, fans who are hoping the schedule will be released on May 9 may have to wait just a bit longer.

Florio is believing the schedule release might be a week late:

"Will it be this week? As best we can tell, no, it won’t be.

How about next week? That’s currently looking more likely. Especially since next week is a big week for the TV industry, with the “upfront” presentations in New York. Given that the league now authorizes each of the networks to announce a game or two in the days preceding the full release, it makes sense for the networks to generate maximum buzz by sharing a taste of the schedule on the day they unveil their full fall lineups."

Related story: Predicting every 49ers primetime game on 2024 NFL schedule

Florio also suggests the schedule release could soon be turned into a weeklong event, particularly with so many different networks owning rights to specific games. But that doesn't matter so much now.

Fans wishing to plan their fall calendars around what teams do, including the San Francisco 49ers and their attempt to seize that elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy, could potentially have to wait a bit longer than normal.

It's a bit strange that the NFL is so secretive with the schedule-release date, not making an official announcement as to when until almost the 11th hour. Having already turned professional football into a year-round spectacle that commands no shortage of interest well into the offseason, hyping up a known release date weeks (or even months) in advance wouldn't do any harm.

Why?

Well, Niners fans, you're in the same boat as the rest of the league when it comes to playing the waiting game.

And that game potentially extends another week.

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