The NFL's schedule release isn't quite the marquee event that the league hypes it up to be, but it's still an important milestone during the NFL's offseason calendar.
Once the schedule is announced, fans can begin planning their attendance at games throughout the season. This includes grabbing tickets to coveted home games and planning road trips to cheer on their favorite teams at opposing stadiums.
The most important things revealed for each team during the NFL schedule release are as follows:
- The team's Week 1 opponent
- The team's bye week
The bye week is one of the most important tools for teams during the NFL season. It marks the only week off for teams during the 17-game grind, and it allows teams to rest their banged-up players to prepare for postseason runs.
Some teams have their bye weeks early in the season, giving them an opportunity to go on an early-season run where they're better rested than their opponents. Others have to wait until December to get a break, sometimes playing as many as 13 games in a row.
That may sound like a disadvantage, but playoff-caliber teams who can withstand that 13-game onslaught are often well-positioned to make some postseason noise.
Here's what you need to know about each team's bye week during the 2024 NFL season.
MORE: Which NFL teams have the easiest, hardest schedules in 2024?
NFL bye weeks 2024
The NFL's bye weeks for 2024 will be announced as part of the league's schedule release on May 15. Bye weeks will begin in Week 5 and run through Week 14.
Below is a complete, week-by-week look at when each NFL team has its bye in 2024:
Week 1
- None
Week 2
- None
Week 3
- None
Week 4
- None
Week 5
- Detroit Lions
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tennessee Titans
Week 6
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Rams
- Miami Dolphins
- Minnesota Vikings
Week 7
- Chicago Bears
- Dallas Cowboys
Week 8
- None
Week 9
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- San Francisco 49ers
Week 10
- Cleveland Browns
- Green Bay Packers
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Seattle Seahawks
Week 11
- Arizona Cardinals
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Giants
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 12
- Atlanta Falcons
- Buffalo Bills
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- New Orleans Saints
- New York Jets
Week 13
- None
Week 14
- Baltimore Ravens
- Denver Broncos
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- New England Patriots
- Washington Commanders
Week 15
- None
Week 16
- None
Week 17
- None
Week 18
- None
When do NFL bye weeks start?
NFL bye weeks won't start until Week 5. There will be at least two teams on bye through Week 14 — save for Weeks 8 and 13 of the NFL season, during which all 32 teams will play.
The NFL's bye week schedule ensures that all 32 teams play the first four weeks of the season and the last four weeks of the season.
How are NFL bye weeks determined?
The NFL says having a bye week for each team "presents additional challenges for the schedule makers" as they try to avoid giving teams many games with rest advantages or disadvantages. The league is always looking to balance its schedule, so this is a key factor in determining each bye week.
So, too, is the consideration of where a team's bye week fell in previous seasons. They like to avoid giving teams consecutive early-season byes or late-season byes — if they can help it.
The NFL's 32 terms have their bye weeks fit into a 10-week span from Weeks 5 through 14. That averages out to 3.2 byes per week.
