NFL 17-game schedule: Every team’s new opponent for 2021
The NFL has officially announced the 17-game schedule for the 2021 NFL season. So who is the new opponent for all 32 teams?
After much speculation and supposition, the NFL has officially approved a 17-game schedule and it will go into effect immediately in teh 2021 season. Though long expected, the reaction from players was less than ideal. And it is going to be a stark change to schedule construction overall.
Under the 16-game format, the way the schedule comprised was simple. Each team would play every team in its own division twice (6), an entire division from each conference once on a rotating slate (8) and then the team who finished in the same place in the divisional standings from the remaining two divisions in its conference (2). That was 16 games.
But now, there is an additional game. The 17th game on the NFL schedule will be an interconference matchup also based on standings. Moreover, each conference will rotate yearly between whether or not the game is home or away.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the new opponents and games on the 17-game schedule after this new approval.
New opponent for all 32 teams under 17-game NFL schedule
- Arizona Cardinals: at Cleveland Browns
- Atlanta Falcons: at Jacksonville Jaguars
- Baltimore Ravens: vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Buffalo Bills: vs. Washington Football Team
- Carolina Panthers: at Houston Texans
- Chicago Bears: at Las Vegas Raiders
- Cincinnati Bengals: vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Cleveland Browns: vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Dallas Cowboys: at New England Patriots
- Denver Broncos: vs. Detroit Lions
- Detroit Lions: at Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers: at Kansas City Chiefs
- Houston Texans: vs. Carolina Panthers
- Indianapolis Colts: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Jacksonville Jaguars: vs. Atlanta Falcons
- Kansas City Chiefs: vs. Green Bay Packers
- Las Vegas Raiders: vs. Chicago Bears
- Los Angeles Chargers: vs. Minnesota Vikings
- Los Angeles Rams: at Baltimore Ravens
- Miami Dolphins: vs. New York Giants
- Minnesota Vikings: at Los Angeles Chargers
- New England Patriots: vs. Dallas Cowboys
- New Orleans Saints: at Tennessee Titans
- New York Giants: at Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
- Pittsburgh Steelers: vs. Seattle Seahawks
- San Francisco 49ers: at Cincinnati Bengals
- Seattle Seahawks: at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: at Indianapolis Colts
- Tennessee Titans: vs. New Orleans Saints
- Washington Football Team: at Buffalo Bills
Next. Post-free agency 2021 NFL Power Rankings. dark
The headliner of the new 17-game NFL schedule is undoubtedly the Packers visiting the Chiefs. However, the Cowboys-Patriots, Seahawks-Steelers, Ravens-Rams, and Browns-Cardinals matchups all look pretty juicy as well. Of course, we’ll have to wait until the schedule release after the 2021 NFL Draft to see when these games will be played.