Tonight, we’ll know the who, when, and where as to the four weeks of preseason action. In roughly a week, we’ll know one critical factor as to the 17 weeks of regular-season contests: The when.
All opponents for all teams became known when the 2017 season ended. But filling in the when — especially as it relates to prime-time games and big events like Thanksgiving — will be a major news event the sports world, to the likely dismay of the other sports that actually will have meaningful events next week.
From Sunday nights to Monday nights to Thursday nights to the opening night of the season in Philadelphia (at least one report has pegged it as a rematch of the Vikings-Eagles NFC title game), all questions will be answered once the NFL removes the sheet from its 256-game slate, capping weeks of elbow grease expended and simulations prepared by Howard Katz and his staff at the league office.
And so, whether it’s Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the regular-season schedule likely is coming next week. We’ll break down every angle of it as soon after it’s released as possible, and we’ll be tracking all leaks and other advance news as to that key question of when.