The NFL uses flexible scheduling late in the season to ensure that the biggest games end up in the best time slots. But the procedures for changing kickoff times and dates sometimes generate confusion and criticism. Some think the league should start flexing games earlier in the season. Sometimes games, such as the Week 13 Broncos-Commanders game, stay in prime time even when they don’t look like good matchups — and sometimes those games turn out to be exciting games.
Here’s a look at how the NFL handles flexible scheduling, with the rules in place for the 2025 season:
What is NFL flex scheduling?
Since NBC began broadcasting Sunday Night Football in 2006, the NFL has used flex scheduling to move better games into prime time. If two teams originally scheduled for a late-season Sunday night game were having bad seasons, the league could move a weaker game out of the Sunday night slot, and replace it with a game that had originally been scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Since 2023, flex scheduling has been able to move games not only from Sunday afternoon into Sunday night, but also from Sunday afternoon into Monday Night Football or Thursday Night Football.
How does NFL flex scheduling work?
The NFL ultimately has final authority over its schedule and decides which games to put in prime time slots. The broadcast partners have input, however, with NBC, ESPN and Amazon Prime all requesting the matchups they want on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights, and Fox and CBS wanting to keep the best games on Sunday afternoons. Fox and CBS are generally permitted to protect one game each week from being flexed out, and for division matchups the NFL will usually not move both games between two division rivals out of Sunday afternoon.
When does NFL Flex Scheduling start?
For Sunday Night Football, flex scheduling can start as early as Week 5. Up to two games can be flexed into Sunday night in Weeks 5-10, and flex scheduling can be used for any Sunday night during Weeks 11-17.
For Monday Night Football flex scheduling may be used any week in Weeks 12-17. For Thursday Night Football flex scheduling may be used up to twice in Weeks 14-16.
How far in advance can the NFL flex a game?
If the NFL moves a game into Sunday Night Football in Weeks 5-13 or Monday Night Football in Weeks 12-17, the flex will be announced no later than 12 days in advance of the game.
For Sunday Night Football in Weeks 14-17, the flexible scheduling decision will generally be made no later than six days prior to the game.
For Thursday Night Football in Weeks 14-16, the flexible scheduling decision will generally be made no later than 21 days prior to the game.
What is the flexible scheduling procedure for Week 18?
Week 18 is the final week of the regular season, and the NFL waits until after Week 17 to announce the Week 18 schedule. Two games will be played on Saturday, January 3. On Sunday afternoon, January 4, the NFL will schedule 13 games. And the final game of the season will be played on Sunday Night Football on January 4.
The league waits until after Week 17 to schedule Week 18 so that it can ensure games with playoff importance get the best time slots, and that the results of the earlier games don’t render the later games irrelevant.
