The 2024 NFL season continues to roll through November, which means the race towards the playoffs is heating up. While certain squads have delivered on preseason expectations, there have been many surprises that have shaken up the scope of the standings.
Excitement can be fueled by flex scheduling, something the NFL has implemented for almost two decades. But, how exactly does it work, and what makes the 2024 season different from years past?
What is Flex Scheduling?
Flexible scheduling, commonly known as “flex scheduling,” was introduced by the NFL in 2006 in order to provide fans with meaningful and exciting primetime matchups throughout the entire season. Prior to 2023, this procedure only applied to Sunday Night Football, but the league adjusted to include Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football on a trial basis.
When does Flex Scheduling start?
- Sunday Night Football: Flex scheduling may be used up to twice between Weeks 5-10, as well as Weeks 11-17 at the NFL’s discretion
- Monday Night Football: Flex scheduling may be used between Weeks 12-17 at the NFL’s discretion
- Thursday Night Football: Flex scheduling may be used up to twice between Weeks 13-17
What are the NFL Flex rules?
During the Flex Scheduling Windows, the games initially scheduled for Sunday Night Football (on NBC), Monday Night Football (on ESPN or ABC), and Thursday Night Football (on Amazon Prime) are tentatively scheduled and subject to change.
Only Sunday afternoon games (or those listed as TBD) are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, Monday night, or Thursday night, in which case the initially scheduled Sunday, Monday, or Thursday night game would be moved to Sunday afternoon.
Sunday afternoon games may also be moved between 1:00 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. ET.
As in prior seasons, for Week 18, the final weekend of the season, the scheduling of the Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and the Sunday night games is not assigned. The schedule for Week 18 will be announced at the conclusion of Week 17.
Click here for additional Flex Scheduling information.
What games have been flexed in 2024?
The NFL has flexed two games through 12 weeks of the season. Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings took center stage in place of Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.
Week 11 saw Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Chargers get the Sunday night slot in place of Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets.
The NFL has issued its first-ever Thursday Night Football flex for Week 16, with the Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals getting swapped out for the Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers. The AFC North divisional matchup will now be played on Sunday, Dec. 22 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX.
What remaining games could be flexed out?
Now that we have a better idea of how flex scheduling works, here are the remaining scheduled games for SNF, MNF, and TNF:
Sunday Night Football:
- Week 12: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Week 13: San Francisco 49ers vs. Buffalo Bills
- Week 14: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- Week 15: Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Week 16, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Week 17: Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns
Monday Night Football:
- Week 13, Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos
- Week 14, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Week 15: Atlanta Falcons vs. Las Vegas Raiders
- Week 16: New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers
- Week 17: Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers
Thursday Night Football:
- Week 14: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
- Week 15: Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Week 17: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears
How can I watch Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock?
You can watch Sunday Night Football on your TV with a TV provider login on the NBC Sports app, or via NBCSports.com. Check your local listings to find your NBC channel. If you can’t find NBC in your channel lineup, please contact your TV provider.
You can stream Sunday Night Football on Peacock. Sign up here.
If you have already created your Peacock account, and you added a password, you can now Sign In with that email and password on all your supported devices. If you never set your password, or forgot it, reset it now.
If you have a Peacock account but don’t have a Premium plan, Sign In and select Account in the upper right corner. Under Plans & Payment, you should see an option to Upgrade to Premium.
Will Sunday Night Football be available in Spanish on Peacock?
Every Sunday Night Football game is available in Spanish on Peacock, with coverage also being available on Telemundo and Universo.
What devices does Peacock support?
Click here for a full list of devices supported by Peacock.