Football <\/p>\n
The NFL released the 2026 regular-season schedule<\/a> on Thursday and, along with it, 32 team-produced videos that bring the fun (and occasional drama) to schedule release night.<\/p>\n Familiar heavy hitters such as the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans continued to impress, while other teams, including the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns, redeemed themselves after past videos that missed the mark.<\/p>\n As for the most popular crack this year, that would be the San Francisco 49ers\u2019 electrical substation<\/a>, with five of their opponents using their video to take a shot at the electromagnetic field that has fueled conspiracy theories about the team\u2019s recent injury history.<\/p>\n The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s Jayna Bardahl reviewed all of the NFC teams, while Saad Yousuf handled the AFC as they joined forces to rank all 32 videos.<\/p>\n The Chargers have set the standard across the league for schedule release videos and this year was top-notch once again. The Halo theme allowed for so much potential and the execution did not disappoint, with Easter eggs popping up left and right to support the main act for each team. The Colts aren\u2019t even on the Chargers\u2019 schedule, but they caught a stray right off the bat with a Microsoft permission disclaimer. The main menu alone was elite, replacing team names with disses, such as \u201csoft tissue graveyard\u201d for the 49ers, \u201coperation zero coverage\u201d for the New York Jets and \u201ccupcake circuit\u201d for the New England Patriots.<\/p>\n For the Week 1 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, there was a dig at the quarterback situation and defense, as well as head coach Matt LaFleur (a \u201ccoaching model resemblance error\u201d) and former coach Jonathan Gannon. All of that happened in a span of three seconds, so if you blinked, you missed it. Against the Seattle Seahawks, the Pike Place replica was for sale. The Kansas City Chiefs game had a \u201cFree Rashee Rice<\/a>\u201d T-shirt reference, among other things. There were multiple digs at Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, who was photographed at an Arizona adults-only resort this offseason with NFL reporter\u00a0Dianna Russini<\/a>, formerly of The Athletic<\/em>. The 49ers\u2019 practice facility conspiracy wasn\u2019t safe, either. The list could go on forever, but this one is not only worth your time, it requires your full attention and a hand on the pause\/play button.<\/p>\n should we REALLY make our schedule release video in halo?<\/p>\n yes yes yesyes \u2014 Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The man-on-the-street approach, if not done right, can look like a low-effort approach. However, the Titans nailed every part of it. They have plenty of individuals who sort of resemble the opposing team characters, including Eagles security chief Big Dom DiSandro for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cam Skattebo for the New York Giants and, perhaps one of the best, Fernando Mendoza for the Las Vegas Raiders.<\/p>\n They also had a few hilarious contrarian finds, such as someone who is simply wearing a Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett jersey but has no resemblance. The elderly-looking Jerry Jones find was great, especially as Jones is the owner of America\u2019s Team and the guy they found was from the UK. Showing Macaulay Culkin as the actual picture of Joe Burrow was also a nice touch. All of that in under two minutes. Greatness.<\/p>\n You never know who you’ll see on the street @Shift4<\/a><\/p>\n NFL Schedule Release Show 5\/14 on @nflnetwork<\/a> at 7PM CT pic.twitter.com\/uddftsZab2<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tennessee Titans (@Titans) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Seahawks\u2019 cologne-advertisement theme is perfectly mysterious and weird, just like my favorite fragrance commercial. \u201cParfum de Seahawks\u201d makes you \u201csmell like a champion,\u201d while the video presents the less desirable fragrances of Seattle\u2019s opponents. The 49ers fragrance, \u201cSubstation,\u201d shocks you when you reach for it. The Eagles\u2019 \u201cTush Push\u201d fragrance comes in a bottle shaped like \u2026 just what you think it would be shaped like. The Rams\u2019 \u201cConversion No. 2<\/a>\u201d smells of melancholy and \u201cwhat the hell just happened,\u201d while the Dallas Cowboys fragrance is named \u201cNostalgia 96.\u201d This was simply clever and fun to watch. And, of course, included a quick Lombardi Trophy cameo.<\/p>\n Smells like football season. Our 2026 schedule is here.<\/p>\n Get your tickets now \u00bb https:\/\/t.co\/yxNNnRledd<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mDTMaxJ6Ua<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It never hurts to add some self-deprecating humor. The Colts\u2019 social media team did that right off the top in its \u201cSimpsons\u201d-themed video, marking the 2025 schedule release video<\/a> as a \u201ctire fire,\u201d which led to another layer of the same storyline with Bart writing about last year\u2019s schedule release mistake repeatedly on the chalkboard. The media team even took that approach for the football team, noting it has been 4,252 days since the Colts defeated the division rival Jaguars in Jacksonville. There were a few quality shots at opponents, too, including the rowdy Philadelphia crowd and \u201cboring\u201d Browns team.<\/p>\n D\u2019OH! another schedule release video! @TheSimpsons<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7rc9zyo2pv<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Jameis Winston brings all the energy as Winston Van Gogh. With Giants tickets on the line, Winston challenges fans to a game of Pictionary, where they have 15 seconds to guess the opponent based on his drawing, which Winston scribbles onto a whiteboard worn by offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. Winston\u2019s first sketch for the Eagles was a questionable Philly cheesesteak, but he redeemed himself with a decent drawing of the Eagles logo the second time around. The best part about this is how the humor is organic between Winston and the fans. You don\u2019t have to overthink it.<\/p>\n Winston van Gogh draws up the 2026 Schedule \ud83c\udfa8<\/p>\n Tickets on sale now \ud83c\udf9f\ufe0f: https:\/\/t.co\/ysuYTbX1ly<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/yIYaJGTZhr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 New York Giants (@Giants) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The \u201cNapoleon Dynamite\u201d theme was well-executed and creative, with a few good jokes sprinkled throughout. They award their crosstown rival, the Chargers, with a certificate of achievement for the best schedule release. The 49ers substation is referenced with a book titled \u201cThe Electromagnetic Field\u201d written by Dr. Nothingburger. And inside Dallas\u2019 wallet is a card for a curtain company \u201cwhen the light is too bright.\u201d While some videos diverged from the actual \u201cschedule release\u201d part of the night, the Rams\u2019 video was in order and on-theme.<\/p>\n A Dynamite schedule. pic.twitter.com\/5BnNs0ZGpw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The retro Street Fighter arcade vibe was a nice touch, both inside the room and in the games. There was also opponent-relative verbiage sprinkled throughout as the schedule was being announced. On a football note, it was interesting that Shedeur Sanders was the only quarterback mentioned in the video, and he was referenced three times as opposed to zero for Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson.<\/p>\n Introducing Street Fighter: CLE!<\/p>\n \ud83d\udd79\ufe0f 2026 Schedule Release pic.twitter.com\/aFvc1vMGKx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Tyler Intelligence Agency (made up of Tyler Booker, Tyler Guyton and Tyler Smith) meets to plan its takeover of the 2026 schedule. Undercover Tylers are assigned to each opponent with top-secret spy missions to distract and destroy the team. In Los Angeles, intel points toward Sean McVay\u2019s post-draft news conference in which he seemed unenthused about the first-round pick of QB Ty Simpson (whom the TIA says they\u2019ll \u201cmake a full Tyler soon\u201d). And for the Tennessee Ty-Tans the mission is to \u201cchange absolutely nothing,\u201d cue Cam Ward\u2019s \u2026 honest<\/a> \u2026 interview clip. This was a bit long at 8 minutes 21 seconds, but I did like the chemistry between the T.I.A.<\/p>\n every mission from our\u00a0schedule release video\u00a0\ud83d\uddc2\ufe0f#DallasCowboys<\/a> |\u00a0@SeatGeek<\/a> <\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa NFL Schedule Release tonight at 7pm CT on\u00a0@nflnetwork<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Vi5rUNUJb3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This riff off the old \u201cSportsCenter\u201d commercials had great commitment from president of football (and former QB) Matt Ryan and new head coach Kevin Stefanski, along with a few players. Bijan Robinson eases a coworker\u2019s nerves when deciding to pronounce his name \u201cBee-John\u201d or \u201cBih-Jahn.\u201d Drake London is fighting for receptions (as in answering calls like a receptionist). And Jalon Walker has \u201ctoo much dog in him,\u201d so he keeps barking around the office. Great star power from inside the building and awkward moments that made for good laughs.<\/p>\n This is Falcons Football: 2026 Compilation pic.twitter.com\/JWM7ip9xoW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Kicker Will Reichard sits down at a fancy restaurant (drink of choice: purple Gatorade) with AEW star Chris Jericho as his waiter. Reichard asks for the 17-course meal, which includes a Green Bay Packers cheesehead board, \u201cas nice as it gets \u2026 over there,\u201d a Chicago bear claw with \u201cfrosted paws\u201d and Buffalo wings mafia with \u201ctable-breaking flavor.\u201d But my favorite joke was the self-deprecatory one. \u201cAny allergies?\u201d Jericho asks. \u201cNo, just cables and camera wires,\u201d Reichard says. Reichard missed a game-tying FG attempt<\/a> last October when his on-line attempt took a sharp turn wide right, which some thought was a result of it hitting the camera wire.<\/p>\n Serving up 17 courses. We’ll take them all.https:\/\/t.co\/IcZACQxP0Q<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/VLPqBiJCdS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n There was a solid mix<\/a> of self-deprecating humor, particularly from the Peyton Manning angle. The first television commercial was for a medication for \u201cfanxiety,\u201d while Manning has done commercial spots for Tylenol. Manning also criticized Bo Nix for being in too many commercials, which was funny considering the source. Calling out the Chiefs fan for being a bandwagoner was funny, as was Aqib Talib\u2019s chain bit against the Raiders, calling back to when Talib yanked a chain off of former Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree.<\/p>\n We have our second player-turned-painter schedule reveal<\/a> with wide receiver Rome Odunze as Bob Ross. In contrast to the Giants\u2019 Winston Van Gogh, this one is calmer, and Odunze does a great job acting the part. He adds details that nod to the Bears\u2019 opponents and to add texture to the trees, Odunze uses \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 a cheese grater<\/a>. \u201cIsn\u2019t that satisfying?\u201d Odunze says while he grates the canvas. The most entertaining part is how much Odunze leaned into the role; he was perfect. Of course, there\u2019s a \u201cgood, better, best<\/a>\u201d reference too.<\/p>\n Baker Mayfield calls in Tampa Bay Watch<\/a> in this \u201cBaywatch\u201d-themed reveal starring comedian Bert Kreischer. Kreischer and his crew take over the beach, stomping on the Carolina Panthers\u2019 sand castle, cutting the line of the Falcons\u2019 kite and splashing the Detroit Lions, Vikings and Packers with the wake of a jet ski. Again, the schedule wasn\u2019t revealed in order, but that seemed to be more of a theme this year.<\/p>\n Running back Jacory Crosky-Merritt got the nickname \u201cBill\u201d when he was young. In the schedule release, that nickname comes into play as he hosts the \u201cCommanders Science Fair<\/a>\u201d as Bill Croskey-Merritt, The Science Guy (a la Bill Nye). The displays are shown pretty quickly, so I needed to pause a few times to understand the projects. My favorites were the Colts project, which was \u201cremoved for unauthorized jokes,\u201d in reference to the team\u2019s 2025 schedule release video that had to be taken down, and \u201cBald Out at Titans,\u201d with the hypothesis \u201cIf you become a member of the Tennessee coaching staff, then you will become bald.\u201d The conspiracy theory board for the 49ers\u2019 \u201cSubstation Gate 2026\u201d was the perfect fit for this theme.<\/p>\n Some would say that watching the Jets in recent years has been as exciting as watching paint dry, so mixing different paint colors to create the color of the opponent to reveal was fitting. Jokes aside, one can appreciate the effort to be creative and do something different, even if it wasn\u2019t exactly riveting content.<\/p>\n football is ART (craft blend)<\/p>\n your 2026 Jets schedule reveal \ud83c\udfa8 \u2b07\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/lV7PTzbc8O<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 New York Jets (@nyjets) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n A strong voiceover<\/a> is a safe path to give chills, but there were some solid opponent zingers mixed in as well, from calling the Miami Dolphins a \u201cclean house\u201d to saying the Baltimore Ravens \u201ccan\u2019t back out of this one\u201d to needle them for the nixed Maxx Crosby trade.<\/a> The second Ravens reference was a \u201cball drop\u201d on New Year\u2019s Eve showing Lamar Jackson fumbling the ball against the Bengals. That play actually ended with a Jackson touchdown pass but we\u2019ll let it slide. It wasn\u2019t flashy but it was a pleasant watch for a couple of minutes.<\/p>\n Brian Cushing is one of the most iconic players in Texans history, and the picture of his bloody face in a game from his playing days is one of the most iconic photos in team history. Having Cushing read through the schedule<\/a> as the inflection in his voice gets more and more intense was solid, though this one might hit home more for Texans fans than the wider NFL audience.<\/p>\n Local meteorologist Margaret Orr leads a weathercast<\/a> around the country to each of the Saints\u2019 opponents because \u201cin New Orleans, we know a few things about tracking storms,\u201d she says. In Atlanta, Orr points out the Falcons\u2019 eight-season losing streak as putting the city under a \u201cdecade-long choke advisory,\u201d and in Tampa Bay, the Bucs are experiencing \u201cextreme highs and lows the same day.\u201d As someone who spent a short time in Cincinnati, I also liked the Skyline Chili callout that seconds as a Bengals dig: \u201cIt does look better from a distance, not unlike Skyline Chili.\u201d The video is a little slow, but bonus points for the fun appearance from former \u201cToday\u201d show host Hoda Kotb in the beginning!<\/p>\n I was skeptical going into this one because it clocked in at 13 minutes and 59 seconds<\/a>. Jalen Hurts, Jordan Mailata, Saquon Barkley, Jihaad Campbell and Jordan Davis sit around a conference table opening envelopes to reveal the schedule and react in the moment. There were plenty of \u201cohs\u201d and \u201cmms\u201d with generally a lack of emotion throughout that hurt the unfiltered feel they were going for. If you stick with it, you\u2019ll find a few good moments. When they learn about the Pittsburgh Steelers, Campbell asks if they still have Aaron Rodgers, to which Hurts shrugs and says, \u201cWho knows?\u201d I also smiled at Barkley, trying to keep track of the days they play. \u201cWe play on a Saturday and then a Thursday?\u201d The caption \u201cToday\u2019s meeting could NOT have been an email\u201d might be true. But a shorter video? Most definitely.<\/p>\n The QVC angle selling products for each team on the schedule has potential, but aside from a few moments of throwing shade, there wasn\u2019t much here. The quality of content could warrant a couple of minutes, but going over six minutes on this one was a bit much.<\/p>\n The \u201990s called. They want their schedule release back. pic.twitter.com\/Gzc456uPbC<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It was fitting to center the video<\/a> around Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins, not only because they are quarterbacks and arguably the most notable draft pick and free-agency signing for the team this offseason, respectively, but they are also two of the more fascinating personalities on the team. The skit was solid, and referring to \u201cStep Brothers\u201d is always a winning formula, but it didn\u2019t really contribute much to the schedule release part of the assignment.<\/p>\n The Lions come in with this year\u2019s shortest video<\/a>: 33 seconds (which this writer appreciates). It\u2019s intentional, too, with their \u201cStrictly business\u201d theme. Audio clips of Lions doubters play in the background while Dan Campbell gets up from his desk to post the Lions schedule on the bulletin board. Focused and simple, albeit forgettable.<\/p>\n This was just playing it safe. Everybody knows it\u2019s hard to say anything negative about cute dogs, but 90 seconds of dogs<\/a> chasing props with a very basic one-liner voiced in the background is pretty meh. Saying the Broncos were a yard short \u2014 a nod to a first-half fourth-and-1 attempt in the AFC Championship Game last season \u2014 was a decent zinger. (Update:\u00a0<\/strong>The Patriots actually produced two videos \u2014 sorry, we missed the first one \u2014 which feels a bit like cheating. But the roller-coaster version<\/a> wasn\u2019t much better.)<\/p>\n The Panthers collaborated with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department bomb squad<\/a> to blow up a stuffed bear, a toy horse, a string of Terrible Towels and the rest of their opponents. It got old, fast, and looks more fun for those there in person. I did like the touch of pressing the button without the bomb going off for the bye week.<\/p>\n I thought the 49ers were about to take a \u201cFull House\u201d theme, but I was underwhelmed that it wasn\u2019t. In honor of the Niners\u2019 80th season, the video takes us on a house tour<\/a> through the decades that sprinkles their opponents\u2019 objects in each room. I do appreciate the nostalgia, but think it could have been executed better.<\/p>\n The first two minutes of the four-minute video was a drag, but Josh Allen\u2019s idea midway through about a giant chrysalis was actually not terrible. It felt like they could coordinate butterfly colors with opposing team colors, or something even slightly creative. Instead, there was a giant chrysalis while a barbershop quartet sang the schedule out for 48 seconds. There was potential for something better, but the end product was a mess.<\/p>\n A GIANT CHRYSALIS.@ticketmaster<\/a> | #GoBills<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/jOSGK48tX5<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This is a solid commercial for the city of Pittsburgh<\/a>, with the language and food quips. However, not sure that it really has anything to do with the assignment of releasing a schedule. They finally get to the regular season slate at the very end, but overall, this video could have been released any other day of the year and held the same value.<\/p>\n The Packers\u2019 use of claymation was cool, but other than that, this video confused me.<\/a> There was nothing about the team\u2019s schedule or opponents; instead, Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft destroy cheese curds at an arcade. Maybe mini mascots of their opponents would have made for a better battle (or at least more on-theme for schedule release).<\/p>\n Kudos to the Dolphins for the plot twist, turning what seemed to be a fairly mundane request to players to see \u201cMr. Ross<\/a>,\u201d aka team owner Stephen Ross, to actually visit Rick Ross \u2014 who has Miami roots \u2014 in the office. Although it\u2019s a fine social media video, it had no elements of schedule release creativity. A screenshot of the schedule was simply displayed at the end.<\/p>\n There was some chatter earlier in the offseason about a picture of Trevor Lawrence without his trademark locks, but that turned out to be fake. The haircut done for the release video was real. A two-minute video of Lawrence getting a haircut<\/a> while the schedule plays on the screen doesn\u2019t get many points for creativity, but given how much Lawrence\u2019s hair is part of his image, and thereby part of the Jaguars\u2019 image, we can give some credit for doing something. The real joy came from the internet opinions on who Lawrence looks like post-haircut, which ranged from fictional characters such as Lord Farquaad from \u201cShrek,\u201d the Weasley twins from \u201cHarry Potter\u201d and Chad Powers to real people such as Ellen DeGeneres.<\/p>\n What does an NFL player crashing a wedding<\/a> have to do with the release of a team\u2019s regular season schedule? It\u2019s not just that this was a bad attempt at the assignment, it felt like this wasn\u2019t even an attempt at the correct assignment.<\/p>\n The Cardinals used AI<\/a> to bring together a Zoom meeting of the mascots. I found it hard to keep up with the chat while also watching the mascots interact on camera. Some highlights include the Chargers going offline when their mascot is called out for not being real (the Chargers don\u2019t have a mascot), and the Raiders\u2019 mascot stalking quarterback Fernando Mendoza on LinkedIn<\/a> during the ending clips. But overall, not my favorite.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFootball 1. Los Angeles Chargers<\/h2>\n
\n
yesyes yes yes yes
yes yes yes yes yes
yes yesyes yes yes
yes yesye yes yes
yes yes yesyes pic.twitter.com\/eusK9QmNGd<\/a><\/p>\nFootball 2. Tennessee Titans<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 3. Seattle Seahawks<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 4. Indianapolis Colts<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 5. New York Giants<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 6. Los Angeles Rams<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 7. Cleveland Browns<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 8. Dallas Cowboys<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 9. Atlanta Falcons<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 10. Minnesota Vikings<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Football 11. Denver Broncos<\/h2>\n
Football 12. Chicago Bears<\/h2>\n
Football 13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/h2>\n
Football 14. Washington Commanders<\/h2>\n
Football 15. New York Jets<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 16. Cincinnati Bengals<\/h2>\n
Football 17. Houston Texans<\/h2>\n
Football 18. New Orleans Saints<\/h2>\n
Football 19. Philadelphia Eagles<\/h2>\n
Football 20. Kansas City Chiefs<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 21. Las Vegas Raiders<\/h2>\n
Football 22. Detroit Lions<\/h2>\n
Football 23. New England Patriots<\/h2>\n
Football 24. Carolina Panthers<\/h2>\n
Football 25. San Francisco 49ers<\/h2>\n
Football 26. Buffalo Bills<\/h2>\n
\n
Football 27. Pittsburgh Steelers<\/h2>\n
Football 28. Green Bay Packers<\/h2>\n
Football 29. Miami Dolphins<\/h2>\n
Football 30. Jacksonville Jaguars<\/h2>\n
Football 31. Baltimore Ravens<\/h2>\n
Football 32. Arizona Cardinals<\/h2>\n