2017 NFL season - wikipedia 2017 NFL season This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see 2017 National Football League ( Ireland ). 2017 National Football League season Regular season Duration September 7, 2017 ( 2017 - 09 - 07 ) -- December 31, 2017 ( 2017 - 12 - 31 ) Playoffs Start date January 6, 2018 Super Bowl LII Date February 4, 2018 Site U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Pro Bowl Date January 28, 2018 Site Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida ← 2016 NFL seasons 2018 → The 2017 NFL season is the 98th and current season in the history of the National Football League ( NFL ). The season began on September 7, 2017, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the defending Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots 42 -- 27 in the NFL Kickoff Game. The season will conclude with Super Bowl LII, the league 's championship game, on February 4, 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For the second consecutive year, a team relocated to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as the former San Diego Chargers announced their intent to relocate to the area in January 2017. Contents 1 Player movements and retirements 1.1 Free agency 1.2 Trades 1.3 Notable retirements 1.3. 1 Others 1.4 Draft 2 Preseason 3 Regular season 4 In - season scheduling changes 5 Regular season standings 5.1 Division 5.2 Conference 6 Postseason 6.1 Bracket 7 Notable events 7.1 Anthem protests 7.2 Sale of the Carolina Panthers 7.3 2017 deaths 7.3. 1 Dan Rooney 7.3. 2 Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame 7.3. 3 Other notable deaths 8 Rule changes 9 Records, milestones, and notable statistics 10 Awards 10.1 Players of the week / month 11 Head coaching and front office personnel changes 11.1 Head coaches 11.1. 1 Offseason 11.1. 2 In - season 11.2 Front office personnel 11.2. 1 Offseason 11.2. 2 In - season 12 Stadiums 12.1 Atlanta Falcons 12.2 Relocations 12.2. 1 San Diego Chargers ' relocation to Los Angeles 12.2. 2 Oakland Raiders ' relocation to Las Vegas 12.3 Attendance 13 New uniforms and patches 14 Media 14.1 Broadcast rights 14.1. 1 Television 14.1. 2 Digital 14.1. 3 Radio 14.2 Commercials 14.3 Personnel changes 14.4 Most watched regular season games 15 References Player movements and retirements The 2017 NFL League year began on March 9 at 4 : 00 p.m. ET. On March 7, clubs were allowed to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the agents of players who became unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their contracts two days later. On March 9, clubs exercised options for 2017 on players who have option clauses in their contracts, submitted qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom desire to retain a Right of Refusal / Compensation, submitted a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2016 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit, and teams were required to be under the salary cap using the `` Top - 51 '' definition ( in which the 51 highest paid - players on the team 's payroll must have a collected salary cap hit below the actual cap ). The 2017 trading period also began the same day. Free agency A total of 496 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period. Among the high - profile players who changed teams via free agency were cornerbacks A.J. Bouye ( from Texans to Jaguars ), Logan Ryan ( from Patriots to Titans ), and Stephon Gilmore ( from Bills to Patriots ) ; safeties Barry Church ( from Cowboys to Jaguars ), Johnathan Cyprien ( from Jaguars to Titans ), Micah Hyde ( from Packers to Bills ), and Tony Jefferson ( from Cardinals to Ravens ) ; linebackers Jabaal Sheard ( from Patriots to Colts ), Malcolm Smith ( from Raiders to 49ers ), and Manti Te'o ( from Chargers to Saints ) ; defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins ( from Giants to Colts ) and Calais Campbell ( from Cardinals to Jaguars ) ; offensive tackles Andrew Whitworth ( from Bengals to Rams ), Kelvin Beachum ( from Jaguars to Jets ), Matt Kalil ( from Vikings to Panthers ), Mike Remmers ( from Panthers to Vikings ), Ricky Wagner ( from Ravens to Lions ), Riley Reiff ( from Lions to Vikings ), and Russell Okung ( from Broncos to Chargers ) ; offensive guards Kevin Zeitler ( from Bengals to Browns ), Larry Warford ( from Lions to Saints ), Ronald Leary ( from Cowboys to Broncos ), and T.J. Lang ( from Packers to Lions ) ; tight ends Martellus Bennett ( from Patriots to Packers ) and Jared Cook ( from Packers to Raiders ) ; wide receivers Alshon Jeffery ( from Bears to Eagles ), Brandon Marshall ( from Jets to Giants ), DeSean Jackson ( from Redskins to Buccaneers ), Kenny Britt ( from Rams to Browns ), Pierre Garçon ( from Redskins to 49ers ), Robert Woods ( from Bills to Rams ), Terrelle Pryor ( from Browns to Redskins ), and Torrey Smith ( from 49ers to Eagles ) ; running backs Latavius Murray ( from Raiders to Vikings ), Adrian Peterson ( from Vikings to Saints ), Eddie Lacy ( from Packers to Seahawks ), and Jamaal Charles ( from Chiefs to Broncos ) ; fullbacks Mike Tolbert ( from Panthers to Bills ) and Patrick DiMarco ( from Falcons to Bills ) ; quarterback Mike Glennon ( from Buccaneers to Bears ). Trades March 9 : The Jacksonville Jaguars traded tight end Julius Thomas to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a seventh - round draft pick. March 9 : The Miami Dolphins traded offensive tackle Branden Albert to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2018 seventh - round draft pick. March 9 : The Houston Texans traded quarterback Brock Osweiler, a 2018 second - round draft pick and a sixth - round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fourth - round compensatory draft pick. March 9 : The Indianapolis Colts traded tight end Dwayne Allen and a sixth - round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for a fourth - round draft pick. March 9 : The Los Angeles Rams traded defensive end William Hayes along with a seventh - round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a sixth - round draft pick. March 10 : The New Orleans Saints traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth - round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for a first and third - round draft pick. March 10 : The Carolina Panthers traded defensive end Kony Ealy and a third - round draft pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for a second - round draft pick. March 15 : The Baltimore Ravens traded center Jeremy Zuttah and a sixth - round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers for their sixth - round draft pick. April 4 : The Baltimore Ravens traded defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and a third - round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third - round draft pick. April 26 : The Seattle Seahawks traded the contract rights of previously retired running back Marshawn Lynch and a 2018 sixth - round draft pick to the Oakland Raiders for a 2018 fifth - round draft pick. August 11 : The Buffalo Bills traded wide receiver Sammy Watkins and a 2018 sixth - round draft pick to the Los Angeles Rams for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second - round draft pick. That same day, the Bills traded cornerback Ronald Darby to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third - round draft pick. Notable retirements Tony Romo : On April 4, before his release from the Dallas Cowboys, Romo announced his retirement from professional football. Shortly after his release, it was announced by CBS that he would join the network as a lead NFL game analyst, joining a team also consisting of Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson. At one point, Jay Cutler had also announced retirement, but later rescinded and signed with the Miami Dolphins. Cutler previously played for the Chicago Bears. Others Anquan Boldin Reggie Bush Josh Cribbs King Dunlap Brandon Flowers Justin Forsett Doug Free Chad Greenway Percy Harvin A.J. Hawk Devin Hester Rashad Jennings Andre Johnson James Jones Terrance Knighton James Laurinaitis Jake Long Robert Mathis Pat McAfee Darren McFadden Lance Moore Rob Ninkovich Carson Palmer Jerraud Powers Steve Smith Sr. Stephen Tulloch John Urschel Michael Vick DeMarcus Ware Roddy White Vince Wilfork Draft For more details on this topic, see 2017 NFL draft. The 2017 NFL Draft was held on April 27 -- 29 in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Browns selected Myles Garrett with the first overall pick. Preseason Training camps for the 2017 season were held in late July through August. Teams started training camp no earlier than 15 days before the team 's first scheduled preseason game. Prior to the start of the regular season, each team played four preseason exhibition games, beginning on August 10. The preseason began on the evening of August 3 with the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, that featured the Dallas Cowboys ( represented in the 2017 Hall of Fame Class by owner Jerry Jones ) who hosted Arizona Cardinals ( represented by former quarterback and 2017 Hall of Famer Kurt Warner ). It was televised nationally on NBC. The 64 - game preseason schedule ended on August 31 ; a 65th game, that of the 2017 Texas Governor 's Cup, was canceled due to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Regular season The 2017 regular season 's 256 games will be played over a 17 - week schedule which began on September 7. Each of the league 's 32 teams plays a 16 - game schedule, with one bye week for each team. The slate also features games on Monday nights. There are games played on Thursday, including the National Football League Kickoff game in prime time on September 7 and games on Thanksgiving Day. The regular season will conclude with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, December 31, all of which will be intra -- division matchups, as it has been since 2010. Scheduling formula Under the NFL 's current scheduling formula, each team plays the other three teams in its own division twice. In addition a team plays against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team 's schedule are against the two teams in the team 's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play which finished the previous season in the same rank in their division ( e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in its conference that also finished first in its respective division ). The preset division pairings for 2017 will be as follows. Intra-conference AFC East vs AFC West AFC North vs AFC South NFC East vs NFC West NFC North vs NFC South Inter-conference AFC East vs NFC South AFC North vs NFC North AFC South vs NFC West AFC West vs NFC East Highlights of the 2017 schedule include : NFL Kickoff Game : The Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in a primetime NFL Kickoff Game on September 7, with the Chiefs winning 42 -- 27. NFL International Series : The International Series underwent a split in branding, with each country 's games receiving their own brand. NFL London Games : Four games were played in London. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium on September 24, and the Miami Dolphins hosted the New Orleans Saints at the same venue a week later. The Los Angeles Rams hosted the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium on October 22, and the Cleveland Browns hosted the Minnesota Vikings at the same venue a week later. NFL Mexico Game : The Oakland Raiders hosted the New England Patriots at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, making this the second consecutive year in which the Raiders have hosted one of their home games in Mexico City ; the game was played on November 19, with a kickoff time of 4 : 25 p.m. ET. Thanksgiving Day : As has been the case since 2006, three games were played on November 23, beginning with the Detroit Lions hosting the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Los Angeles Chargers ( in their first Thanksgiving Day game since 1969, and their first Thanksgiving game since they joined the NFL as part of the AFL -- NFL merger in 1970 ), and a primetime game featuring Washington Redskins hosting the New York Giants. Christmas games : Christmas Day, December 25, fell on a Monday. Sunday Night Football moved from December 24, Christmas Eve, to Saturday, December 23, with the Green Bay Packers hosting the Minnesota Vikings, alongside a Saturday NFL Network Special game featuring the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens. Two games were played on Christmas Day : a late - afternoon game featuring the Houston Texans hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers as a special edition of Thursday Night Football, and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Oakland Raiders for Monday Night Football. New Year 's Eve games : The NFL played a full slate of 16 games on December 31 to conclude the regular season. All of the Week 17 games were intra-divisional matchups, as they have been since 2010, and all games with playoff implications started at 4 : 25 p.m. ET. Additionally, although it was originally scheduled as `` to be announced '', the league announced that no Sunday Night Football game would be played that week, in order to avoid a game without playoff implications due to the early games ' results. The entire schedule was released on April 20, 2017. In - season scheduling changes The following games were moved or canceled because of severe weather, by way of flexible scheduling, or for other reasons : Preseason Week 4 : Due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, the Cowboys -- Texans game was eventually canceled. The 2017 Texas Governor 's Cup preseason game, originally scheduled to be played at Houston 's NRG Stadium, was initially moved to the Cowboys ' AT&T Stadium, before the NFL opted instead to cancel the game altogether in order to allow Texans ' players and coaches to reunite with their families as well as to assist with the relief efforts. Week 1 : Due to the threat posed from Hurricane Irma, the Buccaneers -- Dolphins game was rescheduled to Week 11 ( November 19 ), when both teams were originally scheduled to have their bye weeks. Both teams had their bye also rescheduled to this week. Week 7 : The Bengals -- Steelers game, originally scheduled to start at 1 : 00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4 : 25 p.m. ET, with the game still on CBS. In addition, the Panthers -- Bears game was cross-flexed from Fox to CBS, with the game still at 1 : 00 p.m. ET. Week 12 : The Saints -- Rams game, originally scheduled to start at 4 : 05 p.m. ET on Fox, was cross-flexed and moved to 4 : 25 p.m. ET on CBS. In addition, the Titans -- Colts game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox, with the game still at 1 : 00 p.m. ET. Week 13 : The Panthers -- Saints game, originally scheduled to start at 1 : 00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4 : 25 p.m. ET, with the game still on Fox. In addition, the Broncos -- Dolphins game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox, with the game still at 1 : 00 p.m. ET. Week 14 : The Cowboys -- Giants game, originally scheduled to start at 4 : 25 p.m. ET, was moved to 1 : 00 p.m. ET, with the game still on Fox. In addition, the Seahawks -- Jaguars game, originally scheduled to start at 1 : 00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4 : 25 p.m. ET, with the game still on Fox. Week 15 : The Texans -- Jaguars game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox, with the game still at 1 : 00 p.m. ET. Week 17 : All games with playoff implications were moved to a 4 : 25 p.m. ET kickoff, with no change in network assignment. This includes Bengals -- Ravens, Bills -- Dolphins, Jaguars -- Titans, Panthers -- Falcons, and Saints -- Buccaneers, setting up a broadcasting situation analogous to the Premier League 's `` Survival Sunday '' scheduling in the last week of that soccer league 's regular season. Additionally, no Sunday Night Football game was scheduled at all, marking the first time since the 1977 NFL season that the regular season play concluded with no primetime game. The NFL stated that it did not want to schedule a primetime game that could potentially lose its playoff implications due to the events of the afternoon games. Regular season standings Division AFC East view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK New England Patriots 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2 458 296 W3 Buffalo Bills 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 7 -- 5 302 359 W1 Miami Dolphins 6 10 0. 375 2 -- 4 5 -- 7 281 393 L3 New York Jets 5 11 0. 313 2 -- 4 5 -- 7 298 382 L4 AFC North view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Pittsburgh Steelers 13 0. 813 6 -- 0 10 -- 2 406 308 W2 Baltimore Ravens 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 7 -- 5 395 303 L1 Cincinnati Bengals 7 9 0. 438 3 -- 3 6 -- 6 290 349 W2 Cleveland Browns 0 16 0. 000 0 -- 6 0 -- 12 234 410 L16 AFC South view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Jacksonville Jaguars 10 6 0. 625 4 -- 2 9 -- 3 417 268 L2 Tennessee Titans 9 7 0. 563 5 -- 1 8 -- 4 334 356 W1 Indianapolis Colts 12 0. 250 2 -- 4 3 -- 9 263 404 W1 Houston Texans 12 0. 250 1 -- 5 3 -- 9 338 436 L6 AFC West view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Kansas City Chiefs 10 6 0. 625 5 -- 1 8 -- 4 415 339 W4 Los Angeles Chargers 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 6 -- 6 355 272 W2 Oakland Raiders 6 10 0. 375 2 -- 4 5 -- 7 301 373 L4 Denver Broncos 5 11 0. 313 2 -- 4 4 -- 8 289 382 L2 NFC East view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Philadelphia Eagles 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2 457 295 L1 Dallas Cowboys 9 7 0. 563 5 -- 1 7 -- 5 354 332 W1 Washington Redskins 7 9 0. 438 1 -- 5 5 -- 7 342 388 L1 New York Giants 13 0. 188 1 -- 5 1 -- 11 246 388 W1 NFC North view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Minnesota Vikings 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2 382 252 W3 Detroit Lions 9 7 0. 533 5 -- 1 8 -- 4 410 376 W1 Green Bay Packers 7 9 0. 438 2 -- 4 5 -- 7 320 384 L3 Chicago Bears 5 11 0. 313 0 -- 6 1 -- 11 264 320 L1 NFC South view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK New Orleans Saints 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 8 -- 4 448 326 L1 Carolina Panthers 11 5 0. 688 3 -- 3 7 -- 5 363 327 L1 Atlanta Falcons 10 6 0. 625 4 -- 2 9 -- 3 353 315 W1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 11 0. 313 1 -- 5 3 -- 9 335 382 W1 NFC West view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Los Angeles Rams 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 7 -- 5 478 329 L1 Seattle Seahawks 9 7 0. 563 4 -- 2 7 -- 5 366 332 L1 Arizona Cardinals 8 8 0. 500 3 -- 3 5 -- 7 295 361 W2 San Francisco 49ers 6 10 0. 375 1 -- 5 3 -- 9 331 383 W5 Conference AFC # Team Division PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders New England Patriots East 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2. 484. 466 W3 Pittsburgh Steelers North 13 0. 813 6 -- 0 10 -- 2. 453. 423 W2 Jacksonville Jaguars South 10 6 0. 625 4 -- 2 9 -- 3. 434. 394 L2 Kansas City Chiefs West 10 6 0. 625 5 -- 1 8 -- 4. 477. 481 W4 Wild Cards 5 Tennessee Titans South 9 7 0. 563 5 -- 1 8 -- 4. 434. 396 W1 6 Buffalo Bills East 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 7 -- 5. 492. 396 W1 Did not qualify for the playoffs 7 Baltimore Ravens North 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 7 -- 5. 441. 299 L1 8 Los Angeles Chargers West 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 6 -- 6. 457. 347 W2 9 Cincinnati Bengals North 7 9 0. 438 3 -- 3 6 -- 6. 465. 321 W2 10 Oakland Raiders West 6 10 0. 375 2 -- 4 5 -- 7. 512. 396 L4 11 Miami Dolphins East 6 10 0. 375 2 -- 4 5 -- 7. 543. 531 L3 12 Denver Broncos West 5 11 0. 313 2 -- 4 4 -- 8. 492. 413 L2 13 New York Jets East 5 11 0. 313 2 -- 4 5 -- 7. 520. 438 L4 14 Indianapolis Colts South 12 0. 250 2 -- 4 3 -- 9. 480. 219 W1 15 Houston Texans South 12 0. 250 1 -- 5 3 -- 9. 516. 375 L6 16 Cleveland Browns North 0 16 0. 000 0 -- 6 0 -- 12. 520. 000 L16 Tiebreakers ^ Jump up to : New England claimed the No. 1 seed over Pittsburgh based on head - to - head victory. ^ Jump up to : Jacksonville claimed the No. 3 seed over Kansas City based on conference record. ^ Jump up to : Tennessee finished ahead of Buffalo, Baltimore and the Los Angeles Chargers based on conference record, claiming the No. 5 seed. Buffalo and Baltimore finished ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers based on conference record. Buffalo claimed the No. 6 seed over Baltimore based on strength of victory. ^ Jump up to : Oakland wins tie break over Miami based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Denver wins tie break over NY Jets based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Indianapolis wins tie break over Houston based on head - to - head win percentage Jump up ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL 's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. Legend w -- Clinched wild card x -- Clinched playoff berth y -- Clinched division z -- Clinched first - round bye * -- Clinched home - field advantage NFC # Team Division PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders Philadelphia Eagles East 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2. 461. 433 L1 Minnesota Vikings North 13 0. 813 5 -- 1 10 -- 2. 492. 447 W3 Los Angeles Rams West 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 7 -- 5. 504. 460 L1 New Orleans Saints South 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 8 -- 4. 535. 483 L1 Wild Cards 5 Carolina Panthers South 11 5 0. 688 3 -- 3 7 -- 5. 539. 500 L1 6 Atlanta Falcons South 10 6 0. 625 4 -- 2 9 -- 3. 543. 475 W1 Did not qualify for the playoffs 7 Detroit Lions North 9 7 0. 563 5 -- 1 8 -- 4. 496. 368 W1 8 Seattle Seahawks West 9 7 0. 563 4 -- 2 7 -- 5. 492. 444 L1 9 Dallas Cowboys East 9 7 0. 563 5 -- 1 7 -- 5. 496. 438 W1 10 Arizona Cardinals West 8 8 0. 500 3 -- 3 5 -- 7. 488. 406 W2 11 Green Bay Packers North 7 9 0. 438 2 -- 4 5 -- 7. 539. 357 L3 12 Washington Redskins East 7 9 0. 438 1 -- 5 5 -- 7. 539. 429 L1 13 San Francisco 49ers West 6 10 0. 375 1 -- 5 3 -- 9. 512. 438 W5 14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 5 11 0. 313 1 -- 5 3 -- 9. 555. 375 W1 15 Chicago Bears North 5 11 0. 313 0 -- 6 1 -- 11. 559. 500 L1 16 New York Giants East 13 0. 188 1 -- 5 1 -- 11. 531. 458 W1 Tiebreakers ^ Jump up to : Philadelphia wins tie break over Minnesota based on best win percentage in common games. ^ Jump up to : LA Rams wins tie break over New Orleans based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : New Orleans wins tie break over Carolina based on head - to - head sweep. ^ Jump up to : Detroit wins tie break over Dallas and Seattle based on best win percentage in conference games. ^ Jump up to : Seattle wins tie break over Dallas based on head - to - head win percentage. ^ Jump up to : Green Bay wins tie break over Washington based on best win percentage in common games. ^ Jump up to : Tampa Bay wins tie break over Chicago based on head - to - head win percentage. Jump up ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL 's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. Legend w -- Clinched wild card x -- Clinched playoff berth y -- Clinched division z -- Clinched first - round bye * -- Clinched home - field advantage Postseason Main article : 2017 -- 18 NFL playoffs The 2017 playoffs will begin on the weekend of January 6 -- 7, 2018 with the Wild Card playoff round. The four winners of these playoff games will visit the top two seeded teams in each conference in the Divisional round games, which will be played on the weekend of January 13 -- 14, 2018. The winners of those games will advance to the Conference championship games, which will be held on January 21, 2018. The two Conference champions will advance to Super Bowl LII which will be held on February 4, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The 2018 Pro Bowl will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on January 28, 2018. Bracket Jan. 6 -- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Jan. 14 -- U.S. Bank Stadium 6 Atlanta 3 LA Rams Jan. 21 -- TBD 2 Minnesota See Re-seeding below NFC Jan. 7 -- Mercedes - Benz Superdome Jan. 13 -- Lincoln Financial Field 5 Carolina NFC Championship 4 New Orleans Feb. 4 -- U.S. Bank Stadium 1 Philadelphia Wild card playoffs Divisional playoffs Jan. 7 -- EverBank Field N Jan. 14 -- Heinz Field A 6 Buffalo Super Bowl LII 3 Jacksonville Jan. 21 -- TBD 2 Pittsburgh See Re-seeding below AFC Jan. 6 -- Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 13 -- Gillette Stadium 5 Tennessee AFC Championship 4 Kansas City 1 New England Re-seeding : Home field is determined by seeding number, not position on the bracket. The NFL does not use a fixed bracket system. The outcome of the games between the sixth and third seeds in each conference determine where the Wild Card winners will play in the next round. When a third seed wins, they next travel to the second seed. When the sixth seed wins, they travel to the first seed. The winner between the fifth and fourth seeds will play the remaining second round host team in that conference. Conference Championship home field goes to the higher seed remaining. * Indicates overtime victory This bracket : view talk edit Notable events Anthem protests Main article : U.S. national anthem protests ( 2016 -- present ) During a September 22, 2017 speech, the President of the United States, Donald Trump made controversial remarks criticizing the practice of taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem -- a practice popularized by Colin Kaepernick in 2016 as part of an effort to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Trump suggested that those who partake in the practice were disrespecting the country 's heritage, and asked his audience, `` would n't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ' Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out ! He 's fired. He 's fired ! ' '' During the subsequent weekend of games, over 200 players protested the anthem in protest of the remarks, by either kneeling or locking arms. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks chose to not go out on field at all during the anthem. Sale of the Carolina Panthers On December 17, 2017, Jerry Richardson, owner of the Carolina Panthers, announced he was putting the team up for sale. Richardson had previously indicated the team would be put up for sale after his death ( since his only living son left the team in 2009 ), but an exposé in Sports Illustrated accused Richardson of paying hush money to cover up questionable conduct, including racial slurs and sexually suggestive requests of employees, hastening Richardson 's decision. The Panthers ' lease on Bank of America Stadium expires after the 2018 season, which would allow any incoming owner to relocate the team out of the Carolinas to another market of their choice without penalty if they so desired. 2017 Deaths The following people associated with the NFL ( or AFL ) have died in 2017. Dan Rooney Dan Rooney was chairman and plurality owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and one of the sons of founding owner Art Rooney, Sr. Having been officially involved with the franchise since 1960, Rooney was a part of all six of the Steelers ' Super Bowl victories. In addition to this, Rooney was considered an active and progressive owner in the league 's operations, most famously by successfully pushing for the Rooney Rule, an affirmative action policy requiring all NFL franchises to interview persons of color for head coaching vacancies. Concurrently with his role with the Steelers, Rooney also served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2014. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, making him and his father the second father - son duo in the Hall behind Tim & Wellington Mara ( to whom the Rooneys are related by marriage ). Rooney died on April 13 at the age of 84. Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame See also : Pro Football Hall of Fame Cortez Kennedy Kennedy, a defensive tackle who spent 11 years with the Seattle Seahawks from 1990 to 2000 and had his number 96 retired by the organization, was a member of the Hall of Fame 's class of 2012. He died May 23 at the age of 48, from suspected cardiac problems. Yale Lary The special teams standout and defensive back played 11 nonconsecutive seasons for the Detroit Lions from 1952 to 1964, winning three championships, and was a member of the Hall 's class of 1979. He died May 11 at the age of 86. Y.A. Tittle Tittle, a quarterback, spent 16 seasons in professional football, two in the All - America Football Conference and 14 in the NFL. He played for the Baltimore ( Green ) Colts, San Francisco 49ers ( as a member of the Million Dollar Backfield ) and New York Giants throughout his career. He set several passing records during his time in the NFL and is credited for inventing the alley - oop but was notable for never winning a league championship despite three consecutive appearances in the game for the Giants, who retired his number 14. He was a member of the Hall 's class of 1971. Tittle died October 8 at the age of 90 from complications due to dementia. Other notable deaths Dave Adolph Bill Anderson Pervis Atkins Ron Billingsley Dave Brazil Kevin Cadle Bernie Casey Bill Cox Dick Enberg Bill Fischer Terry Glenn Tom Graham Larry Grantham Ralph Guglielmi James Hadnot James Hardy III Larry Hayes Mitchell Henry Aaron Hernandez Larry Hickman John Hilton Claude Hipps Michael Jackson Derrick Jensen Ken Kranz Bob Lee Tony Liscio Eddie Macon George Maderos Mickey Marvin Clay Matthews Sr. Ron Meyer Red Miller Paul Mitchell David Modell Tom Modrak Rod Monroe Quentin Moses Leonard Myers Tommy Neck Tommy Nobis Babe Parilli Benny Perrin Hugh Pitts Sonny Randle Len Rohde Max Runager Daniel Te'o - Nesheim John Thierry Jimmy Thomas Ted Topor Rick Tuten Wayne Walker Clarence Williams Ellery Williams Rule changes The following rule changes were approved for the 2017 NFL season at the owners ' meeting on March 28, 2017 : Defensive players are now prohibited from running toward the line of scrimmage and leaping or hurdling over offensive linemen on field goal or PAT attempts, similar to a change made in college football for the 2017 season. Previously this action was permitted as long as the leaper or hurdler did not land on other players. Include in the definition of a `` defenseless player '' receivers tracking the quarterback or looking back for the ball, including inside the legal contact ( 5 yards from the line of scrimmage ) zone. Egregious hits to the head ( similar to the `` targeting '' rule in NCAA football ) will now result in an automatic ejection. The replay control center will make the final ruling on reviewed plays instead of the game referee, although the referee can still provide input on reviewable plays. The sideline replay monitor ( the `` hood '' ) will be eliminated and replaced with a tablet on the field for the referee to review with the replay control center. Crackback blocks are now prohibited by a backfield player in motion, even if he is not more than two yards outside the tackle box when the ball is snapped. Make permanent the rule that players who commit two certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties ( throwing punches / forearms / kicking, even if they do not connect, directing abusive, threatening, or insulting language toward opponents, teammates, game officials or league officials, and using baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams ) in the same game will be automatically ejected. Extend for a second season the change in the touchback spot after a kickoff or safety free kick to the 25 - yard line. Make illegal actions that would conserve time penalized by the option for a 10 - second runoff inside of the two - minute warning of each half or overtime ( previously this only applied in the final minute of each half or overtime ). If a team commits multiple fouls on the same down with the intent of manipulating the game clock, the team will be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and the game clock will be reset. This change was made in response to both the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens employing this strategy by intentionally holding the defensive players to allow the game clock to run down or run out ( in the case of the Ravens ' game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals ) during the previous season. In response to the move of Sarah Thomas from line judge to head linesman for the 2017 season, the NFL renamed the officiating position of the head linesman to `` down judge ''. The following rule changes were approved for the 2017 NFL season at the NFL Spring League meeting on May 23, 2017 : Overtime has been shortened from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for preseason and regular season games. Playoff games will continue to have 15 minutes for overtime periods. Restrictions on celebrations have been relaxed, removing penalties for group celebrations, going to the ground to celebrate, or using the ball as a prop. Teams can bring two players back from injured reserve instead of one. Teams can now cut their preseason rosters from 90 players to 53 on one day, removing the deadline to get the roster down to 75 players before the final preseason game. Teams will not be required to give candidates for general manager final say over the 53 - man roster. The following will be `` points of emphasis '' for the 2017 season : Blindside blocks of a defender in the head or neck area while the defender is in a defenseless position Low hits on quarterbacks at or below the knees `` Launching '' at players by leaving both feet to impact a defender anywhere on his body with the helmet Contact downfield between receivers and defensive players, closely enforcing both offensive and defensive pass interference or illegal contact / holding The ban on teams contacting potential coaching candidates until that candidate 's team has been eliminated from the playoffs was tabled. Records, milestones, and notable statistics Week 1 Kareem Hunt finished with 246 total yards and three touchdowns, setting the record for the most total yards in an NFL debut. Week 2 Antonio Gates scored his 112th career receiving touchdown, breaking a tie with Tony Gonzalez for the most career receiving touchdowns by a tight end in NFL history. Aaron Rodgers passed for his 300th touchdown, surpassing Peyton Manning as the fastest quarterback to reach that milestone both in attempts and appearances. Week 3 New York Giants ' wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. broke the record for fastest receiver to reach 300 career receptions, doing so in 45 games. Matt Prater of the Detroit Lions broke the previous NFL record of three made field goals from more than 55 yards in a season by kicking a 57 - yard field goal against the Atlanta Falcons. Week 5 Larry Fitzgerald became the third player in NFL history to record 200 straight games with a reception, all while playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Week 6 With his 187th regular season win, Tom Brady surpassed Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for the most regular season wins by a quarterback in NFL history. Week 7 Drew Brees became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 500 or more career passing touchdowns ( including playoffs ), joining Tom Brady, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning. Eddie Jackson became the first player in NFL history with multiple defensive touchdowns of at least 75 yards in a single game. Week 8 The Cleveland Browns have gone 4 -- 41 over their last 45 games dating back to 2014, tying for the worst 45 - game stretch in NFL history with the 2007 -- 10 Detroit Lions. Week 9 Matt Ryan threw for 313 yards giving him 39,858 career passing yards in his 150th career game. This is the most passing yards by a player in NFL history in his first 150 games surpassing Drew Brees. Eli Manning threw for 220 yards giving him 50,034 career passing yards. Manning became the seventh quarterback in NFL history with at least 50,000 passing yards. Matthew Stafford threw his 200th career regular season touchdown pass, becoming the sixth fastest player to do so, in only 117 games. He also the fourth player to accomplish this feat before the age of 30. Week 10 Larry Fitzgerald became the sixth player in NFL history to record 15,000 career receiving yards. He 's the second - youngest player in NFL history to do it, behind Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Matt Ryan threw for 215 yards giving him 40,073 passing yards in 151 career games, reached 40,000 career passing yards in the fewest games in NFL history, surpassing the previous record held by Drew Brees ( 152 games ). Week 11 With a 20 - yard touchdown catch, Larry Fitzgerald passes Tony Gonzalez into fifth place all - time in receiving yards. Week 12 Julio Jones had 12 catches for 253 yards in the Falcons ' win over Tampa Bay. In 90 career games, Jones has 563 catches for 8,649 yards, the most by a player in his first 90 games in NFL history. He passed Anquan Boldin ( 558 ) for the most receptions and Lance Alworth ( 8,502 ) for the most receiving yards. With the win over San Francisco, Russell Wilson became the winningest quarterback in a player 's first six seasons with 63 wins, surpassing Joe Flacco. Week 13 With his 72nd touchdown catch, Dez Bryant broke the record for the most touchdowns by a Cowboys ' wide receiver. He passed Bob Hayes, who had previously caught 71 touchdowns with the Cowboys. By defeating the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon, Tom Brady broke the record for most wins by a quarterback against one team, with 27. The former record was held by Brett Favre, who had defeated the Detroit Lions 26 times. With a 12 - yard catch, Larry Fitzgerald moved into fourth place all - time in receiving yards, passing Isaac Bruce. With his ten catches in this game, Fitzgerald also surpassed 1,200 career receptions becoming the third player in NFL history to reach this mark ( joining Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez ) and the fastest player to reach this milestone in 214 games ( breaking Rice 's record of 221 games ). With his 15 - yard touchdown throw to J.D. McKissic, Russell Wilson tied Eli Manning in 2011 for the most fourth quarter touchdowns in a single season with 15. Frank Gore rushed for 61 yards surpassing Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson for fifth place all - time in rushing yards. Week 14 With a 23 - yard catch, Larry Fitzgerald moved into third place all - time in receiving yards, passing Randy Moss. With 506 yards passing against the Baltimore Ravens, Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 500 yards in three different games. Week 15 LeSean McCoy surpassed 10,000 career yards in rushing, becoming the 30th player in league history to reach the milestone. Week 16 The New England Patriots won their 12th game of the season with their win over the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots have won at least 12 games in eight consecutive seasons, surpassing the 2003 -- 09 Indianapolis Colts for the longest such streak in NFL history. Drew Brees threw for 239 yards and now has 70,200 career passing yards. He joins Peyton Manning ( 71,940 ) and Brett Favre ( 71,838 ) as the only players in NFL history to reach 70,000 passing yards. Brees reached the milestone in his 248th career game and is the fastest in league history to accomplish the feat. Brees also eclipsed the 4,000 yard mark for his 12th consecutive season extending his own record. Week 17 With their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns join the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams since the implementation of the 16 game season to lose every game in a season. With their win over the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens 's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills end the NFL 's longest active playoff drought at 17 seasons, clinching the # 6 Wild Card seed and making their first playoff appearance since 1999. Frank Gore surpassed 14,000 career yards in rushing, becoming just the fifth player in NFL history to do so, after Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and Curtis Martin. Awards Players of the week / month The following were named the top performers during the 2017 season : Week / Month Offensive Player of the Week / Month Defensive Player of the Week / Month Special Teams Player of the Week / Month AFC NFC AFC NFC AFC NFC Alex Smith ( Chiefs ) Sam Bradford ( Vikings ) Calais Campbell ( Jaguars ) Trumaine Johnson ( Rams ) Giorgio Tavecchio ( Raiders ) Matt Prater ( Lions ) Tom Brady ( Patriots ) J.J. Nelson ( Cardinals ) Chris Jones ( Chiefs ) Desmond Trufant ( Falcons ) Cody Parkey ( Dolphins ) Jamal Agnew ( Lions ) Tom Brady ( Patriots ) Kirk Cousins ( Redskins ) Terrence Brooks ( Jets ) DeMarcus Lawrence ( Cowboys ) Steven Hauschka ( Bills ) Jake Elliott ( Eagles ) Sept. Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Melvin Ingram ( Chargers ) DeMarcus Lawrence ( Cowboys ) Ryan Succop ( Titans ) Matt Prater ( Lions ) Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Cameron Heyward ( Steelers ) Julius Peppers ( Panthers ) Steven Hauschka ( Bills ) Greg Zuerlein ( Rams ) 5 Melvin Gordon ( Chargers ) Aaron Rodgers ( Packers ) Telvin Smith ( Jaguars ) Earl Thomas ( Seahawks ) Adam Vinatieri ( Colts ) Kenjon Barner ( Eagles ) 6 Le'Veon Bell ( Steelers ) Adrian Peterson ( Cardinals ) Johnathan Joseph ( Texans ) Cameron Jordan ( Saints ) Ryan Succop ( Titans ) Pharoh Cooper ( Rams ) 7 Amari Cooper ( Raiders ) Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Kevin Byard ( Titans ) Eddie Jackson ( Bears ) Travis Benjamin ( Chargers ) Kai Forbath ( Vikings ) 8 JuJu Smith - Schuster ( Steelers ) Russell Wilson ( Seahawks ) Carlos Dunlap ( Bengals ) Jalen Mills ( Eagles ) Harrison Butker ( Chiefs ) Tyrone Crawford ( Cowboys ) Oct. Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Micah Hyde ( Bills ) Everson Griffen ( Vikings ) Harrison Butker ( Chiefs ) Greg Zuerlein ( Rams ) 9 T.Y. Hilton ( Colts ) Jared Goff ( Rams ) Jordan Jenkins ( Jets ) Karlos Dansby ( Cardinals ) Jaydon Mickens ( Jaguars ) Justin Hardee ( Saints ) 10 Tom Brady ( Patriots ) Cam Newton ( Panthers ) A.J. Bouye ( Jaguars ) Adrian Clayborn ( Falcons ) Dion Lewis ( Patriots ) Greg Zuerlein ( Rams ) 11 Antonio Brown ( Steelers ) Mark Ingram ( Saints ) Matt Judon ( Ravens ) Landon Collins ( Giants ) Stephen Gostkowski ( Patriots ) Tyler Lockett ( Seahawks ) 12 Philip Rivers ( Chargers ) Julio Jones ( Falcons ) Cameron Heyward ( Steelers ) Luke Kuechly ( Panthers ) Sam Koch ( Ravens ) Phil Dawson ( Cardinals ) Nov. Tom Brady ( Patriots ) Case Keenum ( Vikings ) Casey Hayward ( Chargers ) Cameron Jordan ( Saints ) Justin Tucker ( Ravens ) Greg Zuerlein ( Rams ) 13 Josh McCown ( Jets ) Russell Wilson ( Seahawks ) Eric Weddle ( Ravens ) Dean Lowry ( Packers ) Chris Boswell ( Steelers ) Robbie Gould ( 49ers ) 14 Ben Roethlisberger ( Steelers ) Jonathan Stewart ( Panthers ) Xavien Howard ( Dolphins ) Deion Jones ( Falcons ) Jaydon Mickens ( Jaguars ) Trevor Davis ( Packers ) 15 Rob Gronkowski ( Patriots ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Marcus Peters ( Chiefs ) Darius Slay ( Lions ) Sam Koch ( Ravens ) Robbie Gould ( 49ers ) 16 Dion Lewis ( Patriots ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Mike Hilton ( Steelers ) Harrison Smith ( Vikings ) Harrison Butker ( Chiefs ) Damiere Byrd ( Panthers ) Week FedEx Air Player of the Week ( Quarterbacks ) FedEx Ground Player of the Week ( Running backs ) Pepsi Rookie of the Week Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Week Alex Smith ( Chiefs ) Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Alex Smith ( Chiefs ) Trevor Siemian ( Broncos ) C.J. Anderson ( Broncos ) Tyus Bowser ( Ravens ) Trevor Siemian ( Broncos ) Tom Brady ( Patriots ) Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Jake Elliott ( Eagles ) Jake Elliott ( Eagles ) Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) Le'Veon Bell ( Steelers ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) 5 Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Leonard Fournette ( Jaguars ) Aaron Jones ( Packers ) Aaron Rodgers ( Packers ) 6 Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) Adrian Peterson ( Cardinals ) Marshon Lattimore ( Saints ) Mark Ingram ( Saints ) 7 Derek Carr ( Raiders ) Aaron Jones ( Packers ) Aaron Jones ( Packers ) Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) 8 Russell Wilson ( Seahawks ) LeSean McCoy ( Bills ) Marshon Lattimore ( Saints ) Russell Wilson ( Seahawks ) 9 Jay Cutler ( Dolphins ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Carson Wentz ( Eagles ) 10 Case Keenum ( Vikings ) Mark Ingram ( Saints ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Mark Ingram ( Saints ) 11 Drew Brees ( Saints ) Mark Ingram ( Saints ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Drew Brees ( Saints ) 12 Philip Rivers ( Chargers ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Antonio Brown ( Steelers ) 13 Alex Smith ( Chiefs ) Jamaal Williams ( Packers ) Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Aaron Jones ( Packers ) 14 Ben Roethlisberger ( Steelers ) LeSean McCoy ( Bills ) Jamaal Williams ( Packers ) Davante Adams ( Packers ) 15 Jimmy Garoppolo ( 49ers ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Marshon Lattimore ( Saints ) Jimmy Garoppolo ( 49ers ) 16 Jared Goff ( Rams ) Todd Gurley ( Rams ) Marshon Lattimore ( Saints ) Jimmy Garoppolo ( 49ers ) Month Rookie of the Month Offensive Defensive Sept. Kareem Hunt ( Chiefs ) Tre'Davious White ( Bills ) Oct. Deshaun Watson ( Texans ) Marshon Lattimore ( Saints ) Nov. Alvin Kamara ( Saints ) Reuben Foster ( 49ers ) Head coaching and front office personnel changes Head coaches Offseason Team 2016 head coach 2016 interim 2017 replacement Reason for leaving Story / accomplishments Buffalo Bills Rex Ryan Anthony Lynn Sean McDermott Fired Ryan was fired with one week remaining in the 2016 regular season and a 15 -- 16 record with no playoff appearances in two seasons. His twin brother, assistant head coach Rob Ryan, was also dismissed. Ryan signed on as a commentator for ESPN, replacing Trent Dilfer, while Rob Ryan took the 2017 season off. Lynn began the 2016 season as running backs coach, then moved to offensive coordinator when Greg Roman was fired in week 3, then interim head coach after the Ryans ' dismissal. Lynn lost his one game as interim head coach. Former Carolina Panthers ' defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was named as the Bills ' new head coach on January 11, 2017. Meanwhile, Lynn was hired as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Denver Broncos Gary Kubiak Vance Joseph Retired Kubiak retired from coaching after two seasons due to health concerns, with a victory in Super Bowl 50 and a 24 -- 10 record, including postseason games. Kubiak would later return to the Broncos six months later, working for their front office as a Senior Personnel Advisor. Vance Joseph, who spent the previous season as the Miami Dolphins ' defensive coordinator, was hired on January 11, 2017. Jacksonville Jaguars Gus Bradley Doug Marrone Fired Bradley was fired with two weeks remaining in the 2016 season and a 14 -- 48 (. 226 ) record with no playoff appearances in four seasons. He joined the Chargers as defensive coordinator. Marrone, the Jaguars ' offensive line coach, was previously head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2013 -- 14 ; he went 1 -- 1 in his two games as interim head coach of the Jaguars. On January 9, 2017, the Jaguars announced that Marrone would be named permanent head coach. Los Angeles Chargers Mike McCoy Anthony Lynn McCoy was fired after four seasons, with one playoff appearance and a 27 -- 37 record. He then joined the Denver Broncos, serving as Vance Joseph 's offensive coordinator. Anthony Lynn was hired as the Chargers ' new head coach on January 12, 2017. Los Angeles Rams Jeff Fisher John Fassel Sean McVay After receiving a two - year contract extension prior to the season, Fisher was fired after going 4 -- 9 through the first 13 games of the 2016 season, and 31 -- 45 -- 1 (. 414 ) in his five - year tenure in St. Louis and Los Angeles. Under his tenure, the Rams never finished better than 7 -- 8 -- 1 ( 2012 ) and never reached the playoffs. Fassel, the son of former NFL head coach Jim Fassel, has been the Rams ' special teams coach since 2012 ; he went 0 -- 3 in the interim, and remained on the Rams staff in that role for 2017. On January 12, Washington Redskins Offensive Coordinator Sean McVay was named head coach. Sean McVay is the grandson of former San Francisco 49ers GM John McVay. At the time of his hiring, McVay was age 30, making him the youngest person to become a head coach ( excluding the player - coaches of the 1920s ) in NFL history. San Francisco 49ers Chip Kelly Kyle Shanahan Kelly was fired after one season with a 2 -- 14 record. Kelly spent the 2017 season out of football, then took the head coaching position at UCLA beginning in 2018. Kyle Shanahan, who most recently served as the Atlanta Falcons ' offensive coordinator, was named the new coach of the 49ers on February 6, 2017. Due to league anti-tampering rules, the 49ers had to wait until after the completion of the Falcons ' playoff run, before formally hiring Shanahan. In - season Team 2017 head coach Reason for leaving Interim replacement Story / accomplishments New York Giants Ben McAdoo Fired Steve Spagnuolo McAdoo became the Giants ' head coach in 2016, leading the Giants to a 13 -- 15 (. 464 ) record over the course of parts of two seasons. After accruing a 2 -- 10 (. 167 ) record and benching popular starter Eli Manning ( who at the time held the longest active streak as a starting NFL quarterback ) during the season, he was fired on December 4, and replaced in the interim by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who was previously the St. Louis Rams ' head coach from 2009 -- 2011. Front office personnel Offseason Team Position 2016 office holder Reason for leaving 2017 office holder Notes San Francisco 49ers GM Trent Baalke Fired John Lynch Baalke, who spent the past twelve years with the team, informed KNBR - AM in San Francisco on January 1, 2017, that he had been fired. On January 29, 2017, Lynch, a former player and broadcaster, was named the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers ; it is his first front office position. Jacksonville Jaguars EVP - FO position created Tom Coughlin Coughlin, the team 's inaugural head coach, was rehired as executive vice president of football operations on January 9, 2017. He had spent the 2016 season out of football after several years of coaching the New York Giants. Indianapolis Colts GM Ryan Grigson Fired Chris Ballard Grigson was relieved of his duties as Colts general manager on January 21, 2017. On January 30, 2017, Chris Ballard, who had spent the past four seasons as director of football operations for the Kansas City Chiefs, was named the new GM of the Colts. Washington Redskins GM Scot McCloughan TBA McCloughan was fired on March 9, 2017, after two seasons with the Redskins. Doug Williams was named senior vice president of player personnel on June 13, 2017. Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley Brandon Beane Whaley was fired the morning of April 30, 2017, immediately following the draft. He had spent seven seasons with the Bills, four of them as general manager. Brandon Beane, who had spent the previous 19 seasons with the Carolina Panthers ( most recently as assistant general manager ), was hired as the new general manager on May 9, 2017. Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey Brett Veach Dorsey was unexpectedly fired on June 22, 2017, after four seasons. Brett Veach, who had spent the past four seasons as the Chiefs co-director of player personnel, was promoted to general manager on July 10, 2017. Carolina Panthers GM Dave Gettleman Marty Hurney Gettleman was unexpectedly fired after four seasons on July 17, 2017. Marty Hurney, who was the Panthers ' GM from 2002 to 2012, was rehired as the interim general manager for the 2017 season. The team plans to conduct a search for a permanent general manager after the season ends. In - season Team Position 2017 office holder Reason for leaving Interim replacement Notes New York Giants GM Jerry Reese Fired Kevin Abrams Having been in the organization since 1994, Reese was the Giants GM since 2007, leading them to two Super Bowl championships and several years of success. He was fired on December 4 along with head coach Ben McAdoo. He was replaced in the interim by former Detroit Lions cornerback Kevin Abrams, who has no previous front office experience. Cleveland Browns VP / GM Sashi Brown John Dorsey Brown was fired on December 7. Brown, who had served as the team 's lawyer since 2013, was given the duties of general manager in 2016 despite no prior experience in football. He was considered responsible for trading away the high round draft picks that ended up being Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson. In addition, he failed to follow through on a trade for Bengals backup quarterback AJ McCarron, which was contributed to him simply failing to inform the league of the trade in time. Owner Jimmy Haslam said the coach Hue Jackson will stay at least through the 2018 season. Later that day the Browns named former Kansas City Chiefs GM John Dorsey as their new GM. As general manager in Kansas City from 2013 -- 16, the Chiefs recorded a 43 -- 21 (. 672 ) record. Stadiums Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons will play their first season at Mercedes - Benz Stadium, after playing in the Georgia Dome for the previous 25 seasons. Relocations San Diego Chargers ' relocation to Los Angeles On January 12, 2017, the San Diego Chargers exercised their option to relocate to Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Chargers. They will be joining the Los Angeles Rams as tenants in their new stadium, Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California when that stadium is complete in 2020. For the time being, the Chargers will play at the 30,000 seat StubHub Center in Carson, California, the smallest venue ( in terms of number of seats ) the league has used for a full season since 1956. Oakland Raiders ' relocation to Las Vegas Main article : Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas On January 19, 2017, the Oakland Raiders filed paperwork to relocate to Las Vegas, Nevada. The NFL officially approved the Raiders relocation to Las Vegas on March 27. Unlike the Chargers, the Raiders will remain at the Oakland -- Alameda County Coliseum through at least the 2018 season ( with the 2019 season to be determined ) while Las Vegas Stadium is built, with the team moving to Nevada in 2019 or 2020. Attendance The Los Angeles Rams, who had capped season ticket sales at 55,000 for the 2017 season, announced to have 60,128 spectators in the first home game on week 1. However, reports estimate that spectators only filled a third of the 93,607 seats of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Los Angeles Chargers did not sell out their week 2 game at the StubHub Center, which was never expanded to 30,000 seats as originally stated and has typically had less than 26,000 fans in attendance. When the StubHub Center is at capacity, the majority of the fans present are of the opposing team. The Los Angeles teams were not the only ones with visible attendance problems. The San Francisco 49ers reported a Week 3 attendance total that exceeded the capacity of Levi 's Stadium, even as wide swaths of empty seats were visible in the stadium throughout the game. This followed similar sparse attendance for the 49ers ' home opener. Even the Dallas Cowboys, a team whose fan base is among the largest in the United States, played their week 13 Thursday Night Football game in front of a half - empty AT&T Stadium. The lifting of the league 's blackout policy was cited as one factor in the decline in ticket sales, as viewers would rather watch from the comfort of their homes, especially when weather conditions were less than ideal. At a Buffalo Bills / Indianapolis Colts game held in blinding lake - effect snow on December 10, scalpers said they had not sold any tickets, an extreme rarity. Indeed, a majority of television sets in all Western New York were tuned into some portion of the game, the highest viewership for a non-Super Bowl NFL game in the region since record - keeping began. New uniforms and patches Twenty - five teams transitioned to Nike 's new uniform template. While most teams have just transitioned to it without any actual changes to the uniforms themselves, the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, and Los Angeles Rams uniforms are the most noticeable in it, fixing their collars in the process. The Detroit Lions unveiled new uniforms on April 13, 2017, eliminating all black elements from the uniform and logo. They added a new alternate uniform as well as a new Color Rush uniform. The Los Angeles Rams announced they would be switching their primary helmets to white and blue, similar to their Color Rush helmets. The team had fans vote on the color of their facemask, which would be white, and the design of their pants, which would be white with a blue stripe. The Rams also announced that they would explore a full rebrand in the near future. The Cincinnati Bengals will wear a patch to commemorate their 50th season. The San Francisco 49ers have altered their sleeve striping from 3 stripes to 2 stripes. The Seattle Seahawks dedicated their season to former Seahawks defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, who died on May 23, 2017, by wearing a # 96 decal on their helmets. The Pittsburgh Steelers will wear a patch to honor their former chairman, the late Dan Rooney, who died in April, at the age of 84. The patch will feature a shamrock, with Rooney 's initials `` DMR ''. The last time the Steelers wore a jersey patch was when Art Rooney died in 1988. They also donned a helmet decal to honor Chuck Noll, who died in 2014. The Dallas Cowboys will wear blue jerseys at home on a more regular basis, marking the first time the team has worn blue jerseys at home outside of Thanksgiving games since the NFL allowed teams to wear white jerseys at home in 1964. Despite the team 's well - documented blue jersey `` jinx '', player preference as well as stronger retail sales of the navy blue jerseys over the white ones have prompted the team 's decision. The blue jerseys will be worn for `` high - profile '' games at AT&T Stadium. The New York Giants wore a # 14 decal on their helmets to honor Y.A. Tittle, who died on October 8, 2017. Later, they would wear a `` JHT '' patch from Week 10 onwards, in honor of Joan Tisch, the mother of Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, who died on November 2, 2017. The Buffalo Bills wore their all - red Color Rush uniforms when they faced the Indianapolis Colts in the aforementioned December 10 `` snow game '', the first team to do so on a Sunday, and the fourth team overall. All current and former Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award winners will wear a patch on their jerseys in perpetuity to acknowledge to recognize their outstanding contributions to the game and to their communities. Similarly, current nominees will wear a decal on their helmets for the rest of the season. The Atlanta Falcons wore their all red color rush jerseys with black numbers against the Saints on December 7, 2017. The numbers were a classic form of numbers. The alternate has the regular Falcon unlike the other alternate. The regular Atlanta Falcons ' alternate is a black jersey, with a black helmet, and on the black helmet is the original Falcons logo. Media Broadcast rights Television This is the fourth season under the current broadcast contracts with ESPN, CBS, Fox, and NBC. This includes `` cross-flexing '' ( switching ) Sunday Afternoon games between CBS and Fox before or during the season ( regardless of the conference of the visiting team ). NBC will continue to air Sunday Night Football, the annual Kickoff game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. ESPN will continue to air Monday Night Football and the Pro Bowl. NBC will also serve as the broadcaster of Super Bowl LII. This will also be the second and final year of the current Thursday Night Football contract with CBS, NBC, and NFL Network. Along with ESPN 's simulcasted Wild Card game on ABC, ESPN announced on May 24, 2017, that the 2018 Pro Bowl will also be simulcast on ABC, marking the return of the Pro Bowl to the network for the first time since 2003. For the first 9 weeks of the regular season, ESPN2 simulcasted ESPN Deportes ' Spanish - language Monday Night Football broadcasts. The simulcasts ended after Week 9 due to ESPN2 's Monday - night college basketball broadcasts. Although never explicitly announced, the league continued the moratorium on its blackout policy, ensuring all games will be televised in the market of their home teams regardless of ticket sales. Because of fog and smoke obstruction, NBC was forced to televise large portions of two of their Sunday Night Football games from the skycam angle. Positive reception led NBC to experiment with increased usage of the angle as a primary view during its November 16 and December 14 Thursday Night Football telecasts. Because the angle distorts distance, the traditional sideline camera angle was used for close - yardage situations such as the red zone. Digital In over-the - top rights, Amazon Video acquired non-exclusive streaming rights to the 10 broadcast television Thursday Night Football games for $50 million. These streams are exclusive to paid Amazon Prime subscribers, in contrast to Twitter, which held the rights to the same package in 2016 and had made those streams free to most of the world. Verizon Communications acquired international streaming rights to an NFL London Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars, in a similar arrangement to the 2015 game that was streamed by Yahoo ! -- which was acquired by Verizon in 2017. The game was streamed by Yahoo and other Verizon - owned platforms, including AOL, go90, and Complex. NFL Network remains a partner with Twitter for online content, including its new streaming news program NFL Blitz Live. The NFL also reached a deal with Facebook in September 2017 to offer video highlights following games, and streaming programs on the service 's new Watch platform. This is the final season of the NFL 's exclusive mobile streaming contract with Verizon Wireless ; the league intends to no longer have a single exclusive partner going forward, citing changes to viewing habits. On December 11, 2017, the NFL announced that it had agreed to a new 5 - year, $2.5 billion digital rights agreement with Verizon, allowing it to stream in - market Sunday afternoon games, as well as all nationally televised games, across its mobile platforms. Unlike the previous deal, these streams will no longer be exclusive to Verizon Wireless subscribers, as Verizon plans to leverage the divisions of its digital media subsidiary Oath ( including the aforementioned Yahoo and go90 ) as a platform to promote these streams to a larger audience, as well as other digital content and expanded highlights rights. As part of the agreement, Verizon will begin allowing access to its existing mobile streams to non-customers for the 2017 - 18 playoffs. As the new contract is non-exclusive, the NFL 's television partners may negotiate to add the mobile streaming rights that were reserved to Verizon under the previous contract ; NBC was the first to do so. Two new international digital rights deals led to user criticism over their quality of service. In Canada, NFL Sunday Ticket shifted from distribution through television providers to the over-the - top provider DAZN, while in Europe, Deltatre took over European distribution of NFL Game Pass and launched new mobile apps. Both services faced criticism over their streaming quality, while Delatre 's app faced criticism for having bugs and initially lacking features seen in the previous version of the platform. The Independent exposed that Deltatre had also issued an internal e-mail instructing its employees to give the apps 5 - star reviews. DAZN subsequently announced that it would return to distributing Sunday Ticket through Canadian television providers in addition to their OTT service. Radio This is the final season of the NFL 's current national radio contract with Westwood One. Commercials The league has sought to reduce the number of standard commercial breaks ( media timeouts ) on its telecasts from 21 to 16, four in each quarter, with each break extended by one additional 30 - second commercial. One particular scenario the league sought to eliminate is the `` double - up, '' in which a network cuts to a commercial after a scoring play, then airs the kickoff, and again goes to commercial before play from scrimmage resumes. Under the proposal, the league will allow networks to cut to commercial during instant replay reviews, which it had not been allowed to do before. Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the changes are being made in an attempt to consolidate downtime between the actual game play so that there are fewer and less noticeable interruptions ; he does not expect the changes to have an appreciable impact on the real - time length of a game, which currently clocks in at slightly over three hours. The NFL has also, as a trial, lifted its ban on the broadcast of commercials for distilled spirits during its telecasts. However, they are subject to restrictions ; a maximum of four liquor ads may be broadcast per - game, along with two per - pregame and postgame show. These ads may not contain football - related themes or target underage viewers, and must contain a `` prominent social responsibility message ''. Personnel changes Tony Romo, who announced his retirement as a player on April 4, 2017, joined CBS, where he replaced Phil Simms as lead color commentator. Simms and Nate Burleson, who comes over from NFL Network, will replace Tony Gonzalez and Bart Scott on CBS 's pregame show, The NFL Today. Jay Cutler also announced his retirement from professional football on May 5 and was slated to join Fox as a color analyst for its NFL coverage ; he later rescinded that announcement in August and joined the Miami Dolphins. Gonzalez will move to Fox, where he will join Fox NFL Kickoff ; upon his departure, Gonzalez stated that he wished to pursue opportunities closer to his home in California, rather than travel to New York weekly to appear on CBS. James Lofton, coming over from radio, will replace Solomon Wilcots as a CBS analyst. On May 31, 2017, it was announced that Mike Tirico would replace Al Michaels on play - by - play on NBC 's portion of the Thursday Night Football package, joined by Cris Collinsworth. The NFL had previously required this role to be filled by NBC 's lead broadcast team of Michaels and Collinsworth ; Tirico called a limited slate of games in 2016, including several NBC - broadcast games as a fill - in for Michaels ( who voluntarily took several games off due to the increased number he was calling that season ), and as part of a secondary team for selected games the TNF package. He will also succeed Bob Costas as the lead studio host for NBC. However, due to its proximity to the 2018 Winter Olympics ( where he is also succeeding Bob Costas as lead host ), Tirico will not participate in NBC 's Super Bowl LII coverage. Beth Mowins became the second woman to call play - by - play for a national NFL broadcast, following Gayle Sierens in 1987, when she served as play - by - play announcer for the nightcap in ESPN 's Week 1 Monday Night doubleheader, with Rex Ryan as her color commentator. In an unusual case of a broadcaster working for two networks in the same season, Mowins also called a regional game for CBS in Weeks 3, 15 and 17, with Jay Feely as her partner. Most watched regular season games DH = doubleheader ; SNF = NBC Sunday Night Football Rank Date Matchup Network Viewers ( millions ) TV rating Window Significance December 17, 4 : 25 ET New England Patriots 27 Pittsburgh Steelers 24 CBS 26.9 15.2 Late DH 2016 AFC Championship rematch November 23, 4 : 30 ET Los Angeles Chargers 28 Dallas Cowboys 6 26.3 11.1 Thanksgiving September 17, 4 : 25 ET Dallas Cowboys 17 Denver Broncos 42 Fox 26.0 14.3 Late DH November 23, 12 : 30 ET Minnesota Vikings 30 Detroit Lions 23 24.7 11.4 Thanksgiving Lions -- Vikings rivalry 5 September 10, 8 : 30 ET New York Giants Dallas Cowboys 19 NBC 24.4 13.4 SNF Cowboys -- Giants Rivalry 6 October 8, 4 : 25 ET Green Bay Packers 35 Dallas Cowboys 31 Fox 23.9 13.6 Late DH Cowboys -- Packers Rivalry 7 December 10, 4 : 25 ET Philadelphia Eagles 43 Los Angeles Rams 35 23.8 13.7 Late DH 8 December 24, 4 : 25 ET Seattle Seahawks 21 Dallas Cowboys 12 23.0 12.2 Late DH 9 September 10, 4 : 25 ET Seattle Seahawks 9 Green Bay Packers 17 22.8 12.7 Late DH 2014 NFC Championship rematch 10 November 12, 4 : 25 ET Dallas Cowboys 7 Atlanta Falcons 27 22.0 12.8 Late DH * Note -- Late DH matchups listed in table are the matchups that were shown to the largest percentage of the market. NE / PIT was shown in 91 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage. DAL / DEN was shown in 81 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage. GB / DAL was shown in 99 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage, with the Bay Area being the only market not airing the game. PHI / LAR was shown in 90 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage. SEA / DAL was shown in 89 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage. SEA / GB was shown in 89 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage. DAL / ATL was shown in 86 % of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage. References Jump up ^ Spanos, Dean ( January 12, 2016 ). `` Letter From Dean Spanos ''. San Diego Chargers. Retrieved January 12, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Chargers announce decision to relocate to Los Angeles ''. National Football League. January 12, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2017 Free Agent List ''. National Football League. Jump up ^ `` PRESS RELEASE : Dolphins Trade For Julius Thomas ''. MiamiDolphins.com. March 9, 2017. Jump up ^ Oehser, John ( March 9, 2017 ). `` It 's official : Branden Albert acquired in trade ''. Jaguars.com. Jump up ^ `` Browns acquire 2018 2nd round pick, QB Brock Osweiler in trade with Texans ''. ClevelandBrowns.com. March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Patriots acquire TE Dwayne Allen in a trade with Indianapolis ''. Patriots.com. March 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Rams agree to trade William Hayes to Dolphins ''. NFL.com. March 10, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Saints trade Brandin Cooks to Patriots for No. 32 pick ''. NFL.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Carolina Panthers trade DE Kony Ealy to Patriots ''. NFL.com. March 10, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Meyer, Max. `` Niners acquire Jeremy Zuttah in trade with Ravens ''. NFL.com. Retrieved March 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Baltimore Ravens trade DT Timmy Jernigan to Philadelphia Eagles for draft pick ''. Espn.com. April 4, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Raiders Home ''. M.raiders.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Sessler, Marc ( August 11, 2017 ). `` Bills trade Sammy Watkins to Rams, acquire Matthews ''. NFL.com. Jump up ^ Bodenrader, Mark ( August 11, 2017 ). `` Rams Acquire WR Sammy Watkins in Trade With Bills ''. TheRams.com. Jump up ^ Helman, David ( April 4, 2017 ). `` Cowboys Release Tony Romo ; QB Retires, Enters CBS Broadcast Booth ''. DallasCowboys.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Sources : Fins, Cutler reach 1 - year, $10 M deal ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Next year 's Hall of Fame Game moved to Thursday night ProFootballTalk ''. Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. December 28, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2017 London games : NFL announces which teams will be playing ''. nfl.com. NFL. Retrieved December 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` NFL in Mexico City, 2017 edition : Patriots and the Raiders ? ''. ESPN. November 29, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Raiders to host Patriots in Mexico City next season ''. NFL.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL schedule 2017 : Dates, kickoff times for International Series games in London, Mexico NFL ''. Sporting News. April 20, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Tesfatsion, Master. `` Redskins to host first Thanksgiving game in franchise history ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Burke, Timothy. `` NFL Cancels New Year 's Eve Sunday Night Football Game After Realizing It Scheduled A New Year 's Eve Sunday Night Football Game ''. Deadspin. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Cowboys versus Texans preseason game canceled ''. NFL.com. August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Miami Dolphins Game To Be Played In Week 11 On Sunday, November 19 ''. NFL Communications. September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bengals - Steelers on Oct. 22 ' flexed ' to later start time ''. ^ Jump up to : `` NFL SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR WEEKS 12 & 13 ''. nflcommunications.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017. Jump up ^ https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-14-Schedule-Change-.aspx Jump up ^ https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-15-Schedule-Changes.aspx Jump up ^ `` NFL finalizes Week 17 schedule ; no Sunday Night Football game ''. NFL.com. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 25. Jump up ^ Graham, Bryan Armen ( September 23, 2017 ). `` Donald Trump blasts NFL anthem protesters : ' Get that son of a bitch off the field ' ''. The Guardian. ISSN 0261 - 3077. Retrieved December 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Belson, Ken ; Manchester, Sam ; Mather, Victor ( September 24, 2017 ). `` Tom Brady Joins Anthem Demonstration as N.F.L. Protests Trump Comments ''. The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL player protests sweep league after President Donald Trump 's hostile remarks ''. USA Today. Retrieved December 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jerry Richardson will put Carolina Panthers up for sale ''. panthers.com. Retrieved 17 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jerry Richardson selling Panthers franchise amid misconduct allegations ''. SB Nation. Retrieved December 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Source : Richardson mandates Panthers be sold after death. WBTV, 2013 - 01 - 16 Jump up ^ Wertheim, L. Jon ; Bernstein, Viv. `` Sources : Jerry Richardson, Panthers Have Made Multiple Confidential Payouts for Workplace Misconduct, Including Sexual Harassment and Use of a Racial Slur ''. Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ Portillo, Ely ( 2014 - 07 - 23 ). `` Carolina Panthers rule out more public cash for stadium ''. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 25. Jump up ^ `` 2017 Pro Football Deaths ''. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Jump up ^ Patra, Kevin ( March 28, 2017 ). `` NFL passes no leaping rule, approves ban for head hits ''. NFL.com. Retrieved March 28, 2017. Jump up ^ Thomas, Jeanna ( May 23, 2017 ). `` NFL voted on rule changes for the 2017 season, and we graded each one ''. SBNation.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 2017 Rules Changes and Points of Emphasis ''. NFL.com. August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Chiefs highlights from Week 1 : Alex Smith, Kareem Hunt dominate ''. Chiefs Wire. September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Polacek, Scott. `` Kareem Hunt Sets NFL Record with 246 Yards from Scrimmage in Debut ''. Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Chargers ' Antonio Gates breaks tight end TD record ''. Jump up ^ Zucker, Joseph. `` Aaron Rodgers Becomes Fastest QB Ever to Reach 300 Career Touchdowns ''. Jump up ^ `` Odell Beckham Jr. becomes fastest WR ever to 300 career receptions with athletic TD ''. SBNation.com. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Matt Prater sets a full - season record in only three games ''. NBC Sports. September 27, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Larry Fitzgerald has caught a pass in 200 straight games ''. SBNation.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017. Jump up ^ Dillon, Kevin. `` Tom Brady becomes all - time leader in regular season QB wins, collecting 187th win with Patriots ''. Masslive. Retrieved October 16, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Drew Brees becomes fourth player in NFL history to throw at least 500 TD passes ''. Land of 10. October 22, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017. Jump up ^ https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/SEVEN-FROM-SUNDAY---WEEK-7---.aspx Jump up ^ `` With record of 1 - 23, Browns coach Hue Jackson continues to stress roster is n't good enough ''. Akron Beacon Journal. October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017. ^ Jump up to : https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/THE-WEEK-THAT-WAS-%E2%80%93-WEEK-9--.aspx Jump up ^ Rothstein, Michael. `` Matthew Stafford is sixth fastest to throw 200 career touchdowns ''. espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved November 10, 2017. Jump up ^ Weinfuss, Josh. `` Larry Fitzgerald becomes second - youngest player to reach 15,000 receiving yards ''. ESPN. Retrieved November 10, 2017. Jump up ^ https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/SEVEN-FROM-SUNDAY-%E2%80%93-WEEK-10-.aspx Jump up ^ Weinfuss, Josh. `` With TD catch, Cardinals ' Larry Fitzgerald in 5th place on all - time receiving yards list ''. espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved November 19, 2017. Jump up ^ https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/SEVEN-FROM-SUNDAY-%E2%80%93-WEEK-12-.aspx Jump up ^ `` By The Numbers : Seahawks at 49ers ''. seahawks.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017. Jump up ^ http://www.espn.co.uk/nfl/story/_/id/21624313/dallas-cowboys-wr-dez-bryant-sets-franchise-record-most-td-receptions Jump up ^ http://buffalonews.com/2017/11/30/if-tom-brady-beats-the-bills-hell-have-more-wins-against-a-single-opponent-than-anyone-ever/ Jump up ^ Weinfuss, Josh. `` Larry Fitzgerald passes Isaac Bruce on all - time receiving yards list ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017. Jump up ^ https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/THE-WEEK-THAT-WAS-%E2%80%93-WEEK-13---.aspx Jump up ^ `` By The Numbers : Seahawks vs Eagles ''. seahawks.com. Retrieved December 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Mike Wells. `` Gore jumps LT, Bettis for fifth on rushing list ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 12. Jump up ^ Weinfuss, Josh. `` Larry Fitzgerald 's place in the record books a long, winding road ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved December 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Big Ben first QB to post three 500 - yard games ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ http://billswire.usatoday.com/2017/12/17/lesean-mccoy-buffalo-bills-kiko-alonso/ ^ Jump up to : https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/SEVEN-FROM-SUNDAY-%E2%80%93-WEEK-16-.aspx Jump up ^ `` Cleveland Browns finish 2017 season 0 - 16 ''. NFL.com. Retrieved 31 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bills, Titans, Falcons make way into playoffs with wins ''. usatoday.com. Retrieved 31 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` Colts ' Frank Gore reaches 14,000 - yard milestone, joining elite group ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved 1 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 1 ''. Nflcommunications.com. Retrieved September 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 2 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved September 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 3 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved October 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC and NFC Players of the Month - September ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved October 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 4 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved October 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 5 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved October 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 6 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved October 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC and NFC Players of the Week -- Week 7 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved October 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 8 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved November 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Month - October ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved November 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 9 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved November 10, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week -- Week 10 ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved November 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week - Week 11 ''. nflcommunications.com. Retrieved November 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week - Week 12 ''. nflcommunications.com. Retrieved December 1, 2017. Jump up ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000885449/article/case-keenum-wins-nfc-player-of-month-honors Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week - Week 13 ''. nflcommunications.com. Retrieved December 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week - Week 14 ''. nflcommunications.com. Retrieved December 13, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week - Week 15 ''. nflcommunications.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC & NFC Players of the Week - Week 16 ''. nflcommunications.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` FedEx Players Air and Ground ''. NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Pepsi Rookie of the WEEK ''. NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Week ''. NFL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL Rookies of the Month -- September ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved September 29, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL Rookies of the Month -- October ''. NFL Communications. Retrieved November 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Reuben Foster named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for November ''. SB Nation. Retrieved December 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bills fire Rex Ryan ''. NBCSports.com. December 27, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2017. Jump up ^ Terranova, Justin. Rex Ryan starts second career with ESPN. The New York Post. Retrieved January 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Raissman, Bob ( April 26, 2017 ). ESPN now ruled by the Bean Counters as struggling World Wide Leader deals with massive subscriber loss. New York Daily News. Retrieved April 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Buffalo Bills fire offensive coordinator Greg Roman ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 12, 2017. Jump up ^ Orr, Conor. `` Sean McDermott expected to become Bills ' head coach ''. nfl.com. NFL. Retrieved January 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Broncos coach Gary Kubiak retires from coaching ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 12, 2017. Jump up ^ Sessler, Marc. `` Vance Joseph expected to be hired as Broncos coach ''. nfl.com. NFL. Retrieved January 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Rosenthal, Gregg. `` Gus Bradley fired by Jacksonville Jaguars ''. NFL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Buffalo Bills ' Anthony Lynn expected to hire Gus Bradley if he becomes coach ( report ) ''. NewYorkUpstate.com. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jaguars name Marrone interim head coach ''. Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. December 19, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Schefter, Ada. `` Jaguars intend to hire Doug Marrone as head coach ''. espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved January 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` AFC West - worst Chargers fire McCoy as coach ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved January 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Chargers hire Anthony Lynn as their new head coach ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Mortensen, Chris. `` Jeff Fisher fired as coach of Los Angeles Rams ''. ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Niners fire coach Chip Kelly after one season ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 1, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` 49ers Relieve General Manager Trent Baalke, Head Coach Chip Kelly of Duties ''. 49ers.com. Retrieved January 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Shook, Nick. `` Kyle Shanahan named head coach of 49ers ''. NFL.com. Retrieved February 6, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Raanan, Jordan. `` Giants fire coach Ben McAdoo, GM Jerry Reese in midst of lost season ''. espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 4, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Niners GM Trent Baalke says he 's been fired ; is Chip Kelly next ? ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` John Lynch Named General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers ''. 49ers.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Orr, Conor. `` San Francisco 49ers name John Lynch general manager ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Colts firing general manager Ryan Grigson ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Redskins fire general manager Scot McCloughan ''. NFL.com. Retrieved March 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Redskins promote ex-QB Williams to senior VP ''. Jump up ^ `` Bills dismiss GM Doug Whaley, expected to release scouting staff ''. The Buffalo News. April 30, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bills hire Brandon Beane as new general manager ''. USA TODAY. Retrieved May 9, 2017. Jump up ^ Smith, Michael David ( June 22, 2017 ). `` Chiefs fire G.M. John Dorsey ''. Jump up ^ `` Chiefs promote Brett Veach to general manager ''. Jump up ^ Sessler, Marc ( July 17, 2017 ). `` Panthers fire general manager Dave Gettlemanmanager ''. NFL.com. Retrieved July 18, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Hurney back with Panthers for second GM stint ''. Jump up ^ Sessler, Marc. `` New York Giants fire general manager Jerry Reese ''. nfl.com. NFL. Retrieved December 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Schefter, Adam. `` Browns fire head of personnel Sashi Brown ; coach Hue Jackson to stay ''. espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 7, 2017. Jump up ^ Mortensen, Chris. `` Browns hire former Chiefs, Packers exec John Dorsey as new general manager ''. espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Oakland Raiders file Las Vegas relocation paperwork ''. NFL.com. Retrieved January 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Lauletta, Tyler ( September 11, 2017 ). `` Los Angeles is still struggling to attract football fans as the Rams played their season - opener in a half - empty stadium ''. Business Insider. Jump up ^ Jones, Lindsay H. ( September 18, 2017 ). `` NFL still confident in Los Angeles market despite attendance for Rams, Chargers games ''. USA Today. Jump up ^ Rapoport, Ian ( October 8, 2017 ). `` No discussions of Chargers moving back to San Diego ''. NFL.com. Retrieved October 8, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Rams - 49ers Attendance Was Over 70,000, That Should Quiet That Silly Empty NFL Stadium Narrative ''. The Big Lead. September 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The NFL Is Seriously Concerned With Empty Stadiums ''. The Big Lead. September 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Stevenson, Stefan ( November 30, 2017 ). `` Many open seats as Cowboys - Redskins kickoff ''. Fort Worth Star - Telegram. Retrieved December 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Fink, James ( December 11, 2017 ). `` Tickets were as plentiful as the snow on Sunday ''. Business First. Retrieved December 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Pergament, Alan. Bills game rating is second - highest here since 2000. The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 11, 2017. `` Nielsen said the game ended at 4 : 22 p.m. That eliminated the 51.2 rating from 4 : 15 to 4 : 30 p.m. from the equation because Nielsen counts only 15 - minute time periods if they are 7 minutes and 30 seconds or longer. If the 4 : 15 p.m. period had been included, the Bills game would have averaged a 47.0 rating, a tenth of a point ahead of the Cleveland - Bills game. '' Jump up ^ Lukas, Paul ( May 22, 2017 ). `` NFL Jerseys with New Tailoring Template Begin to Surface ''. uniwatch.com. Uniwatch. Retrieved July 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Bell, Demetrius ( April 5, 2017 ). `` New Orleans Saints finally fix their collars ''. SportsLogos.net. Retrieved August 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Walkthru : Tracking the Bengals 2017 uniform changes ''. Cincinnati.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017. Jump up ^ Bell, Demetrius ( March 3, 2017 ). `` LA Rams finalize evolved home uniform for 2017 ''. SportsLogos.net. Retrieved August 3, 2017. Jump up ^ Reisman, Jeremy ( April 13, 2017 ). `` PHOTOS : Lions release new uniforms ''. prideofdetroit.com. Pride of Detroit. Retrieved June 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Lynch, Andrew ( March 3, 2017 ). `` See the full uniform changes the Los Angeles Rams are making for 2017 ''. foxsports.com. Fox Sports. Retrieved June 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Vicar, Nathan ( April 20, 2017 ). `` Bengals unveil special logo for 50th anniversary ''. fox19.com. Fox 19 Now. Retrieved June 8, 2017. Jump up ^ Biderman, Chris ( May 22, 2017 ). `` Looks like subtle changes to 49ers uniforms are coming ''. usatoday.com. usatoday. Retrieved July 7, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Seahawks Honor Cortez Kennedy With ' 96 ' Helmet Decal ''. Seattle Seahawks. Retrieved 25 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` Steelers to wear jersey patch honoring Dan Rooney ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Cowboys will wear navy jerseys at home more often ''. Jump up ^ Benton, Dan. `` Giants will honor Y.A. Tittle with No. 14 helmet decal ''. Giants Wire. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ Associated Press. `` Joan Tisch, mother of Giants EVP Steve Tisch, dies at age 90 ''. NFL.com. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` Bills announce team 's Family Day sponsored by Independent Health & Fan Appreciation Day ''. BuffaloBills.com. December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017. In addition, when the Bills face the Colts, the team will be wearing all red, color rush uniforms. Fans are encouraged to wear red in support of the team. Jump up ^ National Football League. `` NFL reveals nominees for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award ''. NFL.com. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL 's Pro Bowl Back on ABC ''. Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved May 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Spanish - language ' MNF ' coming to ESPN2 ''. Sports Business Daily. Retrieved September 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Pergament, Alan ( August 9, 2017 ). `` Tasker is only constant in Bills preseason coverage ''. The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 9, 2017. All games are televised live, which ca n't help ticket sales for what amounts to practice games. Jump up ^ Geoffrey C. Arnold ( November 16, 2017 ). `` NBC 's ' SkyCam ' will provide Madden - like view of tonight 's Titans - Steelers game ''. oregonlive.com. Retrieved November 17, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Amazon will stream ' Thursday Night Football ' in 2017. Here 's what you need to know ''. SBNation. Retrieved April 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Amazon 's NFL Deal Includes $30 Million in Free Marketing ''. Bloomberg. Retrieved April 20, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Ravens - Jaguars London game just got much more interesting. Here 's how to stream it for free : ''. Recode. Retrieved September 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Verizon Scores Streaming Rights To NFL London Game ''. Deadline. Retrieved May 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Spangler, Todd ( August 29, 2017 ). `` NFL Sets Kickoff of Twitter Live Show for 2017 - 18 Season ''. Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Twitter signed a new live video deal with the NFL that does n't include games ''. The Verge. Retrieved May 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` A new deal will let Facebook users watch NFL highlights immediately after the game ''. Recode. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Verizon 's exclusivity for live games on mobile expected to end ''. Sports Business Daily. Retrieved October 23, 2017. Jump up ^ Rovell, Darren ( December 11, 2017 ). `` Verizon, NFL agree to new 5 - year deal worth nearly $2.5 billion ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved December 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Hayes, Dade ( 2017 - 12 - 18 ). `` NBC Will Stream ' Sunday Night Football ' To Mobile Phones Starting In 2018 ''. Deadline. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ `` NFL Game Pass developer admits to fake reviews by employees ''. The Independent. October 6, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017. Jump up ^ `` DAZN working on making all NFL games available via cable, satellite providers ''. National Post. October 7, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL and Dial Global Agree on New Multi-Year Extension ''. Dial Global Sports. Archived from the original on April 25, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2012. Jump up ^ Pelissero, Tom ( March 24, 2017 ). `` Exclusive : Roger Goodell says changes coming to quicken NFL games in 2017 ''. USA Today. Retrieved March 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL to Allow Liquor Advertising During Games Next Season ''. Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 3, 2017. Jump up ^ `` NFL Adds Liquor to Menu of Advertisers ''. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2017. ( subscription required ) Jump up ^ `` Phil Simms on being replaced at CBS by Tony Romo : My pride was hurt ''. Philly.com. Retrieved May 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Tony Romo will finally rescue us from Phil Simms and become top analyst at CBS ''. SB Nation. Vox Media. Retrieved May 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Jay Cutler to join FOX Sports as a broadcaster ''. NFL.com. May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ Fang, Ken ( May 10, 2017 ). `` James Lofton joins CBS as an NFL game analyst, while Tony Gonzalez jumps to Fox ''. Awful Announcing. Retrieved May 22, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Tirico To Call `` Thursday Night Football '' For NBC This Season ``. Sports Business Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Syracuse University alum Mike Tirico to call NFL games on NBC ''. Syracuse.com. Retrieved February 13, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Mike Tirico to replace Al Michaels on four NFL broadcasts on NBC ''. USA Today. Retrieved November 16, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Bob Costas steps down as NBC host of Olympics ; Mike Tirico to replace him ''. USA Today. Retrieved February 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Brennan : Bob Costas has been the face of the Olympics for Americans ''. USA Today. Retrieved February 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Why NBC 's Mike Tirico will be skipping the Super Bowl in Minneapolis ''. Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved August 30, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Mowins to be first woman on MNF play - by - play ''. Jump up ^ Williams, Charean ( August 15, 2017 ). `` CBS announces Beth Mowins to call Browns - Colts game ''. ProFootballTalk. Retrieved August 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The NFL Ratings Page ''. SportsMediaWatch.com. Retrieved September 11, 2017. 2017 NFL season AFC East North South West East North South West NFC Buffalo Baltimore Houston Denver Dallas Chicago Atlanta Arizona Miami Cincinnati Indianapolis Kansas City NY Giants Detroit Carolina LA Rams New England Cleveland Jacksonville LA Chargers Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans San Francisco NY Jets Pittsburgh Tennessee Oakland Washington Minnesota Tampa Bay Seattle Draft NFL playoffs NFL Honors Pro Bowl Super Bowl LII National Football League seasons Early era ( 1920 -- 1969 ) 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Modern era ( 1970 -- present ) 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 2017 2018 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2017_NFL_season&oldid=818332815 '' Categories : 2017 National Football League season National Football League seasons Current American football seasons Hidden categories : Pages containing links to subscription - only content Use mdy dates from December 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français Hrvatski Italiano Magyar 日本 語 Português Română Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 2 January 2018, at 23 : 16. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when does the nfl season begin in 2017
Answer: September 7, 2017