NFL set to announce 2021 league schedule on May 12th

As of Wednesday afternoon, we are officially one step closer to getting a look at the complete 2021 NFL schedule. The league has been expected to reveal the details of the upcoming season sometime following the draft, and we now know precisely when that will be.

Of course, this announcement isn’t as exciting as the actual schedule itself, but it is another date to look forward to during the offseason. This year will be unique in that it will see the initial unveiling of the 18-week schedule, with teams for the first time preparing to face seventeen opponents during the regular season. The Seahawks - along with the rest of the NFC - will play one additional road game during 2021, which of course will flip with the AFC next year. For a detailed look at Seattle’s opponents and what we know about the schedule at this point, check out Mookie’s breakdown from a few weeks back.

Of further interest, the NFL is expecting to resume the international series in 2021 after taking 2020 off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league has said it has plans for games in Mexico City and London this season, with the Falcons and Jaguars being the first teams to announce that they expect to play at Wembley stadium in the coming year (per Field Yates and Jeff Kerr, respectively). Beyond that, we will have to wait a little bit longer to know what the specific plans for contests abroad will look like this season.

We do know, however, that the Seahawks will not have a “home” game abroad until 2022 at the earliest, at which point the NFL’s new rotating international game schedule will take effect. Per John Breech at CBS Sports, the league will stick to the volunteer system for 2021, so the Hawks will most likely not be traveling outside the U.S. this year. We will find out more at 5:00 PM on the second Wednesday in May.