May 15 (UPI) — A Las Vegas Raiders Step Brothers re-enactment and series of slights from the Los Angeles Chargers marked the NFL’s annual wave of schedule release videos.
Each of the NFL teams’ social media gurus pressed “post” on their creations at 7:30 p.m. EDT Thursday that listed their organizations’ schedules. The league revealed its full 272-game regular-season schedule for the 2026-27 campaign a half-hour later.
As in past years, football franchises called on a cast of talent to present the slates, including rapper Rick Ross, wrestler Chris Jericho and comedian Bert Kreischer. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used Kreischer for a Baywatch parody called Tampa Bay Watch.
The Jacksonville Jaguars showcasef star quarterback Trevor Lawrence getting a haircut, moving away from his patented long blonde style.
The Los Angeles Rams created a spoof of Napoleon Dynamite.
The Carolina Panthers called on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department bomb squad to debut their 2026 slate. That video featured symbolic objects, referencing their foes, being blown to smithereens.
The Chargers, who built a reputation for dishing out disrespect to their foes, were once again out for blood. That production was inspired by the Halo video game series. They referenced Marvin Harrison Jr., Fernando Mendoza, Puka Nacua and Travis Kelce’s mom, Donna, among others.
They also threw a few subtle digs at the New England Patriots, referencing reporter Diana Russini’s relationship with Mike Vrabel, which led the coach to seek counseling and triggered Russini’s resignation from The Athletic.
The reigning champion Seattle Seahawks will host the Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LX in the NFL’s 2026 regular-season opener Sept. 9 in Seattle.
The Seahawks created fake colognes, themed for their opponents, in their video, which featured comedian Joel McHale. The Patriots’ video featured puppies playing with stuffed toys.
The Las Vegas Raiders chose Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and veteran Kirk Cousins as the stars of their video, which was a spoof of Step Brothers. The Raiders’ quarterbacks imitated Brennan Huff and Dale Doback, the respective characters portrayed by actors Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, in the 2008 comedy.
The Tennessee Titans, known for their man-on-the-street style interview schedule-release videos, did a similar exercise this season, with a videographer walking around Nashville and finding lookalikes of NFL personalities.
The Indianapolis Colts created a schedule-release video inspired by The Simpsons. The Chicago Bears deployed wide receiver Rome Odunze, who pretended to be artist Bob Ross. Washington Commanders running back Jakory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt performed science experiments in the spirit of Bill Nye the Science Guy.
The Arizona Cardinals used artificial intelligence for their schedule release, which drew criticism on social media, with many users citing a lack of creativity.
The Rams received seven primetime games in 2026, which tied for the most in history with the 2025 Kansas City Chiefs and 2023 Buffalo Bills.
That slate will start with the NFL’s first-ever matchup in Australia. The Rams will take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West affair at 8:35 p.m. EDT Sept. 10 in Melbourne.
The Chiefs, Bills, Seahawks and Green Bay Packers received six primetime games apiece. No primetime games were given to the Raiders, Titans, Cardinals, New York Jets or Miami Dolphins.
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