2023 NFL season

This article is about the 2023 National Football League season in the United States. For the National Football League season that ended in 2023, see 2022 NFL season. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see 2023 National Football League (Ireland).

2023 National Football League season

Regular season
Duration	September 7, 2023 (2023-09-07) – January 7, 2024 (2024-01-07)
Playoffs
Start date	January 13, 2024 (2024-01-13)
Super Bowl LVIII
Date	February 11, 2024
Site	Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
Pro Bowl
Date	February 4, 2024
Site	Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Patriots

Bills

Dolphins

Jets

Bengals

Ravens

Steelers

Browns

Colts

Titans

Jaguars

Texans

Broncos

Chiefs

Raiders

Chargers

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AFC teams: West, North, South, East

Cowboys

Giants

Eagles

Commanders

Bears

Lions

Packers

Vikings

Falcons

Panthers

Saints

Buccaneers

Cardinals

Rams

Seahawks

49ers

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NFC teams: West, North, South, East

The 2023 NFL season is the 104th season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 7, 2023, with defending Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City falling to Detroit in the NFL Kickoff Game, and is scheduled to end on January 7, 2024.

The playoffs are then scheduled to start on January 13, and conclude with Super Bowl LVIII, the league's championship game, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, on February 11.

Player movement

The 2023 NFL league year and trading period began on March 15. On March 13, teams were allowed to exercise options for 2023 on players with option clauses in their contracts, submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents, and submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2022 contracts and fewer than three accrued seasons of free agent credit. 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 combined salary cap). On March 15, clubs were allowed to contact and begin contract negotiations with players whose contracts had expired and thus became unrestricted free agents.

Positions key

C	Center		CB	Cornerback		DB	Defensive back		DE	Defensive end
DL	Defensive lineman		DT	Defensive tackle		FB	Fullback		FS	Free safety
G	Guard		K	Kicker		KR	Kickoff returner		LB	Linebacker
LS	Long snapper		OT	Offensive tackle		OL	Offensive lineman		NT	Nose tackle
P	Punter		PR	Punt returner		QB	Quarterback		RB	Running back
S	Safety		SS	Strong safety		TE	Tight end		WR	Wide receiver

Free agency

Free agency began on March 15. Notable players to change teams included:

• Quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett (Cleveland to Washington), Derek Carr (Las Vegas to New Orleans), Andy Dalton (New Orleans to Carolina), Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco to Las Vegas), Taylor Heinicke (Washington to Atlanta), and Baker Mayfield (Los Angeles Rams to Tampa Bay)
• Running backs Dalvin Cook (Minnesota to New York Jets), Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas to New England), Melvin Gordon (Kansas City to Baltimore), Damien Harris (New England to Buffalo), David Montgomery (Chicago to Detroit), Latavius Murray (Denver to Buffalo), Miles Sanders (Philadelphia to Carolina), Devin Singletary (Buffalo to Houston), and Jamaal Williams (Detroit to New Orleans)
• Wide receivers Nelson Agholor (New England to Baltimore), Odell Beckham Jr. (Los Angeles Rams to Baltimore), D. J. Chark (Detroit to Carolina), DeAndre Hopkins (Arizona to Tennessee), Allen Lazard (Green Bay to New York Jets), Jakobi Meyers (New England to Las Vegas), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Kansas City to New England), Adam Thielen (Minnesota to Carolina), and Robert Woods (Tennessee to Houston)
• Tight ends Mike Gesicki (Miami to New England), Austin Hooper (Tennessee to Las Vegas), Hayden Hurst (Cincinnati to Carolina), Dalton Schultz (Dallas to Houston), and Robert Tonyan (Green Bay to Chicago)
• Offensive linemen Orlando Brown Jr. (Kansas City to Cincinnati), Nate Davis (Tennessee to Chicago), Mike McGlinchey (San Francisco to Denver), Connor McGovern (Dallas to Buffalo), Ben Powers (Baltimore to Denver), Donovan Smith (Tampa Bay to Kansas City), Jawaan Taylor (Jacksonville to Kansas City), and Andrew Wylie (Kansas City to Washington)
• Defensive linemen Zach Allen (Arizona to Denver), Calais Campbell (Baltimore to Atlanta), Marcus Davenport (New Orleans to Minnesota), Javon Hargrave (Philadelphia to San Francisco), Dre'Mont Jones (Denver to Seattle), Yannick Ngakoue (Indianapolis to Chicago), David Onyemata (New Orleans to Atlanta), and Dalvin Tomlinson (Minnesota to Cleveland)
• Linebackers Frank Clark (Kansas City to Denver), Tremaine Edmunds (Buffalo to Chicago), T. J. Edwards (Philadelphia to Chicago), Leonard Floyd (Los Angeles Rams to Buffalo), Eric Kendricks (Minnesota to Los Angeles Chargers), and Bobby Wagner (Los Angeles Rams to Seattle)
• Defensive backs Adrian Amos (Green Bay to New York Jets), Jessie Bates (Cincinnati to Atlanta), C. J. Gardner-Johnson (Philadelphia to Detroit), Byron Murphy (Arizona to Minnesota), Marcus Peters (Baltimore to Las Vegas), Patrick Peterson (Minnesota to Pittsburgh), Cameron Sutton (Pittsburgh to Detroit), Juan Thornhill (Kansas City to Cleveland), and Jimmie Ward (San Francisco to Houston)
• Kickers Matt Gay (Los Angeles Rams to Indianapolis) and Brandon McManus (Denver to Jacksonville)
• Punters Jake Bailey (New England to Miami) and Riley Dixon (Los Angeles Rams to Denver)

Trades

The following notable trades were made during the 2023 league year:

• March 15: The Los Angeles Rams traded CB Jalen Ramsey to Miami in exchange for TE Hunter Long and a 2023 third round selection.
• March 15: Indianapolis traded CB Stephon Gilmore to Dallas in exchange for a 2023 fifth round selection.
• March 15: Las Vegas traded TE Darren Waller to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2023 third round selection.
• March 15: Carolina traded WR D. J. Moore, 2023 first and second round selections (Nos. 9 and 61), a 2024 first round selection, and a 2025 second round selection to Chicago in exchange for a 2023 first round selection (No. 1).
• March 22: The New York Jets traded WR Elijah Moore and a 2023 third round selection to Cleveland in exchange for a 2023 second round selection.
• April 19: The Los Angeles Rams traded WR Allen Robinson and a 2023 seventh round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2023 seventh round selection.
• April 24: Green Bay traded QB Aaron Rodgers and 2023 first and fifth round selections to the New York Jets in exchange for 2023 first, second, and sixth round selections, and a conditional 2024 second round selection.
• April 29: Detroit traded RB D'Andre Swift and a 2023 seventh round selection to Philadelphia in exchange for 2023 seventh and 2025 fourth round selections.
• May 16: Minnesota traded DE Za'Darius Smith along with 2025 sixth and seventh round selections to Cleveland in exchange for 2024 and 2025 fifth round selections.
• August 25: San Francisco traded QB Trey Lance to Dallas in exchange for a 2024 fourth round selection.
• August 27: Cleveland traded OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. to New England in exchange for RB Pierre Strong Jr.
• August 27: Pittsburgh traded G Kevin Dotson and 2024 fifth and 2025 sixth-round selections to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for 2024 fourth and 2025 fifth round selections.
• August 29: New Orleans traded K Wil Lutz to Denver in exchange for a 2024 seventh round selection.
• August 29: New England traded K Nick Folk to Tennessee in exchange for a 2025 seventh round selection.
• August 29: Miami traded CB Noah Igbinoghene to Dallas in exchange for CB Kelvin Joseph.
• October 4: The Los Angeles Chargers traded CB J. C. Jackson and a 2025 seventh round selection to New England in exchange for a 2025 sixth round selection.
• October 18: The New York Jets traded WR Mecole Hardman and a 2025 seventh round selection to Kansas City in exchange for a 2025 sixth round selection.
• October 23: Tennessee traded S Kevin Byard to Philadelphia in exchange for S Terrell Edmunds and 2024 fifth and sixth round selections.
• October 30: The New York Giants traded DE Leonard Williams to Seattle in exchange for 2024 second and 2025 fifth round selections.
• October 31: Washington traded DE Montez Sweat to Chicago in exchange for a 2024 second round selection.
• October 31: Washington traded DE Chase Young to San Francisco in exchange for a 2024 third round selection.
• October 31: Green Bay traded CB Rasul Douglas and a 2024 fifth round selection to Buffalo in exchange for a 2024 third-round selection.

Retirements

Notable retirements

• QB Tom Brady – Fifteen-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro (three first-team, three second-team), seven-time Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII, and LV), five-time Super Bowl MVP (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, LI, and LV), three-time NFL MVP (2007, 2010, and 2017), two-time Offensive Player of the Year (2007 and 2010), and 2009 Comeback Player of the Year. Played for New England and Tampa Bay during his 23-year career.
• WR A. J. Green – Seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro. Played for Cincinnati and Arizona during his 12-year career.
• DT Gerald McCoy – Six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro (one first-team, two second-team). Played for Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Las Vegas during his 12-year career.
• DE J. J. Watt – Five-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro (five first-team, two second-team), three-time Defensive Player of the Year (2012, 2014, and 2015), and 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year. Played for Houston and Arizona during his 12-year career.

Other retirements

• Nasir Adderley
• Chris Banjo
• Giovani Bernard
• Jared Bernhardt
• Austin Blythe
• Jamie Collins
• Brandon Copeland
• Chase Daniel
• Corey Davis
• Donte Deayon
• Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
• Ben Ellefson
• Chad Henne
• Dont'a Hightower
• Jeremy Hill
• Kevin Huber
• Mark Ingram II
• Myles Jack
• Justin Jackson
• Malik Jackson
• Tony Jefferson
• Brett Kern
• Christian Kirksey
• Josh Lambo
• Blake Martinez
• Devin McCourty
• Sony Michel
• Carl Nassib
• Alec Ogletree
• Russell Okung
• Corey Peters
• John Ross
• Chase Roullier
• Kyle Rudolph
• Brandon Shell
• Davis Webb
• Eli Wolf
• Jabari Zuniga

Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft was held outside Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27–29. Chicago, by virtue of having the worst record in 2022, was awarded the first overall selection. However, it was traded to Carolina, who selected quarterback Bryce Young out of Alabama.

2023 deaths

Pro Football Hall of Fame Members

Bobby Beathard

Beathard was the general manager of the Washington Redskins from 1978 to 1989 and the San Diego Chargers from 1990 to 2000, as well as serving as the Miami Dolphins' director of player personnel from 1972 to 1977, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He was a four-time Super Bowl champion (VII, VIII, XVII, and XXII). He died on January 30, age 86.

Gil Brandt

Brandt was the vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988, as well as serving in executive roles with the Los Angeles Rams 1955 to 1957 and the San Francisco 49ers from 1958 to 1959, helped create the NFL Scouting Combine, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion (VI and XII). He died on August 31, age 91.

Bob Brown

Brown played ten seasons in the NFL as an offensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Oakland Raiders, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and nine-time All-Pro (five first-team, four second-team). He died on June 16, age 81.

Jim Brown

Brown played nine seasons in the NFL as a fullback with the Cleveland Browns, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, nine-time All-Pro (eight first-team, one second-team), three-time NFL MVP, and 1964 NFL Champion. He died on May 18, age 87.

Dick Butkus

Butkus played nine seasons in the NFL as a linebacker with the Chicago Bears, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler, eight-time All-Pro (five first-team, three second-team), and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He died on October 5, age 80.

Bud Grant

Grant was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 1967 to 1983 and the 1985 season. He won an NFL championship with the Vikings in 1969 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. He died on March 11, age 95.

Art McNally

McNally was the director of officiating for the NFL from 1968 to 1991. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022, becoming the first official to receive the honor. He died on January 1, age 97.

Dave Wilcox

Wilcox played 11 seasons in the NFL as a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro (two first-team, two second-team). He died on April 19, age 80.

Active personnel

• Norma Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs co-owner (minority) since 2006, widow of Chiefs and American Football League founder Lamar Hunt and mother of Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt. Won two Super Bowls (LIV and LVII) as co-owner. She died on June 4, age 85.

Rule changes

The following rule changes for the 2023 season were approved at the NFL Owners' Meeting on March 28:

• The jersey numbering system was modified to allow the number 0 to be worn by all positions currently allowed to wear single-digit numbers. Placekickers and punters are now allowed to wear numbers 0–49 and 90–99. Previously 0 was not permitted to be used after the jersey numbering system was standardized in 1973 and kickers and punters could only wear numbers 1–19.
• Timing rules were modified after a ruling on the field is reversed. If outside the two-minute warning, the play clock will be set to 40 seconds instead of 25. If inside the two minute warning and a 10-second runoff is used, the play clock would be set to 30 seconds.
• Plays resulting in a turnover on downs were added to the list of booth reviewable plays (not challengeable by coaches). Plays resulting in a successful first down are still challengeable outside of the two minute warning.
• Tripping was upgraded to a personal foul (15 yards) from its current 10 yard penalty, reverting a rule change from 1974.
• Launching from one foot to attack an opponent became illegal, changing the current rule of both feet.
• Illegally handing the ball forward behind the line of scrimmage (such as a quarterback handing the ball forward to an offensive lineman to avoid a sack) is now a loss of down, consistent with the same foul occurring beyond the line of scrimmage.
• All illegal kicks (beyond the line of scrimmage or after the ball returns behind the line) are now penalized the same as an illegal forward pass (five yards and loss of down).
• If the offense commits a live-ball penalty and the defense commits a dead-ball penalty on the last play of either half, the period will not be extended for an untimed down.
• Language referring to "butt, ram, or spear" with the helmet was combined under the umbrella of "impermissible uses of the helmet" and clarified legal incidental contact.

During the May Owners Meeting, the following bylaw and rule changes was made:

• Teams will now be able to have a third quarterback available on game days without occupying a roster spot. The third quarterback will be available if the team's first two quarterbacks are either injured or disqualified. If one of the two regular quarterbacks return to the game, the third will return to the bench unless both quarterbacks are again unavailable for the same reasons.
• On kickoffs, a fair catch made at or behind the 25 yard line will be awarded at the 25 yard line, mirroring the college football rule adopted in 2018.

Preseason

The majority of training camps opened on July 26. The preseason began on August 3 with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, in which Cleveland (represented in the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 by Joe Thomas) defeated the New York Jets (represented by Joe Klecko and Darrelle Revis).

Regular season

The season is planned to be played over an 18-week schedule beginning on September 7. Each of the league's 32 teams plays 17 games, with one bye week for each team. The regular season is scheduled to end on January 7, 2024; all games during the final weekend will be intra-division games, as it has been since 2010.

Each team plays the other three teams in its own division twice, one game against each of the four teams from a division in its own conference, one game against each of the four teams from a division in the other conference, one game against each of the remaining two teams in its conference that finished in the same position in their respective divisions the previous season (e.g., the team that finished fourth in its division would play all three other teams in its conference that also finished fourth in their divisions), and one game against a team in another division in the other conference that also finished in the same position in their respective division the previous season.

The division pairings for 2023 are as follows:

Four intra-conference games AFC East vs AFC West AFC North vs AFC South NFC East vs NFC West NFC North vs NFC South

Four interconference games AFC East vs NFC East AFC North vs NFC West AFC South vs NFC South AFC West vs NFC North

Interconference game by 2022 position NFC East at AFC West NFC North at AFC North NFC South at AFC East NFC West at AFC South

Highlights of the 2023 season are planned to include (unless otherwise noted), specific teams and kickoff times was announced on May 11, 2023:

• NFL Kickoff Game: The 2023 season began with the Kickoff Game on September 7 in primetime, with Detroit defeating defending Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City.
• NFL International Series: On May 10, the league announced a five-game international slate for 2023. Three games were played in London, England: Atlanta at Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium (marking the second year under a three-year deal in which Jacksonville will host a game at Wembley), on October 1, Jacksonville at Buffalo on October 8 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Baltimore at Tennessee on October 15 at Tottenham. The league also staged two games at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany, that marked the NFL's first games in the city: Miami at Kansas City on November 5 and Indianapolis at New England on November 12. All games were scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET starts. Jacksonville (twice), Baltimore, Kansas City, and Indianapolis won the games.
• Thanksgiving: As has been the case since 2006, three games are scheduled for Thursday, November 23, with Green Bay at Detroit and Washington at Dallas in the traditional afternoon doubleheader, and San Francisco at Seattle in the nightcap. As part of a new media agreement with Amazon Prime Video, this will be the first season that a game will be scheduled on the Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving: Miami at the New York Jets
• Christmas: Christmas Day, December 25, lands on a Monday. While the normal Sunday afternoon slate of games will still be played on Christmas Eve, the Sunday night game (New England at Denver) will instead air on NFL Network and NBC will broadcast a game on Saturday afternoon, December 23. Three games are then scheduled on Christmas Day: Las Vegas at Kansas City, the New York Giants at Philadelphia, and the regular Monday Night Football game: Baltimore at San Francisco.

Changes to flexible scheduling rules

As part of new media agreements that were signed by the networks in 2021, the league's flexible scheduling system expands this season to include Monday Night Football games, and increase the amount of cross-flexing (switching) of Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox. In May 2023, league owners then passed flex scheduling rules for Thursday Night Football as well, only as a trial basis for this season, and they would only carry over to 2024 if no TNF games are flexed in 2023.

In 2023, any Monday Night Football game can be flexed between weeks 12 and 17, provided that the league announces their rescheduling no later than 12 days before the contests. For Sunday Night Football, no more than three games may be flexed between weeks 5 and 14, while any game between weeks 15 to 17 can be flexed; the league must give weeks 5 to 13 SNF games a 12-day notice, and weeks 14 to 17 a 6-day notice. For Thursday Night Football, only two games may be flexed between weeks 13 and 17, teams cannot play two away TNF games during season, the same team cannot be flexed into TNF both times, and the league must give a 28-day notice.

CBS and Fox will still be able to protect games from being moved to another network. When the initial season schedule is created, the two networks can select a limited amount of games involving a specific number of teams from their respective conference. Otherwise every game can be initially scheduled on any network regardless of conference. After the season is underway, the two networks will be allowed to protect one game each week from getting flexed to another network.

Scheduling changes

Week 6: The Detroit–Tampa Bay game, originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET, was flexed to 4:25 p.m. ET, remaining on Fox.

Week 13: The Denver–Houston game was moved from 4:05 p.m. ET to 1:00 p.m. ET. In addition the Carolina–Tampa Bay game was moved from 1:00 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. ET both games remaining on CBS.

Week 15: Five games have been set aside to potentially be moved into an NFL Network tripleheader on Saturday, December 16: Atlanta–Carolina, Chicago–Cleveland, Denver–Detroit, Minnesota–Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh–Indianapolis. Of these games, three will be selected to play on that Saturday at 1:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 8:15 p.m. ET, while the remaining two will be scheduled as Thursday, Sunday or Monday games.

Week 18: All Week 18 games were initially listed with a kickoff time of "TBD". Two games with playoff implications are planned to be moved to a Saturday, January 6, doubleheader at either 4:30 p.m., and 8:15 p.m. ET on both ESPN and ABC. Another game with playoff implications will be selected as the final NBC Sunday Night Football game at 8:20 p.m. ET. All remaining games will then be scheduled on Sunday afternoon at either 1:00 or 4:25 p.m. ET on either CBS or Fox.

Regular season standings

Division

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Miami Dolphins	8	3	0	.727	3–1	6–2	339	251	W2
Buffalo Bills	6	6	0	.500	2–2	3–5	328	227	L1
New York Jets	4	7	0	.364	1–3	2–6	163	238	L4
New England Patriots	2	9	0	.182	2–2	2–4	148	248	L4

AFC North
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Baltimore Ravens	9	3	0	.750	3–2	6–3	324	187	W2
Pittsburgh Steelers	7	4	0	.636	3–1	5–3	182	205	W1
Cleveland Browns	7	4	0	.636	3–2	5–3	239	209	L1
Cincinnati Bengals	5	6	0	.455	0–4	1–6	212	242	L3

AFC South
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Jacksonville Jaguars	8	3	0	.727	4–1	6–2	254	225	W2
Indianapolis Colts	6	5	0	.545	2–2	4–3	269	268	W3
Houston Texans	6	5	0	.545	1–2	3–3	259	232	L1
Tennessee Titans	4	7	0	.364	0–2	2–5	185	224	W1

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Kansas City Chiefs	8	3	0	.727	3–1	6–1	256	181	W1
Denver Broncos	6	5	0	.545	1–2	3–4	246	280	W5
Las Vegas Raiders	5	7	0	.417	1–2	3–5	202	256	L2
Los Angeles Chargers	4	7	0	.364	1–1	2–4	269	258	L3

NFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Philadelphia Eagles	10	1	0	.909	3–0	6–0	310	246	W5
Dallas Cowboys	8	3	0	.727	3–1	5–3	347	185	W3
New York Giants	4	8	0	.333	2–2	3–4	159	292	W2
Washington Commanders	4	8	0	.333	0–5	2–7	246	350	L3

NFC North
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Detroit Lions	8	3	0	.727	2–1	5–2	294	258	L1
Minnesota Vikings	6	5	0	.545	2–0	6–2	253	230	L1
Green Bay Packers	5	6	0	.455	2–2	4–3	231	224	W2
Chicago Bears	3	8	0	.273	0–3	2–5	230	286	L1

NFC South
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Atlanta Falcons	5	6	0	.455	3–0	4–4	213	232	W1
New Orleans Saints	5	6	0	.455	1–2	2–4	229	222	L2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4	7	0	.364	1–1	3–4	212	227	L2
Carolina Panthers	1	10	0	.091	0–2	0–7	173	292	L4

NFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
San Francisco 49ers	8	3	0	.727	3–0	6–1	310	170	W3
Seattle Seahawks	6	5	0	.545	1–3	5–3	229	249	L2
Los Angeles Rams	5	6	0	.455	4–1	4–4	232	234	W2
Arizona Cardinals	2	10	0	.167	0–4	2–6	206	321	L2

Conference

AFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Baltimore Ravens	North	9	3	0	.750	3–2	6–3	.504	.470	W2
2	Kansas City Chiefs	West	8	3	0	.727	3–1	6–1	.557	.494	W1
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	8	3	0	.727	4–1	6–2	.549	.506	W2
4	Miami Dolphins	East	8	3	0	.727	3–1	6–2	.419	.311	W2
Wild cards
5	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	7	4	0	.636	3–1	5–3	.561	.506	W1
6	Cleveland Browns	North	7	4	0	.636	3–2	5–3	.556	.519	L1
7	Indianapolis Colts	South	6	5	0	.545	2–2	4–3	.484	.388	W3
In the hunt
8	Houston Texans	South	6	5	0	.545	1–2	3–3	.488	.463	L1
9	Denver Broncos	West	6	5	0	.545	1–2	3–4	.516	.522	W5
10	Buffalo Bills	East	6	6	0	.500	2–2	3–5	.474	.420	L1
11	Cincinnati Bengals	North	5	6	0	.455	0–4	1–6	.552	.474	L3
12	Las Vegas Raiders	West	5	7	0	.417	1–2	3–5	.485	.375	L2
13	Los Angeles Chargers	West	4	7	0	.364	1–1	2–4	.553	.400	L3
14	Tennessee Titans	South	4	7	0	.364	0–2	2–5	.500	.341	W1
15	New York Jets	East	4	7	0	.364	1–3	2–6	.536	.565	L4
16	New England Patriots	East	2	9	0	.182	2–2	2–4	.544	.435	L4
Tiebreakers
Legend
w — Clinched wild card
x — Clinched playoff berth
y — Clinched division
z — Clinched first-round bye and home-field advantage

NFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Philadelphia Eagles	East	10	1	0	.909	3–0	6–0	.476	.487	W5
2	San Francisco 49ers	West	8	3	0	.727	3–0	6–1	.504	.489	W3
3	Detroit Lions	North	8	3	0	.727	2–1	5–2	.447	.393	L1
4	Atlanta Falcons	South	5	6	0	.455	3–0	4–4	.431	.382	W1
Wild cards
5	Dallas Cowboys	East	8	3	0	.727	3–1	5–3	.384	.308	W3
6	Minnesota Vikings	North	6	5	0	.545	2–0	6–2	.488	.409	L1
7	Seattle Seahawks	West	6	5	0	.545	1–3	5–3	.464	.377	L2
In the hunt
8	Green Bay Packers	North	5	6	0	.455	2–2	4–3	.508	.455	W2
9	Los Angeles Rams	West	5	6	0	.455	4–1	4–4	.528	.386	W2
10	New Orleans Saints	South	5	6	0	.455	1–2	2–4	.413	.291	L2
11	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	4	7	0	.364	1–1	3–4	.549	.409	L2
12	New York Giants	East	4	8	0	.333	2–2	3–4	.474	.255	W2
13	Washington Commanders	East	4	8	0	.333	0–5	2–7	.485	.333	L3
14	Chicago Bears	North	3	8	0	.273	0–3	2–5	.455	.286	L1
15	Arizona Cardinals	West	2	10	0	.167	0–4	2–6	.533	.591	L2
16	Carolina Panthers	South	1	10	0	.091	0–2	0–7	.537	.545	L4
Tiebreakers
Legend
w — Clinched wild card
x — Clinched playoff berth
y — Clinched division
z — Clinched first-round bye and home-field advantage

Postseason

The 2023 playoffs are scheduled to begin with the wild-card round, with three wild-card games played in each conference. Wild Card Weekend is planned for January 13–15, 2024. In the Divisional round, scheduled for January 20–21, the top seed in the conference will play the lowest remaining seed and the other two remaining teams will play each other. The winners of those games will advance to the Conference Championship games scheduled for January 28. Super Bowl LVIII is scheduled for February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

Records, milestones, and notable statistics

Week 1

• Tyreek Hill set the record for most games with at least 200 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, with three. He shared the previous record of two with nine other players.
• Aaron Rodgers passed Dan Marino and tied John Elway for sixth place in wins by a starting quarterback.

Week 2

• Puka Nacua set the record for most receptions in a game by a rookie, with 15. The previous record of 14 was shared by four players.
• Nacua also became the first rookie to record at least ten catches and 100 receiving yards in each of his team's first two games of the season.
• Nacua also set the record for most receptions in a player's first two games of his career, with 25. The previous record of 19 was held by Earl Cooper.
• Travis Kelce passed Shannon Sharpe for fourth place in most receptions made by a tight end.
• C. J. Stroud set the Super Bowl Era record for most yards thrown by a rookie in his first two starts, with 626.
• Russell Wilson became the first player to reach 40,000 passing yards and 5,000 rushing yards.
• Wilson also became the third quarterback to reach 5,000 rushing yards, joining Michael Vick and Cam Newton.

Week 3

• Matt Gay became the first player to kick four field goals of at least 50 yards in a game.
• Keenan Allen set the record for most receptions in a game by a player who also had a passing touchdown, with 18. The previous record of 12 was shared by Tarik Cohen and Jerry Rice.
• Patrick Mahomes became the fastest player to reach 25,000 passing yards, doing so in 83 games. The previous record of 90 games was held by Matthew Stafford.
• Jalen Hurts set the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first 50 games, with 29. The previous record of 28 was held by Cam Newton.
• Sam LaPorta set the record for most receptions by a tight end in the first three games of his career, with 18. The previous record of 17 was held by Keith Jackson.
• LaPorta also became the first tight end to record at least five receptions in each of his first three career games.
• The Miami Dolphins became the third team to score 70 points in a game, joining the 1950 Los Angeles Rams and the 1966 Washington Redskins.
• Miami became the second team to record 700 yards of offense in a game, joining the 1951 Los Angeles Rams.
• Miami became the first team to record five rushing touchdowns and five passing touchdowns in the same game.

Week 4

• C. J. Stroud became the first player to have at least 1,200 passing yards and no interceptions in the first four games of his career.
• Khalil Mack tied the record for most career games with at least five sacks, with two. He shares the record with Derrick Thomas.
• Puka Nacua set the record for most receptions in a player's first four games of his career, with 39. The previous record of 30 was held by Anquan Boldin.
• Nacua also set the record for most receiving yards in a player's first four games of his career, with 501.
• Nacua also became the second player with at least 100 receiving yards in three of his first four career games, joining Harlon Hill.

Week 5

• C. J. Stroud set the record for most pass attempts without an interception to start his career, ultimately with 191. The previous record of 176 was held by Dak Prescott.
• The Miami Dolphins set the record for most total yards in the first five games of the season, with 2,568. The previous record of 2,527 was held by the 2000 St. Louis Rams.

Week 7

• Dustin Hopkins became the first player to make a field goal of at least 50 yards in five consecutive games.
• Patrick Mahomes became the fastest player to record ten games with at least 400 passing yards, doing so in 87 games. The previous record of 90 games was held by Dan Marino.
• Travis Kelce became the first tight end to record five games with at least ten receptions and 150 receiving yards.
• Myles Garrett set the record for most sacks recorded before a player's 28th birthday, with 82. The previous record of 80 was held by Reggie White.
• Puka Nacua set the record for most receptions by a player in the first seven games of his career, with 58. The previous record of 49 was held by Saquon Barkley.
• Bill Belichick became the third head coach to win 300 games, joining Don Shula and George Halas.

Week 8

• Austin Ekeler became the seventh player to have 30 rushing touchdowns and 30 receiving touchdowns in career.
• DeAndre Hopkins tied the record by catching the first career touchdown pass thrown by from most different passers, with four. He shares the record with Joey Galloway and Marvin Harrison.
• Will Levis tied the record for most touchdown passes thrown in player's first NFL game, with four. He shares the record with Marcus Mariota and Fran Tarkenton.
• Tyreek Hill set the Super Bowl era record for most receiving yards through the first eight games of a season, with 1,014. The previous record of 978 yards was held by Torry Holt.

Week 9

• C. J. Stroud set the record for most passing yards in a game by a rookie, with 470. The previous record of 453 was held by Marc Bulger.
• Stroud also tied the record for most passing touchdowns in a game by a rookie, with five. He shares the record with five other players.
• Stroud also became the first rookie to have at least 400 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and no interceptions in a game.
• A. J. Cole III set the record for gross punt average in a game, with 63.6 yards. The previous record of 63.0 yards was held by Andy Lee.
• Taysom Hill became the first player in the Super Bowl era to have at least ten touchdowns passing, rushing, and receiving in his career.
• Joshua Dobbs became the first player to have three touchdowns in back-to-back weeks while playing for different teams.
• Brandon Aubrey set the record for most consecutive field goals made without a miss to start his career, with 19. The previous record of 18 was held by Travis Coons.
• All four teams in the AFC North had a record of at least two games above .500 after this week concluded, marking the first time all four teams in one division were two games or more above .500 after Week 9 since the 2002 divisional realignment.

Week 10

• C. J. Stroud became the second rookie to pass for 800 yards in a two-game span, joining Cam Newton.
• Stroud also tied the record for most games with at least 350 passing yards by a rookie, with three. He shares the record with Newton and Andrew Luck.
• Justin Herbert set the record for most passing yards in a player's first four seasons, currently with 16,438. The previous record of 16,418 was held by Dan Marino.
• CeeDee Lamb became the first wide receiver since at least 1950 to have at least ten receptions, 150 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown, and a rushing touchdown in the same game.
• Six games ended with game-winning field goals as time expired, setting a record for one week.

Week 11

• Josh Allen set the record for most total touchdowns in a player's first six seasons, currently with 205. The previous record of 204 was held by Patrick Mahomes.
• Tyreek Hill became the first player in the Super Bowl era to have at least 1,200 receiving yards in his team's first ten games of a season.
• Jalen Hurts set the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first four seasons, currently with 35. The previous record of 33 was held by Cam Newton.
• Hurts also tied the record for the most career games with two or more rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with ten. He shares the record with Newton.

Week 12

• DaRon Bland set the record for most interception return touchdowns in a season, with five. The previous record of four was shared by Eric Allen, Ken Houston, and Jim Kearney.

Awards

Players of the Week/Month

The following were named the top performers during the 2023 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
1	Tua Tagovailoa QB (Miami)	Brandon Aiyuk WR (San Francisco)	Jordan Whitehead S (New York Jets)	Jessie Bates S (Atlanta)	Xavier Gipson WR (New York Jets)	Jake Elliott K (Philadelphia)
2	Josh Allen QB (Buffalo)	D'Andre Swift RB (Philadelphia)	Alex Highsmith LB (Pittsburgh)	Micah Parsons LB (Dallas)	Nick Folk K (Tennessee)	Jake Camarda P (Tampa Bay)
3	De’Von Achane RB (Miami)	Kenneth Walker III RB (Seattle)	Terrel Bernard LB (Buffalo)	Aidan Hutchinson DE (Detroit)	Matt Gay K (Indianapolis)	Matt Prater K (Arizona)
Sept.	Tua Tagovailoa QB (Miami)	Christian McCaffrey RB (San Francisco)	T. J. Watt LB (Pittsburgh)	Micah Parsons LB (Dallas)	Tyler Bass K (Buffalo)	Jake Camarda P (Tampa Bay)
4	Josh Allen QB (Buffalo)	Christian McCaffrey RB (San Francisco)	Khalil Mack OLB (Los Angeles Chargers)	Devon Witherspoon CB (Seattle)	Brandon McManus K (Jacksonville)	Jake Elliott K (Philadelphia)
5	Ja'Marr Chase WR (Cincinnati)	D. J. Moore WR (Chicago)	Maxx Crosby DE (Las Vegas)	Fred Warner MLB (San Francisco)	Greg Zuerlein K (New York Jets)	Blake Grupe K (New Orleans)
6	Raheem Mostert RB (Miami)	Jared Goff QB (Detroit)	Blake Cashman LB (Houston)	Jordan Hicks LB (Minnesota)	Dustin Hopkins K (Cleveland)	Jamison Crowder WR (Washington)
7	Lamar Jackson QB (Baltimore)	A. J. Brown WR (Philadelphia)	Myles Garrett DE (Cleveland)	Camryn Bynum S (Minnesota)	Dustin Hopkins K (Cleveland)	Younghoe Koo K (Atlanta)
8	Joe Burrow QB (Cincinnati)	Jalen Hurts QB (Philadelphia)	Justin Simmons S (Denver)	Frankie Luvu LB (Carolina)	Thomas Morstead P (New York Jets)	Brandon Aubrey K (Dallas)
Oct.	Tyreek Hill WR (Miami)	A. J. Brown WR (Philadelphia)	Quincy Williams LB (New York Jets)	Danielle Hunter LB (Minnesota)	Brandon McManus K (Jacksonville)	Brandon Aubrey K (Dallas)
9	C. J. Stroud QB (Houston)	Joshua Dobbs QB (Minnesota)	Kenny Moore II CB (Indianapolis)	Paulson Adebo CB (New Orleans)	Derius Davis WR (Los Angeles Chargers)	Tress Way P (Washington)
10	Devin Singletary RB (Houston)	CeeDee Lamb WR (Dallas)	Robert Spillane LB (Las Vegas)	Nick Bosa DL (San Francisco)	Marvin Mims WR (Denver)	Jason Myers K (Seattle)
11	Trevor Lawrence QB (Jacksonville)	Brock Purdy QB (San Francisco)	Jalen Ramsey CB (Miami)	DaRon Bland CB (Dallas)	Reggie Gilliam FB (Buffalo)	Ethan Evans P (Los Angeles Rams)
12
Nov.

Week FedEx Air Player of the Week FedEx Ground Player of the Week Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week 1 Tua Tagovailoa (Miami) Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco) Xavier Gipson WR (New York Jets) 2 Geno Smith (Seattle) Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco) Puka Nacua WR (Los Angeles Rams) 3 Tua Tagovailoa (Miami) De’Von Achane (Miami) De’Von Achane RB (Miami) 4 Josh Allen (Buffalo) Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco) Puka Nacua WR (Los Angeles Rams) 5 Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) Breece Hall (New York Jets) De’Von Achane RB (Miami) 6 Jared Goff (Detroit) Raheem Mostert (Miami) Byron Young LB (Los Angeles Rams) 7 Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) D'Onta Foreman (Chicago) Puka Nacua WR (Los Angeles Rams) 8 Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia) Gus Edwards (Baltimore) Will Levis QB (Tennessee) 9 C. J. Stroud (Houston) Keaton Mitchell (Baltimore) C. J. Stroud QB (Houston) 10 Dak Prescott (Dallas) Devin Singletary (Houston) C. J. Stroud QB (Houston) 11 Brock Purdy (San Francisco) Jaylen Warren (Pittsburgh) Tommy DeVito QB (New York Giants) 12

Month	Rookie of the Month
	Offensive	Defensive
Sept.	C. J. Stroud QB (Houston)	Christian Gonzalez CB (New England)
Oct.	Jordan Addison WR (Minnesota)	Devon Witherspoon CB (Seattle)
Nov.

Notable events

Sale of the Washington Commanders

Josh Harris led a group that bought the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder for $6.05 billion.

After mounting pressure from other league owners to sell the franchise, Daniel Snyder hired BofA Securities to explore possible transactions in November 2022. In May 2023, he reached an agreement to sell the Commanders to an investment group led by Josh Harris, owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL's New Jersey Devils, for $6.05 billion. The group has 20 limited partners worth a combined $100 billion, including Mitchell Rales and Magic Johnson. The sale was the highest price ever paid for a sports team and was unanimously approved by the NFL on July 20, 2023.

Gambling suspensions

On April 21, the NFL suspended three players indefinitely (Detroit wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C. J. Moore, and Washington defensive end Shaka Toney), and two players for six games (Detroit wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill) for violations of the league's gambling policy. Detroit later released Cephus and Moore.

On June 29, the NFL suspended three additional players indefinitely (Indianapolis cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and linebacker Rashod Berry, and free agent defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor) for betting on league games in 2022. The league also suspended Tennessee offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere for six games for violating the league's gambling policy by betting on non-NFL sports while at team facilities. On July 24, Denver defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike was suspended indefinitely for violating the policy.

On September 29, the NFL revised the gambling policy. Betting on NFL games will incur a minimum ban of one year, providing inside information will incur an indefinite ban with a one year minimum, and match fixing or attempted match fixing will result in a lifetime ban. The penalties for betting on other sports at NFL facilities were reduced to a two-game ban for first-time offenders, a six-game ban for second-time offenders, and a minimum one year ban for further infractions. This resulted in Williams and Petit-Frere being immediately reinstated.

All players suspended indefinitely are allowed to apply for reinstatement after the 2023 season.

Head coaching and front office changes

Head coaches

Off-season

Team	Departing coach	Interim coach	Incoming coach	Reason for leaving	Notes
Arizona Cardinals	Kliff Kingsbury		Jonathan Gannon	Fired	Kingsbury was fired on January 9, after four seasons with the Cardinals. During his tenure, the team was 28–37–1 (.432), with one playoff appearance and no playoff wins. Gannon, who spent the previous two seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator, was hired on February 14. This is his first head coaching position at any level.
Carolina Panthers	Matt Rhule	Steve Wilks	Frank Reich		After a 1–4 start, Rhule was fired on October 10, 2022, after more than two seasons with the team. During his tenure, the Panthers were 11–27 (.289) with no playoff appearances. Wilks, the team's defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach, took over as interim coach. This is his second NFL head coaching position, having previously been the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for one season. Reich was hired on January 26. As the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2022, he compiled a record of 40–33–1 (.547), with two playoff appearances and a 1–2 (.333) playoff record.
Denver Broncos	Nathaniel Hackett	Jerry Rosburg	Sean Payton		Hackett was fired on December 26, 2022, after a 4–11 (.267) tenure, missing the playoffs in his only partial season with the team. Rosburg, the team's senior assistant to the head coach, was named interim head coach. This is his first head coaching position; he previously served as the Baltimore Ravens special team coordinator for eleven seasons. Payton was hired on February 3. In fifteen seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he compiled an overall record of 152–89 (.631), with nine playoff appearances, seven NFC South division titles, and a Super Bowl championship. He was the AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2006.
Houston Texans	Lovie Smith		DeMeco Ryans		Smith was fired on January 8 after one season, compiling a record of 3–13–1 (.206) and missing the playoffs. Ryans was hired on January 31. A former Texans linebacker and defensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers since 2017, this is his first NFL head coaching position.
Indianapolis Colts	Frank Reich	Jeff Saturday	Shane Steichen		Reich was fired on November 7, 2022, after starting the season 3–5–1 (.389). In 5+ seasons with the Colts, Reich was 40–33–1 (.547), with 2 wild card playoff appearances and a playoff record of 1–2 (.333). Saturday, a 6-time Pro Bowler who played thirteen seasons as a center in the NFL (twelve of them for the Colts), and consultant for the team, was named interim head coach. His only previous coaching experience at any level was for Hebron Christian Academy in Dacula, Georgia. Steichen, who spent the previous two seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator, was hired on February 14. This is his first head coaching position at any level.

In-season

Team	Departing coach	Reason for leaving	Interim replacement	Notes
Las Vegas Raiders	Josh McDaniels	Fired	Antonio Pierce	After a 3–5 start, McDaniels was fired on October 31 after one and a half seasons with the team. During his tenure, the Raiders were 9–16 (.360) with no playoff appearances. Pierce, the team's linebackers coach, was promoted to interim head coach. This is his first head coaching position.

Front office personnel

Off-season

Team	Position	Departing office holder	Reason for leaving	Interim replacement	Incoming office holder	Notes
Arizona Cardinals	General manager	Steve Keim	Resigned	—	Monti Ossenfort	Keim stepped down on January 9 for health-related reasons. He had served as the Cardinals' GM for 10 seasons. Ossenfort was hired on January 16. He was previously the Tennessee Titans' director of player personnel from 2020–2022.
Chicago Bears	President	Ted Phillips	Retired		Kevin Warren	Phillips retired after the 2022 season, after 24 seasons as the Bears' president. Warren was hired on January 12. He was previously the Big Ten Commissioner from 2020 to 2023.
Tennessee Titans	General manager	Jon Robinson	Fired	Ryan Cowden	Ran Carthon	Robinson was fired on December 6, 2022, after more than six seasons as the Titans' GM, despite a relatively successful tenure with the Titans, including two AFC South titles, four playoff appearances, and an AFC Championship appearance in 2019. Cowden, the team's vice president of player personnel, served as interim GM for the rest of the season. Carthon was hired on January 18. He had been in management positions with several teams since 2008, after playing two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts from 2004 to 2006. His most recent position was as the San Francisco 49ers' director of pro/player personnel since 2017.

In-season

Team	Position	Departing office holder	Reason for leaving	Interim replacement	Notes
Las Vegas Raiders	General manager	Dave Ziegler	Fired	Champ Kelly	After a 3–5 start, Ziegler was fired on October 31 after one and a half seasons with the team. During his tenure, the Raiders were 9–16 (.360) with no playoff appearances. Kelly, the team's assistant general manager, will serve as interim GM for the rest of the season.

Stadiums

• On April 13, Cleveland announced the team and FirstEnergy Corp agreed to end their stadium naming rights agreement following the company's involvement in the Ohio nuclear bribery scandal. FirstEnergy Stadium returned to its original name, Cleveland Browns Stadium, which was used from 1999 to 2012. The naming-rights agreement was set to expire in 2029.
• On June 23, Jacksonville announced that TIAA Bank Field, the team's home stadium, would be renamed EverBank Stadium prior to the start of the season following a rebrand of the bank.

Uniforms

Uniform changes

Several NFL teams switched to using Nike’s new Vapor F.U.S.E uniform template, this after Seattle had a brief trial run during the 2020 season.

• Arizona introduced a new uniform design for 2023. The new designs feature simplified uniform striping. The previous color scheme was retained with silver added as an accent color. A large "Arizona" word mark was added above the numbers on the home uniform. The home uniform's numbers are accented with a silver outline and forgoes a sleeve pattern included on the alternate and away jerseys. The away uniform is white with red numbers that are outlined with black trim, and red and silver stripes along the pants and sleeves. The alternate uniform is black with red numbers outlined in silver. Arizona's primary helmet was modified to feature silver facemasks, silver reflective flakes on the shell, and a larger logo.
• Carolina adjusted the team's shade of blue. The team will retain its preexisting uniform design otherwise, with a modification to the jersey's shoulder stripes.
• Indianapolis implemented a new alternate uniform dubbed "Indiana Nights." The design features a heather fabric pattern displayed on blue jerseys and blue pants with white numbers outlined in black. A new black helmet accompanies the uniform.
• Minnesota introduced a new throwback uniform similar to the design worn during the 1960s and 1970s. The helmet will be modified to include a gray facemask in place of the team's standard black facemask, and will feature an altered logo to more closely resemble the era's design. They will be worn for two games.
• The New York Jets will debut a throwback uniform dubbed "Legacy White" inspired by a former design worn by the team from 1978–1989. The uniform will be featured in two home games.
• Philadelphia reinstated its Kelly green throwback uniforms for the 2023 season. This iteration is modeled after the set worn from 1985 to 1995 and will be worn for two games. The Eagles last featured Kelly green uniforms during the 2010 season.
• Seattle will reintroduce its 1990s era uniforms as a part of the "NFL's classic uniform program" during the 2023 season. They will be worn for two games. The throwback combination replaces Seattle's grey alternate due to NFL rules limiting teams to a maximum of four uniforms.
• Tampa Bay reinstated the orange throwback "creamsicle" uniforms worn from 1976–1996. The team intended to wear the design during the 2022 season but delayed its reintroduction until 2023, citing supply chain issues. The team wore this design for one game and for the first time since the 2012 season.
• Tennessee will wear a Houston Oilers-era uniform based on their design from 1981 to 1998 for two home games. This design replaces Tennessee's light blue uniform as the team's alternate. The Titans last wore Oilers uniforms in 2009.

Alternate helmets

• Cleveland introduced a white helmet with an orange and brown center stripe. The helmet will be worn with the team's 1946 throwback uniforms, which were previously introduced in 2021. It will be worn for three games.
• Denver will wear a white alternate helmet adorned with decals based on the team logo introduced in 1968. The helmet's decals and stripes are similar to the ones used with Denver's 2016 "Color Rush" combination. The helmet will be paired with those uniforms.
• Detroit introduced an alternate helmet. The helmet's shell is Honolulu blue and features decals based on the team logo used from 1961 to 1969. The helmet will be paired with Detroit's all-grey alternate uniform.
• Indianapolis revealed a new helmet worn with the aforementioned "Indiana Nights" alternate uniform. The helmet's shell is black and includes the team logo outlined in white.
• Minnesota will pair the throwback uniform listed above with a helmet featuring a deeper purple hue reminiscent of the era in which the uniform was inspired.
• Philadelphia will pair the throwback uniform listed above with the helmet of that era: a Kelly green shell with silver eagle wing decals outlined in white and a gray facemask. This will replace the black helmet used with the team's black alternate uniform the previous season.
• Seattle will pair the throwback uniform listed above with the classic silver helmet featuring the original team logo.
• Tampa Bay will pair the throwback uniform listed above with the classic white helmet featuring the franchise's original mascot, Bucco Bruce.
• Tennessee will pair the throwback uniform listed above with the classic white helmet featuring the famed Houston Oilers oil derrick logo.

Patches

• Starting in Week 6, Chicago will feature a patch that commemorates Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, who died on October 5.
• Cleveland will feature a patch that commemorates Hall of Famer Jim Brown, who died on May 18.
• Detroit will feature a patch that commemorates their 90th season in the city.
• Indianapolis will wear a patch that commemorates the team's 40th season in the city during their home opener.
• Kansas City will wear a patch honoring team founder Lamar Hunt's late wife Norma Knobel Hunt who died on June 4. The patch displays her "NKH" initials and will be worn for the entirety of the season.
• Minnesota will accompany their throwback uniform with a patch honoring their late former head coach Bud Grant, who died earlier in the year. The patch features Grant's signature and will be worn for two games. The patch's design will be featured as a decal on the team's helmet throughout the rest of the season.
• Teams playing on Thanksgiving Day wore a commemorative patch honoring Hall of Famer John Madden.

Media

National

New media contracts

This is the first season under 11-year U.S. media rights agreements with CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN/ABC, renewing their existing regular season AFC, NFC, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football packages, respectively, through the 2033 season. The contracts keep CBS, NBC, and ESPN's digital rights to stream their respective live games on their respective paid over-the-top subscription streaming platforms, Paramount+, Peacock, and ESPN+ (Fox does not have a dedicated paid streaming platform). Fox, NBC, and ESPN may continue to offer Spanish-language versions of their games on their respective Spanish-language outlets Fox Deportes, Telemundo Deportes, and ESPN Deportes (CBS does not have a specific platform for Spanish-language sports content, although it may continue to sub-license Spanish-language rights of its Super Bowl coverage). Changes beginning this regular season include the following:

• Flexible scheduling has been expanded to include Monday Night Football, and increase the amount of "cross-flexing" (switching) Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox. When the initial schedule is created, CBS and Fox will be able to specify a limited amount of games involving teams from their respective conference that they want to air, but otherwise the league will be free to schedule games regardless of conference. CBS and Fox will then also be able to protect one game each per week from getting flexed into another network (see § Changes to flexible scheduling rules above).
• There will be three weeks featuring two Monday Night Football games split between ABC and ESPN, expanding from one in the 2022 season.
• NBC will exclusively stream one national regular season game on Peacock per season. Like other games exclusively on cable or streamed online, it will also be made available on over-the-air television stations in each participating team's local market.
• Fox will air national Christmas Day games as the schedule permits.

Other media rights

Linear television

On September 18, as part of schedule changes relating to the then-ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, ESPN announced that all remaining Monday Night Football games in the 2023 season would be simulcast by ABC (excluding weeks with two games split exclusively between ABC and ESPN). It will be the first time since 2005 ABC has aired a full season of MNF.

NFL Network will continue to televise select regular season games, including four International Series games and four late-season games.

The 2023 season will be the second season of scheduling three games on Christmas Day, consisting of an afternoon doubleheader split between CBS and Fox, and that week's Monday Night Football contest. This Monday Night Football game will only exclusively air on ABC due to ESPN's coverage of NBA Christmas games. CBS's game will also feature a youth-oriented broadcast on sister network Nickelodeon for the second consecutive year. With New Year's Day falling on a Monday this season, the Monday Night Football game that weekend will be played on Saturday, December 30, in deference to the New Year's Day college football bowl games.

Streaming

This is the second season of a 12-year deal with Amazon Prime Video and Twitch to exclusively stream Thursday Night Football. For 2023, flex scheduling has also been expanded to Thursday Night Football on a one year trial. In addition, Thursday Night Football will add a game the Friday afternoon after Thanksgiving; unlike the other TNF games, whose free broadcasts are exclusive to sister live streaming platform Twitch, this game will also be carried for free within the main Amazon Prime Video platform.

This was the second season that ESPN+ exclusively streamed one International Series game. The game featured a youth-oriented alternate broadcast on ESPN+ and Disney+, using the league's player tracking data to render a live animated version of the game portrayed by characters from the Toy Story franchise.

The league's streaming service NFL+ adds live access to NFL Network on its base tier and NFL RedZone on its premium tier. The service will continue to live stream in-market regular season and postseason games on mobile devices only, radio broadcasts for all games, and most out-of-market preseason games on its base tier; and replays of all games and coaches film on its premium tier.

Postseason

Three of the Wild Card games will be aired by NBC this season, holding rights to the Saturday afternoon game under its annual rotation with CBS and Fox since 2020, the Sunday night game under the third year of a separate seven-year deal, and the Saturday night game—which will be streamed exclusively by Peacock under a one-year, $110 million deal. This will mark the first time that an NFL playoff game is carried exclusively by a streaming platform outside of the participating teams' markets. ESPN will be entering its third year of their five-year deal for the Monday night Wild Card game, and the remaining two Sunday afternoon games will be carried by CBS and Fox.

The four broadcast television partners will now each air one divisional playoff game per season. ESPN/ABC takes over the slot that was previously rotated between CBS and Fox.

CBS will televise Super Bowl LVIII; in the annual rotation of Super Bowl broadcasters, they will be followed by Fox, NBC, and ABC—who returns to the Super Bowl rotation for the first time since Super Bowl XL. In May 2023, CBS announced that it had sub-licensed the Spanish-language rights for Super Bowl LVIII to TelevisaUnivision, replacing ESPN Deportes, who held the agreement for the three previous Super Bowl games aired by CBS. For the first time, an alternate broadcast will also be produced for the Super Bowl, with CBS planning to produce a youth-oriented broadcast for Nickelodeon.

NFL Sunday Ticket

For residential customers in the United States, this is the first season that the NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market sports package will exclusively be on YouTube TV, as well as on YouTube's Primetime Channels service as a standalone subscription option. DirecTV declined to renew its exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, which it held since the package's debut in 1994. YouTube TV will stream NFL RedZone instead of producing a separate version like DirectTV did.

On March 28, 2023, the NFL announced that the commercial rights to Sunday Ticket would be held by EverPass Media, a new company funded by RedBird Capital and the NFL's venture capital arm 32 Equity. EverPass distributes NFL Sunday Ticket to bars, restaurants, and other commercial venues via non-exclusive agreements with existing cable and satellite providers. EverPass reached its first agreement with DirecTV on May 25, 2023.

Radio

This is the second season of the NFL's current radio contract with Westwood One, including rights to all primetime, marquee, and playoff games, along with audio coverage of other events such as the NFL Draft and NFL Honors.

Compass Media, ESPN Radio, and Sports USA will continue to broadcast select Sunday afternoon games nationally on radio.

Personnel changes

Greg Gumbel retired from working NFL games on CBS after the 2022 season. CBS replaced Gumbel on its roster of announcing teams with Chris Lewis, who was assigned to the number 7 broadcasting team with Jason McCourty and Ross Tucker. Other changes include Andrew Catalon being promoted to the number 4 team to replace Gumbel, joined by Atlanta Falcons legend Matt Ryan and Tiki Barber, Spero Dedes reuniting with Adam Archuleta on the number 5 team, and Tom McCarthy moving to the number 6 team with James Lofton and Jay Feely. Recently retired defensive end J. J. Watt joined The NFL Today studio team for select appearances.

ESPN replaced Steve Levy with Chris Fowler on the number 2 team with Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and Laura Rutledge during Monday Night Football doubleheaders and ESPN+ exclusive international games. Scott Van Pelt replaced Suzy Kolber as host of Monday Night Countdown, where Steve Young and Booger McFarland were replaced by NFL Live's Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark.

Most watched regular season games

All times Eastern.

Rank	Date	Matchup			TV Network(s)	Streaming	Viewers (millions)	TV rating	Window	Significance
1	November 20, 8:15 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles	21–17	Kansas City Chiefs	ESPN/ABC/ ESPN2	ESPN+	29.0	14.9	MNF	Super Bowl LVII rematch
2	November 5, 4:25 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	23–28	Philadelphia Eagles	Fox	None	27.1	13.3	Late DH (91%)	Cowboys–Eagles rivalry
3	October 15, 4:25 p.m.	Philadelphia Eagles	14–20	New York Jets			26.1	12.8	Late DH (63%)
4	October 29, 4:25 p.m.	Cincinnati Bengals	31–17	San Francisco 49ers	CBS	Paramount+	26.1	12.9	Late DH (72%)
5	September 17, 4:25 p.m.	New York Jets	10–30	Dallas Cowboys			25.8	12.8	Late DH (90%)
6	October 1, 8:20 p.m.	Kansas City Chiefs	23–20	New York Jets	NBC	Peacock	24.8	12.9	SNF
7	September 7, 8:20 p.m.	Detroit Lions	21–20	Kansas City Chiefs			24.8	13.0	Kickoff	NFL Kickoff Game
8	October 22, 4:25 p.m.	Los Angeles Chargers	17–31	Kansas City Chiefs	CBS	Paramount+	24.4	12.3	Late DH (88%)	Chargers–Chiefs rivalry
9	September 24, 4:25 p.m.	Chicago Bears	10–41	Kansas City Chiefs	Fox	None	24.3	12.0	Late DH (67%)
10	October 8, 8:20 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	10–42	San Francisco 49ers	NBC	Peacock	24.3	12.1	SNF	49ers–Cowboys rivalry

• DH = doubleheader; Single = singleheader; SNF = Sunday Night Football; MNF = Monday Night Football; TNF = Thursday Night Football.
• Singleheader game times may vary between 1:00 or 4:05 p.m. ET, thus the time listed on those games is based on the game viewed in the highest percentage of markets.
• TV networks include those Spanish network broadcasts through Telemundo, Universo, ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, and SAP.

International

On February 7, 2023, the NFL announced a new deal with DAZN to become the worldwide rightsholder of its NFL Game Pass streaming service outside of the U.S. and China. DAZN had already held the rights to Game Pass and Sunday Ticket in Canada.

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will continue to broadcast two selected non-national games live every Sunday, one early and one late window game respectively. The Sky Sports Mix channel will continue to air a live simulcast of NFL Network’s NFL RedZone whip-around show. Sky Sports will also continue to broadcast every Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football (including doubleheaders) and Thursday Night Football game live.