2022 NFL Schedule: Release Date, Team-by-Team Opponents and More

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The Los Angeles Rams went all-in last season, acquiring Matthew Stafford, Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller, and the efforts paid off when they captured the Super Bowl LVI title in February.

Now, amid an offseason of whirlwind player movement around the NFL as teams try to follow the Rams' aggressive model, the league will release the schedule for its 2022 regular season Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.

It's the second year of each team playing a 17-game slate. This season it's the NFC teams that will benefit from playing an extra home game after AFC squads held that edge in 2021.

Each team's opponents are already known, so the schedule release simply puts the games in order and highlights which matchups will be featured in prime time. A few matchups have already been announced, including this year's International Series schedule.

Below you'll find a list of the foes each team will face this season. That's followed by a closer look at some of the top stories ahead of the 2022 campaign.

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Team-by-Team Opponents

Arizona Cardinals

Home: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots, Saints, Eagles, Buccaneers

Road: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons, Panthers, Broncos, Raiders, Vikings

Atlanta Falcons

Home: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Bears, Browns, Chargers, Steelers, 49ers

Road: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Ravens, Bengals, Rams, Seahawks, Commanders

Baltimore Ravens

Home: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Falcons, Bills, Panthers, Broncos, Dolphins

Road: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Jaguars, Patriots, Saints, Giants, Jets, Buccaneers

Buffalo Bills

Home: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Browns, Packers, Vikings, Steelers, Titans

Road: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Lions, Chiefs, Rams

Carolina Panthers

Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Browns, Broncos, Lions, Steelers, 49ers

Road: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Ravens, Bengals, Rams, Giants, Seahawks

Chicago Bears

Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bills, Texans, Dolphins, Eagles, Commanders, 49ers

Road: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Falcons, Cowboys, Patriots, Giants, Jets

Cincinnati Bengals

Home: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Falcons, Bills, Panthers, Chiefs, Dolphins

Road: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, Saints, Jets, Buccaneers, Titans

Cleveland Browns

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Chargers, Patriots, Saints, Jets, Buccaneers

Road: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Falcons, Bills, Panthers, Texans, Dolphins, Commanders

Dallas Cowboys

Home: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Bears, Bengals, Lions, Texans, Colts, Buccaneers

Road: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Packers, Jaguars, Rams, Vikings, Titans

Denver Broncos

Home: Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Cardinals, Texans, Colts, Jets, 49ers

Road: Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Ravens, Panthers, Jaguars, Rams, Seahawks, Titans

Detroit Lions

Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Bills, Jaguars, Dolphins, Eagles, Seahawks, Commanders

Road: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Cowboys, Patriots, Giants, Jets

Green Bay Packers

Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Cowboys, Patriots, Giants, Jets, Rams, Titans

Road: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Bills, Dolphins, Eagles, Buccaneers, Commanders

Houston Texans

Home: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Browns, Chiefs, Chargers, Eagles, Commanders

Road: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Bears, Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders, Dolphins, Giants

Indianapolis Colts

Home: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Chiefs, Chargers, Eagles, Steelers, Commanders

Road: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders, Vikings, Giants, Patriots

Jacksonville Jaguars

Home: Texans, Colts, Titans, Ravens, Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders, Giants

Road: Texans, Colts, Titans, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers, Jets, Eagles, Commanders

Kansas City Chiefs

Home: Broncos, Raiders, Chargers, Bills, Jaguars, Rams, Seahawks, Titans

Road: Broncos, Raiders, Chargers, Cardinals, Bengals, Texans, Colts, 49ers, Buccaneers

Las Vegas Raiders

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Cardinals, Texans, Colts, Patriots, 49ers

Road: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Jaguars, Rams, Saints, Steelers, Seahawks, Titans

Los Angeles Chargers

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Jaguars, Titans, Rams, Seahawks, Dolphins

Road: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Cardinals, Falcons, Browns, Texans, Colts, 49ers

Los Angeles Rams

Home: Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons, Bills, Panthers, Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders

Road: Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Saints, Buccaneers

Miami Dolphins

Home: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Browns, Packers, Texans, Vikings, Steelers

Road: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Lions, Chargers, 49ers

Minnesota Vikings

Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cardinals, Cowboys, Colts, Patriots, Giants, Jets

Road: Bears, Lions, Packers, Bills, Dolphins, Saints, Eagles, Commanders

New England Patriots

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Lions, Colts

Road: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Cardinals, Browns, Packers, Vikings, Raiders, Steelers

New Orleans Saints

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Ravens, Bengals, Raiders, Rams, Vikings, Seahawks

Road: Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Browns, Eagles, Steelers, 49ers

New York Giants

Home: Cowboys, Eagles, Commanders, Ravens, Panthers, Bears, Lions, Texans, Colts

Road: Cowboys, Eagles, Commanders, Packers, Jaguars, Vikings, Seahawks, Titans

New York Jets

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Lions, Jaguars

Road: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Browns, Broncos, Packers, Vikings, Steelers, Seahawks

Philadelphia Eagles

Home: Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, Packers, Jaguars, Vikings, Saints, Steelers, Titans

Road: Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, Cardinals, Bears, Lions, Texans, Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Raiders, Patriots, Saints, Jets, Buccaneers

Road: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Falcons, Bills, Panthers, Colts, Dolphins, Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Home: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Saints, Buccaneers, Commanders

Road: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Falcons, Panthers, Bears, Broncos, Raiders

Seattle Seahawks

Home: Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, Falcons, Panthers, Broncos, Raiders, Giants, Jets

Road: Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, Lions, Chiefs, Chargers, Saints, Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Ravens, Bengals, Packers, Chiefs, Rams, Seahawks

Road: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Cardinals, Browns, Cowboys, Steelers, 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Home: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Bengals, Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders, Giants

Road: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Bills, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Eagles, Commanders

Washington Commanders

Home: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Falcons, Browns, Packers, Jaguars, Vikings, Titans

Road: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Bears, Lions, Texans, Colts, 49ers

Top Storylines for the 2022 NFL Season

Rams Try to Build Dynasty After Super Bowl Win

No NFL franchise has won back-to-back titles since the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2005, and it's a feat accomplished by just six other teams in league history (the Steelers twice won two straight). That illustrates the uphill battle the Rams are facing ahead of the 2022 season.

L.A. pushed its championship window wide open when it traded for Stafford last offseason, and the front office continued to swing for the fences with the in-season additions of Beckham and Miller.

The Rams sacrificed future assets to maximize their chances, but nobody tends to care about draft picks when you're carrying the Lombardi Trophy around. General manager Les Snead even received a shoutout from Lakers superstar LeBron James for wearing a shirt that read: "F--k them picks."

As the old cliche goes, however, the NFL is a copycat league, and a lot of front offices around the league took note of the Rams' roster-building philosophy and spent the early portion of the offseason willing to move picks for upgrades, especially at quarterback.

So not only is repeating as Super Bowl champions difficult, but L.A. has inspired the other NFL contenders to make a serious run at their crown this season.

The Rams certainly have the talent to make another deep playoff run, led by Stafford and Aaron Donald, but there are no shortage of title hopefuls with a chance to steal the spotlight.

Tom Brady Returns After Short-Lived Retirement

Brady announced Feb. 1 he was retiring from the NFL after 22 seasons and seven Super Bowl rings. Six weeks later, he decided retirement life wasn't all it was cracked up to be and returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster.

The decision didn't come as a major surprise. The legendary quarterback refused to say he was officially retired during the short hiatus and was coming off another terrific season in 2021.

Brady led the NFL in both passing yards (5,316) and passing touchdowns (43) while leading the Bucs to a 14-5 record last season. Those aren't the numbers of a player who's nearing the end of his effectiveness. He's still an MVP-caliber QB.

So the 44-year-old is back looking to add on to a resume that's already made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and an eighth Super Bowl title as a player to extend the record he already owns is within reach.

If Brady struggles, there will be obvious questions about why he didn't stay retired and would likely lead to his departure for good next offseason. It's hard to imagine that happening, though. The Bucs are once again loaded with playmaking talent, and he's shown no signs of physical decline. Expect another monster year from one of the NFL's GOATs.

Whenever he does decide to hand up his cleats, Fox Sports already announced he'll take over as its lead NFL analyst.

How Much Will AFC-NFC Disparity Impact Title Race?

It's hard to remember a time in the NFL's recent history when there was a bigger difference between its two conferences on paper.

The AFC is absolutely loaded with talent at the quarterback position, with the Denver Broncos' Russell Wilson and Indianapolis Colts' Matt Ryan headlining the longtime NFC signal-callers who changed conferences during the offseason.

Wilson and Ryan join a group that also includes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Justin Herbert, Ryan Tannehill and Derek Carr. It's also possible the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Tua Tagovailoa take a step forward this year.

Meanwhile, the NFC has Brady, Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray alongside a lot of question marks.

So, the path to earn a playoff berth appears far tougher in the AFC than the NFC, and there will likely be a team or two from the AFC that entered the year with legitimate championship aspirations that won't even qualify for the postseason.

The conference disparity becomes less of an issue once it reaches the latter stages of the playoffs since all the teams left standing will be top-tier clubs, but getting to that stage is tough in its own right.

And, at least for this year, it'll be a lot tougher in the AFC.