2018 NFL Schedule: Release Date, Team-by-Team Opponents and More

The National Football League announced it's set to release the complete schedule for the 2018 regular season Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed details for the reveal Tuesday, noting that it will be a two-hour show. The league will confirm dates, times and television information for all 17 weeks of action as part of the offseason special.

The Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles are slated to follow tradition by kicking off the campaign on Thursday, Sept. 6, but we still don't yet know their first opponent. The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in February to win their first Super Bowl and fourth overall NFL title.

Although exact details about the schedule are still to come, every team knows its opponents for the upcoming season. Let's check out the matchups before taking a closer examination for some of the top storylines looking toward the fall.

Team-by-Team Opponents

Arizona Cardinals

Home: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Raiders, Redskins

Road: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings

Atlanta Falcons

Home: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Ravens, Bengals, Cowboys, Giants

Road: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Browns, Packers, Eagles, Steelers, Redskins

Baltimore Ravens

Home: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Bills, Broncos, Saints, Raiders, Buccaneers

Road: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Falcons, Panthers, Chiefs, Chargers, Titans

Buffalo Bills

Home: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Bears, Lions, Jaguars, Chargers, Titans

Road: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Packers, Texans, Colts, Vikings

Carolina Panthers

Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Ravens, Bengals, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks

Road: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Browns, Lions, Eagles, Steelers, Redskins

Chicago Bears

Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Rams, Patriots, Jets, Seahawks, Buccaneers

Road: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, Bills, Dolphins, Giants, 49ers

Cincinnati Bengals

Home: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Broncos, Dolphins, Saints, Raiders, Buccaneers

Road: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Falcons, Panthers, Colts, Chiefs, Chargers

Cleveland Browns

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Falcons, Panthers, Chiefs, Chargers, Jets

Road: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Broncos, Texans, Saints, Raiders, Buccaneers

Dallas Cowboys

Home: Giants, Eagles, Redskins, Lions, Jaguars, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans

Road: Giants, Eagles, Redskins, Falcons, Panthers, Texans, Colts, Seahawks

Denver Broncos

Home: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Browns, Texans, Rams, Steelers, Seahawks

Road: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders, Cardinals, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, 49ers

Detroit Lions

Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Panthers, Rams, Patriots, Jets, Seahawks

Road: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Cardinals, Bills, Cowboys, Dolphins, 49ers

Green Bay Packers

Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Cardinals, Falcons, Bills, Dolphins, 49ers

Road: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Rams, Patriots, Jets, Seahawks, Redskins

Houston Texans

Home: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Bills, Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins, Giants

Road: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Broncos, Patriots, Jets, Eagles, Redskins

Indianapolis Colts

Home: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Bills, Bengals, Cowboys, Dolphins, Giants

Road: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Raiders, Eagles, Redskins

Jacksonville Jaguars

Home: Texans, Colts, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Eagles, Steelers, Redskins

Road: Texans, Colts, Titans, Bills, Cowboys, Chiefs, Dolphins, Giants

Kansas City Chiefs

Home: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Cardinals, Ravens, Bengals, Jaguars, 49ers

Road: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Browns, Rams, Patriots, Steelers, Seahawks

Los Angeles Chargers

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Cardinals, Ravens, Bengals, 49ers, Titans

Road: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Bills, Browns, Rams, Steelers, Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams

Home: Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings, Eagles

Road: Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Saints, Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Home: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Bears, Lions, Jaguars, Raiders, Titans

Road: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Bengals, Packers, Texans, Colts, Vikings

Minnesota Vikings

Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cardinals, Bills, Dolphins, Saints, 49ers

Road: Bears, Lions, Packers, Rams, Patriots, Jets, Eagles, Seahawks

New England Patriots

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Packers, Texans, Colts, Chiefs, Vikings

Road: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Bears, Lions, Jaguars, Steelers, Titans

New Orleans Saints

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Browns, Rams, Eagles, Steelers, Redskins

Road: Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Ravens, Bengals, Cowboys, Vikings, Giants

New York Giants

Home: Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins, Bears, Jaguars, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans

Road: Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins, Falcons, Panthers, Texans, Colts, 49ers

New York Jets

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Broncos, Packers, Texans, Colts, Vikings

Road: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Bears, Browns, Lions, Jaguars, Titans

Oakland Raiders

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Browns, Colts, Rams, Steelers, Seahawks

Road: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Cardinals, Ravens, Bengals, Dolphins, 49ers

Philadelphia Eagles

Home: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Falcons, Panthers, Texans, Colts, Vikings

Road: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Jaguars, Rams, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans

Pittsburgh Steelers

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Falcons, Panthers, Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots

Road: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Jaguars, Saints, Raiders, Buccaneers

San Francisco 49ers

Home: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Raiders

Road: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings, Buccaneers

Seattle Seahawks

Home: Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, Cowboys, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings

Road: Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, Panthers, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Browns, Eagles, Steelers, 49ers, Redskins

Road: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Cowboys, Giants

Tennessee Titans

Home: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Ravens, Patriots, Jets, Eagles, Redskins

Road: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Bills, Cowboys, Chargers, Dolphins, Giants

Washington Redskins

Home: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Falcons, Panthers, Packers, Texans, Colts

Road: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Cardinals, Jaguars, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans

All schedule information courtesy of NFL.com.

Key Storylines for 2018 Season

Eagles Primed for Championship Repeat Bid

Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz was enjoying an MVP-caliber season before suffering a torn ACL in December. His sudden departure from an offense that was clicking on all cylinders raised questions about the Eagles' ability to stay on a championship course.

Enter Nick Foles. He enjoyed a monster 2013 season that featured 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions, but he wasn't able to replicate that success with the then-St. Louis Rams. After a stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, he returned to Philly to play the role of hero during the Super Bowl run.

Now Wentz is trending toward full strength to reclaim the starting job. Peter King of The MMQB reported in March that the team is "confident" he'll be ready for Week 1.

While there shouldn't be a quarterback controversy at the outset, things could get interesting if the 25-year-old North Dakota State product can't create the same magic after major knee surgery. If the offense is struggling and the Eagles get off to a lackluster start, the calls for Foles could grow loud.

Unlikely quarterback decisions aside, the Eagles are otherwise set up for another season in contention.

Philadelphia will return a vast majority of its starters from the championship squad and picked up some battle-tested veterans, including wide receiver Mike Wallace, defensive end Michael Bennett and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, to further bolster its roster.

Star-Studded Quarterback Class Arrives

It's possible six quarterbacks could get selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, and a majority of those may come off the board inside the top 10.

Sam Darnold (USC), Josh Rosen (UCLA), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State) and Josh Allen (Wyoming) headline the most talked-about QB class in years.

While not all of them will develop into superstars—the NFL draft remains an inexact science—it's probable at least two or three of them become franchise-changing players. That's not only because of talent, but also the importance of a reliable player at the sport's most important position.

How quickly the league's newest signal-callers see the field depends heavily on where they land in the draft later this month. The wheeling and dealing has already started in the race to land one with the Jets trading with the Colts to acquire the No. 3 overall pick.

One thing's for sure: Any head-to-head matchups from this year's crop of rookie quarterbacks will be among the most intriguing on the schedule.

Will the NFL's TV Ratings Continue to Slide?

Although the NFL continues to pace the television world, its numbers have dropped off steadily over the past couple of years.

In January, Darren Rovell of ESPN.com reported Nielsen shows the league's ratings dropped 9.7 percent in 2017 after falling 8.0 percent in 2016.

A UBS Evidence Lab poll (via Joe Mandese of MediaPost) released in February listed disapproval of the protests during the national anthem, generally less interested in professional football and viewers being "not comfortable" with players' off-field behavior as the main reasons those surveyed watched the NFL less last year.

Since the overall numbers remain strong compared to the rest of its TV counterparts, there's no reason for the league to panic quite yet. But at some point it will want to buck the trend of fading viewership in order to stay ahead of the pack and benefit from the ad revenue that comes from that.