Predicting the 2021 NFL primetime schedule

While all eyes are focused on the NFL Draft this week, the next major milestone on the NFL calendar will be the release of the schedule. The league has officially set the schedule release for May 12, meaning we will see the first-ever 17-game schedule unveiled in prime time. The added inventory means we have more prime-time broadcast windows to fill during the regular season, including the potential for flexible scheduling for Monday Night Football, so there are more opportunities for teams to gain national exposure in standalone windows.

As we did a year ago, let's take a look at what the NFL scheduling czars could cook up for us with some predictions. Let's get started on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

• Cardinals at Lions

• Eagles at Cowboys

• Buccaneers at Rams

The NFL knows people will be tuning in on Thanksgiving so they won't feel the need to burn marquee matchups on the afternoon windows. Putting Arizona on in the first game gives the league a chance to spotlight rising star Kyler Murray and get the Cardinals on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2008. Giving a divisional game to Dallas makes sense since their AFC opponents aren't super appealing for CBS so the NFL uses the Eagles here as the least compelling draw of the three NFC East squads.

The night game is where the NFL will want to put on a show, especially after last season's Steelers-Ravens matchup was postponed due to the coronavirus. Sending the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers out west to take on the Rams not only offers up two NFC contenders but also snaps Los Angeles' long drought without appearing on Turkey Day. The Rams haven't been on Thanksgiving since 1975, the longest active drought in the league.

Sunday Night Football

• Bills at Buccaneers (Opening Night)

• Cowboys at Giants

• Chiefs at Ravens

• Bills at Chiefs

• Steelers at Ravens

• Washington at Cowboys

• Chiefs at Chargers

• Seahawks at Steelers

• Rams at Packers

• Ravens at Browns

• Colts at Buccaneers

• Rams at Seahawks

• Dolphins at Titans

• Browns at Patriots

• Bears at Packers

• Giants at Bears

• 49ers at Packers

• Falcons at Cowboys

Sunday Night Football remains the NFL's marquee property and this projection offers plenty of spotlight games. The Buccaneers will host the traditional opening night against the Bills, a solid opponent that allows the NFL to save some marquee matchups for later in the season. There are plenty of elite matchups featuring the Chiefs, Packers, Ravens, Rams and Seahawks on here as well as opportunities for rising teams like the Giants, Chargers and Falcons. Expect to see plenty of love for the Cowboys, as always, while the Browns should make more Sunday night appearances after their first playoff appearance in nearly 20 years.

Monday Night Football

• Bills at Dolphins

• Seahawks at Packers

• Jets at Panthers

• Browns at Chargers

• Patriots at Falcons

• Buccaneers at Saints

• Eagles at Giants

• Dolphins at Patriots

• Buccaneers at Patriots

• Chiefs at Raiders

• 49ers at Rams

• Steelers at Bills

• Jaguars at Bengals

• Washington at Eagles

• Cowboys at Chargers

• Cardinals at Vikings

• Lions at Bears

• Vikings at 49ers

• Raiders at Broncos

The Monday night slate gets a few marquee matchups, including Tom Brady's return to Foxboro as a Buccaneer and the Seahawks-Packers NFC clash, but the league usually is more aggressive with some of its scheduling choices in order to save the heavy hitters for Sunday night. The good news is that the addition of flexible scheduling will allow the NFL to get out of late-season dog matchups that would tank the ratings of the night.

Thursday Night Football

• Jaguars at Jets

• Chiefs at Packers

• Giants at Washington

• Browns at Steelers

• Cowboys at Cardinals

• Texans at Titans

• Saints at Falcons

• Raiders at Chargers

• Broncos at Bengals

• Bills at Colts

• Panthers at Dolphins

• 49ers at Seahawks

• Vikings at Ravens

The Thursday night package is eventually moving to Amazon but FOX still has it this season, which will likely allow the league to borrow a few marquee games from its Sunday inventory to boost the ratings of this time slot. The potential game of the year lands here with Chiefs-Packers, a help to a tricky scheduling situation impacted by travel on a short week which limits potential matchups.