The first couple of weeks of the 2024 NFL season have been packed with action, with all 32 teams hitting the field. But don’t get too used to every week being this busy. Each team gets one week off during the season, known as their bye week. This isn’t just a chance to relax—it’s an opportunity for teams to recharge and reset during the long grind of the 17-game season.
Some teams get lucky with an early bye, catching a break when they need it most. Others will have to push through most of the season before finally getting some time off. Either way, the bye week is a big deal. It’s the perfect time for players to rest up, recover from minor injuries, and return stronger. Coaches love it, too, since it gives them extra time to fine-tune strategies and adjust for the rest of the season. In the fast-paced NFL, taking a breath at the right time can make all the difference.
Here’s everything to know about when each team gets their bye week in the 2024 season.
What Is The NFL Bye Week?
An NFL bye week is a scheduled week off for each team during the regular season, giving them a much-needed break from the physically demanding grind of the 17-game schedule. It’s the one week where a team doesn’t have a game, allowing players and coaches to rest, recover, and refocus without the pressures of preparing for an opponent. Each team gets one bye week, and it usually falls between Weeks 5 and 14 of the season.
The bye week is critical for several reasons. First, it gives players a chance to heal from injuries and fatigue that naturally build up during the season. This break can be a game-changer for teams dealing with multiple injuries, as it allows important players time to recover without missing additional games. Coaches use this time to review game tape, adjust game plans, and address any weaknesses that have been exposed in the first half of the season. For teams struggling to find momentum, the bye week can serve as a reset button, helping them make a strong push for the playoffs in the latter part of the season.
On the flip side, some teams prefer to have their bye week later in the year as the season’s exhaustion starts accumulating. For others, an early bye can provide a timely break from the schedule’s initial challenges. Ultimately, the timing of the bye week can have a huge impact on a team’s performance for the rest of the season.
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First NFL Bye Week in 2024
The first NFL bye week will take place in Week 5. Four teams will be off during this time: the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tennessee Titans. This early break offers these teams a chance to rest up and regroup after the season’s first month.
Last NFL Bye Week in 2024
The final bye week falls in Week 14. Six teams—Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders—will take their break. For these teams, this late-season bye will be crucial in preparing for a playoff push or finishing the season strong.
Full Breakdown of 2024 NFL Bye Weeks
The 2024 NFL schedule includes eight different bye weeks, spanning from Week 5 to Week 14. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Week 5: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans
- Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings
- Week 7: Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys
- Week 9: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers
- Week 10: Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks
- Week 11: Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 12: Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets
- Week 14: Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Washington Commanders
Each team gets its turn to step back from the grind, using their bye week to recover and refocus for the remainder of the season.
How are NFL bye weeks determined?
NFL bye weeks are determined carefully to maintain competitive balance across the season. The league strives to avoid giving any team an unfair advantage or disadvantage due to extra rest. This balance is a key factor for the schedule makers as they distribute bye weeks fairly, ensuring no team benefits too much from extended breaks or suffers from short turnaround times between games.
Another critical aspect in determining bye weeks is where a team’s bye has fallen in previous seasons. The NFL aims to avoid giving a team back-to-back seasons with early or late byes, as this could either limit recovery time in the middle of a season or provide an uneven advantage late in the year when playoff races heat up. The goal is to rotate bye weeks, ensuring teams get a fair shot at rest without clustering byes too early or late year after year.
Bye weeks are spread across a 10-week span, starting in Week 5 and ending in Week 14. With 32 teams in the league, that averages around 3.2 teams taking a bye each week. This spread helps manage the challenge of balancing team rest while maintaining the integrity of competition. Scheduling bye weeks over this range provides flexibility, but it remains a tricky process as schedule makers work to avoid rest imbalances that could impact the outcome of games.
