The NFL season might only span six months, but the league’s hype machine runs year-round.
Between free agency, the draft, and weeks of build-up until Week 1, there’s practically a day for everyone to get excited about.
Schedule release day, for instance, is an experience fans around the league eagerly await every off-season. Consider it the NFL’s Christmas morning, with hope and whimsy filling the dreams of every team before September’s kick-off snaps them back to reality.
The curators of that magic are the many social media crews around the league. Some of the most imaginative minds in the NFL work tirelessly for their one day to show off, as they unveil what each team has to look forward to.
And Wednesday was no exception. The smell of virality was in the air as schedules for all 32 squads were released, truly making it a merry occasion.
Here are some of the best social media posts from across the NFL.
Starting with the Buffalo Bills, who opted to give in to modern technology by using “AI” to craft their schedule release video.
The Los Angeles Rams stayed true to their Hollywood roots by tagging in actress and superfan Brenda Song to help them out.
For fans suffering from “Football Season Withdrawal” a.k.a. FSW, the Tennessee Titans are offering a perfect remedy.
The Atlanta Falcons turned back the clock and took their fans on a ride through the wondrous worlds of Mario Kart, or rather “ATL KART.”
Atlanta wasn’t the only team to give folks a blast from the past as the Seattle Seahawks went for a ’90s-inspired infomercial for their schedule release — the kind you’d see at 4 a.m. after waking up from a long nap on the couch.
If the goal was to go viral, then the Jacksonville Jaguars did their homework by recruiting a heavy hitter to help them out. If it works, they may be ready to go ahead and get at least 10,000 primetime games this season.
The Los Angeles Chargers’ social media team is often one of the most creative during schedule release day, and while they weren’t the only ones to go with a Minecraft theme this year, they did the best job of executing it (sorry, Indianapolis Colts).
The New York Jets almost got in on the Minecraft bandwagon, but changed course at the last minute. Instead, they took fans on a looping, inception-like journey through a series of images.
Teams often ask players to get involved with schedule release announcements, but putting together an original song and music video? That’s a unique level of commitment. The Arizona Cardinals provided the dates, and linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. delivered the bars.
Broncos country, let’s ride … sheep? A handful of young fans hit the rodeo to help release Denver’s schedule, but don’t worry, no children (or animals) were harmed in the process.
If you think you’re a diehard fan, just ask yourself if you’d get a permanent tattoo to be a part of your team’s schedule release video? If you answered yes, the Minnesota Vikings have a role for you.
