Why does no NFL team have a bye in Week 8?

Find out the bye week schedule for 2023 NFL season.

Why does no NFL team have a bye in Week 8?

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) and defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) sack Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) during the NFL football matchup between the Miami Dolphins and (Image via IMAGO)

Back in Week 5, the NFL Bye Week got underway. Teams get to alternate and take a week off from playing when they say “bye.” The football season is about to reach its eighth week, and this time around, every organization has a matchup. Week 8 is not a bye week.

When the NFL releases the schedule around April-May, most focus is on which team will be making a push for the playoffs and which will be a dud. But the players circle when it’s their team’s bye week. The reason is simple: it’s the one time in the season they get to relax a little and take it easy from the long, hard, and psychologically draining football calendar.

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Some choose to completely let go and fly off to their vacation shacks for a few days. Those who pick up a knock get extra time to heal and continue with their rehab. The newbies travel back to their parents or colleges to catch up with some old faces and watch a few games or two.

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Players are not bound within the bounds of the franchise during the bye week. But there is a section of geeks who prefer to watch films and memorize tapes. Besides evaluating their performances from the first half of the season, these players look for ways to improve after the bye week ends.

How does the bye week work in the NFL?

NFL bye weeks have been featured every year since 1990. It was originally removed from the game in 1966. During the regular season, every team is required to play 17 games in an 18-week season. Each team is given one week off during that span, thus the extra week in the season. Normally, two to six teams can have a bye scheduled for a given week.

Why does no NFL team have a bye in Week 8?
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws the ball during the second half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. (1) (Image via IMAGO)

Bye doesn’t only apply to the regular season. Once teams are locked in for the playoffs, the two top seeds from each conference also get a bye from the first round of the postseason. This could provide advantages for the teams that qualify early for the later stages.

NFL 2023 bye-week schedule

Here is the NFL 2023 bye-week schedule:

Bye WeekTeams
5Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers
7Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans
9Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers
10Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, and Philadelphia Eagles
11Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and New Orleans Saints
13Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Los Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Giants
14Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders

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