What to know about the Dolphins and the NFL’s 2023 schedule release

The NFL on Tuesday announced its highly-anticipated schedule release day will be on Thursday at 8 p.m., as the league announces all 272 games for the 2023 season.

In the leadup to Thursday night, the league is unveiling certain matchups with its various broadcast partners, including international games, its first ever Black Friday games, and other select games.

Here are five things to know before the Dolphins’ 2023 schedule is announced.

WHO ARE THE DOLPHINS PLAYING AT HOME?

Nine of the Dolphins’ 17 regular-season games will be at Hard Rock Stadium in 2023. Along with divisional home games against the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and New York Jets, the Dolphins will host the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. Three of these opponents — Buffalo, Dallas and New York — made the playoffs last season.

WHO ARE THE DOLPHINS PLAYING ON THE ROAD?

In addition to their away games against divisional opponents, the Dolphins will travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens. Along with Buffalo, four opponents made the playoffs: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

ARE THE DOLPHINS PLAYING OVERSEAS?

The NFL on Wednesday morning announced its five international games, which includes the Dolphins traveling to Frankfurt, Germany, to face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. It will be Miami’s first regular-season game in Germany and its first international game since 2021 when the team played the Jacksonville Jaguars in the United Kingdom.

HOW MANY PRIME-TIME GAMES WILL THE DOLPHINS HAVE?

NFL rules now allow teams to be scheduled for as many as six prime-time games, up from five. Last season, the Dolphins received two in the initial schedule release — a Thursday night road game against the Bengals and a Sunday night home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team also got a standalone home game against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. Two more prime-time games were then added to Miami’s slate midseason: a road game against the Chargers was flexed to “Sunday Night Football” and a road game against the Bills the following weekend was flexed to Saturday night.

The Dolphins will likely be a prime candidate to receive multiple prime-time slots. Miami made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when it traded for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and is regarded as an ascending team after reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016. With Aaron Rodgers joining the Jets, the AFC East is expected to be one of the toughest divisions in the league, and matchups against those rivals will be under consideration for prime-time slots.

In addition to announcing the Dolphins’ international games, the league on Wednesday announced Miami will play the Jets in New York on Friday, Nov. 24, as its first Black Friday Game.

Head-to-head matchups between quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and star signal-callers, such as the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Chargers’ Joe Burrow and Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, could also receive similar treatment.

HOW IS THE OPPONENT FOR THE DOLPHINS’ 17TH GAME SELECTED?

The 2021 season was the league’s first with a 17-game regular-season schedule. The new collective bargaining agreement allowed the owners to implement a 17th game over 18 weeks once a new media rights deal was signed. As a result, the preseason has also been reduced from four games to three. The extra game includes a matchup with an opponent from the opposite conference.

Last season, the Dolphins traveled to the NFC West team that finished with the same division standing the previous year (San Francisco 49ers). This season, Miami will host the NFC South team that finished with the same standing in 2022 (Panthers). In 2024, the team will face an opponent from the NFC North and then the rotation starts over. Each year, the 17th game will alternate between home and road games.