One of the biggest complaints surrounding the Detroit Lions’ 2026 schedule was the lack of a bye week following the team’s international game in Germany.
Now, the NFL has revealed why it happened.
And according to league officials, the Lions organization knew exactly what it was signing up for.
Lions pushed hard for Germany game
During a conference call explaining the NFL scheduling process, league vice president of broadcasting planning Mike North explained that Detroit strongly wanted the opportunity to play in Germany.
That included support from Lions president Rod Wood, the organization itself, and even star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“We knew that Germany game was going to be a mere two weeks before Thanksgiving, and it was important enough to Rod, to the organization, to our international folks, certainly to your wide receiver that it made a lot of sense for the Lions to play in that Germany game,” North explained (as quoted by Pride of Detroit).
Detroit is scheduled to face the New England Patriots in Munich on Nov. 15 before returning home to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day just 11 days later.
NFL says Thanksgiving complicated the scheduling
Many fans assumed the NFL simply failed to protect Detroit with a post Germany bye week.
Apparently, that was never realistic.
North explained the league was unlikely to place a bye week immediately after the Germany game because Detroit already had a short week built into its Thanksgiving matchup against Chicago.
Giving the Lions a bye before Thanksgiving while forcing the Bears onto an even shorter turnaround was not viewed as a realistic scheduling option.
Instead, Detroit reportedly prioritized avoiding another Thursday to Thursday turnaround after Thanksgiving, something the team had dealt with the previous two years.
That request was granted.
“They were really hoping to see that 10 day break post Thanksgiving as opposed to yet another Thursday to Thursday,” North said. “Credit to the team, really, for volunteering. They knew what they were getting into, and I think it broke the way they hoped it would.”
Buccaneers bye week creates another challenge
While Detroit may have accepted the lack of a bye week after Germany, there is still one part of the schedule that feels brutal.
The Lions return from Munich only to immediately face a rested Tampa Bay team coming off its bye week.
That means while Detroit adjusts to international travel and a compressed schedule, the Buccaneers will enter Ford Field fully rested and prepared.
It creates one of the toughest stretches on Detroit’s entire 2026 schedule.
Lions not alone in losing post international bye
The good news for Detroit is that most international teams this season are dealing with similar circumstances.
Only three of the NFL’s 16 international participants reportedly received a bye week immediately following their overseas game:
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- New Orleans Saints
- Patriots
New England likely benefited because it does not play on Thanksgiving.
So while Lions fans may still dislike the scheduling setup, the NFL insists Detroit voluntarily signed up for the challenge.
And now the Lions will have to prove they can survive one of the toughest stretches of their season.
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