The National Football League typically does not play its standard regular-season games directly over the Labor Day holiday weekend, as the league strategically schedules its official regular-season kickoff to align with the weekend immediately following Labor Day. Pre-season training camps and exhibition matches wrap up late in August, giving players and coaching staffs a brief break. The highly anticipated opening regular-season Thursday night game and subsequent Sunday slates officially launch the new professional football campaign right after the holiday weekend concludes across the United States.