The NFL Bye Week has a different meaning to different people. NFL players love the Bye Week, a break from the game, a chance to get away, and an extra week to heal injuries. NFL fans, for the most part, are bummed, they miss their team and gameday rituals. The NFL Bye Week presents an interesting opportunity though to do something on a Sunday you may not normally have the time to do. The NFL Bye Week offers an interesting proposition, you can either engage in a day of nonstop football without the stress of YOUR team playing or enjoy being a more casual fan and that maybe means not being glued to your TV for once.
One important key here is if you have RedZone or NFL Sunday Ticket, you have a different perspective. If you have the luxury of watching any NFL game you choose or RedZone, an NFL Bye Week becomes a fantasy football dream day. But for the rest of us plebs (I’ve experienced both extremes of having and now having not), we must decide if the games we get locally are worth our precious time, if not, we present:
10 NFL Bye Week Activity Ideas
10. Catch up on work. It’s the least fun activity on this list, that’s why it’s last, but the NFL Bye Week is a chance to catch up on work if you are feeling overwhelmed or just want to get ahead to have an easier week!
9. Go watch the games somewhere fun! If you normally hole up in your house because you are stressed, want to be near your food, or want to focus and don’t want a crowded bar environment, take this week as a chance to try out the local watering hole for a game-day experience.
8. Read a book, listen to a new podcast, or watch a movie! If you want to fully turn your brain off from football (blasphemy, I know), take an hour or two to delve into something new.
7. Watch basketball! Watch your favorite NBA team without having to flip back and forth between football and basketball. First world problems to the extreme.
6. Complete a project. Whether you own a home or just enjoy crafting or projects of any kind, I view the NFL Bye Week as a chance to paint a room or install a new fan (if you haven’t figured it out, we recently bought a house).
5. Spend time in the kitchen. We are all constantly on the go, so during the NFL Bye Week maybe I’ll spend extra time meal prepping or making a more elaborate dinner. I might even bake- GASP! Bonus time can lead to some delicious creations. If you need inspiration, check out our food posts for some great recipes good for game day or any day!
4. Sleep in and do your Sunday routine a LIL later! I’m a get-up-and-go kinda girl on a weekend morning, but mostly out of need. Sometimes it feels impossible to everything done by 1 pm, but on a bye week, I might go for a longer walk/run with the dog or attend a class at the gym I wouldn’t normally take because of time constraints. Today is your day to take your time!
3. Clean the house. My house is in desperate need of a deep clean, you know, not the normal surface kind-of clean I do to get through the weeks. I’m talking scrubbing toilets, dusting AND vacuuming AND doing the floors. Throw on FOX or CBS and get to work. You’ll be tired and hungry and ready to settle down by 4:25 pm or if you have a bigger house (LOL) maybe by the night game….
2. Be social. Visit friends, go out of town, or make later brunch plans on a Sunday. I always joke that I am unavailable for social outings most Sundays after 1 pm, I love to watch the games at home (friends/family are always welcome to join), but I want to be in my seat ready to go and this often precludes weekend trips or late Sunday hangs. But on the Bye Week, you can pull me away for some other kinds of fun. (*I have missed Eagles games, I’m not an unreasonable monster, but I would prefer not to.)
1. Do a fun, fall activity. Before it gets too cold outside, go do a fun, fall activity! Apple picking, pumpkin picking, and hiking amongst the changing leaves are just a few suggestions. I like to grab my dog and hit the trails or visit my favorite fall places like the scarecrows at Peddler’s Village (this is highly specific for my Philly natives, but I’m sure these exist other places). Fall festivals and more specifically beer festivals are usually in full swing from October-November, so grab a cold one or a hot apple cider and hotter apple donut and be home in time for the Game of the Week or the Sunday Night Football game.
If you have the NFL Bye Week blues, we feel you. A week without football can feel longer than, but fear not, we have you covered!
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