‘Thursday Night Football’ 2025 NFL schedule: Ranking the 14-game slate, including Sean McVay vs. Kyle Shanahan

The 2025 regular-season schedule has been unveiled. While we already knew the matchups for each game next season, when they’d be slotted in throughout the 18-game schedule was still a question. One of the specific storylines for teams during this schedule release was whether or not they’d be suiting up for “Thursday Night Football,” which will again stream on Amazon’s Prime Video. Those questions have since been answered. 

In all, 14 games fall under Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” umbrella. Of course, the season will get started on Thursday, Sept. 4, when the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys, but that doesn’t technically fall under the “Thursday Night Football” branding. Instead, it’s presented in the same vein as “Sunday Night Football,” with it airing on NBC. Meanwhile, these games aren’t the only ones that’ll stream in Prime Video either, as the service will also broadcast its annual “Black Friday” game (Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles) and be a part of the NFL’s Christmas Day tripleheader (Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs). 

With those schedule wrinkles fleshed out, this “Thursday Night Football” slate is quite a collection of games. One thing that stands out from the jump is the high volume of divisional matchups. Out of the 14 games on the slate, nine are division rivalry games. That includes three different NFC West showdowns, headlined by the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams squaring off in Week 5. 

Elsewhere on the slate, the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Detroit Lions in Week 14 could prove to be a strong matchup. Fans will also get to enjoy J.J. McCarthy and his Minnesota Vikings taking on his former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8. 

Below, we’ll roll out the entire “Thursday Night Football” slate and then rank each of the 14 matchups from least compelling to most compelling. 

2025 ‘Thursday Night Football’ schedule

14. Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins (Week 9)

Getting Lamar Jackson in prime time will always be a treat, but I have some questions about the Miami Dolphins heading into 2025. Their offseason was uninspiring and, of course, there’s always the question surrounding the availability of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. With this game coming midway through the season, it hardly makes him a lock to suit up and attempt to unseat Baltimore. If we are to project out, the Ravens could be sizable road favorites here, so this may not be the most competitive matchup. All that said, if everyone is healthy, there are enough weapons on both sides to possibly make it a high-flying affair.

13. Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Week 3)

Again, I’m down on Miami this upcoming season, so I can’t get too jazzed about its standalone games. However, this could be a juicy matchup and is the first divisional showdown on the “Thursday Night Football” slate. After all, it’s early enough in the season that both teams should be fully healthy, and it features the defending NFL MVP in Josh Allen, who has dominated the Dolphins over his career. The Bills quarterback has piled up 12 wins in his 14 regular-season matchups against Miami, which are the most wins against a single opponent. Allen’s 37 passing touchdowns are also his highest against a single team. So, we could see a dazzling MVP performance in this matchup if history continues. 

12. Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (Week 4)

I have my questions about Seattle rolling the dice with Sam Darnold and how that free agent signing will ultimately pan out, but he did throw for over 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns for Minnesota last season. You pair the Seahawks’ big offseason with the Arizona Cardinals quietly building a solid roster of their own, and we could be looking at a rather compelling NFC West matchup early in the season. While Darnold will likely capture most of the attention pregame, I think this is a spot with Arizona’s free agent prize, pass rusher Josh Sweat, makes his presence felt. 

11. New York Jets at New England Patriots (Week 11)

Both of these teams are slated to look dramatically different than they did in 2024. New York (Aaron Glenn) and New England (Mike Vrabel) hired new head coaches and made noticeable moves in free agency. The Jets will have Justin Fields as their signal-caller after inking him to a two-year, $40 million deal. Meanwhile, the Patriots still have Drake Maye under center, but have completely overhauled the roster around him. Most notably, they added Milton Williams and Carlton Davis on the defensive side, and Stefon Diggs and rookie TreVeyon Henderson on offense. If these front offices hit on these additions, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that this could be a matchup that features two wild-card hopefuls. 

10. Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (Week 7)

Frankly, this should probably be lower on the list because we currently don’t know who the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be. We assume that Aaron Rodgers will eventually sign on with Mike Tomlin’s club, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet. If he doesn’t and it’s Mason Rudolph under center for Pittsburgh, throw this game to No. 14. That said, we’ll sit on the fence a bit and play this out as if Rodgers is on the Steelers. If that’s the case, this could be a fun AFC North matchup that features some absolute studs at the receiver position. In Pittsburgh, the Steelers pulled off a blockbuster trade for DK Metcalf. As for the Bengals, they pulled out the checkbook and signed Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive contract extensions. And this is the type of stage where those stars should ball out. 

9. Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (Week 6)

Welcome back to New York, Saquon Barkley! Of course, the star running back already faced his former team last season, but this time he’s doing it after helping the Eagles to a Super Bowl title. That storyline alone is worth the price of admission. However, Barkley also ran wild against the Giants last season, piling up 176 yards in Week 7 at MetLife Stadium. Barkley didn’t face New York in Week 18 and opted for rest before the playoffs, but he certainly won’t be pulling any punches in this game. Meanwhile, the Giants did make some solid moves this offseason, most notably adding pass rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick. They also drafted Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round, and if Russell Wilson struggles over the first month, we could be on watch for the rookie to make his debut. 

8. Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos (Week 10)

There’s something about this matchup that captures my attention when taking an initial glance at the “Thursday Night Football” slate. Sure, the Kansas City Chiefs take up a lot of the attention in the AFC West, but both the Raiders and Broncos shouldn’t be overlooked. Denver made the playoffs last season in Year 1 with Bo Nix and only improved its roster, particularly with first-round corner Jahdae Barron on defense and tight end Evan Engram on offense. Meanwhile, the Raiders overhauled their roster, trading for quarterback Geno Smith, hiring Pete Carroll as head coach, and drafting Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round earlier this spring. This could prove to be a rock fight between division rivals. 

7. Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (Week 16)

I’m bearish on the Sam Darnold signing by Seattle, but what if it works out? If the Seahawks get improved quarterback play and take strides defensively, they could be in contention late in the season. If that comes to fruition, this Week 16 matchup against the Rams could have huge playoff implications. I expect Los Angeles to be among the very best teams in the league in 2025, so we could have a strong NFC showdown on our hands here if everyone lives up to their potential. Of course, there’s also the Cooper Kupp narrative included with this game as he faces his former team. 

6. Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (Week 12)

This will be the second time that we’ll see the Bills on Thursday night, and this matchup against Houston could prove to be a playoff preview. Both of these clubs are favored to win their respective divisions and feature some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks in Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud. While this game isn’t one of the many division matchups that we have on deck on Thursdays this season, it is one of the heavyweight bouts. 

5. Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions (Week 14)

If Dak Prescott stays healthy, the Cowboys are a talented enough roster to pile up wins, so we’re looking at another possible playoff preview as Dallas heads to Detroit to face the Lions in Week 14. The Lions were the No. 1 seed in the NFC a season ago and, despite losing both coordinators to head coaching gigs this offseason, should continue to be among the best teams in the conference. On top of having a superb collection of talent on offense, the Lions are slated to welcome back edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who had his season cut short in 2024 due to injury. So, this game is poised to feature two of the game’s very best pass rushers with Hutchinson firing off the edge for Detroit and Micah Parsons lurking for Dallas. 

4. Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 15)

You might be surprised to see an NFC South matchup so high on this list, but the fate of the division could start to play out in this matchup. The Buccaneers are currently +100 favorites to win the division at DraftKings Sportsbook, but the Falcons are not far behind at +240. If Michael Penix Jr. carries the momentum of his three starts to end 2024 as he becomes the full-time starter for Atlanta, the Falcons should be in contention, given the talent they have on the depth chart. Meanwhile, the Bucs should continue to be one of the top offenses in the league, headlined by Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Bucky Irving. 

3. San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (Week 5)

This is my favorite divisional matchup on the entire “Thursday Night Football” schedule. How could it not be? Sean McVay hosting his friend and division rival Kyle Shanahan in an early-season showdown is appointment viewing. Last season, L.A. swept the season series, which included the Rams rallying from a 21-7 second-half deficit to take down the Niners in Week 3. As the Rams continue to establish themselves as a powerhouse threat in the NFC with Matthew Stafford, the Niners will look to make an early statement that they’re also a force in the conference and ready to rebound following an injury-filled season. 

2. Washington Commanders at Green Bay Packers (Week 2)

Prime Video is hitting us with a banger right out of the gate this season! The Washington Commanders were the Cinderella story of last season with the arrival of Jayden Daniels and are now considered one of the up-and-coming clubs in the NFL. Here, they get an early-season test against another ascending young team in the Green Bay Packers. This quarterback matchup between Daniels and Jordan Love could set the stage for a rivalry that fans enjoy for the next handful of years, as both clubs are on the upswing. While it’s early, this head-to-head matchup could also have big playoff seeding implications down the line as well. 

1. Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers (Week 8)

This had to be the top game, right? First and foremost, it’s a matchup between Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Not too long ago, that coach-quarterback duo was on the same sideline, taking the college football world by storm and leading Michigan to a College Football Playoff National Championship. Now, they’re adversaries, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter (who was the DC at Michigan with Harbaugh and McCarthy) plan to attack the young quarterback. Outside of that subplot, this is simply a great matchup of two young teams. Minnesota boasts superstars on both sides of the ball, headlined by wideout Justin Jefferson. Meanwhile, the Chargers have Justin Herbert under center in an offense that features 2024 breakout star Ladd McConkey and first-round rookie running back Omarion Hampton. I’m expecting plenty of fireworks here.