NFL schedule 2025: Ranking every Week 1 game, including Cowboys vs. Eagles in season opener

The 2025 National Football League schedule is fully unveiled. 

All 272 regular season games were recently announced, and Week 1 is full of elite showdowns. There’s the matchup of last season’s top-two vote-getters for the 2024 NFL MVP award, with quarterback Josh Allen and his Buffalo Bills hosting Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. 

Half of the league’s 16 Week 1 games feature divisional rivalries: 

The critical question of “which of the NFL’s 16 Week 1 games should be prioritized?” when professional football returns in September shall be clearly answered here by yours truly. Every 2025 Week 1 opener is ranked below. So kick back, relax and celebrate another year of NFL football. 

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

The Saints could be a tough watch all year long following the surprise retirement of Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr because of a shoulder injury. New Orleans was 5-5 in Carr’s 10 starts last season, but it lost all seven games in which he was out with injuries. At this very moment, 2025 second-round rookie Tyler Shough is the projected starter after being the Saints’ first quarterback to be selected in the first two rounds of the draft since Archie Manning went second overall in 1971. 

The Cardinals beefed up their defensive line in free agency, signing Eagles Super Bowl champion edge rusher Josh Sweat, and drafting Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen 16th overall. They also had the good fortune of projected first-round cornerback Will Johnson out of Michigan falling to them in the second round with the 47th overall pick. An improved defense, plus another year of Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray and 2024 fourth overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. playing together, could lead to a Cardinals blowout victory to begin the season. 

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

If Aaron Rodgers were on the Steelers’ roster at this time, a dual revenge game with him versus the Jets and new New York starting quarterback Justin Fields versus the Steelers would be listed a lot higher. 

However, a quarterback matchup of Fields versus either Mason Rudolph or rookie sixth-rounder Will Howard just isn’t very appealing. 

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

A few years ago, the Dolphins were one of the most explosive offenses in football. Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL with 60 completions of 20 or more air yards. In 2024, Tagovailoa averaged the shortest average throw distance (5.7 yards downfield) in the entire league and only completed 10 passes of 20 or more air yards, which was tied for 31st. Head coach Mike McDaniel needs to make major adjustments to his offense. If he doesn’t, things could continue to look quite ugly.

Speaking of ugly, the Colts are working through a quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones this offseason. 

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 4:05 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, could be making his NFL debut against the Broncos and their stifling defense led by 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year cornerback Pat Surtain II. 

Tennessee is providing Ward with a much-improved offensive line than the one it put out in 2024, and it did sign veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett to operate alongside Calvin Ridley. But this Denver defense isn’t one you want to see in your first NFL regular season game. The going could get tough for Ward early on. 

12. Bengals at Browns

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow used to struggle against the AFC North rival Browns. However, he cracked the code in 2024 in tandem with Cleveland being one of the worst teams in football in 2024. It still has plenty of uncertainty at the quarterback position with 40-year-old Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett likely starting Week 1. 

All-Pro Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett versus Burrow is a fun cat versus mouse matchup, but this could develop into a Cincy blowout in a hurry. 

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

This game has a decent amount of intrigue in a matchup of first overall picks in the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence and the Panthers’ Bryce Young. Both squads aided their quarterbacks by using top-10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on receivers; the Jaguars took 2024 Heisman Trophy-winning receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter second overall after a trade up, while the Panthers selected Arizona All-American Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall.

Both teams also had bottom-five defenses a year ago, so this could result in a high-flying, back-and-forth offensive affair. 

10. Giants at Commanders

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

The Giants certainly upgraded at quarterback by going from Daniel Jones to Russell Wilson, even though the 10-time Pro Bowler is at the tail end of his career. First-round pick Jaxson Dart likely won’t start this game, but third overall edge rusher Abdul Carter, the All-American out of Penn State, certainly will. Carter, along with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns, form a fierce Giants pass rush.

However, will it be enough to slow down 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels after Washington bolstered his supporting cast with the additions of Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel? Time to find out. 

9. Buccaneers at Falcons

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

Even though the Buccaneers won the NFC South last season, the Falcons swept the season series. However, both matchups were early in the season with Kirk Cousins starting both and throwing for a combined 785 yards and eight touchdowns in those victories. He’s since been replaced by 2024 eighth overall pick Michael Penix Jr. after Cousins co-led the NFL with 16 interceptions. 

Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield leads a Buccaneers offense on its third offensive coordinator in as many seasons with each of the last two — Dave Canales (Panthers) and Liam Coen (Jaguars) — now among the NFL head coaching ranks. Mayfield balled out in 2024, throwing for 41 passing touchdowns and 4,500 yards passing while completing 71.4% of his passes. That output made him the fourth player in NFL history to hit 40 passing touchdowns on a 70% completion percentage in a single season, joining Drew Brees (2011), Aaron Rodgers (2020) and Joe Burrow (2024). The continuity of the Buccaneers at the quarterback position versus the newness of Penix will be an interesting contrast. 

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 1 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

New Las Vegas head coach Pete Carroll and new starting quarterback Geno Smith make their Raiders debut after years together with the Seahawks. Smith joins a new-look Raiders attack coordinated by Chip Kelly that possesses some young playmakers like 2024 first-team All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers, 2025 sixth overall pick running back Ashton Jeanty and 2025 second-round pick wide receiver Jack Bech. Plus, veteran wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is still around. 

They’ll go up against new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in his debut as New England’s lead man. The Patriots welcomed Vrabel back to the organization by spending an NFL-record $360 million on free agents this offseason, a spending spree that included the following signings: defensive tackle Milton Williams, cornerback Carlton Davis, edge rusher Harold Landry, linebacker Robert Spillane, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and wide receiver Mack Hollins. New England also gave 2024 third overall pick quarterback Drake Maye a new left tackle in LSU’s Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This matchup will be a fun early-season test of two new regimes. 

7. 49ers at Seahawks

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 4:05 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

The 49ers know new Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold: he was Brock Purdy’s backup during their NFC championship season in 2023. That familiarity, plus Darnold making his Seahawks debut after signing with them in free agency, will mark another fun edition to this typically chippy NFC West rivalry. 

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 4:25 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

The 2024 AFC South division champion Texans head west to square off with the 2024 NFC West champion Rams. New Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley spent the last two seasons on Rams head coach Sean McVay’s staff as tight ends coach in 2023 and passing game coordinator in 2024 before being hired to uplift 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud.

Houston’s offensive line remains shaky in 2025 after surrendering 54 sacks in 2024. The Texans traded away left tackle Laremy Tunsil (Commanders) and guard Kenyon Green (Eagles) and released right guard Shaq Mason. They added left tackle Cam Robinson in free agency, but he allowed the fourth-highest quarterback pressure rate (7.5%) in the NFL in 2024 (minimum 500 pass-blocking snaps) last season. The Rams’ young defensive line led by 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse could have a big day chasing Stroud all around the field at SoFi Stadium in Week 1. 

5. Chiefs at Chargers (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Date: Friday, Sept. 5 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET | TV: Peacock  

This classic AFC West rivalry heads to Brazil in Week 1, and even though the Chiefs have won seven in a row against the Chargers, that doesn’t mean this rivalry is one-sided.

Seven of the eight games Patrick Mahomes has started against Justin Herbert have been decided by seven or fewer points, including both matchups in 2024. In Week 14, the last edition of this rivalry, fill-in Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright needed his 31-yard field goal to bounce off the upright and in as time expired to give Kansas City a 19-17 victory. Los Angeles has bolstered Herbert’s supporting cast with the free agency pickups of guard Mekhi Becton, running back Najee Harris and wide receiver Mike Williams in tandem with the 2025 NFL Draft selections of North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton (22nd overall) and Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris (55th overall). The Chargers could very well upset the Chiefs in Week 1. 

4. Vikings at Bears 

Date: Monday, Sept. 8 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN/ABC  

The Ben Johnson era kicks off in Chicago with he and his retooled Bears offensive line playing host to the Vikings and blitz-happy defensive coordinator Brian Flores: No NFL team has a higher blitz rate than Flores’ Vikings (46.2%) since he became their DC in 2023. This will be a fun test for 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams and Johnson, a season removed from Williams absorbing 68 sacks as a rookie, which is tied for the third-most sacks taken in a single season ever. 

This also marks the NFL regular season debut of quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is notable considering Minnesota let Sam Darnold walk in free agency following a Pro Bowl season because of McCarthy’s presence.

3. Cowboys at Eagles

Date: Thursday, Sept. 4 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET | TV: NBC  

One of the NFL’s biggest rivalries is renewed with the Cowboys opening the 2025 NFL season at the Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles. Philadelphia steamrolled Dallas in 2024 by a combined score of 75-13, but Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott didn’t play in either of the two games following a season-ending hamstring tear in Week 9.

Prescott has received an upgrade at his second wide receiver spot behind All-Pro CeeDee Lamb following the Cowboys’ post-draft trade with the Steelers for the explosive George Pickens. His 16.7 yards per reception average across the past two seasons led the entire NFL among 61 players with at least 110 catches since 2023. The Eagles have experienced some attrition on the defensive side of the ball along the line and in their defensive backfield, so perhaps they could be a little vulnerable on that side of the ball in Week 1. It’s certainly shaping up to make this meeting more competitive than the previous two.  

2. Lions at Packers

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 4:25 p.m. ET | TV: CBS

The Packers used to own the NFC North rivalry with the Lions, but the Lions have been in the driver’s seat of late. They’ve won six of the past seven matchups with Green Bay — last winning in this series in 2023 on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit. The last meeting between these teams ended when Detroit drained a 35-yard field goal as time expired to seal a 34-31 victory at Ford Field. 

These two teams are incredibly close in ability to each other despite recent results. Plus, Packers quarterback Jordan Love dealt with lower body injuries all season long. He returns healthy in Week 1 with an upgraded supporting cast thanks to the free agency signing of 49ers guard Aaron Banks and the Packers drafting two wide receiver in the first three rounds of the 2025 draft: Texas’ Matthew Golden and TCU’s Savion Williams. The Lions were the NFL’s highest-scoring offense in 2024, but they have a new offensive coordinator (John Morton) and a new defensive coordinator (Kelvin Sheppard). OC Ben Johnson left to be the Bears head coach, and DC Aaron Glenn departed to be the Jets’ new head coach. That makes them vulnerable early in the season. 

1. Ravens at Bills

Date: Sunday, Sept. 7 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET | TV: NBC

This is a rematch of the thrilling 2024 AFC Divisional Round matchup between the Ravens and Bills in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills escaped with a victory after Ravens Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews dropped the game-tying two-point conversion pass from All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson with 1:33 left in the game.

Josh Allen is the reigning NFL MVP after beating Jackson by a mere four first-place votes — the closest MVP vote since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-MVPs in the 2003 seasons. Both Allen and Jackson produced at least 40 total touchdowns and 500 yards rushing while throwing fewer than seven interceptions. The 2025 season’s opening edition of “Sunday Night Football” should shape up to be Week 1’s most exciting game.