Breaking down most interesting matchups of all 18 weeks of the 2025 NFL schedule
Breaking down most interesting matchups of all 18 weeks of the 2025 NFL schedule
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Five NFL games we can't wait to watch in the 2025 season
The NFL schedule for the 2025-2026 season has been released. Here are a few games on our must-watch list.
The NFL released its full, 272-game schedule for 2025 on Wednesday, officially marking the point many football fans start looking ahead to the upcoming season.
Naturally, football junkies immediately began poring over the schedule to find its most exciting matchups.
Often, those matchups are in primetime and feature matchups between some of the top projected teams in the league. However, there are also a handful of intriguing revenge games and homecoming that should be on the radar of NFL fans ahead of the 2025 season.
What are the most interesting matchups of the 2025 campaign? Below is a look at one matchup on which to keep an eye each week.
NFL schedule 2025: Most interesting matchups by week
Week 1
If Aaron Rodgers signs with the Steelers, this could end up being a double revenge game. Rodgers, who has been tied to Pittsburgh throughout the offseason, would likely relish a chance to hand Aaron Glenn a defeat, as the veteran quarterback wasn't happy with how the Jets handled his release during the offseason.
Meanwhile, Justin Fields started the first six games of last season for the Steelers, leading them to a 4-2 record before being benched in favor of Russell Wilson. He will have a chance to show Mike Tomlin and Co. what they missed by letting him walk in free agency.
Week 2
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs
Ben Johnson's return to Detroit comes in a close second in a loaded Week 2 slate, but it's hard to overlook an early-season Super Bowl rematch.
The Chiefs will be seeking vengeance after being blown out by the Eagles 40-22 in Super Bowl 59. It will be a great test for Kansas City's new-look offensive line and will also be a litmus test for the Eagles, who have replaced a handful of key starters on their defense, notably defensive linemen Milton Williams and Josh Sweat.
Week 3
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
The Dolphins and Bills met on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 2 last season. In that contest, Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion that knocked him out four weeks and helped cause Miami to get off to a slow start from which it couldn't recover.
Miami will be looking to keep Tagovailoa healthy in its first of two "TNF" games while also looking to challenge the Bills early in the AFC East race.
Week 4
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs
Many believed Lamar Jackson and the Ravens might face the Chiefs in the postseason. Instead, the Bills knocked the Ravens out in the divisional round, robbing Baltimore of a chance to avenge its 27-20 regular-season loss to the Chiefs.
The Ravens will get an early chance to see Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs again. The Mahomes vs. Jackson battle will be one of the best quarterback matchups of the first four weeks of the NFL season, and both playmakers should bring their A-game to what figures to be an early battle for control of the AFC.
Week 5
The Lions and Bengals sported two of the NFL's best offenses last season. Detroit averaged a league-high 33.1 points while ranking third in offensive EPA while the Bengals ranked seventh in points per game (27.8) and seventh in offensive EPA.
Both offenses are returning a majority of their starters in 2025, so this figures to be an exciting shootout. It will also be a good test of the Lions' offensive ceiling after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who took the Bears coaching job during the NFL offseason.
Week 6
Last time the Bears and Commanders met, Jayden Daniels completed an improbable Hail Mary to give Washington a win and send Chicago into a losing streak. The Bears lost 10 straight games following the Hail Mary and fired coach Matt Eberflus as it sputtered to a 5-12 finish.
Suffice to say that game left a sour taste in Chicago's mouth. Caleb Williams will look to even up the series between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft while cornerback Tyrique Stevenson will look to atone for his lack of attention to detail during the Hail Mary throw.
Week 7
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans
Mike Vrabel is back in the NFL coaching ranks after taking the Patriots' job following the dismissal of Jerod Mayo. He will return to Tennessee as he looks to prove the Titans made a mistake in firing him after the 2023 NFL season.
Vrabel already has a slight edge on the Titans after they sputtered to a league-worst 3-14 record in Brian Callahan's first season with the team. Beating Tennessee with a rebuilding New England squad would provide another feather in the cap of the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year.
Week 8
Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers has never played against the Packers after spending the first 18 seasons of his career in Green Bay. Could that change in Week 8? Again, Rodgers hasn't yet signed in Pittsburgh, but if he does, many fans will be eagerly watching to see if the 41-year-old can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history to beat all 32 teams. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Drew Brees are the others.
Week 9
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills
Five of the last six Bills vs. Chiefs games have been decided by one score. That has included three postseason matchups all won by Kansas City.
Buffalo has typically performed well against its rival and has earned three consecutive regular-season wins over Kansas City. If the Bills can continue doing that, it may give them a path to the AFC's No. 1 seed. That makes this a rare midseason matchup that could prove crucial to the AFC playoff picture.
Week 10
Detroit Lions at Washington Commanders
The Lions' season ended at the hands of the Commanders in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. Washington crushed Detroit 45-31 in a game during which Jared Goff threw three interceptions and the Lions defense couldn't stop Jayden Daniels.
Dan Campbell's squad will be looking to avenge that loss, which brought to an early end one of the greatest seasons in Detroit's franchise history. With a healthier, Aidan Hutchinson-led defense, the Lions could have a better chance to compete with the NFC runners-up.
Week 11
Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles
Here's our chance to see what many believed the NFC championship game would be last season. If the Lions can beat the Commanders and Eagles in back-to-back weeks, it will lead Detroit fans to wonder what may have happened if the team's defense was able to stay healthier in 2024.
This matchup could also help to determine who has the inside track for the NFC's No. 1 seed in 2025, so this game will be an important one.
Week 12
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams
The Buccaneers and Rams have both made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and have jockeyed with one another for playoff position in seasons past. That figures to happen again in 2025, as Tampa Bay and Los Angeles are both expected to compete for division titles once again.
The other element of this game? Baker Mayfield had a brief stint with the Rams in 2022, so it will be fun to monitor how Sean McVay schemes against his former quarterback.
Week 13
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
The Vikings replaced Sam Darnold with J.J. McCarthy this offseason. The two will face off in Week 13 in what could be an important game for Minnesota's chances of winning the NFC North. Darnold may relish an opportunity to diminish the Vikings' postseason chances, so that storyline should make this a fun game to watch.
Week 14
Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns
This game probably won't come with the same playoff intrigue as some of the others being played at this time of year. However, this could end up being a matchup between No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, who endured one of the most surprising NFL draft slides in recent memory.
Sanders was a fifth-round pick, so it's hardly guaranteed he will start this game. That said, the contest will still be of interest, as the Browns were reportedly interested in Ward during the draft process. He may have been the choice had he been on the board with the No. 2 overall pick, so Cleveland fans can get a glimpse of what the team's future might have been.
Week 15
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
The matchup between Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow is always exciting. It could be even more thrilling if the Ravens and Bengals are close together in the AFC North race at this late stage in the season.
Week 16
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos
If you're looking for a good time to see Travis Hunter in action, this might be it. He played collegiately at Colorado, so this will be something of a homecoming for him. It will also be a great test of the two-way star's abilities, as he will be tasked with beating a stout Broncos defense on offense while covering a solid receiving corps led by Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr.
Week 17
Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills
The Chiefs edged the Bills in the AFC championship game last season, but Buffalo was close to winning the game and getting a chance to match up against the Eagles in Super Bowl 59. Perhaps their late-season meeting will end up being a preview of Super Bowl 60 instead.
Week 18
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
A classic, AFC North rivalry that could have playoff implications in Week 18? Sign us up, especially if Mike Tomlin needs to keep his consecutive streak of non-losing seasons alive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dale Jr. talks total team effort after first crew chief victory
Do NOT Tell George Kittle That the 49ers' Title Window Has Closed 49ers TE George Kittle and Rich Eisen talk Tight End University 2025, Brock Purdy's huge new deal, and the Niners' revamped roster.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Tom Brady Calls LeBron James 'The Greatest Ever' in Bold Praise
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The NBA has seen some of the best players to ever grace the basketball court. Many range from the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, and one who many consider the greatest of all time: Michael Jordan. The NBA has seen the most prominent stars ever to walk the face of the earth; however, none may be as big and bright as Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. James' resume speaks for itself, and while he's self-appointed himself as the G.O.A.T., many others share the same sentiment, including NFL legend and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. At the Fanatics Fest event in New York City, Brady took the stage alongside James, discussing a range of topics. In the process, Brady has the utmost praise for James, calling him 'the greatest ever.' LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Tom Brady speak onstage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 21, 2025 in New York City. LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Tom Brady speak onstage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 21, 2025 in New York City. Photo by"With the intensity that's been on him, the Olympics, the different teams that he's been on, he's always done things the right way," Brady said. "He's always risen above all the noise and B.S. and continued to deliver." "So you're witnessing the greatest ever and I hope you guys all appreciate that." Tom Brady on LeBron James: 'You're witnessing the greatest ever and I hope you all appreciate that.' (h/t @MaskedInLA, @FanaticsFest) — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 21, 2025 Brady is undoubtedly the greatest of all time in his sport, and it is clear that he sees that in James as well. James' resume is second to none. Throughout his 22-year career, James is a 21-time All-Star, a four-time NBA champion, a four-time Finals MVP, a four-time NBA MVP, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a six-time All-Defensive team member, and a member of the 75th Anniversary team. The 40-year-old superstar is still at the top of his game, much like Brady when he played in the NFL. Brady didn't retire until the ripe age of 45, and if James wanted to, it seems okay he could play for that long. However, many expect that this upcoming season will be James' final in the NBA. The expectation for James is that he will opt into his $52.6 million contract with the Lakers and ride off into the sunset with what he hopes is a team that can contend for an NBA title next season. Regardless of what's next for James, one thing remains undeniable — at the very least, he stands as one of the top three players ever to play the game. More NBA news: Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Lakers' Austin Reaves to East Contender NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady Opens Up About Never Getting Title Opportunity For more on LeBron James, Tom Brady and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
SI Swimsuit model Camille Kostek claims NFL wives judged her for not having wedding ring
Camille Kostek is opening up about the not-so-glamorous side of dating a professional athlete. The Sports Illustrated model, 33, claimed she was judged by other NFL wives for not being married to boyfriend and former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski, 36. "I felt like I was seen as a lesser-than girlfriend because I didn't have a ring on my finger," she shared on an episode of Kristin Cavallari's "Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour," according to US Weekly. "But you want to know what's so interesting about that? The woman that's coming to mind [who] judged me the most, she's divorced." Reps for Kostek did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Kostek was first linked to Gronkowski in 2015. They previously met in 2013 when the pinup was a cheerleader and Gronkowski was in his third season with the New England Patriots. "Rob and I met when I was 21 years old, and we've been in each other's lives for 10 years," she added. "First breakup was in 2017, but I think that some of the best things that changed the trajectory of my life came from this f---ing breakup that broke me but also allowed me to get in the zone. I didn't care about dating. I felt like I was asexual." Kostek revealed that she decided to chase her dream after the heartbreak. "In that year, I decided to audition for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, which was on my bucket list. I cared about pursuing the things that brought me joy. There were so many things I was destined to want to do, and then I happened to date an athlete, and it was like, 'You are a WAG.'" WAG stands for wives and girlfriends. In May 2024, Kostek shared with Fox News Digital the NFL rule she broke to be in a relationship with Gronkowski. "There is that rule where [you] cannot date the players," Kostek told Fox News Digital at the time. "I broke that one, but I kept it a secret for a little while. It was worth it in the end. "We read our calendars to each other," she chuckled. "We don't spend every waking moment together, so it's exciting for us to get on the phone. It's a common thing weekly to get on the phone together when we're in different states and put out our calendars. "It was my sister's wedding in St. Thomas, and we had our calendars together. We were down on the beach, and I said, 'I have the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch. It's a big one. It's the Legends issue. So, I'm going to be in New York for the first half of the week and then the second half of the week in Miami. And he's like, 'Perfect, I have a podcast to record in New York. I'll be there for your event.' And I'm like, 'Perfect.'"
