One of the biggest events on the 2025 NFL calendar is upon us this week—it’s the release of the 2025 schedule. While not every fan may find this exciting, as they already know their team’s opponents, it presents a chance for many to plan road trips to catch their favorite teams in action.
The NFL has expanded its schedule beyond just Sundays. In addition to the long-standing “Monday Night Football,” there are now full-season “Thursday Night Football” games. The league features three games on Thanksgiving, three on Christmas, and eight international matches slated. Notably, a game will even be held on a Friday during Week 1 of the regular season in Brazil, alongside several Saturday games in late December and early January.
The diversity in game days is complemented by various television and streaming partnerships, enhancing the anticipation around schedule releases. CBS and Fox broadcast Sunday afternoon games, while NFC airs “Sunday Night Football” and ESPN/ABC cover “Monday Night Football.” Amazon Prime hosts “Thursday Night Football,” and the NFL Network selects international series games and late-season Saturday games. Netflix will air two Christmas Day games, and exclusive broadcasts will also be available on Peacock and ESPN+. There might also be a new streaming partner for the Brazil game in 2025.
While the teams for each matchup have already been established, the specific game timings will be unveiled on Wednesday. This adds to the excitement surrounding the NFL schedule release, especially with the nationally televised games allocated for each team.
Given that we already know the opponents, which games are generating the most buzz for the 2025 NFL schedule? There are ten must-watch matchups that no league fan will want to miss.
Note: Divisional matchups are excluded from this list, as they occur every season. This list focuses on games with non-divisional opponents.
Remember the thrilling finish last season when the Bears faced the Commanders? Jayden Daniels led the Commanders to a comeback win against the Bears with a last-second Hail Mary touchdown. The Bears, having lost their momentum, fell to nine consecutive defeats, while the Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship game. With the Bears holding the 2024 No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams, and the Commanders selecting Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick, this will be an exciting matchup.
