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NFL schedule release FAQ: Date, how to watch, potential foes for Eagles in opener
Get your planners ready. The 2025 NFL schedule will be released soon, giving fans a chance to plot their fall itineraries. Ahead of the big day, here are questions (and answers) to get you prepared.
1. When will the 2025 schedule be released? How can I watch it?
During the 2025 NFL Draft, the league announced the date for the schedule announcement: Wednesday, May 14. The NFL loves to make a spectacle out of everything.
ESPN2 and NFL Network will cover the schedule reveal with separate broadcasts beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
2. Who do teams play?
Every team already knows its 2025 opponents.
Teams play division opponents twice, making up six of the 17 games. They also play all four teams from two other divisions — one AFC, one NFC — bringing us to 14. The final three opponents are dependent on where each team finished in its division the previous season. They include two intraconference and one rotating interconference game.
Here's a quick refresher of who each division plays (Note: Asterisk is for the division with one opponent):
• AFC East (AFC North, NFC South, NFC East*)
• AFC North (AFC East, NFC North, NFC West*)
• AFC South (AFC West, NFC West, NFC South*)
• AFC West (AFC South, NFC East, NFC North*)
• NFC East (NFC North, AFC West, AFC East*)
• NFC North (NFC East, AFC North, AFC West*)
• NFC South (NFC West, AFC East, AFC South*)
• NFC West (NFC South, AFC South, AFC North*)
3. Will games be announced before the full schedule release?
Yes. On Monday (May 12), "select games" will be revealed on NBC, Fox and Prime Video, per NFL.com. Perhaps then we'll learn who the Eagles will play to start the season and who's on the docket for Amazon's Black Friday or Christmas evening game.
On Tuesday (May 13), ESPN will share a sneak peek with "Good Morning America," and the international slate will be announced on "Good Morning Football." CBS will reveal a game Wednesday (May 14), when Netflix will also share one of its Christmas Day games.
4. What are the best possible options for the Thursday Night Kickoff?
The Philadelphia Eagles will celebrate their Super Bowl LIX win by hosting the first game of the 2025 season.
They have several intriguing options for Week 1, including a potential NFC Championship Game rematch with the Commanders. They also play the Rams, who nearly beat Philly in the divisional round at Lincoln Financial Field, as well as last year's NFC No. 1 seed, the Lions. Both would be solid Week 1 options. (Memo to league: Please spare us the Cowboys in this opener.)
If the league wants to save those games between 2024 playoff teams for later in the season, it could put the Broncos, coming off their first playoff appearance in nine seasons, in prime time. The Bears, under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, will be fascinating to watch and are another strong option.
5. How many international games are scheduled?
Seven are scheduled, with the Chargers (São Paulo), Browns (London), Jets (London), Jaguars (London), Colts (Berlin), Steelers (Dublin) and Dolphins (Madrid) already announced as the designated home teams.
6. How much will watching games cost?
Fans might as well start saving now. If there's a subscription-based streaming service, the NFL is probably linked to it.
While games on Fox, CBS and NBC are available over the air without a cable or app subscription, it's an investment to watch every notable weekly game.
Since 2022, Prime Video ($14.99 per month) has had exclusive rights to the league's Thursday night package. In 2023, it added a Black Friday game to its inventory.
ESPN Plus ($11.99 per month) will air an exclusive game for the fourth consecutive year, while NFL Network has broadcast international games, which can be viewed with an NFL Plus subscription ($6.99 per month).
For the second consecutive year, Netflix ($7.99 per month with ads) will air two games on Christmas Day.
Peacock ($7.99 per month) will also air one regular-season game, while the league is looking to spin off its Week 1 Friday night international game in Brazil to another partner, with Max ($16.99 per month) being a potential streaming home. (h/t CBS Sports).
Fans have needed a cable subscription to watch "Monday Night Football" on ESPN for years, although that will change this season. Per reports, Disney, ESPN's parent company, soon plans to reveal a direct-to-consumer ESPN subscription app, which is expected to cost between $25-$30.
People can expect to pay over $200 to watch every Thursday and Monday night game, plus other streaming exclusive games — or more if you forget to cancel those pesky subscriptions.
More must-reads:
- The greatest game from every NFL season
- Sam Darnold expands on signing with Seahawks in free agency
- The '1,000-yard receivers in the 2024-25 NFL season' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
There's still a path for Jaire Alexander to be on the Packers in 2025, and while unlikely, it's technically far from impossible
Go back to March 11. That day, the San Francisco 49ers released fullback Kyle Juszczyk after eight seasons with the team. What looked like a definitive decision changed eight days later, when Juszczyk signed back with the 49ers for $600k less than the original contract. No, I'm not saying that the Green Bay Packers would or should sign cornerback Jaire Alexander back after releasing him last week. But they could. It's viable, it has happened in other instances in the NFL, and there is a realistic set of reasons why both parties would go back to the negotiating table. Why it could happen The Packers were in a difficult position in regards to Jaire Alexander. While there were no guarantees left on his deal, the salary of any player with four or more accrued seasons in the NFL becomes fully guaranteed for the season if he's on the roster by Week 1. Considering the risk of injury, especially in Alexander's case, it didn't make sense to allow Jaire to be at the team's mandatory minicamp or training camp without a contract resolution. Green Bay made an offer, but Jaire's side thought it was too low and without enough guaranteed money on it. Alexander didn't want to take a paycut to be traded either, so a deal with the Buffalo Bills fell through. Now, though, there is no contract to base negotiations out of. If the cornerback goes to the open market and doesn't get what he thought he could, and maybe the Packers decide to slightly increase the original offer to show new signs of good faith, a new deal could be reasonable for everyone. It certainly would have to include a low base salary and be incentive-heavy, but that's probably what Jaire will get from anyone anyway. Why it's not impossible As aforementioned, the 49ers did a similar thing with Juszczyk for no obvious reasons — the old contract had dead money, so the cap savings weren't high enough to justify any type of risk. During his week without a deal, Juszczyk even visited the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Packers themselves have had some examples of releasing and then signing the player back. A recent case was long snapper Matthew Orzech in 2023. He was released on August 29 and re-signed two days later, so the Packers could keep a player who would later be moved to the injured reserve without exposing a younger player to the waiver system. Obviously not apples-to-apples because the circumstances were different, but things change fast in the NFL. Why it's unlikely Even though it's viable and technically possible for the Packers to re-sign Jaire Alexander, it's clearly difficult for everything to happen. First, because both sides had negotiations before the release throughout the offseason and couldn't get anything done. Second, because general manager Brian Gutekunst is not a big fan of bringing players back after he makes a decision. A rare exception is Randall Cobb, because the reasons why the Packers traded for him are well-known — and it was Aaron Rodgers. Additionally, Gutekunst himself has already said that the team tried to invest in Alexander's health, and it didn't work. The last point is that, even though Alexander hasn't signed yet, there's a reasonable argument to make that he has a robust market out there. It's unclear how much money he will make, but several teams could see him being a good bet. And if that's the case, it's unlikely that his price will be low to a point where going back to the Packers becomes the best scenario. Ultimately, it's a tough proposition. But crazier things have happened in the league.
Maple Leafs Linked to Gritty Free Agent Per Several Reports
The Toronto Maple Leafs were linked to a gritty free agent by several reports. With a crucial offseason ahead, Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving is expected to make significant changes to his team this summer. After another tough playoff exit, many needs must be addressed in Toronto. One of those changes involves the bottom six. In fact, Treliving must absolutely do something to bolster it. According to a new report, the Leafs should consider going after Brandon Tanev, reuniting the Tanev brothers in Toronto. The 33-year-old forward is set to become a free agent after spending the 2024-25 season in Seattle and Winnipeg. Renowned for his tenacious forecheck and physicality, Tanev tallied 10 goals and 22 points over 79 games, with 168 hits. He embodies the gritty identity new head coach Craig Berube wants to instill, making him a perfect fit for Toronto's retooled forward depth. The Leafs have approximately $25.7 million in cap space, though much of that will go toward extending Matthew Knies and addressing top-six changes following Marner's departure. Still, Tanev's expected $2.5 million AAV fits within their financial plans. Not only would he bolster the bottom six, but Tanev's shot-blocking and penalty-killing skills (105 blocks, over two minutes shorthanded per game) would help offset Marner's absence defensively. Ideally, Treliving will also find a way to move David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok, whose underwhelming seasons and combined $4.5 million cap hit weigh down the Leafs' flexibility. Offloading one or both could accelerate the transformation of the bottom six. A Brandon Tanev signing wouldn't just be symbolic-it's a smart, identity-shifting move for a team desperate for grit and consistency in its depth.
Controversial Canadiens Prospect Logan Mailloux Involved in Blockbuster Trade Talks Per Several Reports
Logan Mailloux has shown flashes of being a solid player in the NHL, but now, the controversial young defenseman has officially been placed on the trade block. The Montreal Canadiens had a fantastic season in 2024/25, taking a major step forward on the back of some great campaigns from young names, especially Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson. Now, optimism is high for the future, with the belief around the league being that Montreal could move one or both of their first round picks as they look to add firepower to their roster ahead of another Stanley Cup Playoffs push in 2025/26. One player that has now reportedly joined trade conversations has been young defenseman Logan Mailloux, who posted 2 goals and 4 points in 7 games with the Canadiens last season, all while playing very well for the Laval Rocket in the AHL. According to reporter Jimmy Murphy, Mailloux's name has been all over the rumour mill in the NHL in recent times, leading many to believe that the 22-year old will be on the move in the summer. 'Logan Mailloux's name is all over the trade rumors right now in the NHL.' While Mailloux has talent and production at the AHL level behind him, he was a very controversial draft pick for the Canadiens in 2021, so any team acquiring him will have more to think about before making the move, but with the NHL allowing him to play, there likely won't be much to hold teams back. For now, it's all but confirmed that Montreal are major buyers in this market as they look to significantly upgrade their roster ahead of next season, and with some solid blue liners already in the NHL and on the way, don't be shocked to see Mailloux moved this off-season.
Five takeaways as Panthers officially become an NHL dynasty
The Florida Panthers' 5-1 Game 6 win sealed their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final series victory Tuesday night, defeating the Edmonton Oilers for the second straight year and winning the series 4-2. Here are five takeaways from Tuesday night's dynasty-establishing win. 1. The game script mostly followed Florida's previous wins. Edmonton opened with a flurry of shots, but the Panthers scored on their first shot after Sam Reinhart forced a turnover just inside the neutral zone and made a tremendous individual effort. The Panthers smell blood better than anyone, turned up the heat and scored with just seconds left in the first period to open a 2-0 lead. The Panthers dominated with a 5-1 advantage in high-danger chances in the period, according to Natural Stat Trick. They outscored Edmonton 13-4 in first periods this series. 2. A fourth straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final will be hard. There's not really any data on a team in the modern era playing this many games, so there's not really any way to know how the Panthers may be impacted by fatigue. Plus, it's likely at least one — and possibly two — of center Sam Bennett, winger Brad Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad won't be back next season. The Panthers are light on assets to help them improve with their next three first-round picks traded. Bennett, the Conn Smythe winner for playoff MVP, could be the most lucrative player to hit the free-agent market if he doesn't re-sign with Florida. 3. On the other hand, Florida's pro scouting has no equal. The Panthers' pro scouting department is unequivocally the best in the NHL. Florida wins trades — Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and Seth Jones. Florida wins in reclamation projects — from hitting home runs like claiming No. 1 defender Gustav Forsling off waivers to identifying bargain-bin defenseman who could well exceed their value in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niko Mikkola and Nate Schmidt. If Florida becomes the first franchise since the New York Islanders (1980-1984) to go to four consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, you can credit their incomparable pro scouting. 4. Goaltenders are not running backs. There are plenty of reasons why Florida won this series, and goaltending is near the very top. There's an axiom that goaltenders are about the equivalent of NFL running backs. It's because of how often coaches will wind up riding the hot hand and how often the goaltending middle class can get very mushy and amorphous when trying to rank them — which makes paying them a questionable decision. But, value wise, there is no comparison — goaltenders are the most important players on the ice. Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky has redefined his career these past three seasons. His .915 save percentage in that span is the type of rock-solid consistency that most fans beg from their netminders. 5. The Oilers goaltender conundrum needs resolution. Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard were not good enough in the Stanley Cup Final for Edmonton. Everything you need to know about Skinner's performance can be summed up how he played Sam Reinhart's second goal. He has a career .893 save percentage in the playoffs. The Oilers have $3.6 million tied up next season in their two goaltenders and $11 million in cap space this summer. The summer free-agent goalie crop isn't great, so Edmonton may need to get aggressive on the trade market to address this. Connor McDavid is entering a contract year, and convincing him Edmonton can win the Stanley Cup might come down to what it does in net this summer.
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