2025 NFL schedule release: Complete slate of Week 1 games

• WHERE: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• WHEN: 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo, NFL+

Winners of the last four NFC East titles will clash to kick off the 2025 season and begin the Eagles’ quest for a second straight Super Bowl triumph. Likewise, Philadelphia will aim to become the first NFC East repeat titlist since the Eagles’ run of four straight from 2001-04. Philly won the division last year and in 2022, while Dallas claimed the crown in 2021 and 2023. It will no doubt be a tall task for rookie head coach Brian Schottenheimer as his first game leading the Cowboys will come against the world champs, who swept the 2024 season series by a combined 75-13 score. As Schottenheimer debuts, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is also in line to make a long-awaited return after a hamstring injury cut his 2024 season to nine games. He’ll have recent trade acquisition George Pickens making his Dallas debut alongside star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. As for the Eagles, this will be their first game since shellacking the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, in Super Bowl LIX. Sure, there have been some departures, but Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, arguably the best offensive line in football, A.J. Brown, Super Bowl defensive stars Zack Baun and Cooper DeJean and on and on have returned in the hopes of running it back. 

• WHERE: Corinthians Arena (São Paulo)
• WHEN: 8 p.m. ET | YouTube, YouTube TV, NFL+

For the second time in as many seasons, the first Friday of the NFL season belongs to Brazil. Last season, Saquon Barkley debuted in stellar fashion for the Eagles to kick off a Super Bowl-winning season that culminated in a Lombardi-lifting win over these Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs. Brazil's second-ever NFL game will see an AFC West battle and will be the first of a history-making seven international matchups in 2025 for the NFL. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert will lead the Bolts into the franchise's first international game since 2019, when the Chargers -- then coached by Anthony Lynn and quarterbacked by Philip Rivers -- lost to Mahomes and the Chiefs, 24-17, in Mexico City. Kansas City is 3-0 abroad, and is the first team to have ever won games in four countries -- the United States, England, Mexico and Germany. Now, as Kansas City aims for an incredible 10th straight division title, it will also look to become the first franchise to win games in five countries.

• WHERE: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

After a season away from the NFL sidelines, Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel are back and making their debuts with their new charges. As Carroll and Vrabel are each looking to turn around woebegone Raiders and Patriots clubs, respectively, they will lead teams rife with fresh-faced talent. 2025 NFL Draft No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty will make an anticipated NFL debut, whilst quarterback Geno Smith will don the Silver and Black for the first time. The Patriots boast new additions like Milton Williams, Stefon Diggs and Harold Landry. The Sunday showdown will serve as the start of the second seasons for two of 2024's most celebrated rookies. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is coming off one of the finest rookie seasons in NFL chronicle, while Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will enter Week 1 as the franchise's undisputed QB1 for what New Englanders hope will be the first of many autumns to come. This one's all about fresh starts and new eras for a pair of storied clubs.

• WHERE: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

The schedule has been released, but Aaron Rodgers' future remains in a haze. Should the future Hall of Famer decide to play in 2025, all signs point to him heading to Pittsburgh and making his debut against his now-former team in the building he coined JetLife Stadium. While Rodgers is still a question, the Jets' starting QB is not. Justin Fields is set to start in Week 1 for New York against a Pittsburgh team he started for in last year's opener. Aside from the QB storylines, the game will mark the beginning of the Aaron Glenn era for Gang Green. Stalwarts like T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward remain as lynchpins on the Steelers defense, but this will be the freshest of starts for the Pittsburgh offense, which could debut a new starting QB, top wide receiver (DK Metcalf) and lead running back (rookie Kaleb Johnson).

• WHERE: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

The winner of an anticipated Colts quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will lead Indianapolis into an opening-week showdown featuring clubs entering pivotal seasons. When the Dolphins and Colts' 2024 campaigns concluded, each club released statements saying they would retain their head coaches and general managers after falling short of the playoffs. That translates into stakes-filled 2025 seasons for both. Mike McDaniel's Dolphins will need to work through injuries and offseason drama with speedy wideout Tyreek Hill, as a healthy Tua Tagovailoa returns to quarterback a Miami squad that fell flat a year ago. While the Richardson-Jones QB competition will command the Indy headlines, the Colts will also debut a high-priced and highly talented defensive backfield with additions Camryn Bynum and Charvarius Ward. Week 1 or not, this feels like a big one for two squads coming off underwhelming 2024 showings.

• WHERE: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS

The Kellen Moore era for the Saints will begin at the Superdome -- the same place Moore's 2024 season concluded, with him celebrating a Super Bowl win as the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator. Just who will be starting at quarterback for Moore in this one is still to be determined, though. Second-round pick Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener will compete for the QB1 job after the retirement of Derek Carr. The Saints are hoping they'll have a healthy Chris Olave back, which would set up a fun matchup opposite fellow former Ohio State receiving standout Marvin Harrison Jr., who will look to improve his chemistry with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray after a mercurial rookie campaign. Moore won't be the only Super Bowl champ back in the Superdome, either. Josh Sweat left Philly for Arizona, signing to reunite with his former Eagles defensive coordinator and new head coach Jonathan Gannon. For Gannon and Co., two years of rebuilding is in the rearview as the Cardinals will kick off a crucial season in which they seek to end the franchise's three-year playoff drought.

• WHERE: Northwest Stadium (Landover, Md.)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

Welcome to Year 2, Jayden Daniels. A returning Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux and 2025 No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter are anxiously awaiting. Daniels is set to be the first quarterback to start consecutive Week 1 games for Washington since Kirk Cousins (2015-17) after winning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and piloting the franchise to its first NFC Championship Game appearance since the 1991 season. As Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn look to prove the Washington renaissance wasn't a one-year wonder, the Commanders will find a Giants team looking to climb out of the NFC East cellar. New York starting quarterback Russell Wilson will be debuting for his third team in as many seasons, now long removed from his Pro Bowl years with the Seahawks. Wilson will look to further the burgeoning career of receiver Malik Nabers, and the Giants could have one of the more intriguing young backfields around with second-year starter Tyrone Tracy Jr. and rookie Cam Skattebo combining forces. However, it would seem the Giants' calling card will be a Big Blue wrecking crew of a defensive front with the aforementioned fearsome foursome of Lawrence, Burns, Thibodeaux and Carter, who should see his first pro action chasing the dynamic Daniels.

• WHERE: Everbank Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

Just how will two-way unicorn Travis Hunter fare as an ironman in the NFL? Just how will the Jaguars put the 2025 No. 2 overall pick to use on offense and defense? The NFL world will get its first glimpse in this one, which promises to be one of the most intriguing and unpredictable debuts in ages. Teams similar in more ways than their jungle cat mascots, Carolina and Jacksonville will also feature a matchup of former No. 1 overall picks when Bryce Young looks to continue his ascension after a strong finish to 2024, while Trevor Lawrence will look to rebound after a season of struggles and injuries. It will mark the head-coaching debut of Liam Coen, who will match wits against the Panthers' Dave Canales, who was the Bucs OC before Coen took over last year. There will also be no fewer than four first-round wide receivers taken in the last two years: the Panthers' Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan, and the Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. and Hunter.

• WHERE: Huntington Bank Field (Cleveland)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

Round 1 of the biannual battle for Ohio is on the docket with Cincinnati and Cleveland still having plenty to work out before recommencing their rivalry. After a 2024 season filled with high scoring, nail-biting losses and a playoff opportunity lost, Joe Burrow and Co. are back, with Ja'Marr Chase, fresh off winning the receiving triple crown, and Tee Higgins having re-signed with the Bengals. Just how Trey Hendrickson, the NFL's reigning sack leader, and his contract stalemate plays out remains to be determined, but Cincinnati will enter 2025 with sky-high aspirations. The Bengals will also be looking for their first season-opening win since 2021. Standing in their way will be a Cleveland team that has a former Super Bowl MVP (Joe Flacco), a former first-round pick (Kenny Pickett) and two rookies (Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders) in a four-way donnybrook for the Week 1 starting QB spot. At one point this season, Myles Garrett, the Browns' All-Pro pass rusher, looked as though he could be headed out of town after a trade request. Instead, he signed a massive extension. These archrivals have each had eventful offseasons with plenty still in progress. It's likely they'll each be happy to vent their frustrations against the other when one of the league's longest-standing rivalries returns to open the season.

• WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
• WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX

The Michael Penix Jr. era in Atlanta will begin in earnest, and the Buccaneers might well be the only NFC South team happy to see him. The Falcons won both 2024 tilts against the Buccaneers thanks to a combined nine touchdown passes by Kirk Cousins. Cousins could still be in Atlanta come Week 1, but it would be as a backup with Penix heading into his second season as the future of the franchise after he took the starting reins for the final three games in '24. Penix captains a Falcons first-round contingent of offensive skill players that also features running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. Though Atlanta will look for vast improvement from a Penix-led offense, an offseason focus has been on defense, which has not one, but two first-round additions in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Standing tall in their way of a promising debut will be offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and a ballyhooed Tampa attack led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, a stellar crew of wideouts and promising young running back Bucky Irving. Just like the Falcons, though, the Bucs defense is the unit searching for the most improvement. The journey to a fifth straight NFC South title for the Bucs will begin in this one, as Baker and Co. aim to prove they're not just division favorites, but NFC contenders.

• WHERE: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver)
• WHEN: 4:05 p.m. ET | FOX

If all goes as planned in Nashville this offseason, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward will make his NFL debut in this one. He'll have a tall task in front of him as the Broncos boast one of the league's finest defenses, keyed by reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II. Denver quarterback Bo Nix is coming off a sterling rookie campaign, one in which he helped the Broncos return to the playoffs for the first time since the club won Super Bowl 50. By all accounts, head coach Sean Payton has the Broncos on their way up. After a disastrous first season at the Tennessee helm, Titans head coach Brian Callahan would love to see his squad, captained by Ward, mirror the success the Broncos and Nix, their 2024 first-round signal-caller, turned in. Denver hasn't won a Week 1 game since 2021. Tennessee has lost four straight season openers. Barring a tie, one of these teams is going to get off the season-opening schneid.

• WHERE: Lumen Field (Seattle)
• WHEN: 4:05 p.m. ET | FOX

There's been turnover aplenty for these NFC West adversaries. Gone for the Seahawks are quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, replaced by Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp. For the 49ers, the departures have far outweighed the additions, with Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw and Deebo Samuel among the notables who have said farewell to San Francisco. Can the Niners regroup? A healthy Christian McCaffrey is on track to be ready for this one after missing the majority of last season, so that will certainly be a boon and a prevailing storyline against the Seahawks. These are very much two new-look clubs offering the first glimpse of what lies ahead.

• WHERE: Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wisc.)
• WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS

Playoff teams a season ago who each fell far short of postseason aspirations will lock up in this NFC North tussle. The Lions will return to the field after a Divisional Round loss ended last season way too early for their liking. They'll do so with their biggest question marks likely emanating from their coaching staff, as offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have moved on. Can Dan Campbell's squad maintain its run of success with new OC John Morton and DC Kelvin Sheppard? Green Bay, which lost to the Eagles in last season's wild-card round, will surely be looking to spoil Morton and Sheppard's debuts, having lost six of the last seven to Detroit. Boding well for the Lions is the likely return of Aidan Hutchinson from a gruesome broken leg last year.

• WHERE: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
• WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS

Two teams with high hopes in 2025 will get down to big-game business from the jump. Both squads made Divisional Round runs a season ago, losing to the eventual Super Bowl participants. Core talent returns for each of these teams, but there will be some enticing debuts, as well. Davante Adams, who will essentially be replacing Rams fixture Cooper Kupp, is set to play for his third team in two seasons, hoping he can make a Super Bowl run playing alongside wideout Puka Nacua and catching passes from Matthew Stafford. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is starting Year 3, no doubt hoping to overcome a sophomore slump -- though leading your team to a second consecutive AFC South title is hardly much of a down season. It'll be Stroud's first action under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who will make his OC debut against the Rams and old boss Sean McVay, under whom he coached the past two seasons. There will be plenty of coaching familiarity, as Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was a longtime San Francisco 49ers assistant, facing McVay and the Rams twice a year. Ryans has never gone against McVay as a head coach, though, as this is just the sixth Texans-Rams meeting all time. The Rams are 4-1 in those matchups, with McVay sitting at 2-0. However, in Ryans' two years (2021-22) as Niners DC, San Francisco was 4-0 in the regular season against Los Angeles.

• WHERE: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, N.Y.)
• WHEN: 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC, NFL+

A rematch of last season's AFC Divisional Round and last year's MVP finalists is on tap for the season premiere of Sunday Night Football. Bills dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen collected his first AP NFL MVP honor a season ago, besting two-time MVP and fellow dynamic double-threat QB Lamar Jackson just a few weeks after Buffalo eliminated Baltimore from the playoffs. Two of the game's top running backs are in action with the Ravens' Derrick Henry and the Bills' James Cook having been instrumental in Baltimore (No. 3) and Buffalo (No. 2) finishing 2024 amid the top three in scoring. New Bills pass rusher Joey Bosa is also in line to play his first NFL game in anything but a Chargers uniform. Storylines will abound for this one, but it's plainly and simply a matchup between two perennial AFC heavyweights.

• WHERE: Soldier Field (Chicago)
• WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN/ABC, NFL+

The marquee will be highlighted by the 2024 No. 1 overall pick likely facing off against the 2024 No. 10 overall pick. All signs point to the latter, Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, being his team’s starting quarterback and therefore making his NFL debut on Monday night against Caleb Williams and the Bears. McCarthy is coming back from a season-ending knee injury suffered in August, while Williams is coming back from a first season in which he somehow escaped injury despite taking 68 sacks. After a five-win season, the Bears have continued to build around Williams, revamping the offensive line, adding tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III in the draft and most notably hiring offensive whiz Ben Johnson as head coach. Johnson's first game as HC will come in prime time, just as McCarthy's first start should. Coming off a 14-3 season that went bust with a lopsided wild-card loss to the Rams, the Vikings bolstered the interior of their offensive and defensive lines. Minnesota has won five in a row at Soldier Field and will look to continue that streak, as the Vikings and Bears conclude the first week of the 2025 season with the eighth and final division game of Week 1.