The 2025 NFL schedule has been revealed, setting the calendar from fall into winter for all 32 franchises. So, how does every team's 17-game lineup fit into the 18-week slate? What are the biggest takeaways from each draw? NFL.com analysts provide the initial intel you need to know.
Navigate to your team by clicking the divisions below:
Bears' 2025 schedule
Week 1: Vikings (MNF)
Week 2: at Lions
Week 3: Cowboys
Week 4: at Raiders
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: at Commanders (MNF)
Week 7: Saints
Week 8: at Ravens
Week 9: at Bengals
Week 10: Giants
Week 11: at Vikings
Week 12: Steelers
Week 13: at Eagles (Black Friday)
Week 14: at Packers
Week 15: Browns
Week 16: Packers (Saturday)
Week 17: at 49ers (SNF)
Week 18: Lions (TBD
Three biggest takeaways
- Ben Johnson reunion comes early. It won’t take long for the new Bears head coach to meet up with his former team. The ex-Lions offensive coordinator will see Detroit in Week 2 in what should be a fun matchup. The Bears have been loading up this offseason to give Johnson the offense he needs, and the Lions will be breaking in a new defensive coordinator. After meeting the familiar Vikings in the season opener, Johnson will have another early chance to prove he’s ready to take Chicago to new heights.
- Time to exorcise some demons. The Monday night matchup with Washington in Week 6 won’t need much hype. The Bears literally watched their season implode in that same city last year, when Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed an epic Hail Mary to win that contest. The stunning loss kicked off a 10-game losing streak during which head coach Matt Eberflus was fired. On the other hand, the Commanders used that miraculous win to continue their rise as one of the feel-good stories of 2024. The Bears should be eager to produce a different result this time around.
- A December to remember? If the Bears fancy themselves as serious contenders, then they’ll get their chance to prove it late in the year. They’ll get two shots at the Packers (an away game on Dec. 7 and a home contest on Dec. 20) before concluding the season in Detroit. Plus, they'll return to San Francisco at month's end with a chance to make amends for the thrashing they took in the Bay Area last December. The Bears thought they were ready for big things heading into last season. They’ll have plenty of opportunities to show this year is different if they can stay in the postseason hunt down the stretch.
NFL Research note
The Bears are one of just seven teams that are not scheduled to play on a Thursday this season. However, they will play the Eagles on Black Friday.
Bears' offseason: Additions | Draft picks | Undrafted rookies | Departures
Lions' 2025 schedule
Week 1: at Packers
Week 2: Bears
Week 3: at Ravens (MNF)
Week 4: Browns
Week 5: at Bengals
Week 6: at Chiefs (SNF)
Week 7: Buccaneers (MNF)
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Vikings
Week 10: at Commanders
Week 11: at Eagles (SNF)
Week 12: Giants
Week 13: Packers (Thanksgiving)
Week 14: Cowboys (TNF)
Week 15: at Rams
Week 16: Steelers
Week 17: at Vikings (Christmas)
Week 18: at Bears (TBD)
Three biggest takeaways
- Tough way to start. The Lions better be humming out of the gate. They’ll play four of their first six games on the road and none of them will be easy (Green Bay, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Kansas City). Throw in a Week 2 home game with the Bears -- a team led by former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson -- and you can see where this could be heading. Detroit will have to send a strong message to the rest of the league early.
- Season’s Meetings. There won’t be a ton of family time for the Lions around the holidays this year. Along with hosting their traditional Thanksgiving Day game, this year against the Packers, Detroit will travel to Minnesota on Christmas Day. Marquee games are great for the audience at home. It’s a different story when you’re playing on short rest late in the campaign.
- The end of the season isn’t so great, either. Detroit’s last four games include three road trips against teams with serious playoff aspirations: the Rams, the Vikings and the Bears in the season finale. In other words, it’s going to be difficult for the Lions to win 15 games in consecutive years.
NFL Research note
The Lions have 11 games against 2024 playoff teams -- tied with the Eagles for most in the NFL.
Lions' offseason: Additions | Draft picks | Undrafted rookies | Departures
Packers' 2025 schedule
Week 1: Lions
Week 2: Commanders (TNF)
Week 3: at Browns
Week 4: at Cowboys (SNF)
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Bengals
Week 7: at Cardinals
Week 8: at Steelers (SNF)
Week 9: Panthers
Week 10: Eagles (MNF)
Week 11: at Giants
Week 12: Vikings
Week 13: at Lions (Thanksgiving)
Week 14: Bears
Week 15: at Broncos
Week 16: at Bears (Saturday)
Week 17: Ravens (TBD)
Week 18: at Vikings (TBD)
Three biggest takeaways
- Soft start. The Packers should be thrilled by the first half of their schedule. Just three of their first eight games will be against teams that made the playoffs in 2024 (Detroit, Washington and Pittsburgh). Granted, some of the other early opponents should be improved, such as Dallas, Arizona and Cincinnati, but they still have a nice opportunity to get out in front in the division. Green Bay should take advantage of that gift.
- This could be fun if it happens. We know the Packers will be traveling to Pittsburgh in Week 8. What isn’t yet clear is whether former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be throwing passes for the Steelers at that stage. Pittsburgh is still waiting to see if Rodgers commits to them. If he does, then this will be must-see TV.
- Rough finish. As soft as the start of Green Bay’s season feels, the ending is about as difficult as it gets. Starting in Week 12, the Packers will play the Vikings, Lions (on the road), Bears, Broncos (on the road), Bears again (on the road), Ravens and Vikings again (on the road). That’s five games against playoff teams from last year and two more against a Chicago team that has legitimate postseason goals. Ugh.
NFL Research note
The Packers will play back-to-back road games three different times in 2025, the most they've played in one season since Matt LaFleur's first year as head coach in 2019 (excluding international games). They went 4-2 in those six games.
Packers' offseason: Additions | Draft picks | Undrafted rookies | Departures
Vikings' 2025 schedule
Week 1: at Bears (MNF)
Week 2: Falcons (SNF)
Week 3: Bengals
Week 4: Steelers (Dublin)
Week 5: Browns (London)
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Eagles
Week 8: at Chargers (TNF)
Week 9: at Lions
Week 10: Ravens
Week 11: Bears
Week 12: at Packers
Week 13: at Seahawks
Week 14: Commanders
Week 15: at Cowboys (SNF)
Week 16: at Giants
Week 17: Lions (Christmas)
Week 18: Packers (TBD)
Three biggest takeaways
- Safe travels. The Vikings will have plenty of time abroad, as they’ll play a Week 4 game against Pittsburgh in Dublin and a Week 5 contest against Cleveland in London. The upside is Minnesota will open the season against three teams that didn’t qualify for the postseason in 2024 (Chicago, Atlanta and Cincinnati), but that kind of road trip so early in the year will be a stiff test.
- Rough stretch. The toughest part of the Vikings’ season might come right after that overseas tour and their Week 6 break. They’ll face the Eagles, Chargers, Lions and Ravens in consecutive weeks with the games against Los Angeles and Detroit coming on the road. This will be the time when Minnesota really learns what it has in second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
- See you in Seattle. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold enjoyed a magical year in Minnesota in 2024, as he rebuilt his career and set himself up to be one of the league’s top free agents this offseason. He now has the chance to face the team that decided it was better to move on from him. There’s surely still a lot of love between the Vikings and Darnold because of how he performed in leading Minnesota to a 14-win season. It’s also fair to assume the Vikings will know just how to attack him in that Week 13 tilt after all the time with him in their building.
NFL Research note
The Vikings are the first team in NFL history to play a game in multiple international countries in the same season (Week 4 in Ireland and Week 5 in England).
Vikings' offseason: Additions | Draft picks | Undrafted rookies | Departures
