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2025 Flexible Scheduling Procedures and Scheduling for Week 18

Allows teams to play their way onto primetime

In 2006, the NFL implemented "flexible scheduling," a procedure designed to promote quality matchups on Sunday nights and give surprise teams a chance to play their way onto primetime. For the 2025 season, flexible scheduling will include Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and Thursday Night Football.

Please note that the NFL is continuously reviewing its scheduling procedures to ensure exciting and meaningful games are available for viewing by the largest number of fans and so further changes to flexible scheduling could be implemented in the future.

Current Flexible Scheduling Procedures

Flexible scheduling is in effect during the following windows (the "Flex Scheduling Windows"):

  • For Sunday Night Football, it may be used up to twice between Weeks 5-10, and any week during Weeks 11-17;
  • For Monday Night Football it may be used any week in Weeks 12-17;
  • For Thursday Night Football it may be used up to twice between Weeks 13-17.
  • During the Flex Scheduling Windows, the games initially scheduled for Sunday Night Football (on NBC), Monday Night Football (ESPN or ABC), and Thursday Night Football (on Prime Video) are tentatively scheduled and subject to change;
  • Only Sunday afternoon games (or those listed as TBD) are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, Monday night, or Thursday night, in which case the initially scheduled Sunday, Monday, or Thursday night game would be moved to Sunday afternoon;
  • Sunday afternoon games may also be moved between 1:00 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. ET.

Scheduling for Week 18

As in prior seasons, for Week 18, the final weekend of the season, the scheduling of the Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and the Sunday night games is not assigned. The schedule for Week 18 will be announced at the conclusion of Week 17

Additional Flexible Scheduling Information

  • The game that has been tentatively scheduled for Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, or Thursday Night Football during the Flex Scheduling Windows will generally be listed at 8:20 p.m. ET, 8:15 p.m. ET, and 8:15 p.m. ET, respectively.
  • The majority of games on Sundays will typically be listed at 1:00 p.m. ET during the Flex Scheduling Windows except for games played in Pacific or Mountain time zones, which will be listed at 4:05 or 4:25 p.m. ET.
  • For Sunday Night Football in Weeks 5-13 and for Monday Night Football in Weeks 12-17, the NFL will decide and announce no later than 12 days in advance of the game, which game will be played on Sunday night and which game will be played on Monday night.
  • For Sunday Night Football in Weeks 14-17, the flexible scheduling decision will generally be made no later than 6 days prior to the game.
  • For Thursday Night Football in Weeks 13-17, the flexible scheduling decision will generally be made no later than 21 days prior to the game.
  • Fans and ticket holders must be aware that NFL games in the Flex Scheduling Windows are subject to change generally at least 12 days in advance (and at least 6 days in advance for Sundays in Weeks 14-17) and should plan accordingly.