The 2025 NFL Schedule will be released on May 14, which means we'll soon know the dates and times of our upcoming football gauntlet.
The preamble to the yearly announcement comes with an annual unenviable task for yours truly: selecting the top 10 games of the season.
Picking two handfuls of matchups out of 272 is a gargantuan task. It's like asking to choose only 10 pieces of candy out of an overflowing bin of goodies. Sure, we each have our preferences, but every morsel has merits.
To make my job somewhat easier, I've taken divisional matchups off the table. These rivalry games are notable in their own ways. They warrant their own list, not overpowering this one. Unfortunately, that constraint means we're cutting out the likes of Ben Johnson's return to Detroit, the renewed Pete Carroll-Jim Harbaugh rivalry, and many others. Consider this restriction like orange construction barrels blocking lanes of traffic -- we all must adhere to some boundaries in life.
Before we get to the list, I sincerely apologize to the fans of the 17 teams that didn't make this list. It's not personal. Frankly, I'll be watching all 272 games, the same as every year. In deciding how to cut down the list this year, I asked myself which 10 games -- and only 10 -- would I request my wife do bedtime for our two toddlers so I wouldn't miss the start of each matchup. These are my answers, based on the list of each team's upcoming opponents.
- Where: Highmark Stadium | Orchard Park, N.Y.
Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes make for appointment viewing on their own -- when they are on the same gridiron, it's a must-watch live situation. Buffalo and Kansas City have faced off nine times since 2020, and while the Bills have won four straight regular-season clashes, they have yet to get over the postseason hump against Mahomes and Co. The influence this matchup tends to have on playoff seeding adds extra importance to the high-powered showdown between two otherworldly quarterbacks.
- Where: Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia
It's the matchup we didn't get last postseason. The Lions and the Eagles were the clear-cut two best NFC clubs during the regular season, but then Detroit failed to win a playoff game while Philly romped to the Lombardi Trophy. Changes happened, as they do every year for every team -- including Detroit losing both of its coordinators and Philly saying goodbye to its OC and some defensive pieces -- but the key players remain to provide an excellent show of two NFC powers. Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown has already stumped for this game to be the season opener. Regardless of where on the calendar it falls, we should be in for a heavyweight bout between a Jared Goff-led explosive offense and the home runs of Saquon Barkley.
- Where: M&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore
This one might fly under the radar for many fans, but not for me. Do you remember the last time these clubs faced off? They gave us more fireworks than the Fourth of July in one of the best games of the 2023 season, an OT barnburner capped off by a 76-yard Tylan Wallace punt-return TD. The defenses on both sides might have improved since, but even so, any time Lamar Jackson and Matthew Stafford are on the field, explosives ensue. The matchups in this one are enticing: Jackson weaving around one of the best defensive fronts in football to create big plays with his arm and legs; Stafford bullying the Ravens secondary with big-bodied wideouts Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Grrrrrr. I can't believe we have to wait months for this game!
- Where: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Mo.
The Super Bowl rematch might have been a dud, but that doesn't mean this game will follow suit. The Eagles blasted Kansas City with a dominating front in February, and Jalen Hurts divebombed the Chiefs defense. The last time Andy Reid's club got walloped in a Super Bowl, it set off an offensive line revamp. Another is taking place. The Eagles also lost key pieces along the defensive front, with Josh Sweat and Milton Williams leaving in free agency. The matchup will show how far each squad has come since the Super Bowl. In the four matchups between the Eagles and Chiefs during the Hurts era, Kansas City won the first two and Philly won the last two. As if this bout needed more fire, there is also the backdrop of Eagles coach Nick Sirianni yelling at Chiefs fans the last time his club visited GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
- Where: Highmark Stadium | Orchard Park, N.Y.
Shootout city! The Bills -- despite ongoing consternation about the receiver corps -- ranked second in points scored in 2024. The Bengals ranked sixth. Even if both defenses improve this year, this should be a high-scoring affair. Joe Burrow has his wideouts back and happy, with both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins getting big paydays this offseason. Toss in Mike Gesicki sticking around with Andrei Iosivas improving in Year 3, and the Bengals will remain one of the most entertaining offenses in the NFL. We know Allen brings it regardless of who he's throwing to. This has last one with the ball wins the game written all over it.
- Where: Northwest Stadium | Landover, Md.
Last year's iteration wasn't a pretty game, but it had the most memorable outcome with Jayden Daniels' ridiculous Hail Mary. It was a touchstone tilt for both squads. The Bears spiraled into the depths, losing 10 straight, firing their coach, and starting over again. The win helped catapult Washington to the postseason and eventually the NFC Championship Game. I'm anticipating a better bout in 2025. The Commanders added Deebo Samuel to the mix and upgraded the offensive line, including trading for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The Bears hired the best play-caller available in Ben Johnson, fortified the offensive line and added additional playmakers in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Caleb Williams v. Jayden Daniels 2.0 should be much more than a Hail Mary highlight.
- Where: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Mo.
I know I'm recycling teams, but I couldn't leave Lamar Jackson versus Patrick Mahomes on the cutting room floor. Last year's season opener was a big toe from OT or a Ravens game-ending two-point try for the win. Baltimore racked up 452 yards, and if not for a couple of Jackson miscues and a missed field goal necessitating a furious late-game comeback that fell shy, it could have been a much different outcome. The bout typified the Chiefs season -- hanging on to pull out a one-score victory despite not playing their best. Mahomes and Jackson account for four of the past seven NFL MVP awards. Their matchups are, by default, appointment viewing.
- Where: NRG Stadium | Houston
Perhaps I'm taking my personal preference to the next level by shoehorning in two teams I'm intrigued by entering the season. I love what the Broncos did this offseason, bolstering an already underrated defense and giving Sean Payton more toys to play with on offense. Second-round pick RJ Harvey should soar in Payton's scheme. I'm equally interested in how the changes in Houston pan out with a completely overhauled offensive line, two Iowa State Cyclone rookie receivers (Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel), and a new OC in Nick Caley. Will C.J. Stroud shake off the Year 2 doldrums? Styles make fights, and I can't wait to see DeMeco Ryans' physical defense take on Payton's dice-you-up offense.
- Where: Lumen Field | Seattle
This will be in plenty of "revenge game" columns this offseason, which adds to the anticipation as Sam Darnold takes on his former team in Seattle. On their own, both of these clubs bring intriguing questions to the 2025 campaign. Can J.J. McCarthy seamlessly take over a well-oiled Kevin O'Connell offense and keep it running smoothly? Was O'Connell's scheme the reason for Darnold's success, or has he finally turned the corner from his ghost-seeing days? Will the Seahawks' revamped offense under Klint Kubiak shine or take time to jell? What role will Jalen Milroe play? Two clubs that have high-variance outcomes make for an intriguing matchup.
- Where: Acrisure Stadium | Pittsburgh
If Aaron Rodgers eventually signs with the Steelers, this Super Bowl XLV rematch becomes an intriguing plotline. Can Rodgers flip the script and lead Mike Tomlin's club over his former team? Does he have enough left in the tank to play a full season? Even if the four-time MVP doesn't join Pittsburgh, this matchup offers fun storylines. A well-built Steelers defensive line with T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and first-round pick Derrick Harmon against a Packers O-line that, if the pieces fit right, has the upside to be among the best in the league -- or could collapse in on itself like a dying star. The Steelers' field-stretching duo of DK Metcalf and George Pickens versus a Packers secondary that has questions, with Jaire Alexander's future still up in the air. Also, Jordan Love, first-round pick Matthew Golden and an array of Packers pass catchers against Darius Slay, Joey Porter Jr., Minkah Fitzpatrick and the rest of the Steelers secondary.
