2025 NFL Schedule Release: Date, when does the season start?

The 2025 NFL offseason continues to chug right along. Up next is the 2025 NFL Draft and not shortly after that will be the NFL schedule release for 2025. Stay up to date with everything you need to know about the 2025 NFL Schedule release below:

When is the 2025 NFL Schedule Release?

We don’t know exactly when the NFL will announce the 2025 regular season schedule yet, but we can make some educated guesses based on past releases.

Based on past release dates, NFL fans can expect to see 2025 NFL season dates in early or mid-May.

Past NFL Schedule Release Dates

• 2024 – May 15
• 2023 – May 11
• 2022 – May 12
• 2021 – May 12
• 2020 – May 7
• 2019 – April 17
• 2018 – April 19
• 2017 – April 20
• 2016 – April 14
• 2015 – April 21
• 2014 – April 23
• 2013 – April 18
• 2012 – April 17
• 2011 – April 19
• 2010 – April 20
• 2009 – April 14
• 2008 – April 15
• 2007 – April 11
• 2006 – April 6
• 2005 – April 13

When does the 2025 NFL Season start?

While we don’t know much about the 2025 NFL season yet, we do know that the Week 1 opening game will feature the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles at home on Thursday, September 4.

How is the NFL schedule determined?

The NFL has detailed rules about how the schedule comes together. Check out the specifics below:

• Each team plays 17 regular season games.
• Each team receives a bye week.
• Teams alternate seasons where they host nine regular season games and one preseason game or eight regular season games and two preseason games.
• Each team has six games against divisional opponents – two against each team, one at home and one on the road.
• Each team has four games against teams from a division within its conference – two games at home and two on the road.
• Each team has four games against teams from a division in the other conference – two games at home and two on the road.
• Each team has two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference – one game at home and one on the road. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.
• The 17th game for each team is an additional game against a non-conference opponent from a division that the team is not scheduled to play. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.

2024 NFL Schedule Opponents

Below is a list of who each team will be playing this season, home and away:

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Home: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Saints, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Eagles
Away: Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Falcons, Panthers, Browns, Steelers, Texans

Miami Dolphins

Home: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Saints, Buccaneers, Chargers, Commanders
Away: Bills, Patriots, Jets, Falcons, Panthers, Browns, Steelers, Colts

New England Patriots

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Texans, Colts, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks
Away: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Bengals, Titans, Jaguars, 49ers, Cardinals, Bears

New York Jets

Home: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Falcons, Panthers, Browns, Steelers, Raiders, Giants
Away: Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Saints, Buccaneers, Titans

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Home: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Bears, Lions, Patriots, Jets, Texans, Rams
Away: Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Bills, Packers, Dolphins, Vikings, Chiefs

Cincinnati Bengals

Home: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Bears, Lions, Patriots, Jets, Jaguars, Cardinals
Away: Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Bills, Packers, Dolphins, Vikings, Broncos

Cleveland Browns

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Bills, Packers, Dolphins, Vikings, Titans, 49ers
Away: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Bears, Lions, Patriots, Jets, Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

Home: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Bills, Packers, Vikings, Dolphins, Colts, Seahawks
Away: Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Bears, Lions, Patriots, Jets, Chargers

AFC South

Houston Texans

Home: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Cardinals, Broncos, Raiders, 49ers, Bills, Buccaneers
Away: Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Chiefs, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks, Ravens

Indianapolis Colts

Home: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Cardinals, Broncos, Raiders, 49ers, Dolphins, Falcons
Away: Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Chiefs, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks, Steelers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Home: Texans, Colts, Titans, Chiefs, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks, Jets, Panthers
Away: Texans, Colts, Titans, Cardinals, Broncos, Raiders, 49ers, Bengals

Tennessee Titans

Home: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Chiefs, Chargers, Rams, Seahawks, Patriots, Saints
Away: Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Bills, Cardinals, Broncos, Raiders, 49ers, Browns

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Home: Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants, Titans, Bengals, Packers
Away: Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Texans, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Jets

Kansas City Chiefs

Home: Broncos, Raiders, Chargers, Texans, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Ravens, Lions
Away: Broncos, Raiders, Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants, Titans, Bills

Las Vegas Raiders

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants, Titans, Browns, Bears
Away: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Texans, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Patriots

Los Angeles Chargers

Home: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Texans, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Steelers, Vikings
Away: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Texans, Colts, Eagles, Commanders, Patriots

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Home: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings, Cardinals
Away: Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Raiders, Jets, Panthers

New York Giants

Home: Cowboys, Eagles, Commanders, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings, 49ers
Away: Cowboys, Eagles, Commanders, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Raiders, Patriots, Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Home: Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Raiders, Rams
Away: Cowboys, Giants, Commanders, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings, Bills, Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Home: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Bears, Broncos, Lions, Raiders, Seahawks
Away: Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Packers, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings, Dolphins, Falcons

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Home: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Browns, Cowboys, Giants, Steelers, Saints
Away: Lions, Packers, Vikings, Ravens, Bengals, Eagles, Commanders, Raiders, 49ers

Detroit Lions

Home: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Browns, Cowboys, Giants, Steelers, Buccaneers
Away: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Ravens, Bengals, Eagles, Commanders, Chiefs, Rams

Green Bay Packers

Home: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Ravens, Bengals, Eagles, Commanders, Panthers
Away: Bears, Lions, Vikings, Browns, Cowboys, Giants, Steelers, Broncos, Cardinals

Minnesota Vikings

Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Ravens, Bengals, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons
Away: Bears, Lions, Packers, Browns, Cowboys, Giants, Steelers, Chargers, Seahawks

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Home: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Bills, Rams, Dolphins, Seahawks, Commanders
Away: Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Patriots, Jets, 49ers, Colts, Vikings

Carolina Panthers

Home: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Bills, Rams, Dolphins, Seahawks, Cowboys
Away: Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Patriots, Jets, 49ers, Jaguars, Packers

New Orleans Saints

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Patriots, Jets, 49ers, Giants
Away: Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Bills, Dolphins, Rams, Seahawks, Titans, Bears

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Home: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Cardinals, Patriots, Jets, 49ers, Eagles
Away: Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Bills, Rams, Dolphins, Seahawks, Texans, Lions

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

Home: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars, Titans, Packers
Away: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Texans, Colts, Saints, Buccaneers, Bengals, Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams

Home: Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Texans, Colts, Saints, Buccaneers, Lions
Away: Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars, Titans, Ravens, Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Home: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars, Titans, Bears
Away: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Texans, Colts, Saints, Buccaneers, Browns, Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Home: Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, Texans, Colts, Saints, Buccaneers, Vikings
Away: Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars, Titans, Steelers, Commanders

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