CLEVELAND, Ohio — We officially know the [Browns’ 2025 schedule](https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2025/05/browns-2025-schedule-release-open-at-home-against-the-bengals-no-prime-time-games.html), and with it we can begin playing the most divisive game in maybe all of professional football.
Welcome to the Cleveland schedule game, 2025.
Every year I caution fans to not get too ahead of themselves.
After all, it’s only May — we are still a long ways away from training camp, let alone actual games.
But all that being said, this is still our first chance to analyze Cleveland’s path going forward, and to take our best guesses at what the season may look like.
So here are my initial takeaways after seeing the full 17-game slate:
**1\. With unknown starting QB, be extra careful in playing the schedule game**
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, so yes, analyzing the schedule is fun. But as I’m about to enter my fifth season covering this team, I would argue this is the most difficult schedule to analyze, period.
Most of that uncertainty is because we don’t know who the Browns starting quarterback will be.
To me, that is the biggest X-factor in how any of these games will go.
And I think most of you would agree with me on this if you think about it in these terms: I’m guessing you have one opinion on how Week 1 will go against the Bengals if I tell you the starter will be Joe Flacco, and a totally different opinion on if I tell you that starter is one of the rookies you haven’t seen yet, either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, or Kenny Pickett.
Basically, in terms of questions I have about this team, the schedule wasn’t really one of the more pressing ones. We always knew going into this year it was going to be a tough draw, especially with the NFC North opponents Cleveland has to face and that division’s success in 2024.
**2\. A prime time absence for now (and what I think could change it)**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2024, the Browns were flexed out of two prime-time games as their season rapidly tumbled away: a Week 16 Thursday matchup against the Bengals, and a Week 17 home game against the Dolphins that was originally on Sunday Night Football both became Sunday afternoon contests.
So after Cleveland finished 3-14, it’s unsurprising that the Browns weren’t given any prime time games to start.
Week 18 start times have yet to be determined across the league, which has become standard.
Also of note, this season, “flexible scheduling” for Sunday Night Football may be used up to twice between Weeks 5-10, and in the NFL’s discretion during Weeks 11-17; for Monday Night Football at the NFL’s discretion in Weeks 12-17; and for Thursday Night Football it may be used up to twice between Weeks 13-17.
I remind readers of those caveats, because I think if the Browns were to get flexed into a prime-time slot later in the season, there’s one huge factor to consider besides them overperforming.
If Shedeur Sanders is starting at any point, it might make Cleveland more desirable for one of those prime-time spots, given how he is already moving the needle.
**3\. A tough tone setter**
---------------------------
While I think it’s nearly impossible to predict anything with this schedule because of the quarterback situation, I think the opening six games are tough regardless of who starts.
The Browns begin the season with two division games, playing the Bengals at home in Week 1 and then heading to Baltimore to play the Ravens in Week 2.
Cleveland hosts the Packers in Week 3 before going on the road to play Detroit on Sept. 28.
Week 5 is the London game, when the Browns will play a Minnesota Vikings team that will be playing its second of two games across the pond.
Coming back home, the Browns will go on the road again to play the Pittsburgh Steelers (their bye week isn’t until Week 9).
The division games will be difficult of course, but adding in the three best NFC North opponents into that stretch is downright brutal. The Lions won 15 games last year, the Vikings 14 and the Packers 11.
Going even 3-3 in this stretch would be a huge success considering all the issues we saw the Browns deal with last season.
But for this team, which still has so many questions to answer, it will be an extremely difficult test right off the bat.
**Football Insider newsletter free trial:** Take a minute and [sign up for a free trial](https://link.cleveland.com/join/6fe/newsletter-football-insider-sign-up-emailform) of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.