For football fans around the world, there’s nothing quite like NFL opening weekend, and 2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest starts to the season in recent memory. After months of debating offseason moves, watching depth chart battles in practices and preseason games, and seeing if your training camp darling made the team, everyone has that fresh optimism that this could be the year.
This season’s first slate of games sets the tone right away. From the Thursday night opener in Philadelphia to a stacked Sunday schedule with a primetime showdown between two of the league’s best quarterbacks, Week 1 has plenty of storylines. Here’s a full look at the NFL Week 1 schedule, when kickoff happens, and how to watch every game live.
When Is NFL Opening Weekend 2025?
For those who’ve been counting down the days, the seven month wait is almost over. NFL opening weekend in 2025 officially kicks off on Thursday, September 4, when the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys. The action picks right back up on Friday, September 5, with the Los Angeles Chargers facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil. Most of the Week One slate will take place on Sunday, September 7, before the weekend wraps up with one final game on Monday night, September 8.
NFL Opening Weekend Schedule: Dates, Matchups, And Times
The opening weekend of the NFL season is one of the biggest of the year. It’s when every fanbase has hope that this will be the year their team makes a deep run towards hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. NFL opening weekend 2025 features some of the biggest Week 1 games fans have seen in some time, but who is playing and when?
Thursday, Sept. 4
Cowboys at Eagles – 8:20 PM ET
Network: NBC / Streaming: Peacock
Friday, Sept. 5
Chiefs vs. Chargers (São Paulo, Brazil) – 8:00 PM ET
Streaming: YouTube
Sunday, Sept. 7
Buccaneers at Falcons – 1:00 PM ET
Network: FOX
Bengals at Browns – 1:00 PM ET
Network: CBS
Dolphins at Colts – 1:00 PM ET
Network: CBS
Raiders at Patriots – 1:00 PM ET
Network: FOX
Cardinals at Saints – 1:00 PM ET
Network: FOX
Steelers at Jets – 1:00 PM ET
Network: CBS
Giants at Commanders – 1:00 PM ET
Network: FOX
Panthers at Jaguars – 1:00 PM ET
Network: CBS
Titans at Broncos – 4:05 PM ET
Network: CBS
49ers at Seahawks – 4:05 PM ET
Network: FOX
Lions at Packers – 4:25 PM ET
Network: CBS
Texans at Rams – 4:25 PM ET
Network: FOX
Ravens at Bills (Sunday Night Football) – 8:20 PM ET
Network: NBC / Streaming: Peacock
Monday, Sept. 8
Vikings at Bears (Monday Night Football) – 8:15 PM ET
Network: ESPN / ABC / Streaming: ESPN+
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills and Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens embrace after the game at M&T Bank Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Getty Images
How To Watch NFL Opening Weekend: TV And Streaming Options
When it comes to watching games during NFL opening weekend, there are plenty of options for fans. The easiest solution for how to watch games is the television (TV) via a cable package, streaming service, or good ole antenna.
The primetime games are the easiest to watch, as they are national games that everyone will get. Those games, as per usually, will air on NBC and Peacock (Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football), and ESPN/ABC (Monday Night Football).
What makes the opening weekend of 2025 different, however, is that YouTube will air a game exclusively for the first time. September 5’s game between the Chargers and Chiefs will be available free globally, but only on YouTube. That said, if you are in either the Los Angeles or Kansas City markets, you will have the option to watch it on local TV.
For the rest of the games on the weekend, they will air on local CBS and FOX affiliates. The NFL+ service allows fans to watch local games on their mobile devices while also offering live game audio for all of the weekend’s games. If you want to watch games out of market, you can sign up for NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV.
Biggest Storylines To Follow In Week 1
Ever since the NFL schedule was revealed in May, fans have spent the weeks and months circling games and talking about the biggest storylines of the year. In Week 1, things get started with a bang with the Eagles and Cowboys, but, despite being division rivals and Philadelphia being the defending Super Bowl champion, that game isn’t the only storyline heading into the NFL’s opening weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers At New York Jets
Following two poor years with New York, Aaron Rodgers is a Pittsburgh Steeler and he starts his tenure against the New York Jets. The Steelers waited around all summer for Rodgers to make a decision and the sure-fire Hall of Fame quarterback didn’t take a snap in the preseason. Will there be rust for the 41-year-old, or will the motivation to stick it to New York be strong enough to turn back the clock?
Baltimore Ravens At Buffalo Bills
After facing off in a memorable---for a variety of reasons---divisional matchup last season, the Ravens and Bills face off on Sunday Night Football. It’s Josh Allen vs Lamar Jackson, a showcase that every football fan can get behind. Despite it being a Week 1 game, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Baltimore wants to avenge its playoff loss to Buffalo last year while both teams want to make a good first step on the road to the top seed in the AFC. This is a game where the loser will be two games back, in a sense, due to the head-to-head tiebreaker after just one week.
The Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones always likes to keep the Dallas Cowboys in the news at all hours of the day, and there’s no better way to stay in the news than being the first game of the year. After letting Mike McCarthy go in favor of Brian Schottenheimer and trading away superstar Micah Parsons to Green Bay, the critics will be ready to jump on the Cowboys if they come out flat in Week 1.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 29: Former Dallas Cowboy Micah Parsons speaks to the media during a press conference, after being traded to the Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field on August 29, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Top Players To Watch On NFL Opening Weekend
Micah Parsons
A week before the first game of the season, Parsons was traded from Dallas to Green Bay. Now, all eyes will be on Parsons when the Packers host the Detroit Lions at 4:25 on CBS. Parsons is dealing with a back injury, though he’s expected to play. With a new $188 million in tow, will Parsons be the defensive piece to get the Packers back to the Super Bowl? A matchup against the 2024 NFC North champions is a good way to test that.
Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones joined the Indianapolis Colts on one-year deal in March. Fast-forward a few months later, and Jones is the starting quarterback for the Colts while 2023 4th overall draft pick Anthony Richardson Sr. is his backup. It was a move that shocked a lot of fans and pundits, but just how long of a leash does Jones have? If he comes out and performs like the Jones of the last couple seasons, when will head coach Shane Steichen turn to Richardson Sr.?
Michael Penix Jr.
Sticking with quarterbacks, Michael Penix Jr. is officially the man under center for the Atlanta Falcons. There are high expectations for the Falcons heading into 2025 as many expect them to compete for the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Penix Jr. will be given the opportunity to play out of any struggles he has during the early part of the season. But if Atlanta wants to make the playoffs, will they try to go to Kirk Cousins, who the team elected not to trade in the offseason, to get the job done?
How NFL Opening Weekend Sets The Tone For 2025 Season
The NFL’s opening weekend can often set the stage for the season in both good and bad ways. That said, what happens in Week 1 doesn’t always signal what’ll happen throughout the year.
Looking back at 2023, the Jets overcame Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles injury to secure a win against Buffalo, but it didn’t boost them to a successful season. On the other hand, last year the Chiefs beat the Ravens by a toe, and that trend of close call victories continued on their way to a third-straight Super Bowl appearance.
Week 1 of the 2025 NFL schedule features eight division matchups after last season had just two during opening weekend. With so many key contests, division races will be impacted in a major way. Thanks to tiebreakers, the teams that win will have, essentially, a two-game cushion on the team they beat right off the bat. If that doesn’t motivate a team to start the year strong, who knows what will. But starting off 1-0 compared to 0-1 does sound a lot better the teams and fans alike.