2025 NFL schedule: Entire ‘Monday Night Football’ lineup, including ranking every matchup

Pull those calendars out, whether they be a physical entity or on your phone. The 2025 NFL season’s “Monday Night Football” lineup has arrived. It kicks off with the Minnesota Vikings traveling to Chicago to face the new look Chicago Bears under first-year head coach Ben Johnson in Week 1 and wraps up with a doubleheader in Week 18. 

This season’s slate also showcases several prime-time matchups featuring potential Super Bowl-contending teams, including the Lions facing the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 3, the Commanders coming to Arrowhead to face the Chiefs and a rematch of last year’s NFC wild card when the Eagles face the Packers in Week 10. There are four doubleheaders on the horizon, too, beginning in Week 2. 

Here’s an entire listing of the Monday night schedule. Each game can be seen on ESPN (unless noted otherwise), with select matchups also being shown on the “ManningCast,” which is aired on ESPN2 and on ESPN+. We’ve also included a ranking of the entire “Monday Night Football” schedule. 

Week 1: Vikings at Bears
Week 2: Buccaneers at Texans/Chargers at Raiders
Week 3: Lions at Ravens
Week 4: Jets at Dolphins/Bengals at Broncos (ABC exclusive)
Week 5: Chiefs at Jaguars
Week 6: Bills at Falcons/Bears at Commanders (ABC exclusive)
Week 7: Buccaneers at Lions/Texans at Seahawks (ESPN+ exclusive)
Week 8: Commanders at Chiefs
Week 9: Cardinals at Cowboys
Week 10: Eagles at Packers
Week 11: Cowboys at Raiders
Week 12: Panthers at 49ers
Week 13: Giants at Patriots
Week 14: Eagles at Chargers
Week 15: Dolphins at Steelers
Week 16: 49ers at Colts
Week 17: Rams at Falcons
Week 18: TBD doubleheader 

Ranking every ‘Monday Night Football’ game 

21. 49ers at Colts, Week 16

This Week 16 matchup being in last amongst the 21 known “Monday Night Football” matchups mostly has to do with the quarterback uncertainty the Indianapolis Colts possess. An Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones quarterback competition is the definition of what younger generations today call “a mid off.” Both Colts quarterbacks also have notable injury histories, so with this game being in Week 16, there’s a chance both Richardson and Jones aren’t even starting this matchup. 

20. Panthers at 49ers, Week 12

There was enough intrigue here around with what 2023 first overall pick quarterback Bryce Young could look like with a retooled offensive core that includes 2025 eighth overall pick wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and ex-Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle fresh off a career year. It’s also a reunion game between the Panthers and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. However, this game could get ugly quickly if the Panthers’ last-ranked scoring defense (31.4 points per game allowed in 2024) hasn’t made much improvement in 2025. 

19. Jets at Dolphins, Week 4

Yes, it’s Week 4, but the loser of this early season matchup could be feeling the heat at the bottom of the AFC East division standings. It will be informative to see if the New York Jets can execute a consistent offense around former Chicago Bears first-round pick Justin Fields. Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could feel his seat get hotter with a loss here following an 8-9 campaign in 2024 and a tumble down the division standings. 

18. Dolphins at Steelers, Week 15

There’s a strong chance Miami Dolphins’ injury plagued, Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could be out of the lineup with another injury by the time this game rolls around. The Pittsburgh Steelers also have major quarterback question marks with their depth chart currently consisting of Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and rookie sixth-round pick Will Howard. 

Of course, if Aaron Rodgers was a Steeler at this moment in time, this game would be ranked higher. However, Dolphins speedsters Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle against Pittsburgh’s top-10 scoring defense from 2024 (20.4 points per game allowed, eighth fewest in NFL) could still be an intriguing matchup. 

17. Giants at Patriots, Week 13

This matchup a year ago would have been incredibly shaky, but both the New York Giants and New England Patriots have made significant changes to their respective rosters. New York completely overhauled its quarterback room with the signings of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston before trading back into Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. They also created a fun thunder and lightning duo in the backfield with the fourth-round pick of Arizona State All-American running back Cam Skattebo, who is now paired with Tyrone Tracy. The Giants using their third overall pick to add the draft’s top edge rusher prospect in Penn State All-American Abdul Carter to a defensive line with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns is incredibly fun, too.

New York’s defensive line will certainly test how improved Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s offensive line is following the additions of fourth overall pick rookie left tackle Will Campbell and veteran right tackle Morgan Moses this offseason. New England ranked 31st out of 32 NFL teams in both sack rate allowed (9%) and quarterback pressure rate allowed (39.5%) in 2024. This could also be one of, if not the first, of Dart’s NFL starts. 

16. Bills at Falcons, Week 6

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, comes to Atlanta to face off against second-year Falcons starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. He’ll also provide a stress test for a pass rush that Atlanta upgraded with two first-round pick edge rushers (Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.). Atlanta’s 169 sacks since 2019 are the fewest in the NFL and 30 less than any other team in that span. Allen registered the second-lowest sack percentage (2.8%) by mere decimal points in 2024 behind only recently retired New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (2.8%). This game could get ugly for the home team in a hurry. 

15. Texans at Seahawks, Week 7

This is a game between two squads whose respective offensive lines struggled to protect their quarterbacks in 2024. The Seattle Seahawks allowed the third-highest quarterback pressure rate (39.4%) in the NFL in 2024 while the Houston Texans weren’t too far behind them, allowing the ninth-highest rate (36.7%). 

That’s why Seattle spent its 2025 first-round pick, 18th overall, on North Dakota State FCS All-American offensive lineman Grey Zabel, who is projected to start at left guard in the upcoming season. Quarterback Sam Darnold, who came over from the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, struggled to evade pressure last season, especially in the biggest moments. He was pressured 49 times in his last two games, the second most in any two-game span by a quarterback in 2024 including the postseason. 

Texans Pro Bowl edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. will certainly enter this matchup licking their chops, and they could help turn this game into a blowout in a hurry. 

14. Rams at Falcons, Week 17

Former Georgia Bulldog and Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford returns to Georgia, and this matchup serves as a pupil vs. a master showdown as well. Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson spent his first five seasons as an NFL coach working as an assistant on Rams head coach Sean McVay’s staff before taking the OC gig on former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ Falcons staff. 

Both teams are equipped with some explosive playmakers with the Rams rolling out a big three of Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams, Pro Bowl wide receiver Puka Nacua and new Los Angeles All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams. Atlanta counters with Pro Bowl running back Bijan Robinson, former first-round pick wide receiver Drake London and former first-round pick tight end Kyle Pitts. This could be a fun duel in Atlanta. 

13. Cardinals at Cowboys, Week 9

Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray is 8-0 at AT&T Stadium, but just two of those wins are as the Cardinals quarterback. Five of them occurred during his historic high school football career at Allen High School, and the other victory came in the Big 12 championship game during his Heisman Trophy-winning season with the Oklahoma Sooners. Murray should be firing on all cylinders in this Texas homecoming against Dak Prescott, who is now equipped with two legit receivers in All-Pro CeeDee Lamb and offseason trade acquisition George Pickens. Fireworks could fly early and often. 

12. Chiefs at Jaguars, Week 5

The three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs provide an early season test for the Jacksonville Jaguars and their first-year head coach Liam Coen. Coen coordinated a top-five scoring offense (29.5 points per game, fourth most in the NFL) in Tampa Bay last season despite an early season injury to Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin, and quarterback Baker Mayfield set franchise single-season records for completion percentage (71.4%) and passer rating (106.8) last season.

Perhaps he can work similar magic with another former first overall pick QB in Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence with him throwing to Pro Bowl wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and 2025 second overall pick Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. Coen and his high-flying receivers up against Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce could be a pretty fun matchup. 

11. Eagles at Chargers, Week 14

This matchup involves two of the more run-heavy offenses in football. The Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles and 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley created an offense that ran the ball 621 times last season, the most in the NFL, and they’ll come to town to face the Los Angeles Chargers’ running back duo of former first-round pick Najee Harris and 2025 NFL Draft 22nd overall pick Omarion Hampton in an attack whose 463 carries ranked tied for the 11th most in the league.

Both squads also have Pro Bowl quarterbacks in Super Bowl LIX MVP Jalen Hurts and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, whose 21,093 career passing yards are the most in NFL history by a player in their first five seasons. 

10. Chargers at Raiders, Week 2

This one will be fun. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll renew their decades long rivalry. The two went at it in the Pac-10 with Harbaugh at Stanford and Carroll at USC in the 2000s, and they also went toe-to-toe in the NFC West with Harbaugh coaching the 49ers and Carroll coaching the Seahawks in the 2010s. Now, their squads go head-to-head in the 2020s out in the AFC West. 

Both head coaches drafted running backs with their first-round picks, with Carroll taking Boise State All-American Ashton Jeanty sixth overall and Harbaugh taking North Carolina All-ACC rusher Omarion Hampton 22nd overall. Both also have strong-armed quarterbacks in Justin Herbert and Geno Smith. Get your petty popcorn ready. 

9. Buccaneers at Texans, Week 2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield leads the NFL in touchdown passes (69) since he joined his current squad in 2023, and quarterback C.J. Stroud burst on to the scene with an electrifying NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023. Both have new offensive coordinators in 2024, and with this game coming in Week 2, it will be interesting to see who is picking up their new playbook faster early in the 2025 season.   

8. Cowboys at Raiders, Week 11

In 2023, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and new Raiders starting quarterback Geno Smith lit up the scoreboard in prime time. Prescott’s Cowboys defeated Smith’s Seattle Seahawks 41-35 on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 13 that season with both Prescott (299 yards passing and three touchdowns on 29 of 41 passing) and Smith (334 yards passing, three touchdowns and one interception on 23 of 41 passing) throwing the ball all over the yard. Perhaps the prime-time sequel to that night could be just as entertaining. 

7. Bengals at Broncos, Week 4

These two teams went to overtime in Week 17 last season. That game ended with 2024 passing yards and passing touchdowns leader Joe Burrow throwing the game-winning 3-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with just over a minute remaining in OT after rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw a 25-yard, game-tying touchdown pass to Marvin Mims with eight seconds left in regulation. Perhaps Round 2 will be just as thrilling. 

6. Vikings at Bears, Week 1

The Ben Johnson era begins in Chicago with he and his retooled Bears offensive line hosting the Minnesota Vikings and blitz-happy defensive coordinator Brian Flores: No NFL team has a higher blitz rate than Flores’ Vikings (46.2%) since he became their DC in 2023. This will be a fun test for 2024 first overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams and Johnson a season removed from Williams absorbing 68 sacks as a rookie, which is tied for the third-most sacks taken in a single season ever. 

5. Bears at Commanders, Week 6

This matchup provides a rematch of the first and second overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft in Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Commanders 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels from Week 8 last season. Daniels and Washington won this matchup when he connected on a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to wide receiver Noah Brown as time expired. That loss sent the Bears into a tailspin as they lost 10 of their final 11 games. Let’s see if Ben Johnson and Chicago’s offensive personnel upgrades can make a difference in 2025. 

4. Buccaneers at Lions, Week 7

Baker Mayfield’s 69 touchdown passes since becoming a Buccaneer in 2023 are the most in the NFL. Detroit Lions Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff is right behind him with 67 touchdown tosses in the same span. It’ll be interesting to see how both veteran passers have adapted to new offensive coordinators with both of their prior OCs now working as NFL head coaches with Liam Coen in Jacksonville and Ben Johnson in Chicago.

3. Lions at Ravens, Week 3

The Detroit Lions were far and away the NFL’s top scoring offense in 2024, averaging an eye-popping 33.2 points per game with Goff distributing the football to weapons like All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took home 2024 first-team All-Pro honors last season after becoming the first quarterback with 4,000 or more passing yards and 800 or more rushing yards in a single season. This should be a fun, high-scoring affair. 

2. Eagles at Packers, Week 10

The Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles head to Lambeau Field to visit the Green Bay Packers in a 2024 NFC wild-card round rematch, a game the Eagles won in Philly by a score of 22-10. However, the game was closer than the final score indicated with the Packers trailing by just six, 16-10, at the start of the fourth quarter. 

Philadelphia retains much of its offensive core from its championship run, including Super Bowl LIX MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts (131 yards passing and two touchdown passes on 13 of 21 passing plus 36 yards rushing on six carries vs. Green Bay last postseason) and 2024 NFL Offensive Player of the Year running back Saquon Barkley (119 yards rushing on 25 carries). 

Meanwhile, Green Bay beefed up its offense after struggling to move the ball in its last matchup by signing longtime San Francisco 49ers guard Aaron Banks in free agency and also selecting two wide receivers — Texas’ Matthew Golden (first round) and TCU’s Savion Williams (third round) — in the 2025 NFL Draft. That should help quarterback Jordan Love (212 yards passing, three interceptions on 20 of 33 passing), who battled through lower body injuries all season. 

Packers Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs (81 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown plus three catches for 40 yards) returns as the only Green Bay player who had any success against the Eagles last postseason. He and Love could go off for much bigger days in Week 10 following the Eagles’ defensive attrition in free agency with edge rusher Josh Sweat (Arizona Cardinals), defensive lineman Milton Williams (New England Patriots), cornerback Darius Slay (Pittsburgh Steelers) and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Houston Texans) now elsewhere. 

1. Commanders at Chiefs, Week 8

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, will face the Kansas City Chiefs and three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the first time. This should be fun.